In the same thread, someone else reports having the C0 class mark on their Holy Stone HS175D drone.
The C1 in particular is exciting, as this would allow the drone (weighing 495g) to be flown in Open A1 (close to but not above people) even after the end of next year!
But … don’t all rush out and buy a Holy Stone drone just yet (I mean, obviously you wouldn’t, but …)
There’s some doubt on that Facebook thread that this is a legitimate class mark, and I agree. There’s nothing in the online manual to indicate that it is properly classified, and it has the feeling of a dodgy manufacturer either not understanding the full regulations or not caring. And it’s illegal to sell a class-marked drone that hasn’t jumped through all the legal hoops.
So it will be interesting to see if it does turn out to be legit, or if the CAA are able to get it withdrawn from sale …
Given that under EU rules, some products could be ‘self-certified’ without reference to an approved body, has the UK decided that the UKCA and Class marking for UAV can also be ‘self-certified’ ??
I have an Flyhal FX1/MJX Bugs 16 with a C1 Logo on, I was very shocked to see it, I just got it after seeing some impressive reviews on its image quality for such a cheap price, Its not a patch on my Phantom 3 or Anafi but its amazing for £140 with 2 batteries and you absolutely wont get better for less… anyway I checked more youtube videos to check if other people had the logo under their battery and was very pleased that they all do have it and found a picture on MJX’s website showing the battery removal and there it was again. I was very disappointed to see similar threads questioning the manufacturers understanding and that the top brands still aren’t cleared to use the logo sooooo yeh, I kinda agree. The smugness has gone, but still glad I have one
So what should you look for to know whether a class-marked drone is legit?
A declaration of conformity with the regulations EU 2019/945, probably in the manual. There is a standard format for the declaration in the regulations.
The drone must have a UKCA mark and a sound power label as well as the class mark. The UKCA mark must be accompanied by a identification number for the approval body. The sound power label will look like this, and for a small drone, may be on the packaging instead:
The instruction manual has to state the class mark, and the Maximum Take-off Mass.
It must come with an “information notice” from the CAA explaining the drone regs and how they apply to the particular drone class.
For a C1, C2 or C3 drone, it will come with a system that broadcasts your CAA registration number, amongst other things. The instructions will explain how to input your registration number. A C1, C2 or C3 drone also requires a geo-fencing system.
Since the technical standards and approved bodies for the C-class drones still don’t seem to exist, there seems to be basically zero chance of a compliant drone appearing any time soon.
"Remember that, starting next year, if you operate a drone in the open category without a class identification label or if it is not compliant with R945, you may expose other people to risk and you may be persecuted by the law.
I think I’ve said this in the past but I can’t see any immediate benefit to class-marking for users of sub-250g drones. Under Article 21 of the regs, we can fly legacy sub-250g drones in Open subcategory A1 forever (except for privately-built drones). There’s a question about whether “flying weight” and “maximum take-off mass” are the same, but that’s the only wrinkle.
For the C0 class, the drone must be sub-250g, but also must have a maximum flight speed limited to 19m/s, and must be designed to minimise injury (no sharp edges).
So today there is no obvious benefit to making, marketing, or purchasing a C0-class drone.
I seem to recall the CAA wanted to make things easier (I know!), so declared that, ‘maximum take-off mass’, take-off mass and ‘flying weight’ all mean the same thing in the Open Category, when referring to UAV without a Class mark - i.e. it’s the mass of the UAV at the point it leaves the ground for a flight.
