Blog Article Continuation(s) Dualsky Hornet Quadcopter - First Look and Review

This thread will serve as a continuation of an upcoming look at the Dualsky Hornet, a large quadcopter sold as ARF (almost ready to fly). The review is a work in progress here:
https://www.droneflyers.com/2013/04/dualsky-hornet-quadcopter-first-look-and-review/

Some people have mentioned shortcomings in the owners manual, including a lack of clarity on installing the battery. Here is a short video on the battery installation as well as some pictures. The installation is as simple as:
1. Place velcro (included) on the based of the quadcopter between the two silver battery holder brackets.
2. Place velcro (included) on the center of your battery and more velcro (not included) on other batteries you have for the quad.
3. Thread the red battery strap underneath both battery holding brackets with the writing facing up- pull through until the buckle is against one bracket.
4. Lift the center of the strap located between the brackets upwards - install the battery by matching up the velcro and pressing down, keeping it as centered as possible.
5. Pull the strap end (with writing) over the battery, through the buckle and then back onto itself.

 

This is a work in progress - a notated manual for the assembly and use of the Dualsky Hornet. This takes into account what I and others are learning as we build and fly our Hornets, and will likely save some aggravation for the newbie!

Manual Download Link

 

Here is a quickie vid of setting and arming (unlocking) the Dual Sky Hornet, and a test of the flight controls

 

I strapped an 808 #16 Keychain cam to the Hornet and took this quick sunset video.

 

I will be working more on the manual, however some users (and even the importer) have mentioned that, just to be sure, it may be a good idea to center the Flight Controller on the quadcopter - whereas the original information said it just had to point in the proper direction (forward).
The pictures enclosed here show mine now - centered with the "head direction" end going the same as the arrow on the main circuit board. The receiver could still fit on that board (sideways - which is fine) or on the upper deck as I did. The velcro on the upper deck is for attaching one of my keychain cameras.

 

I've been updating review as I gain more experience with the Hornet. One important factor to consider is something I call:
The Hornet Conundrum

The Hornet is advertised as an "entry level quad", which may refer to both the price and the lack of additional bells and whistles. The problem with this description is that the manual nature of this quad means that any "entry level" buyer is likely to not be able to fly it without some mishaps! On one hand, the engineering, fit and finish and specifications are quite good - better than ANY $300 quad on the market. On the other hand, all of that does not do the newbie much good if he or she is worried about crashing, expensive repairs, etc.

Perhaps the answer would be to offer various levels of "trim" including better flight controllers, bumpers and landing gear, etc. for those without as much flying experience. Another option would be to market it as other than entry level. Either way, this is not a quad for those who have little or no experience with R/C...unless they desire to learn the hard way!
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Some of the Hornet owners have upgraded to NAZA and Multiwii control boards with good results. The main thing for newbies to know here is that in stock form, this is more of a "sport" quad for flying patterns in the park than for other uses such as FPV, Video (at distance), etc.
Flyers with previous experience in Heli flying have reported that it is a easy transition to the Hornet. I suspect that many new quad flyers have never flown Helis and would crash them quite quickly if they did....

 

You can add those to this forum thread which is just for that purpose! That's why it is labeled as a "blog continuation thread" and referenced in the article.

 

Update - at this point in mid-2014, many other quads of small to mid-size have been introduced and are being sold at very competitive prices. Although we never suggested the Hornet as a beginners quad, it's probably time to call it fairly dated. Those who buy and maintain them will probably continue doing so, but most of the industry has moved on to GPS, 6-axis, Return to Home, altitude hold and other such features - and the prices have come down to where many of these machines are in the price range of $300-$400.