UPDATE: To avoid having it uncontrollably gain altitude DO NOT use the auto takeoff button. Instead pull both sticks down and in until motors start to spin. I have also purchased the UDI 46 which is the exact same item (but blue) which is sometimes less expensive.
DETAILED REVIEW:
Flying: With the altitude hold, this quadcopter hovers like the firefly, for which it’s named. You will need to make small corrections, but it makes it easy to learn the basics of flying. Try flying figure 8’s around obstacles and through the legs of chairs and soon you’ll be ready for something more expensive. It has 3 speeds from walking speed to jogging. It beeps to let you know. It is a bit tame for more advanced fliers and it doesn’t do flips. I’ve flown it outside up to 60 ft away and above the height of telephone poles. Understandably it can’t handle more than a light breeze. It has automatic motor shut off when it crashes (I crashed on purpose in my video).
Battery: It has a non-removable battery with a tiny plug that is a little tricky. I got 5 ½ minutes indoor flying before the lights started to blink and 7 minutes before it auto-landed. The charger has a small red light on the chord which turns green after about 30-40 minutes of charging.
Design: Made of a very durable rubbery plastic which seems indestructible. The propellers are well protected and they pull off if needed. The frames seem similar but is slightly shorter and wider than other mini copters (F36, H36, E010) but the body seems to have a much more premium construction (see picture). There is a nice white headlight and a red taillight which work well for orienting the front and back. It has a very small on and off switch and plug on the back. Some people may not like that the battery is not easily removable. The charging chord plug is also very small making it hard to tell which side is up and down but it is not a big deal.
Controller: It is small but easy to use and quality far superior to those on other mini copters. The control pads are a bit stiff at first but great once they break in. It takes 3 AAA batteries (not included).
My Tips: Periodically take off the propellers to remove dust bunnies which can build up inside. Remember to put them back in the right spot. There are 2 different props. Diagonal props are the same. Keep the box it is compact and nice quality. It can be used to transport it. Altitude hold seems to work better if it is manually launched (pull both sticks down and in) rather than using auto take off. If you have a hard crash you might want to shut it off and restart it because the gyros can get confused.
The Company & Quality: Mine did not work in headless mode and it had altitude hold problems. When I opened up the controller it looked like a bad solder on the circuit board. These toy copters often share stock parts and are prone to quality glitches so I don’t hold it against them. I contacted Potensic and their customer service was great. They were helpful in customer support and were willing to stand behind their product. The new one is perfect.
Other Options: The H36/F36/E010 are much harder to fly without altitude hold and they don’t seem as good in quality. There are similar models with cameras but that will drain batteries and cost more.
