The Drone Files

The Syma X5SW is the latest and most advanced model in Syma’s X5 range of toy-grade quadcopters. It is also the priciest in the range, although only by a small margin, and is the only model to feature FPV (First Person View) video over wifi. Priced at approximately $61, it is available in black, red or white.

The X5SW is nearly identical to its other siblings — the X5SC and X5S. The only thing that sets it apart from the other two models is the FPV-enabled camera that sports a wifi antenna which is used to broadcast FPV video. This camera is essentially the same one used in the X5SC, with an added antenna that sticks out of its rear.

In fact, the X5SW is actually a X5SC with a pimped-up camera. It is even shipped with the same transmitter, accessories and battery as the X5SC. For this reason, I feel it is unnecessary to repeat the findings of my earlier review of the X5SC-1 here.

Some might be wondering, what is the difference between the X5SC-1 and the X5SC or the X5C-1 and the X5C? The truth is there is no difference between X5SC-1 and the X5SC. The “1” in the X5SC-1 model name is merely an indication that it is the “e-commerce” version of the X5SC. This means the X5SC-1 is shipped in a smaller box to reduce shipping costs while the X5SC comes in a larger box with a plastic handle at the top and is meant for retail shops. After all, a larger packaging means a more impressive presence for any product on a retail shelf which helps a lot in sales.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 310 x 310 x 105mm (with prop guards)
• Diagonal motor distance: 230mm
• Motor size: 8 x 20mm coreless
• Weight: 120g (with battery, camera and prop guards)
  Flight time:
• 6 to 8 minutes (without prop guards and camera)
• approximately 4 minutes (with prop guards and camera turned on)
• Battery: 3.7V 500mAh LiPo
• Charging time: 40-45 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 50m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

FPV on a Shoestring Budget

As mentioned earlier, the Syma X5SW can broadcast FPV video over wifi. To view the FPV video, you need to first install the Syma FPV app on your smartphone. The Syma FPV app is available for both Android and Apple IOS. Users of older Android devices will be in for a nasty surprise as Syma FPV is not compatible with Android 4.0 or earlier. For this review, an Android 4.2 smartphone was used and the app worked fine on it.

Once you have installed Syma FPV on your phone, run the app and turn on the X5SW. The camera takes about 30 seconds to set up its own wifi hotspot and once it’s running, connect your phone to the hotspot to view the FPV feed from the camera via the Syma FPV app.

The X5SW comes with a phone holder that can be attached to the top of the transmitter. This makes it easier for the pilot to view the FPV feed while operating the X5SW.

Since the X5SW transmits its FPV feed over wifi, the feed suffers from a lot of lag or latency. This means video from the quad’s camera can take up to about 2 seconds before it appears on your phone screen. Such high latency means the X5SW cannot be flown entirely using FPV and should be kept within line of sight at all times. Trying to fly the X5SW by relying on FPV may result in crashes, especially when it’s flown close to buildings or trees. With a latency of anywhere between 0.3 to 2 seconds, trying to avoid hitting a tree or wall is simply not possible.

Latency is hardly noticeable when the X5SW is flown within meters of your smartphone but as it gets further and further away, the latency gets worse. At about 50 meters, the latency becomes so bad that the video feed ends up looking like a slideshow of images being transmitted from the camera.

The X5SW is not a quadcopter meant for fast FPV racing. However, the FPV feature can be useful when you need to do things like align and frame a shot. The live FPV feed also means you don’t need to land the quad first before you can view what you have recorded. This makes the X5SW a highly affordable “flying camera” that allows people, for instance, to do live surveys of their properties from the air or to help in searching for missing livestock.

Unlike the X5SC and the X5C, the X5SW does not record videos or photos onto a micro SD card on its camera. Instead, recording is done on the smartphone via the Syma FPV app. This is a weak point in the X5SW’s FPV feature, particularly when you consider that the video transmission can suffer from really bad latency.

Flight Time

With its camera attached, the X5SW suffers from a very short flight time, especially when using the supplied 500mAh battery. With the supplied battery, flight time with FPV is approximately 4 minutes only. Using larger 750mAh batteries can increase flight times to 5 or 6 minutes which is still somewhat short. This is mainly because the camera draws a lot of power when transmitting its FPV feed. However, with the camera removed, the X5SW enjoys similar flight times as the X5SC and X5C.

Conclusion

The Syma X5SW throws many extremes into one package. On one hand, it costs only $61 and is the only model in Syma’s X5 range that features FPV. It is also one of the cheapest toy-grade quadcopters in the market that features FPV. On the other hand, its FPV feature is poorly implemented and suffers from a few drawbacks. The X5SW also suffers from the infamous “wind bug” issue that was covered in my earlier review of the X5SC-1. However, when one considers that drones with proper FPV features cost 10 to 20 times more than the X5SW, one can easily ignore its shortcomings.

As mentioned earlier, the X5SW is essentially a X5SC with a FPV camera and a new model name. This means it has all the good features seen in the X5SC such as a well designed and spacious battery compartment, tall landing legs and enclosed motors and pinion gears. If you can live without FPV, then you might want to consider the X5SC which costs a few dollars less and has better flight times. However, if you absolutely must have FPV, then the X5SW is one of the most affordable quadcopters out there that offers this feature, albeit with a few flaws that I believe many beginners can live with.

The Syma X8C is a 350mm-size toy-grade quadcopter and is currently the largest produced by the Guangdong-based company Syma. With physical dimensions that are almost indistinguishable to the latest Phantom 3, the X8C shares a striking resemblance with DJI’s highly popular range of consumer drones. It even comes with propellers that are similar in size and pitch to the Phantom 3’s. The similarities, however, stop there since the X8C was designed purely as a toy-grade quadcopter that is aimed at beginners who are looking for a more basic and affordable solution to premium consumer drones.

Priced at slightly below $100, the X8C is certainly not in the same ballpark as the Phantom 3 or Walkera’s latest X350 Premium both of which offer more advanced features such as GPS, brushless motors and camera gimbals and can cost well beyond $1000. What makes the X8C so affordable is its use of brushed motors, a fixed camera gimbal and a very basic flight controller that offers no GPS feature. Despite such entry-level features, the X8C is actually quite well built as with many other Syma products such as the highly popular X5C.

The X8C comes with a well-designed body that features an enclosed battery compartment, enclosed motors and gears and down-facing LED lights to help in orientation. The battery compartment is spacious and houses a 2000mAh battery. However, the long battery connector wires can make for quite a tight fit and care should be taken when handling them to avoid damage that could be caused when these wires are folded too tightly.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 50 x 50 x 19cm (with prop guards)
• Diagonal motor distance: 350mm
• Motor size: 15mm coreless
• Weight: Approx 612g (with battery, camera and prop guards)
• Flight time: 10 to 12 minutes
• Battery: 7.4V 2000mAh 25C Li Po
• Charging time: 200 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 100m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Flight Performance

Despite being marketed as an entirely new model on its own, the X8C is actually very much like a super-sized version of the Syma X5C with “headless” mode. This is particularly true with its flight performance and transmitter where the X8C displays similar characteristics to the X5C.

Like the X5C, it is remarkably stable and easy to fly. Hovering is very easy and the X8C responds well to any input from the transmitter with little hesitation. It is also a lot more quiet compared to other quadcopters in the same size category.

Where the X8C really excels over the X5C is its stability in the wind. Thanks to its much larger size and weight, the X8C is less likely to get flipped around in moderate winds that would put the X5C in a dramatic struggle to hold its position. This stability makes the X8C a better choice when it comes to aerial photography.

At the heart of the X8C’s propulsion are some really large coreless motors (measuring approximately 15mm each) paired to 9-inch propellers that provide some serious amount of thrust. This allows the quad to zip around gracefully in the air even in light to moderate winds.

The X8C has so much reserve power that some owners have resorted to mounting GoPro cameras on their X8Cs although this is something that I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re willing to replace those coreless motors sooner than expected. This is because action cameras such as the GoPro or SJ4000 can put a heavy weight penalty on the X8C’s motors that can shorten their lifespan significantly.

However, if you absolutely cannot live without mounting a GoPro on your X8C, then make sure to always keep at least 1 pair of spare motors on standby. They’re very affordable considering each pair costs only $10.

Although equipped with some really powerful motors, the X8C seems to have a rather sluggish yaw rate. This, however, isn’t a real issue since the quad was designed to be more of a low budget aerial photography platform than a high speed racer.

One feature that many beginners would surely find useful is the “Headless” mode — a feature which allows you to fly the quad without worrying where its front is facing. When headless mode is turned on, the X8C will fly in any direction you order it relative to your transmitter’s position, irrespective of where its front or “head” is facing. So if your quad has its front facing right at you, it will move to the left if you push your right control stick to the left.

Headless mode is a great feature to have when you lose orientation of your quad, especially when it is flying some distance away.

Surprisingly, Syma has decided to include the usual aerial stunts (360 degree flips) with this new quad despite its hefty weight and size. Personally, I feel that built-in flips should only be included in toy-grade quadcopters with a size of 250mm and less. Including aerial stunts in anything larger than 250mm such as the X8C can mean some truly dramatic and scary flips.

Due to its weight and size, a lot of room is required for the X8C to perform a flip. Flipping the quad indoors in tight and constrained space is certainly not a good idea considering the amount of damage it can cause when it crashes.

Camera

Despite not having a brushless camera gimbal or any sort of vibration dampening for its camera, the X8C can still take reasonably good videos when conditions are ideal. Its video quality cannot be compared with better aerial photography drones such as the Phantom 3 or Yuneec Q500 but is still fun to watch and impressive for a toy-grade quadcopter.

The weakest link in the X8C, however, is its 2MP HD camera which probably uses the same sensor and electronics as the X5C’s camera. The only difference is its egg-shaped casing which gives it a rather imposing look. As a toy-grade camera, the supplied camera doesn’t disappoint, providing reasonably good videos and images. But for the X8C range, which is supposed to be Syma’s flagship range of toy-grade quadcopters, I’d expect the camera to be slightly better than what’s offered on the lower X5 range.

I guess Syma was probably motivated to keep the X8C’s price as low as possible by reusing the X5C’s camera and giving it a bigger redesigned casing.

The X8C’s camera is attached to it via a fixed gimbal that allows you to adjust the camera’s angle. Attaching or removing the camera is as simple as sliding the gimbal in and out. A small 3.5mm earphone jack is used as a signal connector from the camera to the quad. Images and videos are recorded on a supplied 4GB micro SD card that is inserted into the rear of the camera.

For those looking for better image quality, the X8C has enough thrust to lift GoPro or Mobius action cameras. Since these cameras are a lot heavier than the supplied camera, they will put more stress on the coreless motors and shorten their lifespan so keeping a few of these motors in stock is a good idea.

Transmitter

I’ve never been a fan of Syma transmitters, particularly the way they look. Syma transmitters do work fine but often come in designs that look awkwardly retro. The X8C’s transmitter is no exception to this and echos Syma’s 1980’s sci-fi movie approach to styling transmitters.

As mentioned earlier, the X8C’s 4-channel transmitter is essentially a scaled-up version of the X5C’s in a redesigned body that comes in a funky white and orange color scheme. It is powered by 4AA batteries (despite having 6 battery slots, with 2 being disabled) and features a small LCD display at the bottom that shows you important information such as battery level, throttle position, signal reception, etc.

The transmitter also allows you to toggle between 2 speed modes — High and Low. High, as the name suggests, unleashes the quad’s fullest potential and allows it to fly around at faster speeds.

Conclusion

Overall, the Syma X8C is a wonderful option for those who want a large toy-grade quadcopter that also doubles as an entry-level aerial photography platform. Its biggest selling point is its ability to carry action cameras such as the GoPro or Mobius at an unbeatable price of approximately $100.

With a size of 350mm, the X8C is undoubtedly more stable in the wind when compared to smaller toy-grade quadcopters. This stability can provide for better aerial videos and images.

If you’re not into aerial photography, the X8C is still great fun to fly thanks to its powerful 15mm coreless motors and 2000mAh 2-cell battery. It is highly responsive and stable in the air and becomes even more so with its camera and prop guards removed.

There are, however, some minor drawbacks in the X8C with the most obvious one being its uninspiring 2MP camera that was clearly brought over from the older X5C. Then there is the under-powered stock charger that takes forever to charge the supplied 7.4V 2000mAh battery.

Despite these minor flaws, the X8C is still a great package for those looking to get acquainted with aerial photography but are unwilling to splash $1000 on a Phantom 3. It is also an excellent flyer for those looking to just have some fun flying a quadcopter around and also for those looking for a trainer drone that closely resembles their more expensive 350mm-size drones.

Japanese electronics giant Sony has recently unveiled a new camera drone prototype as part of its foray into the commercial drone industry. The prototype, which flies like a conventional airplane but is capable of taking off vertically and hovering like a multirotor, is the product of Aerosense — a new joint venture between Sony and robotics company ZMP.

The drone has a propulsion system that is very similar to the V-22 Osprey military aircraft which is capable of both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL). It also uses imaging, sensing and networking technology developed by Sony for its smartphone range. ZMP, on the other hand, provided its technical expertise in robotics.

Thanks to its VTOL capability, the drone is able to fly further and operate longer than conventional multirotors yet is still able to hover and survey a location from the air when needed.

Sony hopes to market the drone for commercial aerial surveillance and reconnaissance which includes measuring, surveying, observing and inspecting operations. This means the drone will be aimed squarely at industries such as construction, oil and gas and agriculture for use in hard to reach or dangerous locations.

TobyRich is a new gaming system that brings multiplayer aerial dogfights and races into the world of toy-grade drones with the use of smartphone technology. The system allows players to control gaming drones that come in the form of small fixed-wing aircraft with their iOS or Android devices and pilot them in multiplayer dogfights or races. The drones can also be used to perform aerial stunts. If Maverick had a favorite app and RC toy, this would be it.

The gaming drones will be available in two different models — the basic TobyRich.Vegas and the more advanced TobyRich.Tokyo. What distinguishes between the Vegas and Tokyo models are GPS navigation and a 720P camera which is currently only available on the TobyRich.Tokyo. In the pipeline is a third and much more advanced model — the TobyRich.Guru which features extra goodies such as LTE compatibility, extra LED lights and 360 degree 720P camera.

The OriginGPS feature which is available in the TobyRich.Tokyo is the world’s smallest GPS module with an integrated antenna measuring only 10 x 10mm. It is also three times smaller than other GPS modules currently on the market. OriginGPS helps the drone know exactly where it is to help it fly an accurate path (and properly combat or race other drones in the process) and automatically return to the gamer if desired or when the gamer loses control of it.

Those who do not own TobyRich gaming drones can still join in the multiplayer action by downloading the free TobyRich.Red app and running it in “anti-aircraft” mode which transforms the user’s smart device into a virtual anti-aircraft gun on the ground that can be used to “shoot” down gaming drones in the air. TobyRich will also have its own online gaming community that allows users to share their flight performances and challenge other users into air-to-air combat.

For users who are not into aerial combat, the drones can still be flown like any other RC airplane using Bluetooth-enabled smart devices and specially designed joysticks that attach to the screen via mini suction cups. In addition to this, single and multiplayer air races can also be organized via the app. Just create a race course by setting GPS markers and you’re ready to test your racing skills.

TobyRich is currently on a fundraising campaign at Kickstarter to ship its first batch of gaming drones. Pledging at least 89 Euros will earn you a TobyRich.Vegas gaming drone, charging cable, TobyRich.Red app and user manual. For the more advanced TobyRich.Tokyo, you’ll need to pledge at least 135 Euros.

The fundraising campaign currently has 3 more days to go so don’t miss the opportunity to own a TobyRich gaming drone at these special rates.

Investors are opening their checkbooks to China-based drone makers, after Dajiang Innovation Technology Co. (DJI) became the country’s first company to pioneer a major new consumer product category.

Yuneec International, a Shanghai-based drone and aerospace company founded in 1999 that makes drones and electric-powered airplanes, has secured a more than $60 million investment from Intel INTC +0.00%’s venture capital arm. Intel has also invested in drone companies Airware and PrecisionHawk as it seeks to sidestep the declining PC market by betting on the possible commercial use of drones.

Intel and Yuneec will jointly develop products, Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich said in a video announcement. The two companies have got “drones on our road map that are going to truly change the world and revolutionize the drone industry,” he said.

Earlier this week, Yuneec’s younger peer Ehang raised $42 million in its series B round led by GP Capital, an investment fund managed by Shanghai International Group. GGV Capital, Zhenfund and a number of investors also participated in the fundraising.

Founded in 2014, Ehang develops consumer drones that can be controlled by its smartphone app. It plans to launch more products later this year.

Shenzhen-based DJI, best known for its Phantom series that sell for about $1,200, is leader of the pack. It accounts for more than 70% of the consumer drone market, according to Frost & Sullivan. The company in May got $75 million from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Accel Partners at a valuation of $8 billion. DJI and Accel in the same month launched an investment fund to back drone-technology start-ups.

I‘ve never been a big fan of micro quadcopters. Micros are harder to fly; they can hardly resist any sort of wind and are a lot more fragile compared to their larger brethren. For these reasons they don’t make excellent toys to fly around for the sheer fun of flying nor do they make good trainer drones. However, micro quadcopters have continued to be an important niche simply because they fill a demand that no other RC toy or drone can.

For as long as there is the demand for highly affordable and portable toy-grade quadcopters, micro quads will continue to be an important niche in the market. After all, what sort of quad can you store in your pocket, handbag or that tight space in your backpack other than a micro? Not only are they very small, light and highly portable, nothing can beat a micro when it comes to pricing — one reason why micros are so popular and sell the most in terms of quantity over other types of quadcopters.

This is why many brands out there have at least one model aimed at the micro quadcopter market and one such example is the Skylark V282 / V292 by WLtoys.

The WLtoys V282 / V292 is actually the same micro quadcopter that is available in two different kits. The V282, being the more conventional kit, comes with a conventionally-shaped mini transmitter that’s very similar in design to the one from the highly popular CX-10. The V292 features the same micro quadcopter as the V282 but comes with an egg-shaped transmitter that also doubles as the quad’s storage case.

As for the quadcopter itself, it is so tiny it can fit easily into the palm of your hand. In fact, the V282 / V292 (let’s call it V2XX for short) is really one piece of flying PCB (printed circuit board) with four motors, propellers, a battery and a plastic cover attached to it. It is so tiny that there is no room for anything else.

Due to its diminutive size and the use of cheap plastics, the V2XX is built rather fragile. Care should be taken when flying close to hard furniture or walls as the quad’s arms are rather fragile and may break upon impact. The 100mAh battery takes up the entire real estate on the body and is held down by a plastic cover. To charge the battery, simply plug in the supplied charger into the charging port at the rear of the quad.

Powering up the V2XX is a matter of turning on the tiny switch at the bottom. This is a neat feature to have since it eliminates the need to manually connect or disconnect the battery.

The quad is shipped with 2 sets of propellers and a USB charger.

Specifications

Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 25mm
Diagonal motor distance: 50mm
Motor size: 5mm coreless
Weight: 14g
Flight time: 5 t0 6 minutes
Battery: 3.7V 100mAh Li Po
Charging time: 30 minutes
Control distance: approximately 40m
Transmitter power: 2 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

Flight Performance

For those who are not familiar with flying micro quadcopters, the sound of the V2XX can be quite amusing. Due to its micro size, the V2XX actually sounds like a giant mosquito. It has this smooth and spirited buzz that’s just loud enough but not too loud to disturb the peace in your home or annoy your neighbor.

For such a small flying toy, you’d be amazed at how fast it can zip around in the air. The V2XX flies with such eagerness, it almost looks like a giant housefly with bright LEDs on it. It can also perform the usual aerial stunts such as 360-degree flips.

skylark5

skylark6

Flight performance is fine as long you don’t fly it in any sort of wind. Due to its small size, the V2XX doesn’t fly well when it’s windy which means it is best flown indoors, away from ceiling fans or air conditioning units that can create enough wind turbulence to blow it off course. Flying outdoors is not impossible, just make sure the air is as calm as can be.

The V2XX has an average flight time of about 5 to 6 minutes, which is really short. It gets even shorter if you do a lot of flips and fly aggressively. Fortunately, the batteries are cheap and retail for less than $12 for 5 pieces at Amazon.

The supplied 100mAh battery provides a flight time of just 5 to 6 minutes.

Two flight speeds are available on both models — fast and slow. When in “slow”, the V2XX simply flies slower and more predictably. “Fast” will unleash its fullest potential in terms of speed. However, the V2XX suffers from a very slow yaw rate, no matter what mode you’re in. Yaw is incredibly slow and improves only slightly when you switch to “fast”. This makes the V2XX great when flying in straight lines with some wide turns but unsuited to high speed flying in tight and constricted spaces — the slow yaw rate simply doesn’t allow the V2XX to turn fast enough to avoid obstacles.

The V2XX’s bright LED lights greatly help in keeping you oriented. Thanks to its tiny size, it’s very easy to lose orientation of the V2XX even when it is just a few meters away from you. Without these LEDs, flying the quad can be a real pain since it can be quite difficult to distinguish front from rear.
Transmitter

As mentioned earlier, the V282 kit comes with a conventional mini transmitter. Despite its diminutive size, the V282’s transmitter is surprisingly comfortable to use even if you have big hands. It is powered by 2 AA batteries and was made to be reasonably durable making it an ideal choice for children. This is one transmitter that looks like it can take more than a few knocks.

Both control sticks are spring-loaded which is a nice touch. This helps prevent unwanted stick movement when flying. Two buttons are available for trimming the right stick which controls the forward, backward, left and right movements of the quad. There are another two buttons at the top for speed modes and flips. The upper left button lets you toggle between fast and slow flight speeds and the upper right button is the flip or stunt button. To perform a flip, simply press the upper right button and then move your right stick in the direction you want the quad to flip.

skylark9

skylark10

The V292’s transmitter has all the same functions as the V282’s but comes in a very different body design that features a lot of transparent plastic. It also doubles as a storage case for the quadcopter and if needed, can function as a cool-looking display case as well. However, the transparent plastic wasn’t made to withstand abuse and can crack easily on impact. That said, the V292 is more suited to teenagers and adults who are less likely to drop or fling it around than children.
Conclusion

The V2XX micro quadcopter is designed for both adults and teenagers. It makes a great coffee table novelty or display toy and is also great for some fun entertainment in between office breaks and can be flown in or around your office cubicle without the dangers often associated with much larger multirotors. With its cool transparent storage case cum transmitter, the V292 will look great on your office desk or on a shelf at home. You can even bring it along with you on camping trips or picnics. Just remember not to fly it in any sort of wind.

With its mini size and harmless propellers, the V2XX appears safe enough for children to fly. However, in the hands of children, the V2XX becomes vulnerable to damage. The V2XX is one micro quadcopter that wasn’t made to withstand a lot of abuse, being made from mostly cheap and flimsy plastic parts. The propellers, for example, can be easily dislodged from the motors upon impact. The same goes for the flimsy plastic cover that is used to hold the battery in place. The thin motor arms are also vulnerable to breaking easily.

The only thing in the V2XX system that can tolerate any abuse from children appears to be the robust mini transmitter from the V282. The V292’s transmitter, on the other hand, is not suitable for children as the clear transparent plastic cracks easily when subjected to impact. For this reason, WLtoys deems the V2XX suitable only for those aged 14 years or older. I believe children aged 8 to 14 can still fly the V2XX but only under adult supervision.

Overall, the WLtoys V2XX is a great little micro quad you can fly for some indoor aerial amusement. At roughly $25 (with shipping fee), both the V282 and V292 cost almost nothing but deliver plenty of fun out of the box. Their only drawbacks are their vulnerability to damage and the use of flimsy plastic parts.

The Snap by Vantage Robotics is a new consumer drone that takes safety and ease of use to a whole new level. For a start, its four propellers are fully protected to prevent them from causing injury to people or from hitting hard surfaces. This is achieved by enclosing the propellers with circular prop guards and strong wire mesh at the top and bottom — an approach that is both effective and lightweight. With this design, you can actually wrap your hands around the Snap while it is flying and not worry about having the propellers slice into your skin.

To fly the Snap, you will need to install the Snap app in your Iphone or Android smartphone. The Snap app makes flying the drone a highly pleasant experience. For the controls, Vantage Robotics decided to ditch the conventional approach and use a more intuitive way. Tilt your phone to the right and the Snap will move to the right and vice versa. Flying it is really like playing a game on your smartphone making it a lot easier to fly than a conventional drone.

Although this more intuitive method of flying isn’t new — it has been featured recently in a number of consumer drones — it is good to see more models in the market featuring it.

The Snap also weighs about 1 lb, which means it is roughly a third the weight of a Phantom. This means the Snap will cause a less powerful impact if it crashes on people or other objects such as cars. To make it even safer, the drone was designed to break apart upon impact to further reduce the blow. Break apart? No worries. It can still be put back together after a hard crash as its main parts are held together by strong magnets.

To make it portable, the Snap was designed to be folded up, allowing it to be stored in most backpacks. Since its propellers are well protected, there is no need to remove them when storing it with other objects inside your backpack.

The Snap also comes with a gimbal-stabilized 4K camera and 20 minutes of flight time. The highly compact camera features a Sony Exmor sensor, can record 120fps video at 1080p and takes remarkably very little space at the front of the drone despite being gimbal-stabilized.

For those interested in getting their hands on one, the Snap is now available for pre-order at the official Vantage Robotics website for $895. After the pre-order period, it is expected to sell for $1295.

With the booming demand for multirotor drones, the RC industry is seeing a surge in popularity in recent years. This new-found popularity is now fueling a higher demand for RC components and accessories and has been the catalyst for a thriving cottage industry focused on RC components and parts.

Among the many newcomers that are riding on this renewed interest in RC is Vcanz-Power, a company based in Shenzen, China. Vcanz-Power specializes in the manufacturing of lithium polymer batteries for RC drones, airplanes, helicopters, cars and various RC components such as transmitters and airsoft guns. The brand also accepts OEM orders for all their products.

Although relatively new in the market, Vcanz-Power has quite an impressive range of batteries and accessories. The brand currently offers 77 models of Li Po batteries with capacities ranging from 360mAh to 16000mAh in a wide variety of discharge rates and also offers a small range of accessories such as battery safety bags, straps and connector plugs.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Vcanz-Power is that the company provides 6 months warranty for all their batteries. This is not something that you normally get with most other battery brands.

Being a company that was founded recently in 2013, it can be a bit of a pain trying to figure out where to purchase their products from. A quick online search on major retail websites and online RC stores yielded nothing. My guess is the company is still in the midst of establishing its distribution network worldwide.

Last month, I reviewed the Syma X8C — a 350-size toy-grade quadcopter by Syma which also happens to be the company’s largest model to date. Like the smaller X5C-1, the X8C is amazingly stable in the air and is great fun to fly. It also offers great value for money, costing less than $100.

With a diagonal motor size of 350mm, the X8C mimicked the flight performance of more expensive drones such as the Phantom 3 thanks to its large coreless motors which provide a lot of power. It is a great way to get the feel of flying more expensive $1,000 drones without splashing too much money.

But there is one thing that’s missing from the X8C spec sheet — FPV (First Person View). The X8C comes with a 2MP camera that take decent videos and photos but lacks the feature to transmit live video feed to the operator on the ground. This means aligning shots while taking videos or photos is a hit-and-miss affair.

The Syma X8W (foreground) and the X8C are identical with the exception of their cameras.

Enter the new Syma X8W — the FPV version of the X8C. The X8W comes with all the goodness you get in the X8C with FPV thrown into the mix. In fact, the X8W is actually the exact same quadcopter as the X8C. The only difference is it comes with a camera that is capable of transmitting FPV video over wifi making the X8W the most advanced 350-size toy-grade quadcopter in Syma’s fleet.

The Syma X8W (left) and X8C (right).

Since I have already done an in-depth review of the X8C, this review will focus mainly on the FPV feature of the X8W. To read more about how the X8C flies and performs, click here for the in-depth review.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 50 x 50 x 19cm (with prop guards)
• Diagonal motor distance: 350mm
• Motor size: 15mm coreless
• Weight: Approx 598g (with battery, camera and prop guards)
• Flight time:
• 9 to 12 minutes (with camera turned on, no prop guards)
• Battery: 7.4V 2000mAh 25C Li Po
• Charging time: 200 minutes
• Control distance: approximately 100m
• Transmitter power: 4 x 1.5V AA batteries (not included)

FPV

Syma took the same approach as it did with the X5SW in applying FPV to the X8W. This means the camera on the X8W is actually the same one on the X8C with the added ability to transmit FPV video over wifi. Both X8W and X8C cameras are nearly identical with the exception of the wifi antenna sticking out from the rear of the X8W camera.

When the X8W is turned on, the camera immediately sets up its own unprotected wifi hotspot and takes roughly 20 seconds to do this. Once the hotspot is up, all you need to do to view the FPV feed is to connect your smartphone to the wifi hotspot and then launch the Syma FPV app which is available for both Android and iOS.

Syma has also included a smartphone holder so you can mount your smartphone at the top of the transmitter for easy viewing.

FPV on the X8W isn’t exactly a painless experience. Although it is pretty straightforward and easy to set up, the feed suffers from high latency which means the X8W cannot be flown entirely on FPV. For this reason, the X8W must always be flown within line of sight.

Latency is lowest when the X8W is within several meters of your smartphone and increases as it goes further away or when there are walls or large objects in between the quad and phone. It gets particularly bad at distances of 50 meters or more. At such distances, the FPV feed is reduced to a slideshow of images that refreshes itself every one or two seconds.

This latency problem is a hallmark of any FPV system that transmits via wifi and is in no way comparable to proper transmission frequencies such as 5.8GHz or DJI’s Lightbridge.

However, when you consider that the X8W costs roughly $100, you can forgive it for its poor FPV performance. With such an affordable price tag, the X8W costs only a fraction of drones that have proper FPV systems and is a great option for beginners who want to get acquainted with FPV.

Although you can’t properly fly it using FPV, the video feed can still allow you to effectively frame your shots and give you an idea what the camera is seeing.

Photos and videos are not saved on the camera itself. Instead they are saved on your smartphone via the Syma FPV app. This is both good and bad. Good because smartphones generally have more storage space than most memory cards supplied with toy-grade quadcopters and they are also a safer and more convenient way to store your files. Bad because the app will just record everything it receives from the camera. This includes video that has been affected by poor latency in transmission which often results in videos that look like slideshows.

As with the X8C, the image quality from the X8W’s camera is decent enough for a $100 toy-grade quadcopter. However, the X8C is not an aerial photography platform that you’d use for a professional video production. It is meant for beginners who want an affordable introduction to the world of FPV.

Flight Time

The X8C has some really decent flight times, thanks to its massive 2000mAh battery. Without prop guards, the X8W can fly for approximately 11 minutes in moderate winds with its camera turned on.

The supplied 2000mAh battery provides some really impressive flight times.

One strange thing I’ve observed is that the X8W’s flight time remains very much the same with or without its camera. Without the camera drawing power for its wifi hotspot, one would expect the power consumption to be lower resulting in longer flights but this is not the case with the X8W. The X8W can fly for about 9 to 11 minutes, irrespective of whether you have the camera attached or not.

In one test flight, the X8W flew for about 11 minutes in moderate winds with its camera turned on in outdoor temperatures of over 30C. In another two subsequent flights, it flew approximately 10 minutes without its camera in calm weather with temperatures below 30C. In all test flights, prop guards were removed.

Conclusion

With a price tag of $100, the X8W is aimed squarely at beginners who are keen to experience FPV flying on a tight budget. It also inherits all the strengths of its non-FPV sibling — the X8C. This includes a highly stable flight behavior, decent build quality, good stability in windy conditions and also decent flight times.

While its camera provides some decent images and video for the price, it also suffers from high latency. This means it is not possible to fly the X8W entirely using FPV and the drone must always be kept within line of sight when flying. Like the smaller X5SW, videos and photos taken with the X8W is recorded on your smartphone instead of a memory card on the camera. This method has both pros and cons, as mentioned earlier, and may sometimes result in video recordings that capture the latency problem of the camera’s wifi transmission.

Despite lackluster FPV performance, the X8W is still an excellent option if you want to experience FPV flying but are not willing to splash big money on a good FPV drone. At just $100, what can possibly go wrong? Not only is the X8W a great beginner drone for aerial photography, it also makes a good trainer drone. With its decent flight times, great price, good build quality and stable flight, this is one toy-grade quadcopter that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for a decent beginner drone.

Things are heating up in the 250 racer segment lately with more brands releasing a number of models to cater to the rising popularity of 250 class racers. Not too long ago, Walkera dropped the gauntlet with its now highly popular Runner 250 which became the first truly RTF (Ready-to-fly) 250 kit that required minimal assembly and was ready to fly out of the box.

Now DYS has jumped onto the bandwagon with its very first 250 RTF offering — the BG-250. The new quad features DYS’s popular BE1806 brushless motors, Open Pilot CC3D flight controller, DYS mini 20A BLHeli ESCs and 5030 carbon fiber propellers.

Holding it all together is a carbon fiber frame kit with supplied LED lights. Judging from initial product photos, the frame has a striking resemblance to the popular Tarot 250 frame. Strangely, although the frame comes with a forward-facing mount for an FPV camera, the BG-250 itself does not come with a FPV system.

My guess is DYS is expecting buyers to mount their own choice of FPV camera and transmitter. It would be nice if they can offer a more complete RTF version that comes with its own FPV system. In that way, buyers who are keen to get their BG-250 up and flying fast in 250 races don’t have to worry about the fuss of making separate purchases for their FPV systems. After all, 250-class racers are synonymous with FPV.