Reddit mentions: The best hobby remote & app controlled vehicles

I'd suggest you find your local hobby shops, find out what they carry for brands (so you can get parts on short notice when they break, and they will break constantly with newbies using them) and then go in that direction.

I sell these things everyday, and the marketing of every brand will tell you that their stuff is indestructible. They all lie. I can and have seen everything break. Especially those who trumpet their indestructibility the most..

That being said...

For drones, this thing https://www.amazon.com/WLToys-Quadcopter-Battle-Onboard-Channel/dp/B00AZEALUK is nearly indestructible. I've sold this under another brands name at my shop and it was the best product in our 40+ year history. I would let people I didn't know the ability of use it in our back room and fly with no worries, we could not kill it. This has about a 12" span from motor to motor that helps it stabilize while people are using it. The tiny quads are definitely fun, but tend to be too twitchy for newbies.

Airplanes, the Hobbyzone Champ is nearly bombproof. Its light and made of good foam that can handle a lot of crashes. If it ever does break, just tape it back together with some scotch tape and toothpicks. It's a fantastically simple plane to fly. Just throttle, rudder and elevator. All ya need to fly. It's got a smaller controller with it which is perfect for kids to use. Heartily recommended. https://www.amazon.com/HobbyZone-HBZ4900-Champ-RTF-Airplane/dp/B003DZ35GK/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1525570176&sr=1-2&keywords=hobbyzone+champ+rtf That price is silly, at our shop we sell them at 89.99.

Cars, the ECX Brand cars seem fairly durable from a new driver perspective. And Redcat Racing cars seem pretty well built as well. Stick with cars that are slower, slower cars have less potential to break. They will still break, but less often than faster, sexier cars. Traxxas stuff can be good as well, but I'd suggest stocking up on their replacement motors for their brushed trucks. Their recent batch of motors have been weak and not as good as they should be. I would definitely suggest crawlers instead of fast cars. Crawlers, especially within a camp setting, would be AWESOME fun! https://www.amazon.com/Redcat-Racing-Everest-10-Waterproof-Electronics/dp/B00O9MSR78 We sell this one and have had awesome luck with it.

Stock up on the batteries and definitely invest in a charger for them other than the slow-poke one that comes with it. If you are going to be looking to maximise the runtime, you aught to check out lipo batteries. They get a bad reputation, but if you set the cars up right and charge them up properly, there are rarely issues with them. (Always charge them in a lipo bag, and store them in some sort of protective container. I'd suggest real terra cotta pots as they can handle the fire if they decide to go up.)

Boats, don't even try. They are the most needy of r/C equipment. We have neared the time when selling boats at our shop is a thing. Nobody's boats last worth a damn anymore.

I wish I knew what area you were in, I'd love to work with you and get you guys going!

Good luck! if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me. I've been at this for `over 18 years and would love to help out however I can!

Late reply, but here are my thoughts on this.

Basically any RC helicopter can be easily controlled via arduino. The trick is either taking apart the included controller as you suggested and simply wiring the connections to the sticks to a breadboard or something. The sticks are basically just potentiometers.

The other way you could do it would be to find an RF shield or something so the arduino can just output on the correct frequency. I haven't been into RC as a serious hobby for a while (I'm talking like almost 20 years, since I was a teenager, so things have probably changed a lot), but I remember being able to go out and buy various crystals at my hobby shop so that you could easily swap what frequencies the controllers/receivers worked on. This was important at events where there might be 10 people all flying at the same time (just pop out your crystals if someone else is on that frequency and replace it with a different one). I'm sure there must be an RF transmitter arduino shield out there that works on this principle. Maybe start researching how people control robots, like the ones that play soccer and stuff.

As far as recommendations go, would you be interested in a quadcopter? The Hubsan X4 is a WICKED fun tiny quadcopter. It's fast, easy to control, etc, etc. It even has swappable batteries so you don't have to wait 20 minutes after every 5 minute flight to go again. Heck, I'd recommend you get one of those for your friend even if it can't be connected to arduino just because it's super fun LOL.

Good luck!

EDIT: BTW - when I said that the X4 is "easy to control" that is, of course, relative. It will require practice. Your friend will probably need to get familiar with flying anything you buy manually before trying to control it via programming, so what I mean is that it's a great quadcopter to learn on. It's durable, replacement parts are cheap (definitely get 3-4 extra sets of blades, a crash repair kit, extra batteries, and blade guards if you can find them), and most of all it's so fun and the learning curve so gentle that your friend will not lose interest or get frustrated. An added bonus is that it's also fairly basic (no fancy built in electronics) so it's definitely hackable with the right skills.

Ideas I've had or seen in the thread thus far:

• a nice T-shirt from a site like Glennz, shirt.woot, Threadless, Sir Mitchell (they also offer prints and give 10% discount if you use the code IHEARTREDDIT at the checkout), etc...
  
• A video game such as Black Ops, Halo: Reach, Supreme Commander, and so on... Maybe buy a game that's on someone's Steam wishlist, or you could opt for an indie game, such as Cave Story which has recently been released on Wii, or maybe something on XBLA
  
• movie gift tickets to a new movie coming out near the holidays, of course only if the target giftee hasn't seen it already. You need to ensure you get the best seats in the house and make sure you add in 3D if you can, I'd recommend going to see Tron: Legacy this year
  
• An e-reader such as a Kindle or a Sony eReader
  
• A home theatre system
  
• A new phone such as an iPhone 4, Android phone, Windows Phone, etc...
  
• A nice DVD boxset of a TV series such as House, Lost, Arrested Development, Scrubs, Peep Show, Futurama, etc... Comedies will likely work best and allow for some good group viewings
  
• DVD blockbuster movies, such as Inception, Up, and so on... These will also allow for group viewings and again extra points for comedies
  
• A donation to a charity, such as Child's Play, Kiva, the Human Fund, Heifer International, etc... so you can spread the wealth to those who are less fortunate than us
  
• A digital camera such as the Canon 60D DSLR Camera
  
• A desktop, laptop or tablet PC such as a Notion Ink Adams, a MacBook Pro, a Windows 7 PC or an Apple iPad
  
• A personal media player such as an Archos 7, an iPod Touch, etc...
  
• A Fleshlight for those lonely nights when only the best will do
  
• A board game, such as Settlers of Catan, a rare hockey card game, a customer jigsaw puzzle, etc...
  
• Music in the form of CDs, digital download vouchers, etc...
  
• An experience such as a day of skydiving, a holiday, dinner at a nice restaurant, etc...
  
• A games console such as a Xbox 360 Elite, or perhaps something a little more retro such as an N64
  
• A book/series of books such as A Short History of Almost Everything, the Wheel of Time series, Burning Chrome by William Gibson (short stories), etc...
  
• 2TB external hard-drive
  
• Odd/novelty gifts such as the Mighty Wallet, Magic Flight Launch Box, a water pitcher/wine decanter, a pen that writes in metal, a plasma ball, any gift from this site, any gift from this site, a photon microlight, an RC helicopter, an iPhone/iPad controlled helicopter, a Zip-It Clean, a high tech boom box, a hologram generator, an OCR scanner pen if it exists yet, keychain lights/illuminators, Batteries, Lego Creator XXL pack with 1600 bricks, Office Supplies, Home Brewery Kit, etc...
  
• Clothes such as a Windcheater Superdry Jacket, gloves, hats, socks (extra points for winter socks), anything from here, etc...
  
• Employment in some form
  
• Something edible such as a large food hamper, box of sweets, the Batter Blaster, etc...
  
• A vehicle such as a car, bike, etc...
  
• Robosan 5000
  
• Sporting goods such as a new ski mask, golf clubs, a bowling ball, etc...
  
• A musical instrument such as a guitar, drum set, etc...
  
• Something sciency such as a refractometer, a telescope, a Klein Bottle, a brain computer interface, etc...
  
• A subscription to a service such as Netflix, the giftee's favourite magazine, etc...
  
• Love

First of all, I would never attach your cell phone to a helicopter (I doubt many--if any, could even hold it). They make cheap cameras that are made to attach to the bottom of RC helicopters. Go that route :)

Now I just sort've got into this hobby. I know very little but I can give you some advice.

There are 3 types of RC Helicopters:

-Coaxial = two sets of rotor blades (not including tail rotor) EASIEST AND CHEAPEST
-Fixed Pitch = single rotor with fixed blade pitch EASIER AND CHEAPER
-Collective Pitch = single rotor with controllable blade pitch HARDEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE

Those are also listed from easiest to hardest to fly. You can learn to fly a coaxial in like 20-30 minutes if that. Coaxial heli's will easily hover with little to no controller input as the gyro/accelerometer does all the work and dual rotors are inherently stable. A good first coaxial could be the Syma S107 @ $27. Feel free to skip to a fixed pitch heli if you are daring but with the Syma S107 being less than $30 you should still get it.

Fixed pitch heli's are an entirely different animal as I've recently learned. They are much less stable than a coaxial helicopter but not uncontrollable if you are patient and careful. The physics behind a FP heli is much different than a Coax. These heli's are also more powerful (usually) so be very gentle otherwise you'll be replacing parts even more so than you will normally. YOU WILL NEED TO BUY REPLACEMENT PARTS. YOU WILL CRASH. Keep in mind though, it's not completely terrifying :). Don't be afraid to learn. I love and recommend getting a Blade 120 SR @ $160-180. I just got one and I love it. It's so fun. It's so appealing to fly a single rotor heli because it's more realistic and challenging.

Finally, you have Collective Pitch helicopters. These are what the "pros" use. The rotor blades have a variable pitch that allows for very intense and tricky maneuvers. These are sometimes called 3D helicopters because (if you are skilled enough) can fly them upside down or any direction in between while zipping through the air. I don't know too much about them because I'm still learning to fly a fixed pitch heli. Do NOT start with one of these helicopters. The Blade 450 3D @ $470 is a common example of a Collective Pitch 3D helicopter. As you can see they are quite expensive.

Helicopter Cameras: EXAMPLE

TL;DR: Start with a coaxial (Syma S107) to learn. Then move up to a fixed pitch helicopter (Blade 120 SR). Buy lots of replacement parts/training gear/flight sim (optional). Get used to crashing. Don't fly too high at first. Have fun!

Absolute best thing you can buy for that price is a hubsan IMO. They are almost bullet proof, parts are dirt cheap, readily available and they fly amazingly.


--107c+ which is at the top of your range but is quite nice--

[--or the 107L which is on the bottom of your range, no camera--] (http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1451252092&sr=1-4&keywords=hubsan+x4)

Both fly Awesome and you can buy batteries and multichargers for them to have nearly endless fly time, for extremely cheap. I have drones ranging from a chroma 4k (1200$) to the 107L (50 $). Of all the drones, i think the Hubsans gives the most enjoyment for the money, they fly great and are super durable. Its a totally care free and chill experience, knowing they are so cheap and easy to fix you can enjoy they capabilities guilt free.They can fly extremely fast out doors, are powerful, do flips at speed, banks corners well, and have a good yaw rate. They are quite the little machine.

Get a hubsan or a syma as learner first. Both are cheap, pretty durable and good to learn to fly with. You will crash while learing. It is much better to do this with 30 dollar quad. I personally like the hubsan more. Once you or your dad is comfortable flying you can take a look at getting a bigger quad for a camera. For under 500 with a transmitter your options are somewhat limited I think.

Hobbyking has a phantom clone with an apm flight controller that looks interesting and is in your price range. I have not personally tried it, but I have a pixhawk flight controller running the same software and I like it. It has a lot of advanced capabilities such as waypoint flying. You can pair it with small canon point and shoot camera to have auto picture taking capabilities as well, though that may be a bit advanced for what you are looking for. It's useful for mapping where you want a picture taken every x meters.

You could also get an older phantom for a little less then 500. I have never flown one, but they do seem to be pretty easy to operate.

Whatever you get I would caution you to make sure you (and/or your dad) understand how to operate the quad properly(i.e. calibrating the compass, understanding the GPS lock etc...) and are capable of flying safely in manual mode should the need arise. I believe that many mishaps and fly-aways are the result of people not really understanding their systems and how to properly deal with issues when they arrive.

Also check /r/multicopter as they are a bit more active lots of good info.

I highly suggest picking up something small and cheap that you can mess around with and learn the mechanics of multi flight while you figure everything else out. I personally like the Hubsan x4 and they also have one with a camera on it for a little extra. I should have started with the Hubsan (or other microquad) because I crashed my first build terribly which set me back several months of repair.

For your first bigger multi you could look into the Cinetanks if you're interested in zipping around (link is only to a frame, but they have suggested parts in the right sidebar). I've heard good things about the DJI Flamewheels.

What I've been doing as I get ready for my next multi is to look at the build logs section of the sub wiki. Gives me a good idea of what I'd like and what other people have done too. I also suggest checking the two forums on the sidebar (multi and rcg) The guys at Multirotor pretty much held my hand and walked me through my first build, which I'm really grateful for.

Good luck! And welcome. :D

You probably need a 1/10 scale or a 1/12 scale if you want to do any grass-type driving. Monster trucks have the best clearance.

To save on money, you'll probably want a 2wd vehicle, which will put you in the market for anything around $100-$200 new. Don't be afraid to buy used, especially if they package chargers and batteries in for a low price. Just don't go buying overpriced used traxxas trucks, I've seen a truck that goes for ~4-500 new up for sale on craigslist for $800+ because of "upgrades." It's not worth it, especially for a child.

If you have amazon prime, Redcat Racing is a (relatively) cheap R/C car, and it has great parts availability (2 day shipping on everything, as far as I can tell. Great for minimizing downtime if something breaks.) If you're not interested in modding it, it should be fine. Just realize that since it's a cheaper brand, there might be some... abnormalities.

For transparency, here is an amazon review on the 1/10 scale Redcat Blackout short-course truck. In general, the short course truck doesn't have the best clearance, but excels in handling. I would still recommend a monster truck, especially if you plan on running in grass. Redcat has a monstertruck, the Volcano, for $140. They also have a 1/18 scale version, and allegedly they do alright on grass, but I'm not certain.

To sum up, Redcat has some cheap trucks that are of better quality than toy grade, and probably the lowest prices out there. Of course, other Hobby Grade R/C cars will be of even better quality. I highly recommend a 1/10 scale or 1/12 scale toy car, but you could probably make do with a 1/18 scale, so long as it is a monster truck with good ground clearance.

P.S. You will probably be buying an extra battery and/or replacement charger, because what comes with these RTR kits is kinda trash. You can get something like this for <$20 to charge your batteries, just make sure it is made to take your battery chemistry. Or you can get a multiple-battery-chemistry charger, and not worry about it, but they cost you at least double the price. Again, do some research on battery chemistry, performance, safety, and charger price before buying them. I personally trust Duratrax Onyx chargers, but if you're getting a cheap charger you can obviously go off-brand. The specific charger I use is the Onyx 235, which can handle NiMH, NiCD, LiPO, and (IIRC) LiFE batteries with no problems.

If you want to learn how to fly drones, start with one that doesn't have FPV. This way you'll know how to fly it if your monitor goes out.

I recently got the "UDI U818A". It's a great learner, easy to fly and takes crashes well. It's around 16 inches diagonally, so a little big for indoors. That's never stopped me though. You can get one on Amazon for around $50 usd.

A smaller option is the "Hubsan X4". I haven't flown this particular quad, but I'm probably going to order one this week. It has great reviews, and is only about 6 inches across diagonally. Great for indoors. Again, Amazon has them for around $50 $30 usd.

I suggest starting with one of these. Get good, then move up to something more expensive with FPV.

Edit: Links and such

UDI U818A $49.23 + Free Shipping

Hubsan X4 H107L (no camera) $33.95

Hubsan X4 H107C (camera) $29.99 + Free Shipping

Do some digging and look for deals. You may be able to find cheaper prices. I got my U818A for $28 + Free Shipping on a Lightning Deal.

I did not end up getting it, found a different gift.

Another option I forgot to mention is a quadcopter - depending on how you fly them and the level of electronics, they can be easier than a plane, or about the same as a fixed-pitch (simple) helicopter. The micro ones are really cheap (~$50) and fun to play with, though I find them a little boring compared to helis.

I don't know much about boats but yea I did see the self-righting feature of the barbwire. Personally I would hate to have my boat flip over and have to go out into the water to get it. Depends how convenient it is to go into the water though. It's all about your situation. If you're standing on dry land in normal clothes and your boat flips over or somehow dies, I guess you just have to be prepared with a long stick or rope or something to get it out. That's what turns me away from the idea of boats. But if you're in a swimsuit and planning on going into the water anyway, then I guess it wouldn't be a problem.

I guess one more thing I'll say is, what are you looking for in terms of fun? Do you know what you will find amusing? Everyone has their own underlying reasons; I personally fly helis because of the big challenge of controlling them, keeping their orientation in your head and avoiding the ground. Some people like the act of building and the joy of seeing something you built actually work (or not), thus the other comments here about building your own foamie plane. R/C car guys are often into racing others around a track or crawling over rocks, which sounds like it can be challenging.

In terms of helicopters, the starter ones are usually the mCX 2 and the mSR X (wow that's cheap! must be about to announce a new one). Good starter planes are called "trainers", they usually have a high wing and only 3 channels (throttle/elevator/rudder, no aileron), popular two are Champ and Super Cub. For quadcopters, you simply start with a full-featured but micro one, the Syma X1 is most commonly recommended and very cheap. I don't know enough about the cars to recommend. But notice all of these are cheaper than the boats... Granted, they're all smaller than a boat, but when it comes to something flying through the air, smaller and lighter means less likely to break in a crash. Only once you have your orientations down and can keep the micro size in the air, should you graduate to full size. That's not a fact but a commonly accepted opinion. On the other hand, for boats and cars, you basically can't break them unless you try (slam it into a wall, drop it off a cliff, make it go over a huge jump) or of course if something just goes bad on its own, so you can start with the biggest boat or car you can find and be just fine. If you're looking for size from the start, cars and boats are the way to go.

Not exactly the answer you may have been looking for, but I figured I would contribute...I bought something like that from Amazon a while back.
https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474758367&sr=8-3&keywords=hubsan+quadcopter

That's the model I bought, and extra batteries/chargers/parts have been easy to find online and even at hobby specialty shops. This one doesn't have a camera, but there are models that do. Super fun toy, tbh. Pretty sharp learning curve, even on the "beginner" mode that smooths out the flying. Highly encourage getting a propeller guard thing to slap on it especially if you fly indoors.

Hmmm. Well, I've really been enjoying my moto 360, but I'm both on android and a huge fucking nerd.

What's your coffee game look like? $200 would get a ton of great coffee gear, especially if you're just getting started.

How about sports? I'm an avid climber, so maybe you could get a punch-pass, climbing shoes, and a chalk bag and hit up a local climbing gym.

Let's talk toys, though. Quadrotors are a fucking BLAST to play with, and there's a million of them. I have this Estes ProtoNano and this Hubsan Quadrotor. They're both amazingly fun, and not too expensive.

What else are you interested in?

No worries! I actually have the Syma x1, the Hubsan x4, and the Nano QX so I've had plenty of first hand experience on all 3 of the super popular ones.

The specific Syma x1 I have is this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00906PKQ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Its the cheapest of the 3 and has the longest flight time. However this means it has the longest charge time (about 90 minutes for around 20+ minutes of flight)

The Nano will fly for around 10+ minutes and charges in around 35 minutes.

The Hubsan takes around 45 minutes to charge and flies for about 6~7 minutes depending on if you have the guard attached.

Of the 3 the Syma is the easiest to fly, and the best for a total beginner to learn on. However the Syma does not have blade guards, but the blades themselves are very sturdy (in about 50 flights and many crashes from various heights onto various surfaces I have yet to break a single propeller)

The Nano is my favorite hands down, best bang for your buck if you can afford the $70~100 price range. However due to its incredible agility it would be rather hard to learn on and would crash a lot. I've had all 3 for months and I still can't fly the Nano in agility mode indoors. Seriously, that sucker can move. The Hubsan is kinda a happy medium between the Syma and Nano in nearly every aspect. Personally its my least favorite of the 3, but it is still a very solid beginner copter. The Hubsan isn't bad by any means, its just that the other two are better in my opinion. The Hubsan is the heaviest of the 3 despite it being the smallest. Also the Hubsan has the shortest flight time, but a longer charge time than the Nano.

Also, very important - if you get a Hubsan DO NOT GET THE CAMERA upgraded version. The camera is really bad, it doesn't come with a micro SD card, any video playback will include the lovely sound of the motors (they are very loud in flight) as performed by the world's worst microphone at max volume, and the camera is always on (even with no card inserted) so it drains the battery faster than the non camera version. (not to mention the added weight)

If I had some spare cash I would definitely buy a second Nano, they are that awesome once you know how to fly. I would also probably buy another Syma because the quality for the cost is fantastic. Honestly I would buy a second Syma x1 instead of an extra battery for the first one. Its like $10~15 for an extra battery kit, I personally would rather just have 2 copters for 30 bucks instead of just one with an extra battery. (you can cannibalize one if the other breaks, plus that gives you 2 chargers, 2 controllers, 2 batteries, and a total of 16 propellers to use. Not to mention a total of 8 motors and 2 flight boards) So if you plan on crashing a lot just spring for a second one instead of a repair kit.

I know everything I said about the Hubsan seems negative, but its still a very good starter copter at a very reasonable price. Having used one as much as I have, I would absolutely buy it again (minus the damn camera) if I ever had a reason to. That being said I should warn you, my Hubsan - and possibly all Hubsans, are out for blood and are face seeking. I've gotten some fairly bad cuts and bruises from mine. Do yourself a favor and just keep away from the flip button until you have either a lot of room / experience, or some sort of bullet proof shield to hide behind.

If you have any other questions about copters or learning to fly I would be more than happy to try and answer them. I know that finding specific information about this stuff can be kinda hard or confusing at times.

Here are links to the other two quads I talked about:

Hubsan x4 - http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=197PJ9NDQ5JDVB73REBF

Nano QX - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CYHZN8G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought myself an RC helicopter for Christmas this year. I'm 29.

I was shopping online when I stumbled across one for ~$20. It got pretty bad reviews, but I found one on amazon that had great reviews, was good for indoors, and was only ~$35.

Was initially going to get it for a roommate, but decided to get them more practical gifts. I still wanted to play with that helicopter though, so I added it on as a gift to myself. Arrived yesterday, but I'm waiting until Saturday to open it. =D

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-Gyroscope-Controlled-Helicopter/dp/8499000606

This is going to sound completely random but hear me out.

Remote Control Helicopter. Just a little indoor one.

If likes video games I know he likes controllers, keyboards and electronic stuff.

I got one last year from my sister as kind of a joke gift. Jokes on her, I maybe 27 and too old for toys, but I love it so much I broke it when it got out of control and fell in my dogs water dish and now have another 6 various models.

If you consider it, the Syma S107 is probably the best and most affordable starter. Just keep it away from water.

Assuming you saw one on the set for some film stuff, I assume you're interested in a more AP-style rig like a DJI product. Most of the people here are more interested in a DIY "racing/freestyle" FPV miniquad, a smaller, mostly carbon fibre build that's intended to be fast, responsive, and an immersive flying experience. So, your first decision is whether you're after a more casual photography rig or a quicker, racing quad.

In either case, most of the other comments seem to say "buy something small and cheap and start learning", and I'll second that advice. Most of us here fly "FPV", wearing goggles that show us what a small camera on board broadcast. Before you can do that though, you need to learn the basics of flight, ideally "line of sight", without the goggles.

The Hubsan gets recommended a lot (H107L) because it was one of the best, cheap quads out there. They're $32 on Amazon and are a good starting point. Make sure to grab some extra propellers and a couple more batteries, flight time is about 5 minute of casual hovering.

For a little less though, I cannot recommend the Eachine H8 Mini enough. It's smaller, a little more responsive, and just as durable. Once you're more familiar with the basics of flight, too, you can try out "rate" (manual, no auto-leveling) mode with this one too for about $10 and some time flashing firmware.

From there, once you get used to the basics of control, you can start adding in cameras and goggles and practicing FPV. Eventually, you can work your way up to a larger miniquad.

And always feel free to ask more questions if you have them!

</rant>

These are neat novelty, but personally i think getting him a hubson x4 would be better, its not a fixed wing, but there super fun and a great intro rc quad copter. http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

I think there's only one FPV kit specifically for the X5, but it's a drop-in replacement for the stock camera, which is nice. It's heavier, and the quad is a bit of a pig with it mounted, but it still flies pretty well; you just can't fly as fast, and definitely can't come in as hot when you land. Also note that it didn't really say the exact tx power, but it's almost certainly over 25 mW, so expect to get your ham ticket if you want to be law-abiding and/or want to join the cool kids over at /r/amateurradio.

This is what I bought, though you might find it a little cheaper elsewhere.

Hubsan x4 mini quadcopter. Super fun, amazing stability and as much range as you could want for something this size. It also takes a licking and bounces back. When it doesn't, it's pretty easy to fix. A great gateway model for the whole "drone" hobby. There's also a version with a camera to take movies, and an FPV model. For under $40 it's a great deal if you're are at all interested in the hobby.

http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=hubsan+x4

I'm not sure if there's a consumer grade quad out there that will be able to do that. Your best chance to keep things cheap (low cost, not low quality) and efficient is a custom build. From the components I have off the top of my head, I'm fairly sure you can do it for $1000 (with FPV equipment, including receiver , except for the screen/goggles). With some careful thought and a little optimizing, you could probably get it down. What's going to end up costing the most will be the high efficiency motors, and the high power batteries.

If you want to start flying quads, here's the same advice you'd get anywhere else on this subreddit, put down about $50 on a Hubsan X4. It'll take the crashes while you're learning so a more expensive quad doesn't have to. It's pretty durable so you won't have to worry about breaking it either.

I got my 5 year old an Arrma Granite Voltage:https://www.amazon.com/GRANITE-VOLTAGE-Electric-Control-Monster/dp/B07846P1Z7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=arrma+voltage&qid=1554690319&s=gateway&sr=8-1

price keeps going up but you should be able to get it for $99, it's big but it's also lightweight which means less stress on jumps, batteries are super easy to understand. Finally it's not a crazy unique design so you can upgrade the motor with him $10-20 bucks. You can put a 2s lipo in as right away well, super easy I bought these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DV7TYNT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and I could not get them to fit with the battery carrier (too long and I thought I was going to break the wires off.) but I just put them in the battery case with some foam from the packing material of a xbox.

We built a big ramp 2 feet tall and he drives it off sideways landing on one week and not break.

The only thing that was damaged was a shock because he caught it on a blackberry vine and it pulled the shock apart, got it fixed but I will keep an eye out for some cheap basher shocks when I find something good

Have fun

Basically, it is capable of doing more things than other similarly priced helicopters. It is trickier to fly, but that's because it is doing less of the flying for you.

On something like the S107 (or other coaxial helicopters), if you stop giving it any inputs, it'll level itself out and just kind of sit there. The V911 (and other single rotor helicopters) will do less of that for you, so you have to learn more control. It'll help prepare you better for flying larger helicopters and (IMO anyways) will keep your interest longer because there's more you can do with it.

I personally went from the S107 to a Blade MSR-X, but the blade is probably more than you're willing to spend ($90). If this is your absolute first helicopter, the S107 (http://amzn.com/8499000606 for example) may not be a bad idea - it's less than $20 and will let you start learning how to deal with orientation.

Do yourself a favor and master this before diving into building a quadcopter. The hubsan is the best mini quad for the money hands down. Do not bother with the cheerson cx-10, it has unreliable signal in my experience even at very close range among other cons.

I have a hard time believing you'll be able to squeeze a custom build with transmission to your phone out of $300 even if you have a radio controller already.

My advice is maybe a phantom 2 or 3 for ~$500. It will route video straight to the DJI app in your phone. A custom quadcopter is going to be a bit more tricky to get onto your phone and you're more likely to be sending it into FPV goggles.

If you don't go the DJI route you will have to buy an RC controller/vrx/battery charger/figure out a way to view the video feed/etc. The cost can really get out of hand. I bought an Immersion RC Vortex after outgrowing the hubsan and after all the basics I needed I had spent well over $1000.

All in all, until you have 2x/3x as much of a budget go with the hubsan. Good luck!

The charge time really isn't all that bad. It'll charge back up in 10-15 minutes. I really thought it'd bother me but I'm totally okay with it. This is the perfect starter copter to learn how to fly these things.

If it's really a deal breaker and you're okay with spending more, one of the cheapest way you're going to get significantly improved flight time would probably be a Hubsan X4, a 5 pack of batteries, a simple charger, and a prop guard for about $70 before tax.

I'd call that step 2 in the hobby though and would absolutely recommend the Cheerson CX-10 as step 1.

Another option is to get a off-the-shelf quad like a Syma or some such, that'll give him something to start with that isn't too bad, under or around the $100 mark.

I've got a Syma X5SW, had some great fun with that for awhile, but now it's on my bench with a SPRacingF3 Deluxe wired up and a flysky-compatible tx/rx setup. The brushed motor driver board is $5 off RTFQuads, controller board $30 on Amazon, and the tx/rx combo is about $50 as stated earlier in the thread.


My current build parts:

https://www.amazon.com/Cheerwing-X5SW-V3-Explorers2-Headless-Quadcopter/dp/B011JV9HA2/ - base quad

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E58V09W/ - FC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0P8Q8U/ - tx/rx

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LW57OUM/ - 5v boost convertor, 2pack because they were cheap

http://www.readytoflyquads.com/brushed-motor-driver - The Syma motors wire into this, this wires to FC channel outputs

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M75FQIO/ - tiny PPM/iBus-capable receiver because the stock one in the tx/rx bundle is unweildy


It's all wired up on my bench now and running, original motors and all.

Overall it comes out about $150-ish, but you get something to start with to understand how it flies, and then you have all the pieces so you can take it apart and upgrade it. When you want to go bigger, you have the core parts already all paired up and ready to go, just need to tweak the FC for the new platform.

Mom: gift card to Michael's or a nearby crafts store, or maybe some beads and string for her to create some jewelry?

Pops: remote controlled helicopter

Sister: Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity, Shot Glass Roulette Drinking Game or some similar entertainment piece.

BIL: Microbrew kit? Check out www.odditymall.com for really obscure stuff.

Friend's daughter: Doodle track car, Moon in my Room or Inanimate Stickers. Little kids typically like stickers, drawing and toys so anything that's easy cleanup for parents would likely be a real winner.

If you're a beginner, get the S107g. It's something like 85% off and I love every bit of it. It's very small and light, so you can only fly it inside, but still tons of fun. The rotors look a bit flimsy, but I've been smashing this thing into every wall in my house daily for the past three weeks and it's still doing pretty good.

oh dear god yes. I bought this for a buddy's bachelor party (he and all of the other guys went to RPI). It was great success.

Fun Toy that's not expensive. I have one and it's ridiculously fun: http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Colors/dp/8499000606/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1321847149&sr=1-1

Other Gifts: In thinking back on gifts I've really enjoyed from my dad, I would say books that he really loved and got for me. Even though I didn't read some of them until years later, I eventually was so glad I got them and we've talked about them on numerous occasions. One that comes to mind was Asimov's Foundation.

But also, helicopter. Fun!

The Hubsan x4 and the Nano QX would be perfect for him. The Nano is a bit more expensive but less toy like than the Hubsan. I'm sure he would be happy with ether one! :-)

1st Cheapest - Probably this: https://www.amazon.com/Redcat-Racing-Everest-16-Electric-Crawler/dp/B00E5KY77S/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1536338553&sr=8-10&keywords=redcat+crawler but it is a smaller crawler heads up (and it's marked down)

2nd Cheapest - Probably this: https://www.amazon.com/Redcat-Racing-Everest-10-Waterproof-Electronics/dp/B00O9MTP06/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1536338553&sr=8-4&keywords=redcat+crawler

Cheapest Scale - Probably this: https://www.amazon.com/Redcat-Racing-Everest-SPORT-Crawler/dp/B077PYN8D9/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1536338553&sr=8-6&keywords=redcat+crawler

But there are others as well - But honestly, any of those are good starter rigs so if you want scale looks kinda "real" get number 3, if u want to just crawl over rocks and have that sorta, monster truck look, get the 2nd one, if you want monster truck on a budget get the 1st one.

(They come with shitty servos btw, so expect to replace that, might as well order a spare when you buy the rig and also worth getting a couple spare batteries and a better charger but that's not required per se - ALSO -I don't think Redcat includes batteries for the Transmitter, so get some AA's they usually take 8 but will last many trips out)

This is just my opinion but I would recommend buying the [husband X4] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IZC6C8E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IZC6C8E&linkCode=as2&tag=phreakenterp-20&linkId=OQXRQ5RIBJ3C2N3U)

It's cheap and easy to learn on. But on whether to build or not. Building is:

• cheaper for the same product
  
  
• more customizable
  
  
• easier to fix when you break something
  
  
• More work to setup
  
  
• Can require technical knowledge (this subreddit can help you learn)
  
  Just my 2 cents.

There aren't good cheap helicopters. There are three channel dual main blade machines everywhere. I like the syma brand. Less than 20$ on ebay and they are as good as walmart gets. This heli will go up and down, turn and slow forward flight. http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107G-Channel-Helicopter-Gyro/dp/B00F4WMAI4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418266749&sr=8-1&keywords=helicopter

A nice step up from that is the blade mcx. It's still dual rotor, but a real helicopter. This heli will do exactly what you tell it, but still be extremely stable. http://www.amazon.com/Blade-MCX-Mode-2-mCX/dp/B001D7O6JK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1418266853&sr=8-6&keywords=blade+helicopter

There really is $30 of difference between them. Good Luck.

Looks like a good learning experience, but I personally learned what I needed to know online. Furthermore, looks like the quad you build in class is a lower level version of something like this link, but for about the same price you'll get a FPV setup out of the box with the ability to add an 'action' camera in the future. http://www.amazon.com/Eachine-Quadcopter-Camera-Transmitter-Monitor/dp/B017BGDT12/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464535691&sr=8-3&keywords=250+drone

Edit: After reading your comment, I realize that if you want Photography you should get a Phantom or similar, only $140 more than that nicer racer, and they are MUCH easier to fly, and much harder to lose. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dji-phantom-3-standard-quadcopter-white/4406800.p?id=1219743453736&skuId=4406800&lsft=ref:212,loc:1&ksid=af53e6a5-bce6-4e97-b8b2-6a0e00ab6b66&ksprof_id=14&ksaffcode=pg28541&ksdevice=c&ref=212&loc=1

Im sure its fine, but its super overpriced. Effectively looks like a syma x1 with a fancy, heavy frame over it.

Get the syma x1 for $35 or the hubsan x4: http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/

Smaller starter airplanes could be fun. My grandpa is a retired air traffic controller, he loves flying his “little” (some of them are still very large) airplanes around.

My husband has done some flight lessons but only flown a handful of times due to expense. But he enjoys those as a hobby too.

Through my research and grandpa’s experience, the Sport Cub seems to be one of the cheaper, most recommended ones.

https://www.horizonhobby.com/HBZ4480?KPID=HBZ4480&CAWELAID=320011980000149457&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=37462622311&CATCI=pla-519098177744&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgPzD5_-F4gIVybXACh312ghPEAQYASABEgJotvD_BwE

HobbyZone Sport Cub S RTF RC Airplane with Safe Technology (6-CH 2.4GHz Transmitter Included), HBZ4400 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LOC0BSE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A86ZCbYF9K2SN

Anything Nerf is fun, and there's plenty of Nerf sports equipment (like footballs) under $15 if their guns aren't your ideal gift (but the Nerf guns are fun).

Remote control helicopters (http://amzn.com/B00DPK11ZA) cost between $15 and $20. Remote control anything is fun though.

Robot stuff (http://amzn.com/B003GDDVPE) runs between $10-$20. Hex bugs (http://amzn.com/B00CMATSCC) are only $5.

Lego sets (http://amzn.com/B00NW2Q6ZG), K'nex sets (http://amzn.com/B00I2UZXZW), and Magic kits (http://amzn.com/B001BX3DQI), and paper airplane kits (http://amzn.com/B000MUQ2FU), which between around $10-$20.

Don't forget things kids can play together, like board games, cards (specially my favorite, Uno), dominos, etc.

These are all gifts that should work well for boys between 10 and 15.

That thing looks awesome. How did it fly? My first "multirotor" was this micro heli that I got it from Amazon in 2012 when they were first starting to put gyros in the micros. The little guy still flies really great too. Since I've watched quadcopter tech advance so quickly I wonder how much better the helis have become since 2012. I haven't heard anything about them in recent years. I'll have to look into them and see if they've gotten into FPV now.

Yep, and they fly great.

Hubsan X4 or Blade Nano QX are the two I can suggest (have both). Started with the X4 but eventually purchased a hobby grade transmitter and a Nano to bind with it.

WLToys and Syma make some other popular options, many of these at $50 or less (especially if you don't mind a wait and shipping from China).

If you want Prime though, here is the X4 page and here's the Blade QX BNF.

Have fun!

I just recently started myself with [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CP5NSGG) and have really enjoyed it a lot. Feels like I'm already immeasurably better at controlling it and I've only had ten or twelve flights. I would definitely recommend this model for learning on.

Get the $20 syma indoor helicopters on Amazon. They are great and cheap. They only work indoors though. It’s great for beginners, it’s only 3 channel. Once you master it you can move on to 4 channel. Enjoy. I saw them at fry’s also, same price.

Syma S107/S107G R/C Helicopter with Gyro- Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F4WMAAW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_filkDb5QFAWP8

Came here to post this! They are tons of fun. Each of the grad students in my lab owns a set, and we have combined them to make some really sweet huge stuff!

We also have two of these in the lab:
Syma S107 Remote Control Helicopter. They're a TON of fun.

I have this and it's big brother. I did manage to break a blade on the larger one but I found replacements for about $12. The little has more flexible blades so it doesn't seem like they'll break as easily, also it seems to handle better. It's actually much easy to fly / control than the bigger.

This is also a great learning quad . After a little over a month of draining the 3 batteries I have for it almost everyday, I feel like I have a good grasp on the basics of flying. I'm planning my first build now.

The hubsan is definitely worth the money.

Actually they're pretty fun. I have one similar to this one and it's awesome for flying around indoors.

I don't know if I would buy one from a mall kiosk though because the price would probably be super high.

But for $15 it's a blast.

Only problem is that the battery dies really fast.

That is a super cool quad, I saw it on /r/technology the other day! Coolest thing since sliced bread!

If you want planes, then amazon has a lot of cheap beginner planes!

HobbyZone Duet

Or

The Champ!

They're both relatively cheap, have great reviews, and are a low maintenance cost alternative to Hobby grade planes!

Hah, it does sound like it :)

I just know how much kids love these things, and how easy they are to break.

EDIT: err, I mean - http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410873331&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4

1. BugASalt - $30 - indegogo
   
2. Syma s107 RC Helicopter - $17.98 - amazon
   
3. Raspberry PI - $35 - newark.com
   
4. Lego Prehistoric Hunters - $24.99 - amazon
   
   Might as well order one of those bugasalt. I'm sure you can put this to good use.. An RC helicopter is always a lot of fun. Try it during your work break. It makes the day go better.. I swear!
   It seems you have an interest in programming stuff, so you can't go wrong with a RaspberryPi. And who doesn't want a LEGO TRex!!!!!!
   
   Aaand crap... I just read Needs to be able to ship to Australia.
   I'm guessing pick one in this case...

The Everest 10 is a great crawler to learn on. It's what I gave my 3 year old to learn control. It's also just as capable as rigs at 2-3 times the price. Very upgradable as well. It's on special on Amazon right now for black Friday. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00O9MSR78/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4.o4DbP77A8DV

Just like /u/whoknowswho2 said, it's bottom grade. The company is called New Bright and they are basically the cheap, Chinese company that makes tons of these and they are fun, but they have no ability to upgrade. My kids have 2 and they are generally speaking ok toys. The antenna tubes are annoying as I see you also have the antenna missing much like my kids.

If you can get $100 together, get a cheap ECX kit off amazon. This one my buddy has and it is a blast to drive, has 4wd and lots of spare parts. Dont be discouraged by your purchase, have fun, but if you want something to tweak and upgrade, look elsewhere.

Without a doubt I think you should start with the Hubsan X4. I got one for my son a few months ago, and I've been flying it non-stop. A lot of fun and flies great indoors and out (with light wind.) Start inside and get good before you venture outside.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hubsan-H107L-Improved-Version/dp/B00CP5NSGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393804814&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+quadcopter

Depends - does he have any experience flying quads? I think it's a good idea to learn to fly with something cheap. I started with the Hubsan H107L X4 Mini RTF RC Quadcopter. I bought the quadcopter, a crash pack, a prop guard, and some extra batteries for about $100, and it has treated me pretty well. I think Hubsan has a similar model with a camera, but I don't have any experience with it.

If your dad has experience flying and/or you're looking for something a little fancier, I won't be much help. Good luck!

Order a couple of e010 frames and a carbon fibre X brace. You can get it all on Amazon.

You will break more frames so just go with the cheap and easy to replace, then you wont feel so hesitant to push yourself.

I have the rakon frame and while I love it wish I had not purchased it over more e010 frames.

/Edit the brace: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0PCQRL/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_sd5LybZ07AM98

Has he ever flown anything?

If not then the stock answer is to go with one of the "toy" quads. They are fairly inexpensive, very durable, and replacement parts are plentiful and cheap for the inevitable crashes. Once he gets the hang of that, then he can move up to something that's more powerful, and expensive.

Don't be fooled by the size, these are still fairly tough to get the hang of flying, and are really great fun. Most can be flown indoors as well.

The Hubsan H107 gets recommended quite a bit (I own one, and it's been great).

http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107-L_M2-The-X4-H107L/dp/B00CP5NSGG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407263704&sr=8-2&keywords=quadcopter

With that you'd want to get both the prop guard, and the crash kit.

The Syma X1 gets a lot of recommendations as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-2-4G-Quad-Copter/dp/B0096SJU3U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407263704&sr=8-5&keywords=quadcopter

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-2-4G-Quad-Copter/dp/B00906PKQ4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1407263704&sr=8-8&keywords=quadcopter

And there's the Estes Proto X (I don't see many recommendations for this, but have seen it mentioned in other places quite a bit):

http://www.amazon.com/Estes-Proto-Quadcopter-Colors-Black/dp/B00G924W98/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1407263704&sr=8-6&keywords=quadcopter

I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, but I'm sure others will chime in.

I might suggest an indoor vehicle. I personally have these:
http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Colors/dp/8499000606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369769242&sr=8-1&keywords=syma+s107g
http://www.amazon.com/Maisto-Lamborghini-Mucilage-Colors-Vary/dp/B003PBPHBS/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1369769256&sr=8-8&keywords=maisto+rc
Great fun if you just wanna screw around inside :)

From everything I've read here, the Hubsan X4 series are great. There are new ones coming out at some point in the future, however the current versions are great, and cheap as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

It appears that your heli doesn't have fwd/backward control. When given enough throttle, the tail rotor begins to spin tilting the helicopter forward. You'll have much better luck with one of these Syma S107 helicopters. They are the best for toy-grade helis.

Your best bet is it start with something like this then when you get comfortable flying, you can build a FPV 250 for ~ $600-$1000.

Just to be sure because i live in germany.
Do these look like the right parts?

https://www.amazon.de/Hubsan-H107L-Radiosteuerung-Quadrocopter-Spielzeug/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465071284&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4

https://www.amazon.de/Hubsan-Quadcopter-Flugzeug-Helikopter-8-5x20mm/dp/B00TIDNBEC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465071245&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=Tera+4+Pcs+Quadcopter+Spare+Parts+3.7V+Motor+7x20mm+for+Hubsan+X4+H107L+Quadcopter

https://www.amazon.de/Haibei-Propeller-Rotorbl%C3%A4tter-Quadcopter-Ersatzteile/dp/B014PASS40/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465071422&sr=8-1&keywords=walkera+ladybird+props

https://www.amazon.de/Keenstone-LiPo-Akku-4-Kanal-QuadCopter-Super-CP/dp/B01DK7N2OK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465071191&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=5pcs+Tenergy+3.7V+380mAh+LiPO+Battery+for+Hubsan
And thank you for the help.

Nice! I'd recommend getting a toy size quad to practice on, it will save you some cash in the long run. The Hubsan X4 has treated me well.

The Champ S+ RTF

Just make sure you fly it in indoor mode (GPS off), or it may fly away.

There's also the Apprentice, which is pretty much the same thing, only larger. Larger has the benefit of being able to handle more wind, but also the downside of more spectacular crashes.

Personally I learned on a Sport Cub S, but now that the Champ S+ with 2S power and a brushless motor is available, I'd go with that instead.

All these have SAFE mode, which will keep you from crashing unless you point the plane into the ground or other obstacles. If you feel out of control, simply let go of the sticks, and the plane will right itself and keep flying. Switch into advanced mode, and you're in full control, and if you crash, you can only blame yourself. :)

These were $40 at Radio Shack. Get one from there or your local hobby shop, practice with it until you get good, then head back to your local hobby shop, walk up to the guy at the counter and say "I have $160 and I've been practicing with a Hubsan. What's a good model I can upgrade to?"

Win.

This RC Helicopter

19.50 shipped, the greatest toy ever. Charges via USB and has a built in gyroscope. It is also indestructible, I crash it into anything and everything but it is also maneuverable enough that within my first hour of flight it got it to perch on top of an iMac. I showed my dad and he immediately bought 5 and gave them to his buddies, everyone can fly it and love it.

I'm 30and my mom got me the Syma s107 this Christmas. My dad is in his 50s. He got one too.

These things are awesome! Surprisingly easy to fly.

$30.00. Tons of fun to fly, a great cheap introduction, and a great way to learn the basics. There's a learning curve, you're going to crash, so why not use something easily replaceable.

I love this little guy, I have a bunch of ducted fan jets and still like to fly this one around.

https://www.amazon.com/HobbyZone-HBZ4900-Champ-RTF-Airplane/dp/B003DZ35GK/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=hobbyzone&qid=1573855022&sr=8-4

I love these little Hubsan X4’s. I always buy the version without a camera and without the “altitude hold/flight stabilization” horseshit. The basic plain Jane 4”quad. One of the X4’s with a half dozen batteries (always upgrade battery, don’t buy stock lipos they suuuck) and you’ll have an absolute blast for $40. Also great for night flight with the leds.

https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3FQP7KZKRDLF7&keywords=hubsan+x4&qid=1554822023&s=gateway&sprefix=hubsan&sr=8-3

If you're really alone for the whole night, and work in a big openspace office, check out these things. They're hella fun. Side note, I won't say whenever I did or did not fly RC helicopters in my corporate offices.

Beside that, learning to code is fun, and quite rewarding.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/8499000606/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1376159623&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY190

They are surprisingly durable and easy to fly. I've slammed that thing into the walls and ceiling dozens of times so far and it still flies great.

Honestly, at that price point, you're best off going with the Hubsan x4 H107L


Here's an amazon link if u want:

Hubsan X4 (H107L) 4 Channel 2.4GHz RC Quadcopter, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hVuFybV3D6TR6

Polar pro case
Fits 2 extra and slimmer than the original case

Controller joystick guard
You can probably find a cheaper one.

Gimbal guard Extra protection while in the bag.

Phone Hood

Power Bank

This is my set up if I'm going outdoor. They don't take up that much space so. You can fit it in any size of backpack you want.

Hydration backack
The quality is ok for the price. I dont use the bladder when I have my spark inside.

Sure thing, okay so... I started with a hubsan x4 from Amazon.com it was 40 bucks. Then I got a pack that had spare batteries and propeller blades for 12 bucks. Took it to a park on a non-windy day and flew over the grass a bunch. The right control stick clicks in to switch between "beginner mode" and "expert mode" I think expert mode was actually easier to learn in.

Flite test has great videos for beginners, this one helped me immensely to practice flying: https://youtu.be/6btEFJJD4_o

The goggles were about 100 bucks on Amazon

The little FPV camera was 50 (I already had a battery for it, that's something separate you'll need if you go this route but I might have done it differently knowing what I know now)

If you want links to more stuff on Amazon or YouTube. Lets me know I've got lots!

I have a full size quad that I built. I also have a hubsan.

I highly recommend getting the hubsan to practice with. it's cheap, easy to repair, and does a good job training flight skills.

one with camera ($30):

https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-Channel-2-4GHz-Copter-Camera/dp/B00EXBDWZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468503824&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan

Without camera ($30):

https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468503862&sr=8-2&keywords=hubsan

FPV ($110):

https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-Quadcopter-FPV-Camera-Toy/dp/B00GSNWB5K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1468503862&sr=8-4&keywords=hubsan


On a side note, I am floored at how cheap the fpv and camera models are.

I am thinking about getting the following Syma FPV kit:

http://www.amazon.com/GoolRC-Real-time-Transmission-Display-Quadcopter/dp/B013HQCK88/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457369103&sr=8-3&keywords=syma+fpv

and fitting it on a standard, DJI 450 knockoff quadcopter that I built. Would this work? What battery would I need to power the camera on the quad? I have spare batteries from an old Hubsan X4, would those work?
I understand this is cheapo, but any feedback or input would be great! Anyone with experience with this kit, please chime in.

TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDEDOWN, FRIEND! D: ---> :D

I think this rc heli would cheer you up! :3

Get one of these !

Only $20, they are completely stable and maneuverable in any direction. I've dropped it from over 30 feet and ran them into walls and it still flies like a champ. With blinky lights too! Not sure what else you could want in a heli.

$500 is a tight budget. $500 can get you "something that flies" and "something that's FPV." At the $500 level, you're talking 4-12 minutes.

Wind handling comes from "being fast" and "having a decent flight controller". Naze32, Flip32, KK2 2.1, NAZA, etc.. are all good flight controlers.

The big question is, what are you trying to do? Just "get in and have fun?" Well, in that case I'd probally point you at something like a the Proto or Hubsan ready to fly FPV quads, and a second, non FPV quad for bashing around. Buy two of the same brand, and a half a dozen batteries, and a good charger.

Quadcopters break. And they break, a lot. The bigger they are, the more they break. If you oops, you've lost a prop. If you oops hard, you've broken an airframe, bent a motor shaft, popped a battery... something like that.

If you're determined to fly something larger, you're going to eat the budget quickly.

So "the nerobro way"

Hubsan 104d FPV: $150
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107D-FPV-Mini-Quadcopter/dp/B00GSNWB5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422240063&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4+fpv

Hubsan 104 crash pack: $20
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107D-Quadcopter-Crash-shown/dp/B00FZ9BDMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422240063&sr=8-2&keywords=hubsan+x4+fpv

Hubsan 107 (non fpv): $54
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422240139&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+107

4x battery charger: $7
http://www.amazon.com/ThinkMax%C2%AE-X4-Battery-Charger-Hubsan/dp/B00LGWQ4FG/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1422240139&sr=8-13&keywords=hubsan+107

That'll get you something to learn with, and something to fly FPV with for less than $350. And you will NOT be bored. :-) And if you really screw up, you'll have spare parts. Consider adding a few more batteries.

yeah, that's pretty good for a beginner.

If you want to save some money, this one is also very good. Spare parts are everywhere and it flies very well.

I have large hexacopters and gas helis, but i still have a little hubsan to fly around. Good practice and it takes a beating.

https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

They're not super powerful, but still a lot of fun. You don't want a ton of power on your first done, anyway.

It's easy to fly, with readily available replacement parts.

RC Helicopter. It is VERY stable and fun to fly. $15 http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Gyro-/dp/B00F4WMAAW/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1462581942&sr=1-4&keywords=syma+helicopter

There are some many variables there. For a few hundred dollars, which would be very cheap in this hobby, you can get up and running. This thing will be much stronger in most areas than the cheap crap, but still is not indestructible. On the flip side, replacing $5,10,15 parts can spur a potential engineering mind or creative side in your kid. You need to disassemble, fix and reassemble which can be a good lesson on its own. The cheap stuff just breaks and you're SOL. Hobby grade stuff is fixable.

I'd save up a bit more and get a Blade MCX: http://www.amazon.com/BLADE-EFLH2200-Blade-mCX-RTF/dp/B001D7O6JK

Great heli, i own 2.

They are WAY stronger than you would expect. Propellers often get bent / break in crashes, but they are like $1 each so its no big deal. If you fly over grass I think its nearly impossible to break frames.

A micro drone like this is a good way to get started.

/r/Multicopter

I bought one of these a few weeks ago and it's so much fun. Great gift. I'm ordering one for my boyfriend this week.

I'd recommend the Syma X5SW if you've never even flown a quadcopter before. Only $50. It's very durable and stable, which makes it great for learning. And it even has FPV (not the best from what I've heard, but still pretty cool). You don't want your first quadcopter to cost $400 for it to crash in a week.

This is what I have, and what many people in this sub will tell you to get.

http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

You would be safe also getting the crash pack:
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107-Quadcopter-Crash-Pack/dp/B00D3LTTU0

Very small very fun and very easy to learn nn. I've had mine for over a year now and I still fly it every couple days.

If they're sending out free helicopters that they expect anyone to be able to fly it's probably a super cheap brand that they could get without metting with anyone. Probably a Syma S107.

Maybe you can get him a cheaper drone with a camera if he likes techy stuff: amazon

Or does he like dragon ball z? You could get him some dragon ball z merchandise

These are just things I like and I’m an electrical engineer

I think the CrazyFlie is one of the worst options, honestly. It's expensive and requires a computer and gamepad. It might be a good option if you're into computer based control, but if you just want to fly around then there are a few others you could go with. I haven't seen many kits at this size but there are a lot of prebuilt/ready to fly options:

• Estes Proto-X (I have this one for my office)
  
• Hubsan X4
  
• Blade Nano QX (a bit more advanced features but requires a DSM2 or DSMX capable transmitter)
  
  

Thanks, yeah they probably look too similar to justify spending ~$40. I'm going to use that money to buy this then haha.

Is the Mini version more than enough for me to start out?

http://www.amazon.ca/Hubsan-X4-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

I'll probably pick up spare batteries as well. Does the mini come with the prop-guard as well?

Thanks!!

Please, do yourself a favor and DO NOT start with a 450. You will break something or someone. Drop $40 on the Hubsan X4 http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416879681&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4 as a trainer, it'll teach you everything you need to know about how to fly. Beyond that, the F450 is great.

I personally wouldn’t give this one to a someone that young. I suggest the Sport Cub since it is smaller AND it has the same SAFE feature as this airplane.

The safe feature truly saved me a couple of times, but I would still recommend parental supervision while they play with it as it is very easy to crash the plane and destroy it.

Like I said I break them pretty quick... but this is my fav right now. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IZC6C8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Syma 107's are incredibly durable and easy to fly.

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Colors/dp/8499000606

Super cheap too, but it does look like a "regular looking helicopter".

This line of quadrocopter is a great place to start. These little guys are very affordable and robust.

why not get the inductrix FPV RTF??

https://www.amazon.com/Blade-BLH8500-Inductrix-Quadcopter-Monitor/dp/B01MDJGKMA/ref=sr_1_6?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1484356564&sr=1-6&keywords=Blade+Inductrix+FPV

Get a better charger and 4 more batteries and you'll be in good shape.

I'd suggest getting spare frames and props too - and a micro phillips driver if you don't have one.


Also add:
A frame stiffener

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0PCQRL/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AGAPEEYYP9AEK

Some glue:

https://www.amazon.com/Homax-730657-Professional-Welder-Adhesive/dp/B005UJNH7E/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1484357233&sr=1-1&keywords=welders+glue

and some spare props

https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Prop-Set-White-Inductrix/dp/B01344STS8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1484357289&sr=8-3&keywords=inductrix+props

Thinking of the 3 blade myself for my next round.

This 5.8ghz FPV kit, if you are not scared of opening things up, get it and mod your x5c-1 with a built in FPV system...mine rocks

1. I haven't done that yet
   
2. Yes, reverse the pins, I used a tiny screwdriver to press down on the + pin, and push it back just a little bit. Slides out easy, then do the -, just push them in firmly and don't let them cross!
   
   
3. I have 2 sets of spare motors, til they burn up I likely won't upgrade

Very easy. heres the one I got from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N9JKRNR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

edit: looks like they are a couple bucks off too!

A Syma S107 RC Helicopter. <30 bucks, and friggin awesome. I've been playing with mine for weeks.

If you wanna give money to Reddit, use the link, (and/or read comments), in qgyh2's post

If you wanna crawl on a budget, Redcat might be for you.

I have the 1/16 version of the Everest and it’s pretty fun. Albeit very slow.

Here’s the 1/10:

Redcat Racing Everest-10 Electric Rock Crawler with Waterproof Electronics, 2.4Ghz Radio Control (1/10 Scale), Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O9MTP06/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EGn8BbP5ZAFZ1

They also make the Gen 7, which is a scale truck.

Redcat Racing Everest Gen7 Pro 1/10 4WD RTR Scale Rock Crawler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0784CGKJ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hIn8BbQRCAHNT

The only problem with 3ch helis is they have the controls reversed on the transmitter, so you'll end up learning the wrong way. If you're never planning on upgrading to "real" helis (4ch fixed pitch with swashplate, 6ch collective pitch with swashplate) then this won't be an issue and you can just buy the cheap ones and have fun. If this is the case I suggest something like a syma s107

If you want to learn the real control scheme (mode 2) then you can start with an easy double horse 9116 that will auto-balance when you let go of the control stick (thanks to the weighted flybar) which makes it a good beginner heli.

I am a beginner in fpv flying who just got a maiden flight of my x220 today and here are my thoughts.

tldr; x220 is too dangerous to recommend to a first time flyer so get a Hubsan X4 or similar quad to practice with since it's way cheaper.

This was the first ever drone I bought and is what I started with (Jun 2015). It was way harder than I thought it'd be but I eventually got a feel for it and got a Hubsan X4 (Nov 2015) after researching for a first "real quad". It was a huge step in difficulty but after a year I am very comfortable in the Expert flying mode. I can full throttle it into the corner of my wall and quickly pull back, operate it with the front facing any direction, orbits, yaw spins, etc.

The x220 was a completely different level. During my short flight I had to focus on just hovering and could only move it in the direction I was facing and this was only in angle mode which is basically auto leveling afaik. Regular mode I could just hover. Remember too that this is all LoS and not FPV. I got a pair of FatSharks setup but am not near comfortable enough to use them in flight.

This thing is a beast and super dangerous so I would not recommend it to someone who has never flown a quad before. I'm not sure how good sims are for learning but I would look into a Hubsan X4 to learn with since its relatively cheap and has that expert mode to work up to. You can also fly it indoors during the winter and outdoors when its nice out.

Thanks for the answers!

Part 1:
After thinking about Hubsan x4 vs Syma x1 carefully and researching on google, I still decided to go with Hubsan X4, mainly because I will probably have to be flying indoors since it's going to start snowing here pretty soon. :(

1. http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E.
   
   I will also buy the propeller guard. What I am curious about is, seeing as the flight time is only a little over 5 minutes, what extra batteries should I get for it and what charger? Would these do?
   
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3GP1R2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A329XU3OEAWG5H
   
3. http://www.amazon.com/ThinkMax%C2%AE-In-Battery-Charger-Hubsan/dp/B00LGWQ4FG/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_y
   
   Part2:
   Oh, that was my bad. A week or so ago, we were thinking about getting a hexacopter with a gopro and later upgrading it to be able to lift dslr devices, hence the second dslr gimbal. But seeing as gopro4 has some pretty good quality, we probably won't need to be lifting dslrs any time soon. Is the gimbal we get with f550 kit any good? Also, the f550 kit says we need to get a controler, but I have no idea which one.
   
   The FPV you recommended is this one, right?
   
   
4. https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__66474__Skyzone_Plug_N_Play_FPV_500_Set_With_TS58500_TX_RC832_RX_Sony_700CCD_and_C_P_Antennas.html
   
   We would probably need to get an aditional controler with LCD screen, right?

Amazon link to the 18th scale

This option is smaller than the 10 scale ones. It may have some difficulty getting through a yard of 2 inch grass, but it will work well on fine grass like the stuff at golf courses and certainly on dirt.

Hubsan X4

Orrrr with a camera for $13 more here

This guy is a micro, but incredibly tough and a great starter/learner. Get extra props or the prop guards.

RC cars are fun to play with. I got an RC18 a while back and it is a blast to bash around. If you want, you can get really into upgrading / modifying them. I kept mine stock, to avoid dumping too much money into it!

Edit: If you want something cheaper, this helicopter is pretty rad.

You can get a 5.8GHz FPV system for the Syma x5c.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HQCK88?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01

I purchased this last month for mine. The screen is very bright, even outdoors. Camera is about the same quality as the 2.0MP/720p that comes with the x5c (slower exposure compensation, slightly sharper image).

Here's footage I took the other day [from the camera] *(Removed link since it's from my own YouTube channel. PM me if you want the link).

I highly recommend it for a beginner/trainer quad. Under $130 all in for the quad, FPV and extra batteries.

I got the L. It was around $50. Actually, lemme grab the link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IZC6C8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Are you sitting me. I coulda got one with a camera for $10 more!?!?!

It's a Syma S107G, they're dirt cheap, great fun too.

It's not directly trees related, but I spend twenty USD on a toy remote control helicopter a few weeks back (http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Gyro-/dp/B00F4WMAAW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419348786&sr=8-2&keywords=toy+helicopter) and it's very fun to fly after burning.

I had bought a HobbyZone Champ RTF (https://www.amazon.com/HobbyZone-HBZ4900-Champ-RTF-Airplane/dp/B003DZ35GK/ref=sr_1_5) as a starter plane that was cheap and easy to get started with. It was pretty easy to get going and i've made some minor repairs.

However, now that I've trashed this (flying in too windy conditions and in a bad environment), I'm considering next steps to get into this hobby more. I want something more robust but not sure how much money I want to sink into it.

$20 RC mini helicopter!

My brother got one and its pretty cool flying around with precise control

$6 More and you can get a Remote Control Helicopter!

I have 2 of them. They're great!

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Yellow/dp/B004A8ZRB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347027157&sr=8-1&keywords=helicopter

may i recommend you and your friends pool 45 dollars and have the time of your lives with a hubsan x4 H107L

You should check out this remote-controlled helicopter for about $20. I just got one to give away, felt compelled to test it out and it is awesome!

I've only messed with low end stuff, but I love my hubsan X4.

I have the hd camera version, but there is a cheaper one without a camera and a more expensive one that sends back video.

Funnily enough, I know a guy who is both an IFR certified pilot and an aircraft owner who happily flies his Phantom quadcopter in Class D airspace, as well as the busiest circuit in my area.

Having a PPL means nothing if the common sense isn't there.

Furthermore, 99% of "drone" operators still aren't causing problems. Most of the quads being sold are basically toys, and absolutely no different than the little coaxial helis that were all the rage a few Christmas's ago.

Banning every unmanned flying device or somehow trying to regulate them will be quite literally impossible. You'd have to regulate the sales of all 72 Mhz and 2.4 Ghz radio control gear, which is on it's own a multi-million dollar industry.


Are you suggesting the FAA sends officials to someones house if they are caught flying something like this?

It's not to bad, this is above average RTF (need FPV goggles though, that will set you back about R3000, but it's a one off purchase.) after that, the props, motors, arms ect ect aren't to expensive.. bulk buy some good props, a few sets of motors & you should be fine.. unless you fly into walls!

Those RC helicopters are the best!

http://amzn.com/8499000606

Halloween Hijinxery

Gotta love a tiny remote control helicopter!

I want an early present!

My birthday was actually last friday but i guess this can count for next year :)

i've always wanted one of these

Yep, pretty standard for that type of helicopter.

https://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Colors/dp/8499000606

I went looking around and http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18283__2_4Ghz_Micro_Coax_Helicopter_4_Channel_RTF_Mode_2_.html seems to be a really cheap model with a cyclic. If you're in the US, http://www.amazon.com/Blade-MCX-Mode-2-mCX/dp/B001D7O6JK/ looks like a better deal when taking shipping into account. Nowhere near $16 for the heli itself though.

It's the Syma S107. Here's a Link

there's several colors, all under $30, and they're awesome! I got one for Christmas too.

If you are looking for a good beginner quad copter that you can easily learn to fly then you should go for the Hubsan X4 or the Blade Nano QX

A Mini RC helicopter. Best $20 ever spent.

i got this, i researched helicopters for about a minute, and this was the best

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-Gyroscope-Controlled-Helicopter/dp/8499000606/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IP99X04CA4PL6&colid=3T02BRXWTLCPO

Try DNA toys. One of our heelers will only play with the DNA toys-we keep extras in a drawer in case his brother tears one up. Our other heeler will chase tennis balls all day long, and she loves to get after my Rustler in the back yard.

Do you care if it has a camera?

$39.19 Hubsan X4 H107L without Camera

$51.45 Hubsan X4 H107C with Camera for recording video to memory card

$171.99 Hubsan X4 H107D with FPV Camera that streams live video to the transmitter's screen

Start by getting a line-of-sight drone and see if you like it first.

hubsan x4 (comes with a controller)

batteries

charger

prop guards+props

$55 to see if you like it.

When you break that, try repairing it. If you don't like that, then the hobby may not be for you.

Get [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E) one! And several sets of propellers. And get your company to buy it for you as training.

Trust me, you WILL crash many times. If they can afford the big copter, they can afford this too. Give yourself a month to learn on the little one and you will save many hundreds of dollars in repair.

Edit: Just read you're at a water park, so DEFINITELY get the smaller model before flying the big one. Unless a $1400 loss is acceptable.

The camera is kinda crappy. Like novelty crappy. It's pretty much unwatchable because there is no gimbal to stabilize the shot.

Have you seen this? It's pretty clever. The resolution is better and you get the advantage of flying with FPV. The price is right. Quality of recordings is so-so because again, no gimbal but otherwise it's not bad.

A remote controlled helicopter. Good ones are relatively cheap and they are endlessly fun.
Here's a good one, but cheaper on Amazon

One of these

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Colors/dp/8499000606/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1323797187&sr=1-1

They are cheap, and are utterly mesmerizing to many people. Now, the price I am seeing is $19.99,but the price for you may be different, depending on amazon.

Word of warning however: if you charge from the controller, make sure you have good quality batteries. If not, they will leak trying to charge the chopper.

You should start with a Syma x5c-1 or a hubsan x4 to start out with. They are about $50 and you will want to crash those when you are starting out. Crashing your 250 will get expensive quick. After you get about a month or so of stick time, then start looking into your 250 build. If you want, hubsan also makes an fpv version which is super fun to fly, but its around $100. Let me know if you have questions!

Syma

Hubsan

FPV Hubsan

> That said, the X4 is still better. If you've found it for less than $30, get it! Get it and give me the link!

X4 (H107C) : https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-Channel-2-4GHz-Copter-Camera/dp/B00EXBDWZC/ref=sr_1_5?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1468986489&sr=1-5&keywords=hubsan+x4

x4 (H107L) : https://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1468986489&sr=1-4&keywords=hubsan+x4

http://www.amazon.com/Syma-S107-S107G-Helicopter-Yellow/dp/B004A8ZRB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323554972&sr=8-1

The most fun i've had for $27 in a really long time

Here is a cheaper link sold by another store, fulfilled by amazon.

LINK

I'm getting this for all of my friends. Who doesn't want a helicopter?

Pfft, I wouldn't recommend building one right off the bat anyways. That's a lot of fiscal and emotional investment for something that's gonna crash and burn in the first couple months anyways. There's a bunch of cheap, wonderful, learner 'toy' grade ones out there to whet a curiosity.

Good luck with your degree. I wouldn't know where to start with that, mine was in Computer Science.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8499000606 I saw this in the best 20 dollars you can spend thread yesterday. I am anxiously waiting its arrival.

A toy heliocoptor. I got this one for Christmas, its alot of fun. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/8499000606/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1325344441&sr=8-1

Unlimited Fun @ $19.75

As long as it isn't too windy the Hubsan X4 mini quadcopter is a lot of fun.

I've got this Hubsan X4 and it's a fun toy drone

I suspect that it is a SYMA!

Can anybody verify?

E: I'm like, 97.2% sure it is.

Check out the Everest 10. It's good for a beginner crawler and has lots of upgrade potential.

https://www.amazon.com/Redcat-Racing-Everest-10-Waterproof-Electronics/dp/B00O9MSR78

You'll want a hobby grade rc and they aren't cheap.

Thank you! Any opinion on the Hubsan H107L?

My boyfriend really wanted this for his birthday, but I lost my job and I couldn't afford it. Yes, he is a child at heart. He's really 25, and he said he would take a "derp" photo.

edit: um... he's 26 now, hence the birthday. woops.

I'm a noob. I just bought this and it should be here tomorrow. You can get one with FPV already set up. I think that one is ~$130. This one's $40. I got a sim app for my computer called Heli-X to learn how to fly it (360 controller compatible). The question is can you fly one? Check out the app t's free.

You should consider a small one first. Like a [hubsan x4 from amazon.](
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417075365&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4)

But if you don't mind the pricetag, and want to jump into it. You get ARF kits for 3-400usd. Then you need another 1-200usd in fpv gear. And 4-500 for radio/receiver, flightcontroller and batteries/charger.

In short, you should consider a pricetag around 800-1000usd to get starting. Maybe up to 1500-2000 depending on what you need to buy extra and if you want the "new" HD fpv goggles and so on.

I got this one, the Hubsan X4. It's showing it for $40 right now but I think I only paid $35 for mine at the time. They make the same one with a camera installed but I didn't see the point of that since the whole idea was to only use it for practicing.

It really wasn't hard to get the hang of. I started indoors with it and crashed it several times. It was fun but taking it out to the soccer fields and zipping it all over the place is what made me understand people's obsession with multicopters. The worst that has happened outdoors is twice I've taken my eye off it when it had gotten so far away it was just a tiny black speck in the sky. Both times I panicked, cut the throttle to let it fall and searched for it. Luckily it suffered no damage either of those times.

I will say you should definitely invest in some extra props and extra batteries. You can find all that pretty cheap online too. Even with all that added on you're still talking about less than $100.

Oh, and completely un-GoPro-related: these things are extremely fun to fly at night. With the LEDs on it's easier to see and looks like a UFO buzzing about.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017BGDT12/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_a2dOwbDTVFNNZ

My second thought is if this body breaks i should be able to swap components to a new body, assuming they were in good order.

>small, unarmed hand-held type of the sort that can be purchased commercially

So.. something like This with a go pro attached?

Two RC helicopters.

I wish they were this cheap when I was 6.

This.
Everything else on my list has some purpose or use... this... well I just thought "I want a helicopter!"

I was looking at this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013HQCK88/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1458673210&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=syma+x5c+fpv+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=41to6J6rd4L&ref=plSrch (sorry about the huge link) it seems to have good overall reviews. Ill look at the onenyou suggested though!

Not going to be the best but very available - Syma X5C-1 - Banggood/Gearbest/Amazon/Aliexpress.

You can get a very basic 5.8ghz FPV setup going with http://amzn.com/B00MNG37C2 and http://amzn.com/B013HQCK88 - Its Toy grade but can get you started on an expensive hobby.

Woah man, that's kind of pricey for a Hubsan X4.


You can get virtually the same thing sans camera for much less:
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415335149&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=hubsam

If you want the camera:
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107C-2-4G-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B00EXBDWZC/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415335149&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=hubsam

And if you want it in all in one FPV:
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107D-FPV-Mini-Quadcopter/dp/B00GSNWB5K/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415335149&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=hubsam

Also, consider a 2.4ghz hack for your AR drone:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1420951

Ok. I found this one. I'm assuming it's the one with the yaw control on the throttle?

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/ECX-Ruckus-4WD-Monster-Truck/dp/B00FAOM4GY

I am reading to go brushless, with my budget, say less than $300, and requirements, is that possible?

A quad copter like this:
Hubsan H107L X4 Mini RTF RC Quadcopter

http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417727353&sr=8-1&keywords=hubsan+x4

You can use a site like camelcamelcamel.com to keep track of the price. I paid $30 and $35 (lost the first one) when I ordered mine.

Eachine Racer 250 FPV Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera Eachine I6 2.4G 6CH Transmitter 7 Inch 32CH Monitor RTF Mode 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017BGDT12/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7EtnxbB0JVWWB

Would something like this be a good deal?

Great! But seriously before you build your QAV, go buy a cheap "beater" quadcopter that you can learn to fly on. Fpv is hard and will be even harder if you begin not knowing how to fly at all. Go buy what everyone recommends: the Hubsand X4. When you can crash on your first flight it'll be with a 40 dollar quad instead of a $300+ build.

Hubsan X4 (H107L) 4 Channel 2.4GHz RC Quadcopter, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_PBRQwbYK710HY

I would really suggest two cars. I have two boys and 1 car between the three of us got old real quick.

I would suggest a Traxxas XL5 or Traxxas VXL. I have one of each and it works well for us.

Well what are ya waiting for? Join the fun!

Strange that it lists the rather spendy fpv version of the Hubsan instead of the cheaper (and still very good, especially for a beginner) base model: http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E

I used to recommend the Syma X1, and it's what I started with before building my first tricopter. However, I think there has been a lot of progress with the flight controllers in these mini quads. My Syma X1 feels very sluggish now.

I would spend a bit more and get a Hubsan x4. http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107-L_M2-The-X4-H107L/dp/B00CP5NSGG/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1396292286&sr=1-1&keywords=hubsan+x4

Hubsan H107L
$46 on Amazon (up ~$5 for the holidays). Grab a crash pack and prop guards.

The hubsan x4 was my first quad. I learned so much on it. And they are cheaper than ever now. If you are new to flying and just got or are thinking about getting a spark or even a more expensive drone, I HIGHLY recommend grabbing an x4 and learning the ins and outs of quad control on something that won't break your heart when you break it. We all scrapped our knees when learning to walk. Learning to fly is no different.

Hubsan X4 (H107L) 4 Channel 2.4GHz RC Quadcopter, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZC6C8E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.jg6AbAFEV9W0

Go on amazon and buy all this in my opinion to get into Quadcopter flying:
The actual Quad

Things you will need