XK Aircam X500. XK has done it again with the 0.5m deviation Return Home (RTH), now with a budget 500 size quadcopter GPS drone, an impressive entry since the days of DJI Phantom 2, and Walkera Tali H500 class. A large community of RC pilots have been raving about the sibling x380 size, can now move up the next size, 500mm wheel base

Head Lock Mode:
I have never used to be a fan of Intelligent Orientation Control aka Head Lock mode, but have begun to appreciate it as alternate way to return home without GPS. Using compass, forward is forward, backward is pulling back, left is left, right is right, regardless of which direction the aircraft is facing. However, Head Lock mode is relative to where you are standing during take off, so if you decide to walk across the street and face the opposite way, you may just get confused with the direction you need to face…

XK Detect X380 is a budget quadcopter GPS drone, an impressive entry since the days of DJI Phantom 1-2, Walkera x350 Pro or Scoutx4 class. A large community of RC pilots have been raving about the x380, so I was asked to take it for a spin and to share my personal experience. I work for the largest RC manufacturer and have flown a variety of quadcopters the last three years. I am actually impressed how easy it is to fly this x380. Just the basic GPS functions, just enough to include RTH, Head Lock mode (Headless), Auto Take Off, Circle a Point and a dial to pitch a gimbal. All for $210!

First flight test, the Auto Take Off (just one button, perfect 3 feet high), RTH (returned a foot away from launch point), Altitude Hold (solid) and Head Lock (works).

What most people raved about, is that this quadcopter is accurate on the Return to Home and how simple it is to take-off with just one button. More importantly there are color indicators that assist you in calibrating your compass and best of all, confirms that you have calibrated correctly. This is to ensure that the Return to Home will just be as accurate on the next flight…

KAIDENG K70C Sky Warrior Quadcopter. Kaideng a toy RC car and heli manufacturer is joining the quadcopter arena, entering the market place with a retractable camera holder on a sporty quadcopter.

It comes with the usual 6 axis gyro chip providing stability and the ability to toss the quadcopter and regain instant flight. With a 2.4GHz radio control frequency, this ensures better outdoor performance and longer distance within line of sight.

The Sky Worrior is Equipped with LED lights, making it more dazzling and colorful for night flying.
Headless mode assist the pilot in returning home when orientation is lost. Headless is relative to where you stand, and regardless of where the Sky Worrior is facing, a pilot can just pull back the sticks and return home…

Green, JJRC h26 quadcopter, under $70. First impression, this quadcopter looked somewhat familiar, so I went to the hangar to retrieve a few quadcopters.

Check this out. If you never knew the h26 had a carbon version, well look closely, you are right, it’s actually a Walkera Scout x4 next to it, white, green, carbon color.

Nothing like a 6 cell quadcopter, the h26 is of course very light compared to a scout x4, weighing only 380 grams. The weight advantage is the h26 is not going to break easily, when you crash it, therefore this serves well as a training quadcopter. The size is just right, and safe for beginners learning to fly. I am a fan of ultra light quadcopters, I never had any issues with gear motors, for what it is, perfect for a lightweight, and quiet for a garden flight…

This Christmas a popular gift was the X-25 which can race around on the ground and take to the air when throttled up. While in the air engage the 3D Eversion System and perform stunts and flips with ease. The auto return function lets you recall the drone back to its take-off point.

While the x25 is made by SongYang, there is also a Syma X9 version out there that looks exactly the same. Syma does make really good helicopters, so that is another consideration.

We have test piloted large scale commercial multirotors over the last 2 years and have not tested a new mini quad since our video Hubsan H107D that attracted 401,623 viewers . A lot have changed very quickly, a greater selection, more competitors have entered the market since then. So last week, a friend from GearBest.com sent us a JJRC H5C, a mini quad, a 6-axis, at 23 cm, just the size of a Tali H500 propeller, to show how mini / micro quads have progress today.

FIRST IMPRESSION is the mini quad is really light, and it floats quietly in the air. It was actually so surprisingly light. This is of course the direct outcome of the brushed motor used, old school but it fits the purpose of achieving better flight time and cost of production. The frame has a texture that felt like a recycled egg carton, but made of a strong thin plastic molding. It carries the 3.7V 500mAh rechargeable LiPo battery for 6 minutes of flight time. We tried putting a smaller Ladybird or H107D LiPo, and it worked perfectly fine…

Synopsis: Occasionally we have the opportunity to test out some of the new entry level quads in our lab. So this month we have something special, the smallest First Person View (FPV) ready-to-fly quadcopter made by Hubsan, a contender to the popular Ladybird. It is quite amazing how Hubsan is able to pack everything, including a camera and video transmitter into a quad, smaller than a Ladybird, with 6-axis gyro flight controller. The package even comes with a radio transmitter, video receiver and a blight large LCD screen, ready for beginners to start flying first person view and filming.  This may be one of the best seller of all time, this model enters the market at the right time and right place.

Hubsan X4 H107D actually comes with one of the more impressive printed Instruction Manual I have seen for a while, it actually explains everything you need to know in great detail and well written…