HoverAir’s transforming modular drone has already been halted in the US

HoverAir is telling backers it will only ship the camera portion to the US, not the Flight Kit that turns it into a drone, citing "a few remaining logistics updates." But The Verge said the FCC's database no longer lists the Versa at all, suggesting its authorization grant has been pulled.

The device passed FCC approval on August 9, but that approval was for a camera, not a drone. The Chinese company Zero Zero Robotics told the FCC's agent that the camera should not be blocked because Zero Zero is not on the FCC's Covered List for cameras, which is true. However, all companies are automatically on the Covered List for drones and critical drone components, and the FCC explicitly defines cameras as one of those components.

If the camera authorization is now rejected, both the camera and the Flight Kit would be illegal to import, market, or sell in the US. The Indiegogo page no longer shows the Flight Kit as a selectable option for US browsers, but it still markets it, and backers can order the camera portion. Using a VPN to change the internet address to Canada makes combos that include the Flight Kit visible. In the Indiegogo comments, one backer who ordered the camera wrote, "When looking at my pledge, it shows that they can't ship to my address."

HoverAir did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Verge asked whether the company will commit to refunds more quickly than last time, when HoverAir spent months telling backers it would ship the waterproof Aqua as soon as possible instead of revealing it had failed to obtain certification in December. An FCC spokesperson again refused to go on the record.