Parrot Bebop

check out above album for some pics!

I was patiently waiting for this little tech stuffed drone to come out. I bought the AR.Drone 1 back than and loved the new concept. Skipped AR Drone 2 because I didn't see much difference (and had enough other quads) but this one was on my wishlist!
It's a wifi controlled flying cam rather than a drone. It looks like a camcorder with arms and props ;-)

___________________________________

Tech spces:
- weight: 393gr (without bumpers)
- flying time (11mins?  I estimate 8-10mins with std. 1200mah 3cell battery)
- fully stabilized 1080pcam (records fisheye 14mp and computes software stabilized video)
- tilt-able video (with two fingers on phone for example)
- video and control over 2.4 or 5ghz wifi
- can be controlled with only phone or dedicated skycontroller
- range varies (with wifi noise, used controller, channel,...) from only 100m to 2km (with skycontroller) under optimal conditions
- ios and android app (with lots of cool features)
___________________________________
Video quality:
At the time of this filming I didn't have a day with good sunlight (were the cam performs best) - so you see rather poor performance but a decent stabilisation (it was cold and gusty this day, didn't wanna leave my car). This session was fun - maybe I'll post the whole video from my first flights.
As soon as we have some nice weather I will show you that the cam here can work really nice.
___________________________________
TIPS / FAQ:
- Center CAM-View:   double tap smartphone/tablett (non SkyController mode!) with BOTH fingers!
Now I need to see how you can center the cam in Skycontroller mode!
- Brightness/Contrast settings DO AFFECT the recorded video!

___________________________________
minor Problems I found:
Apps: make sure you always use the most current (my iPad app was 1 week old and had an issue with GPS status which I didn't have on my android).

Map-Mode:
You should be able to see your drone on a google maps style view but you have to preload this data. Because if I'm connected to drone I have no internet (even if I turn mobile data on my android stays just wifi and has no internet).

HDMI / Video:
I wanted to try my Fatshark Dominator HD, got a HDMI to MICRO HDMI cable and connected it to the skycontroller. Only got a few seconds of image on the goggles - flicker than black.
If I connect HDMI monitor to the skycontroller it works - so it must be on Fatshark side - or it's an incompatibility...
Hope I find I way for this.
But anyhow - the iPad view works really well. It's sharp image - but with some lag and occasionally stuttering video (control data is prioritized over video).
___________________________________
LINKS:
Bebop + Oculus Rift DK2? - not yet from what I read here
Wifi tuning to get optimal range
Official Bebop Blog
Facebook Group
Bebop News on iCatcher.com
Good Review @ Droneflyers.com
___________________________________
2 different sets:
Bebop alone (500€)
Drone
2 batteries
wall plug charger
4 spare props + propmount tool
bumpers (for indoor)

Bebop + Skycontroller (900€)
all of above +
1 more battery (used for skycontroller)
skycontroller ("real joysticks", strong wifi repeater, directional antenna, Smartphone/Tablet mounting)
sunshade (2 Parts)
7" Tablet adapter

Review Video: