Estes 4606 Proto X Nano R/C Quadcopter (Colors Vary, Black or White)
CUSTOMER REVIEW
I am a dedicated flyboy and subscribe to the all the RC helicopter magazines. I have built my own "large scale" multirotors including a 700mm Hexcopter. I say this so you know that I consider this a serious hobby and I have a lot of experience in it.
This is the smallest and one of the most fun multirotors I've every played with. It's 2"x2" and flies WAY better than you'd expect anything that size has a right to. The gyro keeps it very stable yet it's very quick when you press on the sticks.
The controller is a full 4 channel 2.4ghz digital radio transmitter. This is not some cheap infrared transmitter that you can't use with the blinds up. It responds quickly to the controls and there is a "trim" option on the right stick (Though with the gyro you'll actually never want to use that.) The sticks are very stiff, but with a bit of working them in you should be able to loosen them up.
Flight time is about 4-6 minutes and charge time is about 40 minutes with the included USB charger. There is no removable or replaceable battery so you can't swap batteries to keep flying. However, anyone with soldering experience could modify it for a micro li-po battery such as used in the M-cPX enabling you to dramatically increase flight opportunities. (Do not try this if you're not sure you're capable of it because Li-pos can be dangerous.)
It has some very bright LEDs to provide orientation. Red in the back and Blue in the front. They also serve to warn you of dead batteries and will flash when it's time to land.
Some Caveats:
This is a toy, there are no replacement parts available, when you break it (and trust me, even complete pros will eventually) your only option is to buy a whole new one. The arms holding the motors are part of the main circuit board and are not replaceable or repairable if you damage them.
It's for indoor use only. You cannot take something this size outside and expect it to be in any way reliable.
While this is a toy, it's not for children. I'd put the minimum age for this at 13. Period. This is not something to buy for a 6 year old, as it wont last more than a day in their hands.
Finally, the transmitter requires 2 AAA batteries which are not included in the box. Make sure you include batteries if giving it as a gift.
Update:
Almost 4 months into owning this wonderful little quadcopter, I finally experienced a crash bad enough to damage it. After the crash, the board was bent. I very carefully bent it back and it still flies. The attached LED however no longer works and it does have a slight spin that wasn't there before. That said, it's still one of my favorite quads and I still love it. I just wish even more than I could get replacement parts of it. Still recommended and I do not change my opinion one bit since I knew going in that eventually this would happen. 4 months without replacement parts is very good for anything that flies.
