If you’ve had interest in getting RC Quadcopter, it’s worthwhile to browse several websites that has Quadcopter reviews. These websites will give you wide information on different models that are available in the market. These reviews are posted by Quadcopter fanatics and the details and deals shared is worthwhile aiding you to find your preferable remote Control Quadcopter. There are several models of Quadcopters out there; Syma X1, BLADE Nano QX RTF, Phantom 2 Vision +, 3D Robotics Irish +, Hubsan X4H107, DJI Phantom 2 Vision are some of the copter models.
Before you can decide on which Quadcopter model you’ll buy, it is imperative that you get that model which is suitable as per your level of skills. You will waste your time and money to get an expensive model which you have no experience at all. Start with something cheap as you advance to the best of the best. In this article, we’re going to look at 3 models and you’ll decide if this is the product you might be interested in.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Best Quadcopter Reviews
1. SYMA X1 4 Channel 2.4G RC Quad Copter
This is one of the best copters for beginners. This copter is well equipped with 3-axis control system which will enable you to have a stable flight besides having fun. This copter will also give you the ability to perform rolls, flips and tricky pirouettes. It comes with a 3D full flight giving you the freedom to go up or down, forward or backward, right or left. With this quad, there is much that you’ll learn.
Our Rating: 
(4.1 / 5)
Features of Syma X1
- It is build in three axis Gyro
- It has 360 degrees Everson
- It has 2 fly modes i.e Indoor and Outdoor
- Has a removable battery
- Has a 3-way precision controller, forward/backward, up/down and left and write.
Pros
- It’s relatively easy to control
- It’s light in weight
Cons
- Instructions are not clear; you might end up returning back after your purchase.
- One of the motors go slow than the other
- It’s somehow fragile
2. Hubsan X4 H107L Royal Blue H107 LED
There are several versions of Hubsan X4 quad available in the market. If you’re a quad enthusiast and you’re still a beginner, then this is the copter that you have to go for. Hubsan X4 H107 is a ready to fly made quad. This copter has a rechargeable 3.7V 240m Ah battery and a 2.4GHz radio that will give you an exciting experience. This copter comes with everything that it needs to fly but before you can fly it, ensure you charge the battery before flying and charging which will take about 30mins. With Hubsan X4 H107, you will have more practice time because of the light weight airframe that it has, small size of 60mmx60mm and the ultimate stability. One caution that you’ve to be aware is, ensure you’re not flying when it’s windy outside.
Our Rating: 
(4.4 / 5)
Features of Hubsan X4 H107
- Has a 6 axis precision gyro
- Has one piece of main frame
- Has 4 channel 2.4 Ghz control
- Has a high capacity LiPO battery
Pros
- It’s a ready to fly quad
- Its price is affordable
- Its super fast
- Enough time to fly, approximately 10minutes
- Can fly both indoor and outdoor
Cons
- Can’t fly when it’s windy
- It’s hard to navigate
3. New Blade Nano QX RTF QuadCopter
Blade Nano QX RTF will offer you a wide variety of features that will add fun to flying this copter model. Blade Nano has several copter models like the Nano QX FPV RTF. This model is maneuverable, fast than other cheaper models.
Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)
Features of Blade Nano QX RTF
- It has brushed motors which provides powerful and smooth lift
- It features SAFETM technology with agility and stability modes
- It has a 4-in-1 DSMX receiver, mixer, Safe sensor Unit and ESCs
Pros
- Flies well indoors and outdoors
- It’s stable and fun
- Dozens of flight time
- It can fly in light winds of about 5 mph
- Can crash on several occasions but still can fly
Cons
- Can’t fly outside in winds
- Some of this copter models do not come with the remote controls
Best Quadcopter Buying Guide
These three models are worthy for you if you are a beginner but before you can purchase your copter, here are some pointers that you have to be aware of.
Parts
With many different parts, specifications, terms, and numbers, it’s sometimes hard to know where to begin. Before selecting the right components for a quadcopter, it’s good a know how all the parts connect to each other.
1. Thrust/weight ratio
Thrust is created by the motors/propellers to push the quadcopter upwards. However, the weight of the quadcopter tries to keep everything on the ground. To get off the ground, the thrust must be larger than the weight.
Having slightly more thrust than the weight is not good enough. To fly well, a quadcopter needs at least twice as much thrust as there is weight. For example, a 1 pound quadcopter will need 2 pounds of thrust to fly while a 3 pound quadcopter will need 6 pounds of thrust. So remember, the standard thrust/weight ratio is 2:1. For the ultimate in speed and performance, try a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio.
Attaching a camera is common for many quadcopter fliers. To carry a payload, such as a GoPro Action Camera, the weight of the camera or any other accessory attached to the quadcopter will need to be accounted for in the total quadcopter weight. It is important to have a 2:1 thrust/weight ratio AFTER the camera and all other accessories are mounted.
2. Power bottlenecks
For the motors to run, electricity needs to flow through it. This is called electrical current, or current for short. Current is measured in Amps, often shortformed as A. For example, 5A represents 5 Amps of electrical current.
Both batteries and ESCs have limits to how much they can supply. Since different motors need different amounts of current, an under-rated ESC or Battery will result in a bottleneck.
For example, a particular motor at full throttle needs 20A of current. The battery is rated for 50A while the ESC is rated at 10A. Is there a bottleneck? Yes there is! The battery has no problem providing 20A but the ESC cannot deliver the full 20A of current to the motor. This can result in permanent damage to the ESC.
A general rule of thumb is the have 10% more supply than the maximum demand. This helps keep the weight low. However, if you plan on upgrading or swapping motors in the future, it may be beneficial to start off with components that can handle a larger motor so you won’t need to replace the ESCs or batteries when you replace the motors.
3. Motors
Choosing which motor to buy is one of the most important decisions when building a quadcopter, and can make the difference between a fast and nimble quad or a powerful heavy lifter. Keep in mind that all 4 of the motors and props on you quadcopter should be the same. A rule of thumb to remember is the 2:1 minimum thrust-weight ratio.
Types of Motors
Virtually all motors used for hobby grade quadcopters are brushless motors. Brushed motors, found in cheap RC toys, are not used because they are less efficient, have shorter lifespans, and less powerful.
There are two types of brushless motors: outrunners and inrunners. The difference between the two is the part that spins. For inrunners, as the name suggests, the rotating component is hidden inside the motor. When running, all that can be seen spinning is the central shaft sticking out. Outrunners are different in that the outer casing rotates along with the shaft. Physical differences aside, inrunners spin at a very high RPM but deliver low torque. Outrunners are the opposite, spinning at a lower RPM but delivering high torque.
For quadcopters or other multirotor craft, brushless outrunners are always used apart from a few exceptions.
High RPM or Low RPM
When browsing for a motor, the Kv rating always comes up. So what does it mean? Is higher Kv mean a better motor?
Kv is simply defined as the rotation speed in RPM for every volt applied to the motor (with no propeller or load attached). For example, a motor with 500Kv will spin at 500RPM when attached to a 1V source. The same motor will spin at 1000RPM when attached to a 2V source, while 12V will result in 6000RPM.
Higher Kv does not mean a better or more powerful motor. Generally speaking, the higher the Kv value, the less torque a motor has. What this means is that higher Kv motors is suited for smaller props that spin at high speeds while low Kv motors are for larger props that spin at low speeds.
High speed + small prop combinations are better for acrobatic fliers that need agility and quick bursts of speed.
Low speed + large prop combinations are better for lifting heavy payloads. Efficiency and flight time is usually a bit higher with low speed + large prop quads but is not always the case due to the many factors involved.
Important Specs
- Maximum Power: Measured in Watts (W), a motor with a maximum power of 500W will generate more thrust than a motor rated at 300W. More thrust means faster, stronger, and more agile. However, this comes at a cost with decreased battery life.
- Thrust: Dependent not only on the motor, the propeller and battery voltage can make a big difference. The thrust specification is usually given for several different recommended propeller and battery combinations. Use caution when choosing a propeller with a larger diameter or pitch than the recommended size. There is generally some leeway but if the prop is just too big or the pitch too aggressive, the motor may be overworked and damaged.
- Battery Compatibility: Motors are designed to work within a range of voltages. Since battery voltage varies depending on the number of cells in a battery, the compatible cell range is always stated.
- Max Current: The maximum electrical current the motor will draw when running at full power. Use this to determine which ESC to use.
- Propeller Mount shaft Size: Traditionally, propellers connect onto a mounting shaft that attaches onto the motor housing. Almost all T-motor motors use a 6mm propeller mounting shaft. Most props have a 6mm hub diameter which makes mounting a breeze. Some smaller props have 4mm or 5mm hub diameters but these are generally used with smaller motors which use a 4mm prop mounting shaft. These specs will be clearly spelled out in the product description.
- Wire Connection: Some motors come with preattached bullet connectors for quick and easy installation. Other types may be a plain wire which will require some simple soldering.
Connecting to the ESC
To provide power and control the speed of the motor, an ESC or Electronic Speed Controller is used. Each motor will require its own ESC. All motors have 3 wire leads which connect to the ESC. The spin direction can be changed by switching any 2 of the 3 wires. Always make sure that the ESC has a current rating that can match the max current of the motor.
Connecting to the propeller
All motors come with mounting hardware to attach the propellers. Some methods involve clamping onto the shaft while more direct techniques bolt the propeller directly to the motor casing.
4. Properllers
Clockwise or Counter ClockwiseProps are designed to spin either in the clockwise (CW) or counter clockwise (CCW) direction. Mounting a clockwise prop backwards is not the same as a counter clockwise prop. On a quadcopter, 2 props spin CW while the other 2 spin CCW. Props are often sold in pairs with one CW the other CCW. Determining which props on the quadcopter should spin CW or CCW is done during calibration of the flight controller.
Diameter and pitch
Props are always listed with 2 numbers that look like this: 8X3. This means the prop has a diameter of 8 inches and a pitch of 3 inches.
- Diameter: The tip to tip length of the propeller, measured in inches. Generally, the larger the prop the greater the thrust. However, using a prop larger than the recommended size for the motor could result in permanent motor damage.
- Pitch: The distance of air in inches that the propeller moves through after 1 rotation. Think of typical screwdriver screw. A low pitch of 1 means for every turn, the screw moves forward 1 inch. An aggressive pitch of 5 means the screw moves forward 5 inches for every turn. Higher pitch means more speed, while lower pitch means more torque.
Materials
Plastic and Carbon Fiber are the most common prop materials found on quadcopters. Each have their benefits.
Plastic Advantages:
- Cheaper and more affordable
- Safer (CF props can cut through things or people very easily)
- Many color options (Useful for identifying the front of the quadcopter)
Carbon Fiber Advantages:
- Stiff, strong, and durable
- Less vibration, removes shakiness and jello effect from video
For beginners, plastic props are highly recommended as they are much cheaper to replace after a crash. When buying props, always get an extra set for backup as props are the easiest things to break.
Number of Blades
Most props have 2 blades since it’s simple and works well. A 3 bladed propeller has a notable benefit in that it can produce the same amount of thrust as a 2 bladed prop but with a smaller diameter. For smaller frames mounted with powerful motors, 3 bladed props can be a good option. However, there is a slight decrease in efficiency although it is not always noticeable.
To select a 3 bladed prop, follow these steps:
- Find the diameter and pitch of the recommended 2 bladed prop for the motor
- Subtract 1 inch from the diameter, this is now the diameter of your 3 bladed prop
- Add 1 inch to the pitch, this is now the pitch of your 3 bladed prop.
For example, to replace a 9X4 two bladed prop, use an 8X5 three bladed prop.
Repair and construction
Don’t be deceived that the copter you intend to buy can’t crash, although there are those that even if they crash they can’t destroy the frame. Regardless of all these, a good copter to buy is that which is supplied with repair parts like struts and rotors just to replace the broken parts in the event your copter crashes.
Batteries
Many copters offer a battery life of up to 10minutes and for you to avoid hassle and enjoy more fly time, it will be better if you can have a swapped battery. Expensive copters are the ones that have a spare battery but they are pricey as they cost more than $100.
How to select a battery
- Note the voltage compatibility of the motors and ESCs. Most motors/ESCs are either 2S/3S compatible or 3S/4S. Narrow the battery selection based on this.
- Determine the maximum current draw for the motors used. Multiply this value with the number of motors. (ie: 4 motors each with 20A maximum draw. Total maximum current is 80A)
- Decide on battery capacity. It is a good idea to use a larger capacity for longer flight times.
- Pick a battery with sufficient C rating for the total maximum current found in step 2.
Camera
There are those copters which come with cameras already built in and there are those that you have to fix so that you can capture those exciting moments. Cheap models have cameras that offer low resolution and therefore if you need quality and high resolution of pictures, then you have to go for the pricey copters.
Remote Control
Most copters use remote controls. Ensure the remote control of your copter fits well in your hands and the sticks are comfortable under your thumbs. This will give you an easier and fun time controlling your quad.
If you’re learning to fly, fly low and slow and don’t fly in proximity to the people. Also it will be worth for you to invest in a number of spare parts at the time you will purchase your model to avoid long flying downtime.
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