iFlight have just released a new backpack. Notice anything familiar? The shape and design is virtually identical to the Torvol Pitstop Pro backpack. Even down to the shape and design of the side pockets, the top pockets and the laptop pocket. Even the pouches and zip pockets inside the main pockets are the same as on the Torvol backpack. The inside looks the same and it even has the same rain cover. This is a blatant rip-off copy of the Torvol if ever I saw it. They are pricing it at $180.

EDIT: Please DO NOT buy this product. It is now clear that iFlight have ripped off and cloned the Torvol Pitstop Pro without Torvol's permission. They tried to gag/silence me on Facebook but they can't do that on here. Read the posts below for more info. If you are interested in this design of backpack, please give your money to Torvol who are the original designers of this backpack, and it's the same price as the iFlight rip-off backpack -> https://torvol.com/product/fpv-quad-pits...ckpack-pro

https://shop.iflight-rc.com/iFlight-FPV-...ck-pro1572

         

I guess that's the trend in the RC Hobby. Hard to stop anyone from copying the design.

From a users perspective, most do not care as long as prices are low. 

Having said that, I bought the cheapest Torvol Session backpack I could afford when I first started and it has given me no issues in over an year: https://torvol.com/product/drone-session-backpack . It fits everything I need for a quick FPV session and I never travelled interstate for FPV and I never needed any more space than it offers.

I'm normally the last person to yell 'rip-off', because a bag's a bag. We're not innovating massively in a space with thousands of years of history.

But yeah. That's a rip-off. It's _so_ close I wonder if it's done under license?

(11-Jun-2021, 08:39 AM)Banelle Wrote: I'm normally the last person to yell 'rip-off', because a bag's a bag. We're not innovating massively in a space with thousands of years of history.

But yeah. That's a rip-off. It's _so_ close I wonder if it's done under license?

Well I asked them the direct question. They've replied to other comments that were posted after mine, but not my comment, so I take that to mean that they have actually just ripped off Torvol's design without permission. TBH, I would expect better from a company as big as iFlight. I'm all up for new products and innovation in this hobby but when one company just rips off another company's products to try and make a quick buck, it just hurts the hobby as a whole. I guess no-one cares about anything these days other than raking in as much profit as they can even if it means stamping on other people in order to do that.

Will be interesting to see if one of the review channels has the balls to call them on it. But like other markets FPV review channels seem to say nice things to keep the flow of free products coming in.

I believe the QC will set them apart.. what one did Bardwell take to Rampage and it didn’t last the weekend?? A buckle broke then I think a strap stitching came apart...

(11-Jun-2021, 12:40 PM)Rob Axel Wrote: I believe the QC will set them apart.. what one did Bardwell take to Rampage and it didn’t last the weekend??  A buckle broke then I think a strap stitching came apart...

Yes, that is true but Torvol are just a small niche company who specialise in manufacturing and selling drone / multirotor bags and backpacks. There is no need for a company like iFlight to come along and try to   all over Torvol by stealing their design and then trying to market it as all their own work. iFlight have a ton of other products which all sell well enough without them needing to try and muscle in and shove other manufacturers under a bus. If they want to sell a backpack they should put in the time and effort to come up with their own unique design rather then taking apart someone else's product and doing a copy/paste of it with their own logos on. We've already seen some companies in this hobby go bankrupt, and this type of action causes the smaller companies who are just trying to make an honest living to start struggling.

If it's true that this is blatant design theft by iFlight and has not been permitted / licenced by Torvol then this is just one more reason not to buy any iFlight products.

I used to made competitive stunt kites, my partner had a patent on our signature kite... we would see “knock-offs” of our stuff. The quality and performance was sub-par to say the least. I had someone at one point say “I have one of your kites and it doesn’t fly well”... I discovered it was NOT mine...Keeping with friendly atmosphere, I assisted with getting it to fly as well as it could.. THEN, I put one of my kites in his hands...He purchased one that day.. and used his “fake” for his kit to learn with...
We closed down not because of competition, but material cost..
It was a great time in my life, met great people, and had 2 kites on exhibit at the Smithsonian at one point...

So rather than responding to my quite reasonable posts on the iflight-rc Facebook page questioning if they had permission or a license from Torvol to produce an almost exact copy of the Torvol Pitstop Pro Backpack, iFlight have just deleted my posts along with posts from some other people raising similar questions. My posts most definitely weren't trolling posts. I guess iFlight don't believe in freedom of speech and just want to brush their disgraceful actions under the carpet.

This proves without a shadow of a doubt that iFlight have definitely STOLEN Tovol's design without permission and have tried to pass it off as their own. The iFlight clone of the Torvol Backpack isn't even any cheaper than the Torvol, so why would anyone spend the same money with iFlight for a stolen design when they can just buy the original product from the original designer which is most likely better anyway? Anyone in their right mind shouldn't buy the iFlight backpack.

I think it's time for people vote with their wallet by NOT buying this backpack from iFlight. Anyone considering this, please support the original designer and buy the Torvol backpack instead for the same price.

the iflight backpacks will hold up like their electronics xD
one buddy has a trovol, he is unstopable if he start to glorify his use of the backpack :-) the trovol seems truly a very nice backpack :-)

The way we're heading I'm surprise it wasn't Facebook that took the posts down for racists comments.

(12-Jun-2021, 08:38 PM)hugnosed_bat Wrote: one buddy has a trovol, he is unstopable if he start to glorify his use of the backpack :-) the trovol seems truly a very nice backpack :-)

I'm no Torvol fan boy but I've had my Torvol Pitstop Pro for nearly 3 years and it's still almost like new. That is how good the quality is. No broken buckles, no torn stitching, no dodgy zippers. Nothing. It's still in perfect looking and working order just like the day I unboxed it.

(12-Jun-2021, 09:05 PM)sevro Wrote: The way we're heading I'm surprise it wasn't Facebook that took the posts down for racists comments.

I didn't see any racist comments. Just people questioning the extremely close resemblance of iFlight's "new" backpack to the Torvol. I guess iFlight didn't like the truth about them having stolen Torvol's design being exposed to other people who may not have realised, so they clearly just decided to silence the critics and hide information they didn't want people to see by deleting those posts.

I guess it's possible I'm now blocked from posting on their Facebook page. I'll have to try posting something else to find out.

(13-Jun-2021, 12:35 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: I guess it's possible I'm now blocked from posting on their Facebook page. I'll have to try posting something else to find out.

Yep, it looks like I've been gagged and silenced for just asking some straight questions. I can no longer reply to any posts on the iflight-rc Facebook page which means iFlight have now blocked me for posting free speech. Anyone giving money to this company, take note. They certainly won't be getting any more of mine.

My wife gave me the Torvol Pro for Christmas and I love it. Holds everything I will ever need and fits perfectly behind the seat of my SxS buggy when we head to the mountains for some fun. The only complaint I have is that it is very heavy for actual hiking any distance. My original intent was to have something strong and lightweight that could hold my stuff on day hikes but unfortunately the Torvol simply isn't that. But frankly I think if it were as lightweight as I'd like, it wouldn't be holding up nearly as well as it is for carrying pretty much all my gear. So I suppose it's a trade-off. For short distances to carry everything you need from your car to the flightline the Torvol is great. For longer hikes I now use one of my older backpacks that is super light but I also only take the bare minimum gear with me. One 2" and 3" quad only, with my Tx, a few tools, props and 650/850 4s packs.

Your not allowed an opinion. You are only allowed to conform…..
I flight should’ve done just the slightest research and found most people wanted a little wider flexibility with the side pockets of the Torval pit stop. Iflight sure sounds more and more like a crappy company. Does anything dependable come from them?