The X13 Miracle (also known as the X13 Storm) is Syma’s latest toy-grade mini quadcopter in the sub $50 price range. It features headless flying, a 6-axis gyro and all the other standard flying features commonly found in mini quadcopters such as the ability to perform flips.
What’s really neat about the X13 when compared to other mini quads in the same class is its enclosed battery compartment and power switch — these are features that you don’t normally find in quadcopters of this size. They are really nice features to have and make the X13 look somewhat like a mini Phantom. No wires sticking out or partially exposed battery to ruin the lines of its x-shaped body. And there’s no need to manually power up the quad too by connecting the battery. Just flick on the power switch and it’s ready to fly. These features really make the X13 stand out in its class, giving Syma’s latest offering a more “finished product” look.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 160 x 160 x 40mm (with prop guards)
- Diagonal motor distance: 102mm
- Motor size: 6 x 15mm
- Weight: 33g (with battery and prop guards)
- Flight time: 6 to 9 minutes
- Battery: 3.7V 200mAh Li Po
- Charging time: 40 – 50 minutes
- Control distance: approximately 20m
- Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)
Syma is well-known for producing quadcopters that are very stable and easy to fly and the X13 is no exception to this tradition. Compared to other mini quads, the X13 is incredibly stable when flown indoors. Hovering and making the X13 stay put at one position is fairly easy when compared to other similar quads such as the JJRC F180. The X13 is one quadcopter that does not have a tendency to stray away on its own and is very responsive to pilot input. For these reasons, the X13 makes for an excellent trainer drone.
Due to its modest motor size, the X13 does not zip around in the air as fast as the UDI 841 or the JJRC H8C. Yaw rate and speed are reasonable but not overly sporty.
Thanks to a lightweight body combined with small and light motors, the X13 is capable of flying between 6 and 9 minutes despite having a battery capacity of just 200mAh. In contrast, the UDI 841 weighs 55g (with battery) and has a shorter flight time of about 3 to 7 minutes only despite having a battery capacity 450mAh (3.7V), more than twice the capacity of the X13 battery.
The X13’s modest flying speed makes it ideal for tight indoor environments where airspace is a premium. Flying a powerful mini quad such as the UDI 841 fast in tight indoor spaces can be a bit tricky. The X13, on the other hand, really feels at home in such environments. You can squeeze as much speed as you can from a X13 indoors and not worry too much about seriously damaging it in a high speed crash. It simply can’t go fast enough to crash badly and thanks to its light overall weight (33g), you can crash a X13 over and over again without causing any serious damage.
Refreshed Looks
The X13 features side LED stripes that help you identify its front and rear. The front stripe is blue while the rear is red. There are two more stripes at the sides and they are white in color. This color coding really helps a lot when flying, especially if you like performing plenty of yaw movements. The two propellers in front are black while the ones at the back are white which also helps in orientation. Other than the distinctive LED stripes, the X13 looks like any other quadcopter that make use of the ubiquitous X-shape design that was made popular by DJI’s Phantom line of quadcopters.
Unlike many other toy-grade quadcopters, the X13 does not have a camera. This is one quadcopter that was made purely for flying. The absence of a camera also means a lighter quadcopter that uses less power which translates into longer flight times. Ditching the camera also means a lower and more attractive price tag.
Flight Features
The X13 does pretty much what every other mini quadcopter does. It can do flips in all four directions as well as fly in “head free” mode. To perform a flip, simply press the button at the upper right of the transmitter and hold it down while you move your right stick in the direction you want the X13 to flip.
The “head free” mode is useful for those who are new to flying multirotors and can easily get disoriented when the front of the quadcopter faces a different direction to the direction they’re facing. For instance, if a quadcopter is facing the pilot then all controls on the transmitter become inverted (except for the throttle) — left becomes right and vice versa. To solve this problem, the “head free” mode was introduced. When flying in “head free” mode, the quadcopter will move in any direction the pilot points it to, irrespective of where its front is facing.
Due to its light weight and small size, the X13 is ideal only for indoor flying. Flying outdoors is possible only in calm weather conditions. The X13 can really have a hard time even when flying against slight gusts of wind thanks to its rather tame flying characteristics.
Transmitter
The X13 is shipped with the standard Syma 2.4GHz transmitter that is commonly sold with smaller Syma quadcopters. It is a step below the larger transmitter that comes with the popular Syma X5C and is a lot smaller.
The transmitter is comfortable to use and features control sticks that are rubberized which are a real pleasure to use. All in all, the X13 transmitter is a basic one that does its job well enough. No fancy frills here. Trim and power buttons on the transmitter also have a nice tactile feel and are not flimsy.
Enclosed Battery Compartment
As mentioned earlier, the X13 features an enclosed battery bay which probably makes it one of the first toy quadcopters to have such a feature in 2015. The battery bay is just large enough to fit the X13’s 200mAh battery. This is a neat feature to have as it keeps the battery and wires concealed. However, there is a drawback — you can’t fit anything larger than a 250mAh battery in the X13. To do this, the only way is to strap the larger battery below the X13 with a rubber band.
If you’re thinking of using a higher capacity battery on your X13, I’d recommend nothing larger than a 300mAh battery. I flew my X13 with a 450mAh battery and although it did quite well when the battery was full, it started becoming increasingly sluggish as the battery began to drain. Doing flips while on a 450mAh battery was impossible as well since the X13 simply couldn’t recover from each flip due to the excess weight.
Conclusion
The Syma X13 is a great beginner quadcopter for indoor flying. It is highly affordable, looks great and incredibly easy to fly. With its tame flying characteristics, the X13’s motor and propellers do not have enough grunt to cause serious injuries thus making it a great gift for kids.
Due to its light overall weight and lack of a camera, the X13 has a decent average flight time that can reach 9 minutes which is impressive considering its battery capacity is only 200mAh. It also features a neat body that comes with an enclosed battery compartment and power switch — features that do not normally come with mini quadcopters in the same class. However, the X13 battery bay cannot take anything larger than a 250mAh battery.
Costing less than $50, the X13 is an excellent choice if you’re looking to buy your first toy-grade quadcopter. It also makes for an excellent trainer drone. This is one quadcopter you can crash over and over again without worrying too much.