Raging Rotors: Better than a Sit-n-Spin!
Hey guys, Ragu here to make your Wednesday a bit brighter with this week’s Raging Rotors. This week I’ll give my impressions on what I found are great quadcopters for you beginning pilots.
As a basher, I always want my new RC to be durable as well as forgiving when I make mistakes. When it came to quadcopters, I tried all of the micro-sized available from Traxxas to Ares to Blade, looking for the best to fly in my room when I had free time.
The best quad for small spaces that I personally have ever flown is the Blade Nano QX. Available in a Ready to Fly and Bind N’ Fly version, this quad features Horizon Hobby’s new gyroscopic system SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope). The SAFE system makes the quad so stable it will level the quadcopter even when tossed into the air before throttle is applied. The other advantage to the Nano QX is the built in rotor guards on the main frame. With these guards, one can fly into the ceiling, off walls, and more without hitting the rotor blades. Available now in most local hobby shops, one can check out Blade’s website to see more.
If micro is not your cup of tea, there is a larger quadcopter that works as a great trainer. The Firelands Group flight brand Ares RC has recently released the Ethos QX 130. Available in a Ready-to-Fly format, the QX 130 handles smoothly and features an Auto-Flip mode built into the transmitter for that extra “WOW” factor. As for the durability, my personal Ethos QX 130 has bounced of ceiling tiles, store racks, counters, and even the boss once with only scuffing the blades or popping the canopy. Even after mastering the quad you can still have fun: you can buy a digital camera, missile launcher, squirt gun, bubble maker, or winch to torture impress the family with. Available now at HobbyTowns nationwide, you can pick this great trainer for $100, with the optional accessories ranging from $13 for all but the camera which retails at $30. (SPOILER ALERT) Those who read the Quadcopter Shootout 2 on Monday will find that my Seal of Approval is not off the mark, though I’ll admit I have yet to take a shovel to anything I’ve flown…yet!
Heading for a close, I’ll wrap up with a product release that snuck onto the market the last few days. Blade announced a brushless motor upgrade for the Nano CPx, a 14800kv motor that is plug-and-play with the helicopters main board. I’m excited to try this out since the Nano CPx tends to eat main motors. Its part number is BLH3325 and retails for $50, and already has started shipping, so hurry to your local hobby shop to get hooked up!
With that, it’s time that I retire this post before I start rambling. Next week I’ll be commenting on my experiences with the Blade 350QX, likely sharing a few stories along those lines, as well as possibly answering questions if you have any! Shoot me an email (kevin at bigsquidrc.com) and I’ll either answer you personally or feature your question right here! Enjoy the rest of your week, and until next time Stay Shiny and Keep Flyin’!
