When you first open the Syma X5HCW Quadcopter box, this quadcopter looks awesome with its shiny black paint job, black blades and red name and logo. Just an FYI, all the other parts they say are in the box, are on the underside of the Styrofoam that the quadcopter and controller are in (turn it over). This thing is a lot bigger than the pictures make it look. Measures 15 inches wide with the blade guards on or 11 inches without them.
This takes 5 minutes to put together, attach the landing legs, blade protectors, installing the batteries in the controller (that you have to supply) and connecting the battery in the quadcopter. It takes longer to read the instructions on how to operate this then it does to put together. So for the beginners, take your time and read the instructions. For anyone that has flown one before, maybe you just have to do the batteries.
This is not ready to fly out of the box without having to charge the quadcopter battery before the first use. There may be some charge left in the battery but it doesn’t last as long as if you fully charge it, but who can wait? I did get a good five minutes out of it the first time, which is pretty good, so it passes the RTF test for me. Just remember, the lights on the bottom flash when it’s about out of power. That means you have about 1 minute left before it lands itself or crashes, so get it back closer to you before it does.
The instructions are in English and cover all aspects of controlling and adjusting this and the two modes (slow/fast) you can use, based on how you like to fly or how experienced you are. I would recommend slowly until you get good enough to pilot this without crashing it.
The camera is really good HD camera at this price point. It’s not a high-quality HD camera that you would find on the higher priced models, but it works well for the everyday person that wants to play with it and see what it’s all about. This drone doesn’t have an app and cannot be flown using your phone or tablet and you cannot see what the camera sees while you are capturing video. I know it says FPV in the description on Amazon, but I don’t see it with no app or phone holder on the transmitter.
The recorded video and pictures are captured on the 4GB TF card that came with the camera and should be inserted into the camera before takeoff. There is a button for video and pictures on the transmitter. It does reduce your flying time by about half, using the camera. I bought 5 extra 1200 mAh batteries to use with this, that should last for about 15 minutes of flight time without the camera or 7 minutes with it on.
It flies great, and the altitude hold is very helpful for beginners to prevent any flyaway. I have seen some people say it’s a little sluggish on the turns, but I haven’t noticed that. I did have a problem getting the fine tuning down when I first used it. It kept flying backward and away from me at a pretty fast pace and I struggle getting it under control and had to turn it around or land it before it got away. Once I got it adjusted (keep holding the trim button and watch the LCD screen to get it back to the middle, takes longer than you think), it should stay at the same altitude and just kind of sway with the wind (really nice feature).
The prop guards are a must for beginners I would say. I crash landed and flipped this a few times in the grass before getting the hang of it. Didn’t take that long and another reason I bought this. I read it was an easy one to learn and fly and very good for beginners. I figured, start off with this before
spending a lot more money on something bigger and better. It did struggle with a slight breeze the last time out. I was kind of surprised by that and how such a small breeze almost stopped it cold from moving forward and against the breeze. So be careful on any type of windy day.
So if you want something to start with, that doesn’t break the bank and is easy to learn and fly, this is it. I have heard that Syma makes great drones and this is one of them.
This is a decent flier in slow mode, but in fast mode, you can really see the difference in the pitch and awe of this drone compared to the slow mode. Things go much faster in this mode and you need to be careful if you are inexperienced. Give yourself room and plenty of height until you get used to this.
I weighed this and it came in at 4.5 Ounces (with everything attached to it) and you only need to register it with the U.S. FAA if it’s .55 pounds (8.8 Ounces) or more. So no registering needed for this one. Another bonus.
DISCLAIMER: This was offered at a discounted rate in exchange for an honest review. I rely on reviews from the community when making purchases, so I believe in giving honest and unbiased reviews to help others. I am not obligated to leave positive feedback and receive no compensation for doing so. I am not associated with the seller in any way.
My Rating: 5 Stars
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