Drone News: DJI Avata 360 Price leak, New World Record, Drones for Good Stories

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week; leaked pricing for the upcoming DJI Avata 360, the world record for the fastest drone has been shattered, and public safety is starting the year off with a ton of drones for good stories! Let's get to it.
First up thanks to a leaked pricing table from a Chinese retail store, we have what appears to be the final pricing for the DJI Avata 360. And yes, the Avata 360 is already FCC approved. Now for the prices. In China, the base drone is listed at ¥2,988, which is about $426 USD. The Standard Combo with the Motion Controller 3 is about $569, and the Fly More Combo comes in at around $811. That puts the estimated US price for the base drone around $489, and the Fly More Combo will likely land right at that classic DJI price point of $999.This drone is rumored to brings true spherical 360 capture to an FPV platform, which is a huge deal. There are also rumors it could be under 250 grams. It seems to be a direct challenger to the Insta360 Antigravity A1, and DJI is betting that immersive 360 FPV is compelling enough for people to swallow that price tag for this new tech. Next up, for all you speed demons and FPV builders out there, the record for the world's fastest drone has been absolutely demolished. Luke Maximo Bell and his team have reclaimed the Guinness World Record with their Peregreen V4 drone, clocking an official top speed of 408.60 miles per hour, or 657.59 kilometers per hour. They took the record back from Benjamin Biggs, who had set it at 389 mph.What's really impressive here is the engineering. They meticulously tested three different motors—the AOS Supernova 3220, the AMX 2826, and the T-Motor 3120. They ended up choosing the T-Motor 3120 not because it had the most thrust, but because it was the most reliable and ran cooler. That shows it's not just about peak power, but about surviving the run! The frame itself was 3D printed, merging a hard PETG material with a softer TPU on the nose cone. To get that extra speed, they also bumped the motor KV up from 800 to 900. I want to pause for just a minute to discuss an upcoming webinar we are hosting. This webinar is all about how to land clients in 7 days, and it’s on Tuesday, January 13th. If you're struggling to get your first client, this is perfect for you. Be sure to preregister if you want to attend. Check out the link in the comments, and we'll see you there! Last up this week, we have a bunch of drones for good stories, out of several places across the country:- A hiker was rescued using a drone in Chillicothe, Ohio using a drone, likely using a DJI Matrice series.

- A hiker in Oregon was rescued, likely using an M30T or Matrice 4T.

- A man with dementia in Campbellsville KY was located using a Matrice 30T.

- A Skydio X10 was used to capture a man in Wichita after an armed robbery.k

- A DJI Matrice 400 was instrumental in a rescue in Michigan, after a snowmobile broke through lake ice, sending the two riders into the water.

- And a Matrice 4T in Fishers, Indiana located a firearm after it was dumped by a suspect during a chase.These stories are proof that drones have become like any other tool for Public safety departments, and that they do save lives. Alright, that’s it for this week, Join us in the premium community for Post flight, our uncensored show where we share our opinions, which aren’t always suitable for YouTube! See you on Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2026/01/04/luke-bells-peregreen-v4-new-fastest-drone/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/02/dji-avata-360-price-china-us/https://dronexl.co/2025/12/31/police-drone-missing-hiker-ohio-search/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/05/dji-drone-ice-rescue-saginaw-bay/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/04/wichita-police-drone-robbery/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/04/dji-matrice-drone-campbellsville-missing/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/03/drone-rescue-lost-hiker-oregon/