Many people think drones are only used for surveillance and recreation. The concept of weaponizing drones still looks like fiction to many people. The opposite is the case, and there are now drones that can shoot darts. With innovative technology, companies have been producing drones that can perform different functions.
Dart drones just became popular in recent times. So, there are only a few functional drones that shoot darts. Some dart shooting drones include the Haevic DartGun Drone, Nerf N-Strike Elite TerraScout Remote Control Drone, and Nerf N-STRIKE Elite Combat Creatures Terradrone Dart Shooter.
Dart drones are awesome inventions. However, it is not yet as popular as other types of drones, like photography drones and fishing drones. Nevertheless, we will look at some dart drones, and we can assure you will be thrilled with the experience you are about to have.
Dart Shooting Drones
Currently, it can be difficult to find a dart drone to purchase. Few companies are producing them, and they only have prototypes. One company succeeded in manufacturing the most reliable dart drone. You should know that there are airborne dart drones and land-based dart drones.
Haevic DartGun Drone (Air Based Dart Drone)
Haevic is the leading drone manufacturing company in South Africa, and their latest product is a drone named DartGun. Haevic is the only drone manufacturing company to have pioneered designing a super drone with a typical pneumatic, lightweight, aluminum firearm attached to the airframe.
Haevic partnered with one of the leading firearms manufacturers in South Africa to produce the DartGun drone. A team of professionals designed it in compliance with the requirements of the gaming industry.
The DartGun drone is equipped with 17-inch propellers, 960-millimeter carbon fiber frame, and it can lift a payload of up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms). The drone has a fit for firearms to be attached to it. It has a top speed of 41 mph; there is a live-view goggle for the pilot to view the drone's target in first-person view. The drone has a battery life of 40 minutes.
The drone has an onboard HD camera for the drone pilot to view the target. There is also an in-built laser beam for focusing on a target. Once the laser beam has been pointed at the target, the dart will be shot at the precise spot indicated by the laser beam.
An impressive feature of this drone is that the pilot's goggle can control the drone, so if the pilot moves his head up or down, the drone will move in that direction and aim the gun in that direction.
The distance the dart can travel when it is shot can be altered. To be able to do that, the pressure of air in the gun must be increased. The velocity at which the dart will move will also be altered. If you use the recommended air pressure of the drone, the dart will reach a distance of up to 98.5 feet.
Haevic is the only drone manufacturing company to have succeeded in designing a fully functional dart drone.
Nerf N-Strike Elite TerraScout Remote Control Drone
Some say this is the best dart drone produced by Nerf, and it is almost impossible to dispute that fact. When you see the specifications and functionalities of this drone, you will be forced to agree with them.
Unlike previous Nerf dart drones, the Nerf N-Strike Elite TerraScout Remote Control Drone can record audio and video. The drone can also live stream to the remote control. There is a slot for you to put an SD card to store your recordings. It has a cartridge that can hold up to 18 foam darts.
The Terrascout comes with a rechargeable NiMH battery for the drone as well as a charger. This is the first Nerf dart drone with a rechargeable battery. The Terrascout can reach a top speed of 215 feet per minute with a fully charged battery. The Terrascout can scale through any terrain, it can turn 360 degrees, and it has a live video feed on the controller's LCD screen.
The controller slides into the back of the drone's blaster and snaps into place for storage. The Terrascout also comes with tactical rails and is compatible with other N-Strike Elite accessories. The remote controller requires four AA batteries to function.
There are two sticks on the remote controller. The left stick controls the forward and backward movement; the right stick controls the sideways movement. You also have two buttons underneath the remote controller. The left button is for aiming, and the right button activates the trigger button. If you practice well, you would be able to perform a wheelie with the Terrascout.
Nerf N-STRIKE Elite Combat Creatures Terradrone Dart Shooter
Although the Nerf N-STRIKE Elite Combat Creatures Terradrone Dart Shooter is no longer in production, it is still an impressive dart drone. The Terradrone is a land-based drone, so you should not be surprised if it does not take flight.
The Terradrone is remote-controlled and can move across any terrain on its sturdy legs. The drone is designed to imitate the movement of a spider, and it can move in any direction (forward, backward, and sideways). The head of the drone rotates 360 degrees and can elevate to any angle. This is an impressive dart drone.
When coupled, the Terradrone stands at 13 inches, and it comes with 12 elite darts and a 2.4 GHz controller. The drone functions with four double-A (AA) batteries and the remote controller with two.
You need to match up the claws with the right arms when you unbox the Nerf N-STRIKE Elite Combat Creatures Terradrone Dart Shooter. Not all claws will fit with the arms, so you will have to try each one out until it fits perfectly.
It is possible to change the drone's blast angle so that you can alter the angle of the drone's target. The drone can hit targets up to 45 feet away. Unfortunately, Nerf has stopped producing the Nerf N-STRIKE Elite Combat Creatures Terradrone Dart Shooter. Hopefully, they will have improved versions to release.
How To Create A Dart Shooting Drone
We have looked at some of the most popular dart drones you can purchase. Nevertheless, it is possible to design your dart drone at home. You need to have a drone and choose the best nerf gun. However, it is more complicated than it sounds.
We will look at some of the basic processes to create a DIY dart drone.
- First, you need to select the best nerf gun that will be perfect for your drone. You should use a nerf gun that will be compatible with the drone and would require little modifications if necessary.
- You will remove the shooterizer, the magazine, and the shooter. The shooterizer is where the darts are fired from, the magazine holds the dart, and the shooter pushes the dart from the blaster into the shooterizer.
- There is a misconception that placing accessories at the bottom of the drone stabilizes the drone. It is referred to as the Pendulum Rocket Fallacy. Strapping accessories to the top or bottom of an aircraft does not affect its stability.
- There are two options; you can use the nerf gun batteries to power the nerf gun, or you can use a voltage regulator to get power from the drone's battery.
- Then you attach the nerf gun and the drone together; if you need to make some improvements, you can make 3D models and print them out.
The process is more complicated than this, and here is the link to a video that explains how to create a dart drone.
Final Thoughts
Dart drones are perfect for both adults and children. However, precautions must be taken to avoid injuries. Outdoor play can be made to be more interesting by using dart drones.
You can always modify a drone as many of them have been designed to be compatible with different accessories. All you need to do is find the accessories that are a perfect match with your drone.
Shawn Manaher loves to play with new toys and dive into new hobbies. As a serial entrepreneur, work definitely comes first but there is always room for hobbies.