You may be aware of the existence of the military’s Black Hornet Nano, a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Much to our surprise, you can actually buy one, or at least one that looks like it.
Commonly referred to as the RC Helicopter C127 Sentry Spy Drone, it is not as small as the Black Hornet Nano and while it is aesthetically similar to the military drone, it is nowhere like the military’s in terms of tech (like, obviously).
Like the Black Hornet Nano (and actually helicopters), it has a flybar-less setup and it is outfitted with an onboard camera that records at up to 720p resolution.
Strangely though, it is a 4-channel RC helicopter which means it is a fixed-pitch heli, not a collective pitch, and therefore, it will not be able to do stunts like barrel rolls and inverted flying, for example.
However, the aircraft is said to be ultra-stable – thanks to the onboard 6-axis gyroscope. It further boasts many features including a barometer to monitor the height, a so-called “optical flow positioning” sensor, a removable USB-rechargeable battery, a low battery voltage alarm, runaway protection, one-key take-off and landing, and more.
I have seen the demo flight but honestly, it is not as stable as it has claimed (when flown outdoor). But it is impressive given its size.
The package includes a 4-channel transmitter and you will need to down a free app to see the flight in real-time. The app also allows you to draw the flight path and control the aircraft using the virtual joysticks.
If you are keen, the RC Helicopter C127 Sentry Spy Drone is available from Aliexpress at around US$75.59-102.73, depending on the vendor and also if you want additional batteries.
Images: RC Era via Aliexpress.