Drone News: DJI Retires Phantom 4, SiFly Releases New Drones, More M4 Leaks, 'Flying Squirrel' Drone

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for
you this week. First, DJI officially ends the Phantom line, SiFly
releases the Q250 and Q12, more leaks surface about the potential
DJI Mavic 4, and researchers develop a 'flying squirrel' drone
with foldable wings.





first up this week, it's the end of an era for one of the most
iconic drone series ever. DJI has officially announced the
retirement of its Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced drones. It
set the standard for prosumer drones for years. It's a bit sad to
see the Phantom line go, but technology marches on. We've seen
DJI focus heavily on the Mavic, Air, and Mini series for
consumers and prosumers, and the Matrice line for enterprise. So,
while the Phantom might be taking its final flight into the
sunset, its legacy in shaping our drone industry is undeniable.
Pour one out for the Phantom!Next up, SiFly has released the Q12,
a medium-sized, long-endurance aircraft. The Q12 offers a
two-hour continuous hover, three-hour forward flight time, and
90-mile range while carrying a 10lb payload. SiFly also released
the Q250, a heavy-lift drone with a 200lb payload and a
100-minute endurance. Both of these look like pretty cool drones
with maybe the best flight times we've seen from a multi-rotor.
Also, both drones are NDAA compliant, making them a possible
replacement for those entities that require compliant aircraft.
Specifics on battery, connection link, and available payloads
aren't currently available. We'll keep you updated if we see more
about the SiFly Q250 or the Q12!Now for another DJI story, the
rumor mill is churning again, this time about the potential DJI
Mavic 4. According to Jasper Ellens, the Mavic 4 is becoming, in
his words, "the world's most leaked drone." Recent reports
suggest leaked promotional images, potential pricing details, and
even photos of the retail boxes have surfaced online. Now, take
this all with a grain of salt, as these are just leaks. One
particularly interesting tidbit is the mention of a possible new
controller, the RC Pro 2, which might feature a vertical screen.
A vertical screen could be interesting for how information is
displayed, maybe better for certain types of flight data, or even
social media integration, who knows? Along with the leaks, there
was a list of supposedly cancelled features, including no Pro
Res, no electronic ND filters at launch, and no RC Track, which,
for those who may not remember, is the rumored tracking
beacon.And last up this week, we have a cool research story out
of South Korea. Researchers at Pohang University of Science and
Technology, or POSTECH, have developed a drone inspired by flying
squirrels! This isn't your typical quadcopter. It features
foldable wings designed to give it significantly more agility,
especially when it comes to braking or making sharp turns
mid-air. You know how quadcopters can feel a bit floaty sometimes
when stopping? The idea here is that these foldable wings can
deploy rapidly to act like air brakes, allowing for much quicker
deceleration than propellers alone can manage. This mimics how a
flying squirrel uses its membranes to glide and maneuver. Or the
ornithopter in Dune... While it's still in the research phase,
this kind of bio-inspired design is fascinating. It pushes the
boundaries beyond standard drone configurations and could
potentially lead to drones that can navigate complex environments
much more
effectively. https://dronexl.co/2025/04/29/flying-squirrel-drone-foldable-wings/https://dronexl.co/2025/04/26/dji-mavic-4-canceled-features-rc-pro-2/https://dronexl.co/2025/04/27/drones-drop-super-clams-florida-indian-river/https://dronexl.co/2025/04/29/dji-phantom-4-takes-final-flight/