Horizon Hobby Blade Nano QX RTF Quadcopter

I have a nephew who is immersed in RC flying. He bought a Blade Nano QX (herinafter, "quad") before he left for a trip, during which he knew he would have a fair amount of free time. He emailed me on the first or second day of his trip and told me that this might be a fun way to introduce myself to the RC experience. We're both pilots, so he knew I was intrigued. Because the price was so reasonable, I ordered one after doing a little more reading about it. The next day, I ordered a couple of extra batteries and the separate battery charger (Celectra 4-Port 1S 3.7V 0.3A DC Li-Po Charger; see separate review).

Both orders arrived on the same day, which was nice ... I had multiple batteries and therefore longer flying time. In addition to the quad, the package, which doubles as a carrying case - with handle - comes with a transmitter, one battery, and a USB charger. This allows for one flight (about 7 minutes, give or take) before recharging, which takes about 30-40 minutes. I learned this from my nephew; it would have been a little disappointing to learn this by myself. I think it's much easier to learn with the minimal interruption of changing the battery than it would be with the interruption of the charging time.

Out of the box, the instructions were simple and easy to follow. Li-Po batteries are NOT charged before shipping, so the first thing to do is charge the battery(ies). The battery slides into a simple plastic bracket on the bottom of the quad. Pushing it all the way forward places it in the correct position for balance. AFTER turning on the transmitter, assure that the throttle is at its minimum setting (fully back), connect the battery, and place the quad upright on a flat surface. The red LED blinks a few times while it syncs with the transmitter. When the LED stops blinking (turns blue in stable mode), it's ready to fly.

Here are a couple of things the manual doesn't explicitly state: ease the throttle forward to check that each of the four motors spins up. They almost always will, and the quad will just sit there. When there's a problem, you won't watch the quad go off into the nearest obstacle. After this, give the quad enough throttle to make it "jump" slightly off the surface; try to level it off at about eye level. Trying to take off gently makes control more challenging, because of the turbulence it's creating close to the surface. Next, try to just keep it at the same height. This becomes easier with a little experience, but it's a good way to begin to get used to control response. More important, you will find out whether or not the quad is trimmed properly. If it's not, you'll be fighting your own inexperience PLUS the instability of the aircraft ... not fun.

The manual does a fair job of explaining the trim buttons. The important thing is that you can't assume that the aircraft is trimmed properly, because there are variables that can change - even during a flight. Get used to using the trim buttons on the controller; it will make flying easier.

This quad uses "smart" technology to stabilize the aircraft, which makes it perfect for beginners, but it also has a setting that allows for "acrobatic" mode, which should challenge even the most proficient. No aircraft is indestructible, but this quad is designed to deal extremely well with hard landings, bumping into walls (in any direction), and flying up against the ceiling without it being a problem. I haven't managed to damage it yet.

In addition to having extra batteries for the quad and a multiple-port charger to charge several at a time, you'll probably find that you want to have the AC adapter for the charger (sold separately, although not expensive). You may also want to have 4 (or more) D cells, which you can use to power the charger when you don't have access to AC power. And 3 or 4 batteries won't last forever, so if you fly the quad a lot, you'll want to buy more than just a couple extra.

I gave the Blade Nano QX 5 stars because it seems to do everything it's supposed to do perfectly - at least so far, and I've had it several weeks and flown it 3-6 flights most days. Although the things I've mentioned in this review may sound like criticisms, they are intended only to help prospective buyers recognize some things that may not be apparent. If you're experienced in the RC world, you'll know all of these things, but what my nephew told me he got for "about $70 out the door" has turned into more of a $150 toy, give or take. That's not really a complaint, either. The fun has already been worth more than that.

A few years ago, I got into RC Helis. I started with cheap toy coaxials and worked my way up to full hobby collective pitch helis. There never was a good middle ground as the helicopters were either boring to fly because they were so tame (coaxials) or expensive to fix for the more "fun" collective pitch. With the SAFE mode which combines stabilization with auto correction, this quad is essentially 3 quads in one.

Standard rate with SAFE: Fairly tame and very good for relatively new pilots and indoor use.
Dual rate with SAFE: Very agile but still very stable and easy to fly (just a lot quicker and better for outdoors).
Agility mode: Essentially behaves like a collective pitch helicopter (no training wheels) and hovering is up to you and not the magic of the little chips inside. Can do stunts (no gimmicky buttons, you have to learn to do them yourself).

The small size makes it great for indoor use but where small light aircraft usually suck outside in anything but the calmest of conditions, this tiny bird will hold its own even in a brisk breeze (you will still need to fight but it will fight as opposed to being carried away). The light weight, simple but rugged design makes it very crash friendly. Crashes don't seem to faze this thing at all with the only issues being that threads or other fibers will occasionally wrap under the blades and prevent the propeller from turning freely (just pull off the blade, remove the obstruction, push back on and continue). It's quieter than my other quads (sounds like 4 bumble bees inside but much quieter outside).

Cons (not many):
No navigation LEDs so low light/night flight is poor for orientation.
Blade guards tend to hook on things, would have preferred full rings
Too light to carry any significant mainstream payloads (camera, normal sized LEDs, etc..)

Buy this quad as it is near perfect:

Other notes
- Flight time on the stock 150 mah battery is 5-6 minutes. I get 7-8 minutes with some 200mah Apex batteries I bought
- I purchased a DX6i programmable radio since I have a handful of compatible helicopters. You don't need it but if you do get one, you can really tailor the performance to your liking.

Great beginners drone!

I received the quadcopter on time without any shipping problems from Amazon Prime. The box includes everything you see on the webpage and an extra battery. This machine is easy to fly, and has amazing flight characteristics for such a small drone. In no time I was able to hover and maneuver in a small area without crashing.

If it flies to the ceiling, the propeller guards on the frame do a fantastic job of protecting the propellers and motors. Its very quick and can get away from you if you don't use the SAFE mode to control the gyros. I lost control at one occasion and the drone crashed into a sink of dishwater. The Blade Nano was completely submerged at the bottom of a sink full of water for about 10 seconds before rescue. I continued flying it wet to keep parts moving till the battery ran out, and then dried the rest of the craft with a hair drier. That was 3 weeks ago; its still working just fine.

The propellers sometimes picks up hair or strings from furniture as it flies around the house. This is not a problem as you can quickly remove the plastic props, to remove anything wrapped around the motor spindle. This thing is tuff and easy to care for.

The only problem that would not give the product 5 stars is the RC flight controller that comes with the Blade Nano QX. The range seems to be very limited. When I fly outside, the Blade Nano looses signal at about 30-40 yards up or out then drops out of the sky. When I go to retrieve the drone it is able to re-engage and flies again perfectly. I have asked Horizon Hobby to contact me about the range of the controller as a flight issue. No word as yet.