Larva X — A solid FPV Toothpick drone with a twist

The Happymodel Larva X is another fun little toothpick drone. Like most toothpick quads, it is a small but powerful little quad capable of acrobatic moves and FPV racing. It won’t compete with the big 5-inch race quads, but it can do a lot of what they can do, just on a smaller scale. I personally prefer flying these small little FPV quads to their bigger counterparts for a handful of different reasons. They are easier to pack and go, they typically withstand crashes better, and they don’t draw attention when you are flying. Let’s take a look a the Lava X and see if this quad is worth your hard-earned $97.

Happymodel Larva X

The Happymodel Larva X isn’t incredibly different from most of the other similar toothpick-style FPV drones on the market. A toothpick quad is a small, lightweight FPV drone, typically less than 100 grams, that is capable of doing acrobatic FPV tricks. They are a lot of fun to fly, and I would recommend starting with a toothpick drone like the Larva X before you switch to a full-sized racer if you are just getting started with FPV. You can watch the Larva X in action below.

The Larva, like the other toothpicks, is lightweight, weighing only 50 grams. The motors are brushless 1103, 7000 KV, and have some good punch. The Larva X can fly on either a 2S or 3S battery, and I recommend using a 3S 450 mah for better performance. The camera is the respectable RunCam Nano 2. The flight controller is the Crazybee F4 v3. It is a definite improvement from the earlier versions. Mine was a Flysky version, but there are a handful of different options and receiver choices. I recommend opting for the XM+ version, as you’ll get better range than any of the SPI receiver options.

The one thing that is different about the Larva X is the Diamond video transmitter. This VTX is switchable from 25-200 MW but also has an onboard DVR so you can record your flight footage. It isn’t an HD DVR but still produces better recordings than you would be able to get from your FPV goggles. The video feed is pretty good, and when it is running 200 MW, you’ll outrun the RC signal before you lose video if you are using the onboard SPI receiver.

The bottom carbon fiber plate is a good, solid, sturdy platform for this toothpick drone. It is rigid and has held up well in my flights (and more importantly crashes). The center plastic canopy is exposed, and will take the brunt of crashes, so make sure you are inspecting it before you take off.

Larva X impressions

Overall, I really like the Larva X. I’m not sold 100% on the design, but the internal components work well. On a 3S battery, it is an absolute blast to fly and the Diamond VTX capable of recording onboard video is an excellent addition. It is hard for me to recommend this over the Tinyhawk Freestyle or Diatone GTB229, but I think with the more powerful motors and DVR capabilities, it gives this toothpick a slight edge over its competition. The fact that it also is less inexpensive makes it a solid option.

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