Saturday 31 December 2016

Cheerson CX-10W FPV Nano Quadcopter Drone Flight Test Review

Standard Cheerson CX-10 video is at the bottom 

Unboxing



The box for this quad is very small, intact it is 8.3 CMs squared, there are a few reasons for its smaller size. The main and first one of them is this quad is controlled by your smart device and as such doesn’t have a transmitter to take up the rest of the room, and the second reason is as this drone is a nano copter and is on the smaller scale.
There is however a small accessory bag inside the box, this includes:-

4 x Spare Propellers
1 x paper manual
1 x USB Charger (Not included in my box)

The battery will take 1 hour 30 minutes to charge, however it is rated to do so in 50 minutes but i found my flight only lasted 4 minutes. Maximum flight time on a 1 hour 30 minute charge is 7 minutes. 

Flight



I was looking forward to this flight as the standard Cheerson CX-10 is pretty fun, this however is not. Once the drone has been connected to the Wi-Fi on your smart device you are ready for take off, I found as long as the video isn’t recording when you take off the quad flies well, stable and is easy to control.  If the video is recording i found the quad to be quite slow to turn, accelerate, increase altitude, decrease altitude no matter what speed setting the quad is on.
I flew for a while with gyroscope enabled on my smart device and the quad responded ok, but any tight corners can be tricky, turning this off and controlling with the left and right paddles made the quad a lot more responsive.

Flight time was a total of 7 minutes.

Overall

Verdict = 4/10   —     POSITIVES = small and very portable, FPV camera, no transmitter to carry, flight is quite stable.  —   NEGATIVES = Desperatley needs a bigger battery, video recording effects flights if on when you take off, gyroscope flight doesn’t work well.

Normal Cheerson CX-10



Links to Buy


Amazon - http://amzn.to/2ia5wyK

Saturday 24 December 2016

Dromida Vista Heavy Duty Performance Drone - The Air Ballerina


Unboxing



A very colourful box is what greets you full of detail and does look very fun.   Once the box has been opened a very neat, tidy and professional layout awaits you.  The quadcopter sits on the right with the transmitter on the left and 2 accessory bags dotted around the box.  This quadcopter does in fact also come with batteries, this made me very happy as unfortunately this is not the norm when it comes to the world of R/C.
In the accessory bags there is:-

  1. 4 x spare propellers
  2. 1 x set of spare screws
  3. 1 x Screwdriver 

Also included in the package:-

  1. USB Charger
  2. 1 x Drone battery
  3. 4 x ‘AAA’ batteries
  4. 2 x Manuals

The batteries will take approx. 50 minutes to 1 hour to charge, that will give you 10-15 minutes of flight time!

Flight




Before we start we need to calibrate the gyros which requires you to place on a flat surface.   Once done then you are good to go, and upon take off a few things are very apparent, the copter sounds like a clockwork contraption from the victorian times and that is quite refreshing.  The LEDs are very bright and easy to see when flying, there is an extra LED which lights up when the quadcopter and transmitter are bound, this is a very nice feature and one that should be on more drones.
You can throw this copter around from left to right, fly it high or very low, then add some flips and it will handle everything you throw at it.  It also crashes well too, being a very durable quad you will be very surprised how much punishment this will take, three times i crashed and 3 times nothing changed, the propellers didn’t crack or bend, the propeller arms are intact and you can take to the skies again immediatley.

All in all a very fun experience

Overall

Verdict = 9/10   —     POSITIVES = very durable, great crossover drone, fantastic fun, good battery life, slimline, very powerful, professional packaging   —   NEGATIVES = slightest breeze will take it off course, precise landing is very difficult on anything other than concrete  

Places to buy

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2hNGntj


Tuesday 20 December 2016

Quadcopter Build Week 3 of 3 - Build Your Own Revell Kit Drone - Final Week


Its time to start building our own Quadcopter, this is week 3 of 3.  This particular build comes as part of a Christmas Advent Calendar made by Revell.

Get the calendar from here -

Maplin - https://goo.gl/5vbhW2

Monday 12 December 2016

Quadcopter Build Week 2 of 3 - Build Your Own Revell Kit Drone



Its time to start building our own Quadcopter, this is week 2 of 3.  This particular build comes as part of a Christmas Advent Calendar made by Revell.  

Get the calendar from here -

Maplin - https://goo.gl/5vbhW2

Saturday 10 December 2016

JXD 510G FPV and Altitude Hold Quadcopter Drone Review



Unboxing

This drone has been made by X-Predators but the interior set up is the same as the JXD 509G, well, as this quad is the 509’s brother then you might expect it to have some similarities.   Everything is tightly packaged so care is needed when you remove the sellotape that holds everything in and together.   Most of the assembly had already been completed leaving just the propeller guards, should you choose to attach them then the accessory bags included hold all etc screws needed, others things found in the accessory bags:-
4 x Spare blades 
1 x USB charger
1 x Screwdriver
4 x Propeller guards
1 x USB card reader

Before we can take to the skies, the battery (found in the back compartment) needs to be removed and charged.  Charging time via the USB charger can be between 50-55 minutes.



Flight

Now we just need to insert the battery in the back compartment and plug it into the 2 pin connector then click the compartment shut.   There is a small ‘on' switch under the quadcopter, move this to the correct position then turn on the transmitter and move the left analogue stick up and down once to bind the transmitter to the quadcopter and push the ‘on’ button, the rotors will now start to power up.  
To start the flight i prefer to push the copter to a medium altitude then start the video.  As this quadcopter has altitude hold it makes flying easy, balanced, and manoeuvrable, even landing is easy as the decent is controlled.  Overall this quadcopter is excellent for beginners but to be honest it doesn’t offer anything different than the 509, this upgrade is certainly cosmetic, never the less this quad is such fun.

Things i would have liked to have seen  

  • Slightly larger back, for a higher capacity battery 
  • Better quality camera
  • Smaller transmitter


Verdict = 8/10

POSITIVES = New cosmetic styling, stable as ever, as much fun as the JXD 509G 
NEGATIVES = Needs a bigger battery, needs more than just cosmetic changes.

Buy From Amazon

http://amzn.to/2glWFY5

Buy from BangGood


Tuesday 6 December 2016

Quadcopter Build Week 1 of 3 - Build Your Own Revell Kit Drone


Its time to start building our own Quadcopter, this is week 1 of 3.  This particular build comes as part of a Christmas Advent Calendar made by Revell.   For the next 3 weeks we look at what's behind each door and in turn what parts we get so we can complete this wonderful build.

Week 2 can be found here

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4885856277865215884#editor/target=post;postID=298634096405222635;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname

Get the calendar from here -

Maplin - https://goo.gl/5vbhW2

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2ghwUeX

Saturday 3 December 2016

Syma X5UW Quadcopter Drone Review - Fully Feature, including FPV, Flight Plan




Unboxing

The packaging is made from quite rigid cardboard meaning the package arrived at my door in one piece even without any dents.  The outer box was affixed with a small amount of tape, once removed the copters polystyrene house could pulled out and removed.   On top of the polystyrene housing was a small lid that can just be lifted off revealing, without doubt, the most shiny and brightest quadcopter i have ever seen.
The drone was nestled next to the transmitter with both accessory bags lying on top, the accessory bags included the following:-

4 x Spare blades 
1 x USB charger
1 x Screwdriver
4 x Propeller guards
1 x USB card reader

When the drone is lifted out one thing to note is the propeller skids are already attached and screwed in nice and firmly.   Underneath the quad is the FPV attachment for the transmitter, it slots into place firmly.  Next to the transmitter is the Wi-FI camera attachment this needs to be plugged in, then locked into place by twisting the camera 45 degrees.



Flight

As with all Syma Copters this one is extremely easy to fly, with the added altitude hold it gets easier still.   To make things easier still there is an auto take off and landing button on the transmitter.  That function is great and I used it 90% of the time, heres what i found:-

  1. The take offs are pretty brilliant, once the button is pushed the copter takes off and flies to an altitude and stays there ready for your either via the transmitter or by using the app.
  2. The landings are, well, less than brilliant.  Don’t get me wrong the copter lands but its a bit brutal (as the flight video shows) just make sure you land on concrete.  Any landings on grass may cause the grass to get clogged into the motors and may cause breakages.     

A flight plan comes built into this copter, where you draw a plan on the smartphone app and the copter should follow it, I have found this to not work on most non-GPS drones, this drone is no different.  It didn’t work for me at all.  

As with most Syma copters it is quite light and as such shouldn’t be flown in windy conditions.  

Overalll

8.5/10

POSITIVES = Bright colours, looks good, great transmitter, excellent build quality, stable flight, automatic flight and landing works really well.
NEGATIVES = Camera is not too sharp, flight plan didn’t work, battery is too short.

Places to buy

BangGood

http://www.banggood.com/SYMA-X5UW-720P-WIFI-FPV-With-2MP-HD-Camera-2_4G-4CH-6Axis-RC-Quadcopter-RTF-p-1070825.html?rmmds=search?p=83081145795892016056

Amazon

http://amzn.to/2gjW8aA

Saturday 26 November 2016

HuaJun U-Fly W606-3 Quadcopter Drone

Delivery

I have had a pretty bad experience with the delivery of this product, I found it in the pouring rain sitting behind my house perimeter wall 2 days after it had been delivered.  Needless to say there was no delivery note, and the box was badly water damaged in the corners, there was also an issue with the tops of the quadcopters propellers breaking through the soft cardboard, this scared the quadcopters propeller paint.   This negativity is headed towards the delivery company, i do not blame the seller.

Unboxing



The box is very large and inside holds a polystyrene bed which within contains the Quadcopter, Transmitter, accessory bag and manual.   Inside the accessory bag is the following:-

1 x Mains Charger
1 x Travel Adapter plug (UK Plug)
4 x Spare Propellers
2 x landing sprigs
1 x phillips screwdriver
1 x bag of screws for landing sprigs
1 x spare bag of screws for propellers 

The copter is very large but doesn’t weigh as much as you would think for a copter of its size, The only parts i needed to put together were the landing sprigs, all propellers had the screws already fitted, i did however just go around with the screwdriver and check them to make sure I found them to be of acceptable tightness before i took the copter out to fly.


Flight



I decided on a very early flight this morning so i could take advantage of the extra bright LEDs, i was not disappointed.  Once i had taken off i was aware this copters motors seemed to be underpowered for the size of the drone and some adjustments had to be made to my flying technique to accommodate this, after around 1 to 2 minutes I was quickly getting used to the unique flying style of this copter and found cornering, accelerating, and landing much easier than before.
I was interested in using the altitude hold feature, as this one is different being a button and not part of the left hand analogue throttle.  This made the whole experience a lot different to what i am used to.  Once the button has been pressed the position is locked instead of held meaning you can’t increase or decrease your altitude but you are able to move forward and back giving you a lot less to think about and a more fun experience flying, a definite plus!

Overall


Verdict = Overall 7.5/10      ——      POSITIVES = Looks good, Very bright LEDs, Altitude Hold works very well, High capacity battery, light transmitter, very sturdy propellers and propeller arms.     --     NEGATIVES = Plastic lid unclips too easily, copter feels underpowered in flight.

Saturday 19 November 2016

SPACEBUG GT-JZ003-U Quadcopter Drone Flight Test Review



Unboxing
A standard brown cardboard box that has some really nice design printing greets you, inside is a plastic bed that holds the copter and 
transmitter as well as a small accessory bag.  Inside the accessory bag is the following:-

4 x Space propellers
1 x USB charger - although in my package this was missing.

The drone is fully assembled and as such means after a 50 minute charge you can start to fly, this copter can be flown inside and out.
The drone will allow approx 8 minutes of flight time.



Flight

The flight started off very well, the copter seemed to be responsive albeit very very slow to turn around, this however changed after 3 minutes of flying.  
I found the copter started to pull to one side so i applied a bit of trim and then the quadcopter spiralled out of control and hit the floor, fortunately it wasn’t travelling at full chat or very high.
I picked the quad up off the floor and noticed the left propeller arm was slightly bent, i gently moved that back into the correct position and started to fly again.  Something didn’t feel right when i took to the air again, so i took it slow and didn’t make any fast movements and surely enough it feel unresponsive and dropped out of the sky.

Overall 4/10

POSITIVES = Looks good, very quiet, unique transmitter style, good protective casing       

NEGATIVES = Quite fragile be careful of the propeller arms when landing, hard to control, turning is very slow 

Where to buy

Amazon


http://amzn.to/2frLm17

Sunday 13 November 2016

Hubsan X4 Desire H502E - GPS, Return To Home, and large battery make this drone a MUST BUY!




Unboxing

Boxed with heavy duty cardboard you can be rest assured this package is going to travel well. Once it gets to you and you open the box you will be greeted with a warning sign alerting you to the problem of flying without enough satellites, as this quadcopter has GPS built in, i was quite impressed by this. Unfolding the 2 flaps reveals the quadcopter on top of the internal space diving petitions, under the copter is the transmitter, once again, with a warning attached to it explaining about the issues faced with flying without the minimum amount of satellites (6). Along side that is a spare part box which contains the following:- 8 x propellers - 4 x spare 1 x USB charger 8 x screws 1 x Philips screwdriver Underneath the copter is a mini SD card slot, although no SD card is provided, so you will need to buy one separately. Now we have removed all parts out of the box, lets start on the assembly. Assembly - See photos below. This quadcopter requires a small amount of assembly, this only consists of attaching the propellers, although that is quite a fiddly job. On the propeller, next to the Letter ‘A’ or ‘B’ you will notice a small mark that looks like ‘ I ‘ this matches a small ridge on the propeller arm. As long as they both match then the propeller will screw in with ease, repeat this method for the other propellers.


Compass Calibration


Flight



Once the compass has been calibrated, and over 6 satellites locked on the copter is ready to take to the skies, as with most flights they can start off quite shaky, while the quad was getting its bearings (literally). I found there was a whirlpool effect making the copter sway slightly from side to side, fortunately I found the more i flew, the more stable the copter got.
This quad isn’t fast but does move at quite a steady pace, and shifting to ‘expert’ mode (mode 2) the speed increases but is still very manageable, really opening this drone up to Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced fliers Whilst piloting i notice the transmitter being really comfortable in hand, and with the added altitude meters built in you get a real sense of being up in the clouds with the quad. The in place camera isn’t great at shooting video, its slightly whitewashed, and the resolution is quite poor but it doesn’t get affected by the usual jello effect as its built in to the body and not hanging under the copter. 

Overall 8.5/10

POSITIVES = Stylish design, built very sturdy, GPS stability, built in camera, 12 minute battery life, great feeling transmitter, altitude meter built in.
NEGATIVES = You need to stop the video before turning off the controller or you loose the video, waiting for satellites can take up to 10 minutes to complete

Links to Buy

Amazon

Hubsan H502E

BangGood 

Hubsan H502E

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Aviax F2C and Aviax H20 Quadcopter Comparison Drone - Which one is better for you?



Aviax F2C

Unboxing

This quadcopters packaging is unlike any other drone ive come across, once the lid has been pulled off the internal box flaps pull down revealing all technical specs on one side and the other 3 contain some photogenic shots of the copter itself.   The 2 plastic beds stacked on top of each other contain the quad and underneath the accessory bags and transmitter, the box also contains the following:-

1 x Quadcopter
1 x Transmitter
4 x Propellers 
4 x Spare Propellers
1 x USB battery charger
1 x Screwdriver
1 x mini bag of screws
2 x Landing sprigs
1 x Camera
4 x Propeller guards

Assembly

The quad only needs a few parts attached, these parts are:-

4 x Propellers
2 x Landing Sprigs
1 x Camera
4 x Propeller guards

Once all parts are attached you will be ready to charge the battery, this takes 30-45 minutes for a 8 minute flight time.

Flight

The copter seems very stable when it takes off under lowest power setting, it flies to a good altitude quite quickly and 
stays there happily, when you switch the power upwards to intermediate the drone still handles well.  Its when you switch up to the highest mode (3 beeps) the left and right turning starts to get quite shaky and at speed it doesn’t feel   as if full control is had, but at no point did the quad fall out of the sky or drop significantly while turning.
The attached camera gives ok video, there isn’t much jello and the picture isn’t too whitewashed.   If the camera is left recording video then the flight time of the quad is 6 minutes, without or with occasional photos then 7-8 minutes. 

Overall

If you require a cheap camera drone then this may be for you, just be sure to test its manoeuvrable before recording any video.

Links to Buy

Amazon

http://amzn.to/2eLUAoA



Aviax H20

Unboxing

The packaging for this quadcopter is very basic and pretty standard, once the polystyrene holder has been pulled out the drone and the transmitter are side by side.

Assembly

This quad requires no assembly, mine was all ready put together.

Flight

The copter is very stable when it takes off, it flies to a good altitude albeit slowly.  This drone is slow no doubt about it but it is very precise in its operation, left and right turning is very smooth.   Decreasing altitude is smooth also, this makes landing a piece of cake, just be careful not to land in long grass as the cogs on the underneath are visible and any blockages could result in this copter breaking and not being repairable.

Overall


As a waterproof drone this can be flown outside in drizzle, although i don’t recommend using any electrical equipment outside.  No camera comes with this drone but can be bought separately. 

Please Help Us Grow - https://www.patreon.com/jdquad



JD Quad has done more than 40 Quadcopter unboxing reviews and flight tests. He loves showing people what quadcopters and drones are capable of.

If all of our YouTube subscribers gave just $1 a month-- we'll stay in solid shape. Give $5 a month, and the show can really grow, and improve.

This is only one way to help, there are other ways such as visiting our website and making a one time donation, our blog, watching our videos on YouTube and sharing our videos on Facebook and Twitter.

We hope you'll consider backing us here. Thanks for helping us grow and make our videos possible. 


https://www.patreon.com/jdquad

COMPETITION TIME!! - CHANCE TO WIN JJRC H20 (as below)

Thanks to everyone for supporting us, to say thank you i want to give something back.

Now there are a few caveats :-)

1. If our YouTube channel makes it to 100 Subscribers by the 1st December 2016 then the lucky winner will receive, by post, a Quadcopter

2. In the comments of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQDMp65a6rM you have to explain why you think you should win this copter.

The lucky winner will be contacted by myself via your youtube comment.

Get Subscribing and Good Luck :-D

Sunday 6 November 2016

Aviax F2C Quadcopter Drone Flight Test Review - Soars through the air, capturing moments of wonder.



Unboxing

This quadcopters packaging is unlike any other drone ive come across, once the lid has been pulled off the internal box flaps pull down revealing all technical specs on one side and the other 3 contain some photogenic shots of the copter itself.   The 2 plastic beds stacked on top of each other contain the quad and underneath the accessory bags and transmitter, the box also contains the following:-

1 x Quadcopter
1 x Transmitter
4 x Propellers 
4 x Spare Propellers
1 x USB battery charger
1 x Screwdriver
1 x mini bag of screws
2 x Landing sprigs
1 x Camera
4 x Propeller guards

Assembly

The quad only needs a few parts attached, these parts are:-

4 x Propellers
2 x Landing Sprigs
1 x Camera
4 x Propeller guards

Once all parts are attached you will be ready to charge the battery, this takes 30-45 minutes for a 8 minute flight time.

Flight




The copter seems very stable when it takes off under lowest power setting, it flies to a good altitude quite quickly and 
stays there happily, when you switch the power upwards to intermediate the drone still handles well.  Its when you switch up to the highest mode (3 beeps) the left and right turning starts to get quite shaky and at speed it doesn’t feel   as if full control is had, but at no point did the quad fall out of the sky or drop significantly while turning.
The attached camera gives ok video, there isn’t much jello and the picture isn’t too whitewashed.   If the camera is left recording video then the flight time of the quad is 6 minutes, without or with occasional photos then 7-8 minutes. 

Overall 7/10     

POSITIVES = Stylish design, fantastic transmitter, adjustable speed is best to fly on intermediate  almost silent operation        
NEGATIVES = Shaky turning, doesn’t seem powerful enough, camera drains battery fast. 

Links to Buy

Amazon


http://amzn.to/2eLUAoA

Find us on Patreon


Saturday 29 October 2016

Tec.Bean X902 Nano Quadcopter Drone Flight Test Review - Inverted Propellers, Insectoid Looks



Unboxing

This nano quadcopters packaging is very neat and tidy, once opened the box contains the following:-

1 x Quadcopter
1 x Accessory bag which contains 4 x spare propellers and 1 x USB charge cable
1 x Manual
1 x Transmitter

This nano drone looks unique as its propellers are inverted giving the drone a push operation and not a standard pull, this is the first of its kind i have seen and it really does stand out.
With this being a nano quadcopter there is not a lot of room for a battery, you will find it nested within a plastic cage underneath the copter.   It doesn’t come out so don’t apply pressure to remove it, although there is a small cable that pokes out for charging purposes.  Care will need to be taken with this cable as it is quite flimsy and would probably break easily.





Flight

I started to fly this copter in the same way as I would any other one, that was a mistake as with the inverted propellers this gave the quad A LOT of lift very very quickly.  Once the quad was safely back on the floor I then went about applying a small amount of pressure to the left analogue stick and the drone started to lift very slowly giving me much more control over its path.   Cornering this quad is a breeze so she will respond very quickly, that being said i found it better to not apply more power when turning and just let her ride the breeze of her own accord.
Any bump to the quadcopter will cause the plastic body to fall off which could cause some damage so care is required when landing this drone.  Another thing i noticed was the underside LED protector came loose form its screw and this had to be repaired before it would fly properly.

Verdict 

Overall 5/10         

POSITIVES = Stylish design, Inverted propellers mean tight control for cornering, LEDs are very bright making it easy to see   


NEGATIVES = Far too much low end power, body casing keeps coming off, LED protector kept coming loose, plastic is very flimsy.

Buy From Amazon

TEC.BEAN X902 BlackWidow Mini RC Quadcopter Drone with 3D Flip 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro best for beginner 


Find us on Patreon




Photos







Sunday 23 October 2016

MJX X600 Hexacopter Drone - Soaked in Design, Fast, Agile and Cheap



Unboxing

The first thing you will notice about this hexacopter is the size of the cardboard packaging, it is huge! Inside the box is a polystyrene case and inside that is the copter.  In order to get access to the transmitter you will need to turn over the polystyrene lid and carefully remove the sellotape holding it in.  Once they are removed the transmitter will pop out, it requires 3 x ‘AA’ batteries that need to be fully charged before hand as the transmitter does not allow charging itself.   Alongside the transmitter you will find a small accessory bag containing the following:-

6 x spare propellers 
1 x set of landing sprigs
1 x USB charger
1 x set of small screws (loose)

In order to land this drone properly you will need to use the 4 x screws provided and attach the landing sprigs, once done you only need to attach the propeller guards then you are all assembled.   The final part is to charge the battery, now because of its size and it being charged by USB it will take 1-2 hours to fully charge, that will give you a 10 minute flight. 

Flight



This is certainly the most complicated drone i have ever flown but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.  Right from the off this drone requires a slight configuration before a stable flight is possible, on the transmitter there is a small dial (Throttle Limit), this needs to be set to ‘0’ in order to take off properly.  Once in the air this dial can be moved to the 1/2 setting giving the hexacopter more power, so be careful when this is moved.   The hexacopter is stable, very very stable and so much fun to fly the battery gives you a very fun 10 minutes of flight time in normal weather, if there is a slight breeze then this will be more like 8 minutes.

Overall

8/10

Buy from Amazon

Find us on Patreon



Photos






Saturday 15 October 2016

Lian Sheng LS114 UFO - Seriously Quick, Nimble and Light.




Unboxing

The packaging for this copter is very basic, thin cardboard, that seems quite fragile although a redeaming feature is the nice graphics.   Attached to the top is a thin plastic carry handle, this suites the box quite well and when held doesn’t seem as if its going to come off.   Once the box is removed a thin plastic holder is where you will find the quadcopter, transmitter and accessories.

1 x Quadcopter
1 x Transmitter
1 x Accessory bag containing 1 x battery, 1 x USB charge cable, 4 x spare propellers 
1 x Instruction manual

The charging time is approx 45 minutes, the transmitter cannot charge batteries itself so 4 x AAA already charged batteries will be needed (not included).   The battery will need to be installed in the plastic cage on the bottom of the copter.

Flight



Wow! this quadcopter is a good flyer, it loves the air but there is a snag, the wind, or a breeze will totally blow this copter off course so i would not recommend it being taken out in anything other than a very still day.   Luckily when i took this out it was a still day so this made for maximum enjoyment and a great experience.  The copter gave a total of 8 minutes flight time.  






Overall

8/10

Buy Links

Amazon

LIANSHENG LS114 4CH 2.4GHz RTF UFO Aircraft Drone Radio Control Toy RC Quadcopter w/6-Axis Gyro

Wednesday 12 October 2016

JJRC H31 Waterproof Sport Quadcopter - Fun, Waterproof but too light.





Unboxing

The package is made from very thick and heavy cardboard this ensures the quadcopter isn’t damaged in transit.  After a few minutes trying to get the box open (lots of sellotape) i was greated with double decker type layers that hold the drone, transmitter and accessory bags which contain the following:-

1 bag of 4 x propellers, screws, 1 x usb charger and 1 x screwdriver
1 bag of 4 x propeller guards and 2 x landing skids 
1 bag with 1 x pair of sunglasses

Once i had screwed in the 2 landing skids (which is quite tricky) the quadcopter was built, on this occasion i haven’t attached the propeller guards.  The propellers are made of a very durable type of plastic which would mean they won’t get damaged if the quadcopter was to fall out of the sky and crash.


Flight



The start of the flight was quite shaky as the quadcopter is very light for one of its size, fortunately the slight breeze didn’t affect it too much but this was mostly down to using some trim to balance the copter out.  
As this particular model doesn’t come with a camera (although one can be bought separately) i decided to attach my 720p R/C Run Cam, i found the copter benefitted from the extra weight.  Its cornering was much tighter and more balanced, although expect the battery to run down much quicker.
The waterproof aspect of the copter came in good use during the test flight as the grass was wet with dew, the battery cavity remained bone dry at all times.
Overall this waterproof sports quadcopter is fun but isn’t one to be flown with a slight breeze as control is a bit of an issue.

Overall 6/10

Buy Links

Amazon - With Prime


Amazon - Without Prime


Photos




Tuesday 11 October 2016

JJRC H20 Nano Hexacopter - A Solid, Capable and Fun drone




Unboxing

This packaging on this hexacopter is small and quite basic, inside there is a plastic insert with the copter sitting in with the nano transmitter along side it.   Inside the package you get:-

1 x Hexacopter
1 x Transmitter
1 x Accessory bag including 6 spare propellers and a USB charging cable.
1 x Manual
1 x Battery

This copter is a hexacopter, meaning it has 6 propellers unlike the standard 4 found on a quadcopter so you not only get the 6 propellers already attached to the propeller arm but you also get another 6 as spares, these can be found in the accessory bag as detailed above.  The battery is located attached to the bottom of the copter inside a small plastic cage, it appears to fit quite snuggly and does require a bit of pressure to remove.   
Charging time is approx 45 - 50 minutes and flight time comes in at 11 minutes.

Flight



This is my first hexacopter I have flown and I am very impressed with the copters stability and cornering ability, the extra 2 propellers certainly make a big difference.   While the copter zooms around i notice it isn't affected by wind that much which does surprise me quite a bit as the copter is extremely light but im putting this down to the fact it has an extra 2 propellers.  After I have brought id down for its first landing one of the propellers drops off not surprising really when you consider they aren’t screwed in, i pop the propeller back on and take to the skies again.
Overall i am very satisfied with this copter, if you are looking for a fun, strange looking copter then i would recommend this. 

Buy Links

Amazon

http://amzn.to/2dYK25j

Overall

8.5/10

Sunday 9 October 2016

Hubsan H111 Nano Q4 - The world's smallest quadcopter!





Unboxing

The package is small with a tiny plastic window which gives you a view of the quadcopter, there is a small amount of sellotape holding the box shut.  With that removed and the box opened the contents are as follows:-

1 x Quadcopter 
1 x Transmitter
1 x Accessory bag which includes 4 x spare propellers and a USB charger.

The drone is fixed to the cardboard holder with 4 very small elastic bands, this requires some skill to remove as with too much force the quadcopter may snap.

Flight



Once the quadcopter has had its 45 minute charge it is ready to fly, just add 2 x ‘AAA’ batteries (not included) to the transmitter then you are ready to go.  Bind the copter to the transmitter by moving the accelerator analogue stick (left one) up and down once each way now you can take off.  First impressions are good, the copter is very quick but stable and after the first crash landing things get easier, i found that outside with no wind or breeze it controls very easily with a max transmitter range of approx 30 feet.   A hard landing may cause the propellers to fall off as they are not screwed on, make sure when you put them back on that you put them on the right motor or the copter won’t take off.
Total flight time was around 15 minutes which is rated higher than the estimated time for this copter, overall a great little drone if you are after a nano.


Overall 7.5/10 

Links to buy

Amazon