Cogito Specta Air Drone Teardown Reveals Strong Similarities to DJI Air 3

A recent teardown video by Jack and Chris from Half Chrome provides an in-depth look at the internal components of the Cogito Specta Air drone, comparing it to the popular DJI Air 3. The video reveals striking similarities between the two drones, with only minor differences in hardware and software.

Compatibility between Cogito Specta Air and DJI Air 3

The video highlights several areas of compatibility between the Spect Air and the DJI Air 3:

• Propellers are interchangeable
• ND Filters are compatible
• Chargers work with both drone’s batteries
• Batteries are NOT interchangeable
• Gimbal guards and cases are identical due to matching geometry

As mentioned, the batteries themselves are not cross-compatible. Attempting to use a DJI battery in the Spect Air results in an error message, and vice versa. The remote controllers are also not interchangeable between the two drone models.

Inside the Cogito Specta Air drone

The teardown process proved challenging, with one screw in particular requiring acetone to dissolve strong epoxy. However, once inside, the components appeared very similar to the DJI Air 3. Jack notes:

“Everything looks very very similar here even the hardware connecting the arms uh the prop arms is looking very very similar identical you might say.”

Minor differences included a numbered piece of plastic, different connector colors, and some additional tape on the Spect Air not present in the DJI teardown. Notably, the Specta Air lacked any DJI branding.

While not 100% identical, the Cogito Specta Air drone shares a striking resemblance to the DJI Air 3 in both external appearance and internal components.

Jack suggests the Specta Air could potentially serve as an alternative for those seeking a non-DJI drone, possibly to circumvent any potential bans on DJI products. However, he emphasizes the speculative nature of the situation and commits to providing updates as more information becomes available.

DroneXL has reached out to several DJI employees to get clarification on these DJI drone clones, but as of the writing of this article we have yet to receive a meaningful answer.

Photos courtesy of Half Chrome.