If a gold-plated quadcopter sounds like a daft idea, that’s because it is. However, if it seems like something you might actually desire, then what are you waiting for? This special edition DJI Phantom 4 drone is on the market right now in the U.K., and costs just £20,000 (about $24,000). But keep in mind that you could also get about 20 bling-free Phantom 4s for that kind of money.
Offered by DronesDirect, the 24-karat gold-plated flying machine is likely to have any owner sweating profusely from the second they launch the unique copter until the moment they land it. If they do land it.
It is without doubt the ultimate “look at me” quadcopter, though hopefully it won’t be a case of “look at me while I accidentally get it stuck on the top of that enormous tree over there.”
You certainly wouldn’t want to experience a flyaway incident with this particular Phantom 4, though it’d likely make the day of the person who finds it crashed in their yard. “Hey, honey, you’ll never guess what I just found out back. Maybe we can afford that vacation after all.”
“Fly in first class”
The copter’s listing says the “gold standard” Phantom 4 lets you “fly in first class with the Rolls-Royce of the drone world.”
It goes on, “You won’t find this masterpiece anywhere else, so it’s unlikely you’ll see one flying around. That means you’re bound to turn heads when you head out with this beauty.” Turn heads it certainly will, with most of them probably thinking, “Who’s that jerk with the flashy quadcopter?”
The Phantom 4 apparently still has excellent performance “despite the extra weight,” a note that suggests you really wouldn’t want to fly this over a crowd of people for fear of a sudden mid-air incident sending the heavy machine (precise weight not specified) at great speed toward people’s soft connective tissue.
OK, maybe there are people out there who could be tempted to add a gold DJI drone to their extravagant collection of pricey toys – Russian oligarchs, perhaps? Arab princes? Donald Trump? But for most regular folks, the standard Phantom 4 will seem like an altogether more sensible deal.