A quadcopter with a bird’s-eye view
Today’s quadcopters and other multirotor aerial vehicles have brought us a vast improvement in visual style. Most, if not all, quadcopters in the 450mm- to 500mm-size range possess futuristic sleek looks. Add to this an impressive out-of-the-box transmitter equipped with an FPV video screen and you have a very appealing package. The Lark FPV quadcopter from HRP has all this and a whole lot more.
Equipped with an easy-to-see video screen, the Lark’s transmitter, with its twin hand grips, is comfortable to hold.
HIGHLIGHTS
To get ready to fly, you only have to charge the batteries, switch on the radio and the quadcopter, and press the “pair button” to join the onboard camera to the transmitter’s built-in video screen. Our test version of the Lark came with a 2.4Ghz 4-channel radio that has a dual hand grip design, which is similar to that of a video game controller, with a 4.3-inch LCD display on top of the crosspiece. The radio is powered by a 3.7v 450mHh LiPo pack, which you must remove from the battery compartment to charge with the included USB charger. The quadcopter has a removable battery tray that supports two 1S 1000mAh LiPo packs, which are wired together onto a single connector. A USB charger is also included for the flight battery and takes about an hour to fully charge.
The video transmission signal is 2.4GHz, and the included onboard 0.3 megapixel camera must be paired to the video screen on the radio. This takes only a few seconds. There is also a micro SD card included with a USB card reader for recording video and still photos and transferring the data to your PC. The quality of the video is acceptable but fairly low res and reliant on the amount of light available: The brighter the surrounding, the better the video and photographs are. You can also view the video of the images that you recorded using the radio’s built-in screen. Simply remove the micro SD card from the onboard camera, and insert it in the slot on the right side of the screen. A white SD card icon will appear on the screen, and pressing the view button on the left side of the screen brings you to the viewing mode. Use the up, down, and OK buttons to navigate the menu on the screen.
SPECIFICATIONS
Name: U842-1 Lark FPV
Manufacturer: UDI RC
Distributor: HRP Distribution (hrpdealer.com)
Type: Sport FPV quadcopter
Size: 480mm
Weight: 16 oz.
Motors: Four U842-1-03 gear motors (installed)
Battery: Dual 1000mAh 3.7v LiPo (included)
Speed controls: Installed
Flight controller: Installed
Radio: UA-17 2.4GHz video-equipped controller (included)
Price: $199.99
WE LIKE
+ Stealthy sleek design
+ Easy setup
+ Built-in video screen
The airborne video camera comes installed. Once you match it to the radio’s screen, it sends the FPV signal every time you switch on the radio.
The motors are well protected in their molded casings.
The flight battery slides into place on its own hatch/tray assembly and is secured with a snap.
AERIAL RECAP
With a freshly charged flight battery, the Lark becomes airborne at about 1/3 to 1/2 throttle. Control response is positive, and I found the Lark to be fairly stable and easy to fly. The trim buttons under each control stick are easy to access while flying. The built-in six-axis gyro system makes it easy to fly, and the low-battery alarm function helps prevent surprise landings. The left trigger button on the back side of the hand grips lets you enter the three flight modes: beginner, medium, and expert. It is easy to determine which mode you have selected as the radio beeps one, two, or three times for the various settings. The right rear trigger button is the 360-degree flip button. Be sure to gain some altitude before pressing this button as the Lark will lose some altitude during the flips. You move the right control stick in the direction that you want the Lark to flip. When the battery voltage level gets too low, the flip function will stop working.
LAST WORD
The UDI RC Lark FPV is a great little quadcopter that’s fun to fly, and it is rugged enough for beginner drone pilots trying to earn their quadcopter wings. You can easily pilot the Lark indoors or outside, and its various flight modes allow you to set up the control response to suit your piloting abilities. Everyone will like flying the Lark.
By Gerry Yarrish Photos by Peter Hall
I let my Lark FVP sit for a couple of weeks. Now 2 of the motors are freezing. They will start with a little help but will not come up to speed enough to fly. I tried blowing them off with a can of air – no luck. Any suggestions besides replacement?