I‘ve never been a big fan of micro quadcopters. Micros are harder to fly; they can hardly resist any sort of wind and are a lot more fragile compared to their larger brethren. For these reasons they don’t make excellent toys to fly around for the sheer fun of flying nor do they make good trainer drones. However, micro quadcopters have continued to be an important niche simply because they fill a demand that no other RC toy or drone can.
For as long as there is the demand for highly affordable and portable toy-grade quadcopters, micro quads will continue to be an important niche in the market. After all, what sort of quad can you store in your pocket, handbag or that tight space in your backpack other than a micro? Not only are they very small, light and highly portable, nothing can beat a micro when it comes to pricing — one reason why micros are so popular and sell the most in terms of quantity over other types of quadcopters.
This is why many brands out there have at least one model aimed at the micro quadcopter market and one such example is the Skylark V282 / V292 by WLtoys.
The WLtoys V282 / V292 is actually the same micro quadcopter that is available in two different kits. The V282, being the more conventional kit, comes with a conventionally-shaped mini transmitter that’s very similar in design to the one from the highly popular CX-10. The V292 features the same micro quadcopter as the V282 but comes with an egg-shaped transmitter that also doubles as the quad’s storage case.
As for the quadcopter itself, it is so tiny it can fit easily into the palm of your hand. In fact, the V282 / V292 (let’s call it V2XX for short) is really one piece of flying PCB (printed circuit board) with four motors, propellers, a battery and a plastic cover attached to it. It is so tiny that there is no room for anything else.
Due to its diminutive size and the use of cheap plastics, the V2XX is built rather fragile. Care should be taken when flying close to hard furniture or walls as the quad’s arms are rather fragile and may break upon impact. The 100mAh battery takes up the entire real estate on the body and is held down by a plastic cover. To charge the battery, simply plug in the supplied charger into the charging port at the rear of the quad.
Powering up the V2XX is a matter of turning on the tiny switch at the bottom. This is a neat feature to have since it eliminates the need to manually connect or disconnect the battery.
The quad is shipped with 2 sets of propellers and a USB charger.
Specifications
Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 25mm
Diagonal motor distance: 50mm
Motor size: 5mm coreless
Weight: 14g
Flight time: 5 t0 6 minutes
Battery: 3.7V 100mAh Li Po
Charging time: 30 minutes
Control distance: approximately 40m
Transmitter power: 2 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)
Flight Performance
For those who are not familiar with flying micro quadcopters, the sound of the V2XX can be quite amusing. Due to its micro size, the V2XX actually sounds like a giant mosquito. It has this smooth and spirited buzz that’s just loud enough but not too loud to disturb the peace in your home or annoy your neighbor.
For such a small flying toy, you’d be amazed at how fast it can zip around in the air. The V2XX flies with such eagerness, it almost looks like a giant housefly with bright LEDs on it. It can also perform the usual aerial stunts such as 360-degree flips.
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Flight performance is fine as long you don’t fly it in any sort of wind. Due to its small size, the V2XX doesn’t fly well when it’s windy which means it is best flown indoors, away from ceiling fans or air conditioning units that can create enough wind turbulence to blow it off course. Flying outdoors is not impossible, just make sure the air is as calm as can be.
The V2XX has an average flight time of about 5 to 6 minutes, which is really short. It gets even shorter if you do a lot of flips and fly aggressively. Fortunately, the batteries are cheap and retail for less than $12 for 5 pieces at Amazon.
The supplied 100mAh battery provides a flight time of just 5 to 6 minutes.
Two flight speeds are available on both models — fast and slow. When in “slow”, the V2XX simply flies slower and more predictably. “Fast” will unleash its fullest potential in terms of speed. However, the V2XX suffers from a very slow yaw rate, no matter what mode you’re in. Yaw is incredibly slow and improves only slightly when you switch to “fast”. This makes the V2XX great when flying in straight lines with some wide turns but unsuited to high speed flying in tight and constricted spaces — the slow yaw rate simply doesn’t allow the V2XX to turn fast enough to avoid obstacles.
The V2XX’s bright LED lights greatly help in keeping you oriented. Thanks to its tiny size, it’s very easy to lose orientation of the V2XX even when it is just a few meters away from you. Without these LEDs, flying the quad can be a real pain since it can be quite difficult to distinguish front from rear.
Transmitter
As mentioned earlier, the V282 kit comes with a conventional mini transmitter. Despite its diminutive size, the V282’s transmitter is surprisingly comfortable to use even if you have big hands. It is powered by 2 AA batteries and was made to be reasonably durable making it an ideal choice for children. This is one transmitter that looks like it can take more than a few knocks.
Both control sticks are spring-loaded which is a nice touch. This helps prevent unwanted stick movement when flying. Two buttons are available for trimming the right stick which controls the forward, backward, left and right movements of the quad. There are another two buttons at the top for speed modes and flips. The upper left button lets you toggle between fast and slow flight speeds and the upper right button is the flip or stunt button. To perform a flip, simply press the upper right button and then move your right stick in the direction you want the quad to flip.
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The V292’s transmitter has all the same functions as the V282’s but comes in a very different body design that features a lot of transparent plastic. It also doubles as a storage case for the quadcopter and if needed, can function as a cool-looking display case as well. However, the transparent plastic wasn’t made to withstand abuse and can crack easily on impact. That said, the V292 is more suited to teenagers and adults who are less likely to drop or fling it around than children.
Conclusion
The V2XX micro quadcopter is designed for both adults and teenagers. It makes a great coffee table novelty or display toy and is also great for some fun entertainment in between office breaks and can be flown in or around your office cubicle without the dangers often associated with much larger multirotors. With its cool transparent storage case cum transmitter, the V292 will look great on your office desk or on a shelf at home. You can even bring it along with you on camping trips or picnics. Just remember not to fly it in any sort of wind.
With its mini size and harmless propellers, the V2XX appears safe enough for children to fly. However, in the hands of children, the V2XX becomes vulnerable to damage. The V2XX is one micro quadcopter that wasn’t made to withstand a lot of abuse, being made from mostly cheap and flimsy plastic parts. The propellers, for example, can be easily dislodged from the motors upon impact. The same goes for the flimsy plastic cover that is used to hold the battery in place. The thin motor arms are also vulnerable to breaking easily.
The only thing in the V2XX system that can tolerate any abuse from children appears to be the robust mini transmitter from the V282. The V292’s transmitter, on the other hand, is not suitable for children as the clear transparent plastic cracks easily when subjected to impact. For this reason, WLtoys deems the V2XX suitable only for those aged 14 years or older. I believe children aged 8 to 14 can still fly the V2XX but only under adult supervision.
Overall, the WLtoys V2XX is a great little micro quad you can fly for some indoor aerial amusement. At roughly $25 (with shipping fee), both the V282 and V292 cost almost nothing but deliver plenty of fun out of the box. Their only drawbacks are their vulnerability to damage and the use of flimsy plastic parts.