Parrot Hydrofoil – hybrid mini-drone for air and water
The Parrot Hydrofoil Drone is a hybrid mini-drone for use in the air as well as on water. It is used either as a normal mini-drone or can be attached to a small catamaran to act as a remote-controlled boat.
Toy drone and RC ship in one
The Hydrofoil Drone is available in two different versions, Orak and NewZ, which only differ in color. In the air, the Hydrofoil Drone can reach speeds of up to 11 mph (18 km/h). Due to the drone’s light weight of only 58 grams, operation is only recommended in calm or very moderate winds.
For use as a catamaran, the float must first be assembled. However, this is no problem thanks to the included quick start guide. Together with the drone, the entire construction then comes to a weight of approx. 247 g.
The unique design of the Parrot Hydrofoil is based on hydrofoils with support surfaces under the bow. The propulsion of the rotor blades allows the hybrid drone to reach speeds of up to 6 mph (10 km/h) on the water, lifting it up to 6 cm out of the water.
When using it as an RC craft, urgent attention should be paid to a calm and obstacle-free water surface. Even small interfering bodies such as leaves and stalks can negatively influence the controllability of the Parrot Hydrofoil. Pools or ponds with a clear surface therefore offer the best results and the greatest fun factor. However, the Hydrofoil is not designed for use on large lakes or even the open sea.
What the Hydrofoil Drone does
Whether in the air or in the water – one battery charge (550 mAh) is sufficient for approx. 7 to 9 minutes of operation. A charging process takes about 25 minutes with the charger (not included). If you want to charge the small quadcopter via microUSB cable (included) on the PC, you have to plan a little more time with about 90 minutes.
By the way, the mini quadcopter is controlled via smartphone, with the help of the free app “FreeFlight 3“, which is available for both Android and iOS. The range of the hybrid drone is about 22 yards (20 meters) – so you should not let the drone fly or swim too far away. The signal transmission works via Bluetooth.
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Optionally available is the Parrot FlyPad, a controller specially developed for the Parrot Minidrones Swing, Mambo, Airborne Cargo, Airborne Night and the Hydrofoil. The Flypad not only increases the control range up to 66 yards (60 meters), but also allows a much more precise control of the copter.
Before launching the drone, you can select in the app whether you want to use the Hydrofoil Drone in the air or on water. If you select the flight mode, the copter can perform various tricks. At the push of a button, the drone can perform forward, backward or sideways loops or fly 90° to 180° turns.
Videos can also be recorded with the Parrot Hydrofoil. A VGA camera (480 x 640 pixels) is available for this purpose, which records the video material on the integrated 1 GByte flash memory. However, those who expect high-class recordings with this setup will probably be a bit disappointed by the quality of the recordings and should better buy another camera drone.
Scope of delivery
- Hydrofoil Drone
- Battery
- USB cable/micro USB cable
- Hydrofoil components
- Quick start guide
- Sticker set
Conclusion
The Parrot Hydrofoil Drone is a fun drone with a unique design. It is either used as a normal mini drone or converted to an RC boat. The two different versions Hydrofoil Orak and Hydrofoil NewZ differ only in color.
We find it a bit of a shame that no special charger is included in the scope of delivery. A charging process with the included microUSB cable takes a bit long with about 90 minutes. Therefore, we recommend either ordering a suitable charger or one or two replacement batteries. Purchasing the Parrot FlyPad also makes sense – it increases the range many times over.
All in all, the Parrot Hydrofoil Drone is an interesting hybrid drone with a high fun factor, which should not only inspire children. The hybrid of quadcopter and hydrofoil is a successful change in the segment of fun drones and promises great fun – in the air as well as on water!