Quick summary: This thing is a blast to fly! SAFE mode makes for an enjoyable, easy experience right out of the box -- it doesn't matter if you've never flown a heli or quad before. Turn on SAFE to learn it, turn off SAFE to master it. Buy this quad, it will make you happy.
Long winded version:
First, let's get a quick first-timer thing out of the way since people still ask about it (you can ignore this part if you already have a transmitter): If you don't have a transmitter yet and you're not thinking about expanding much in the hobby, then consider the
RTF version of the Nano QX
instead of this one. It includes a basic controller for an extra $20. On the other hand, if you don't have a transmitter but you think this might be something that will hold you interest for a while (and possibly lead you to buy more helis/quads/planes in the future), then consider spending the extra cash on a better transmitter, like the
Spektrum DX6i
, which can hold the setup information for 10 models. Then, buy the BNF versions of the models you're interested in, save $20 per model and you don't have a pile of RTF radios sitting around.
Now, on to the Nano QX.
I have a couple of other models already. Namely, I have two
Blade MCX2
coaxial helis that I bought off of eBay, and one
Blade msr X
fixed pitch heli. I'm not particularly skilled yet -- I'm fine with all of them when hovering and nose-out maneuvering, but once they're facing other directions, after a few seconds my wires get crossed and I start messing up. This is easy to correct on the Nano QX (with SAFE enabled) and the MCX2 because they are both neutral and stable machines. So they're great to learn on.
If anything, I feel like the Nano QX is the easiest of all of them to start with. When SAFE is enabled, you really can just bring up the throttle and watch it go into a stable hover with little or no manipulation of any other channel. Even the MCX2 with it's extremely stable coaxial setup requires a little more effort. The Nano QX's stability in SAFE mode is probably partially due to the fact that it really only needs to make adjustments to the four motors to assist with stability. Unlike a helicopter, there are no additional moving parts. That reduction in variables really seems to make a difference in ease of use. In fact, from a standing position you can easily just drop the QX, get your hand on the radio, and bring it to a stable hover before it hits the ground.
The SAFE mode's gyro stabilization also means that the quad rights itself after you tilt it in any direction. So for example, if you push the aileron to the right and have it tilted 20 degrees to the right, once you let off the stick it returns to a hover. With SAFE off, releasing the aileron stick will keep it where you left it, at 20 degrees roll right. You would then need to roll it left 20 degrees to put it back to a hover position. SAFE mode will also attempt to correct for unexpected breezes if you're outside, with varying degrees of success. Clearly it won't be able to handle significant wind gusts, that would be asking too much. If you put it into a hover outdoors, you can actually see it trying to correct for the light breezes that it encounters. It looks like it's malfunctioning because it gets a little twitchy even though there's no stick input, but that's just the stabilization trying to keep it in one place.
Once you turn off SAFE mode, it feels like a very different beast. It WILL require plenty of stick input to keep it stable, because the quad is no longer assisting you to maintain stability. This feels much more like flying the msrX and will require plenty of time to master. It's fast and darty in this mode. You can switch between modes mid-flight if you like, so if you manage to catch it before you completely lose control, there's a chance SAFE mode might save the day. That said, depending on how you have the mode switch mapped on your transmitter, you may not be able to get to it in time.
I also love how light it is. It weighs practically nothing. Don't worry about messing up your nice wood floors by dragging it along the ground on its skids or dropping it or diving uncontrollably to the ground. It's like trying to damage your floor by crumpling up a piece of notebook paper and throwing it as hard as you can on the ground. Not going to happen. Not saying it's a good idea to bounce it off of the nice TV or the flower vase or anything like that, but you get the point. I have crashed it a number of times with no damage to the quad, so that speaks well of its durability.
Buy it. Enjoy it! Use it as a stepping stone to something bigger, or don't. It's awesome on its own.
P.S. -- For anyone that has decided to buy one and is looking for example transmitter settings, I'll add mine in the comments of this review.
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From the manufacturer
Blade Nano QX With Safe Technology RTF/BNF
The tiny Nano QX is RC flying fun you can take with you everywhere. The Nano QX weighs little more than half an ounce and is small enough to fly in spaces no bigger than an office cubicle. Never flown a quad-copter before? No problem. The Nano QX uses the safe technology system with sophisticated flight control software to keep itself stable in a hover while in stability mode. If you get in trouble, just let go of the sticks. The safe technology system will bring the Nano QX back to a hover all by itself. Once you've mastered the basics, you can switch the safe system to agility mode for faster flying speeds and more maneuverability.
Safe stands for Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope and is central to the performance of the Nano QX. Even new pilots will feel comfortable with the Nano QX in stability mode because safe will make sure the quad is always in control and in an upright fashion. You will feel an immediate sense of confidence and be flying around like a pro in no time!
Key Features
Features exclusive safe technology with stability and agility modes.
-Small enough to fly in any room or office.
-Tough, lightweight airframe with blade guards.
-Potent brushed motors that provide smooth and powerful lift.
-4-in-1 DSMX Receiver/ESCs/mixer/SAFE sensor unit.
-Includes yellow and green canopies with sharp Nano QX graphics.
-Includes assortment of extra rotor blades.
-Includes MLP4DSM 4-channel DSMX transmitter (RTF Version includes Transmitter, BNF version does not) with batteries.
-Includes E-flite 1S 3.7V 150mAh 25C Li-Po Battery.
-Includes compact USB Li-Po battery charger.
Reviews with images
Unbelievable indoor fun!
First off, this isn't for a beginner. You should be completely familiar with a beginner 4 channel heli first, for the most enjoyment. Try the MCX2, it's slow and will get you used to paying attention to orientation. Once you master that slow speed 4 channel you're absolutely ready to fly this one in SAFE mode with a bit of D/R and EXPO.TIP: Get some 1/8" shrink tubing and place it around the blade protector masts. This part of the frame, the bottom corners that contact the ground, will split after enough hits. Bend up the blade protectors so you can slip it over and onto the mast, then apply heat. I wasn't careful and melted a couple of the ends, but this will make the frame much more durable. After about 100 flights, one of these were separating/splitting on my nQX, so it's either this or prepare to buy a new frame. I'll post a picture of this so you can see what I mean. I didn't think of this, but a number of people have mentioned this excellent suggestion on other forums.Also: Remember to regularly check the prop shafts for fibers, hairs and other debris before and after flying.I own a number of Horizon Hobby stuff like the MSR, MCX2, 120SR, UMX Spitfire, the park flier Spitfire, and now the Nano QX! This thing is quick, it's stable in SAFE mode and flying is very precise. I can fly it in my small apartment and run circuits indoors! It is literally the most bang per buck fun I've spent with Horizon's brands, E-Flite, Blade and ParkZone!I do own a Spektrum DX6i, so it easily bound and setting up dual rate was a breeze! I set it to 75% and +20 for dual rate and it seems to really like these settings, so I haven't tried any of the other suggestions. I used to love the little palm sized Syma S110G 3 channels, I own like 4 or 5 of them, because they're quick, precise and tiny as well. The MCX2 is slow, larger and great for learning 4 channel movements but really isn't all that much fun after you've played with it for a while. It does prep you for the original MSR and the 120SR, which are quite frankly, not very precise and kind of sketchy indoors. The 120SR is really just too large for an apartment. The MSR is alright, but it requires more skill and concentration. The Nano QX is very stable and quick, very precise and tons more fun indoors!After flying it a couple of times, I ordered 10 spare batteries.... luckily I have the 4 port charger which is great, it came with the older version of the MSR, with 4 batteries you have almost constant uptime! I'd recommend you get one! I always let the nQX cool for a minute or two between flights, but the batteries are so cheap that picking up extras is a no-brainer. $10 for $20 shipped for generic Turnigy 160mah from one of the popular hobby sites! They are smaller than the stock 150mah's and they actually fit much better.I have that ParkZone UM J-3 Cub that I flew twice and threw in my closet and forgot about. It was the non-AS3X, and every time I've tried to take it out, light breezes would make it nearly unflyable. This Nano QX handles a light to moderate breeze very well. Even though a small breeze can push it around a little, it's still very controllable compared to any of the other Horizon heli's. It is a battle with moderate breezes, but is still amazingly nimble and requires more concentration and a larger area, but is still fun.So far, I've run at least 60 or 70 packs through it and I'm still having tons of fun with it. I've damaged a couple of the blades enough to have changed to the spares, but they're quite durable. This thing is so much fun, it almost makes the money spent on anything else seem like a waste. I love this so much, I just ordered the larger mQX for $49 and a spare Nano QX Flight Control board off ebay to install in it, so I can have a mQX sized flier with the Nano QX SAFE flight stabilization!.I can't say that a beginner can't learn with this, only that the learning curve will be much steeper. If all you've ever flown are 3 channel helis, it'll take a bit of time getting used to the controls of a standard 4+ channel helis, but it's well worth it. Most. Fun. Ever.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2017
In short:
- All can be good choices, but for different purposes
- The Hubsan X4 offers a lot for its low price and can fight winds better than the other two
- The Blade Inductrix is the most stable indoors and easiest to fly overall
- The Blade Nano QX is my overall favorite with the most opportunity for growth,
Similarities:
All of these popular quads have excellent aftermarket support. This includes parts, upgrades, and community knowledge. All are very stable in the air (but with different flight properties, as explained below).
Transmitter:
Both the Inductrix and Nano QX have a better transmitter upgrade path than the X4 in that they use DSMX. This makes using higher-end transmitters turn-key. With the Hubsan, you can use some high-end transmitters (e.g. Walkera, Taranis) but with additional cost and tinkering involved.
LED Lighting:
LED lighting assists with orientation and low-light flying. The Inductrix is best with a translucent body and very visible lights from every angle. The X4 is good too with 4 bright lights that are usually visible. The Nano QX had the worst lighting and basically expects you to look at the propeller colors.
Note that I have posted a review for each of these models separately.
Here are more details on the Nano QX:
The Nano QX has a genious frame with really smart propeller guards that are minimalist, protect the top of the propellers and have some "give" so that the quad is not jarred too much on impact. The frame design also protects the motors from a hard vertical landing. I always start learning new skills with the QX first, knowing it will handle the inevitable crashes well.
Flight times are 6-8 minutes with the included 150 mAh battery under room-temperature conditions, less in cold weather or when flown aggressively.
The very light 18g weight of the Nano QX limits the crash energy versus its peers.
The Nano QX also has stability and agility modes. Stability mode has two rates, both of which have a nice default feel. You can also change these with a more advanced controller than the bundled one.
The Nano QX has some drift, making banked turns necessary, but this drift is precise and predictable. The QX is also very responsive to input, and I get the impression that much time was spent getting everything tuned to just "feel" right. It's hard to explain before you fly it but it's a mix of excitement (because the quad is so agile) and confidence (because the quad responds just like you want). You can really fly this quad aggressively once you get enough practice and it's a blast.
There is also a selectable "agility" mode. In this mode, the QX flies very differently and requires more advanced skills. Unlike the "SAFE" stability mode, the quad does not level itself when you release the sticks but instead stays at whatever pitch and roll it was at. Also, the pitch and roll banking limits are removed - thus you can do flips, rolls, and other advanced stunts and maneuvers. You can also easily lose control while learning but the remote allows you to renter stability mode at any time for a chance to "save" a bad situation.
When flying the QX agility mode but I do recommend going beyond the stock transmitter and getting one with more stick resolution and expo (such as the $60 Spektrum DXE). The extra precision will pay dividends right away.
I actually like the Nano QX so much that I bought a second backup one a couple months after the first "just incase". That said, my first is still 100% original parts and flies great despite many "incidents" :)
Nano QX vs Inductrix vs Hubsan X4
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2017
I own all 3 of these popular quadcopters so I thought I would give a comparison.Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2017
In short:
- All can be good choices, but for different purposes
- The Hubsan X4 offers a lot for its low price and can fight winds better than the other two
- The Blade Inductrix is the most stable indoors and easiest to fly overall
- The Blade Nano QX is my overall favorite with the most opportunity for growth,
Similarities:
All of these popular quads have excellent aftermarket support. This includes parts, upgrades, and community knowledge. All are very stable in the air (but with different flight properties, as explained below).
Transmitter:
Both the Inductrix and Nano QX have a better transmitter upgrade path than the X4 in that they use DSMX. This makes using higher-end transmitters turn-key. With the Hubsan, you can use some high-end transmitters (e.g. Walkera, Taranis) but with additional cost and tinkering involved.
LED Lighting:
LED lighting assists with orientation and low-light flying. The Inductrix is best with a translucent body and very visible lights from every angle. The X4 is good too with 4 bright lights that are usually visible. The Nano QX had the worst lighting and basically expects you to look at the propeller colors.
Note that I have posted a review for each of these models separately.
Here are more details on the Nano QX:
The Nano QX has a genious frame with really smart propeller guards that are minimalist, protect the top of the propellers and have some "give" so that the quad is not jarred too much on impact. The frame design also protects the motors from a hard vertical landing. I always start learning new skills with the QX first, knowing it will handle the inevitable crashes well.
Flight times are 6-8 minutes with the included 150 mAh battery under room-temperature conditions, less in cold weather or when flown aggressively.
The very light 18g weight of the Nano QX limits the crash energy versus its peers.
The Nano QX also has stability and agility modes. Stability mode has two rates, both of which have a nice default feel. You can also change these with a more advanced controller than the bundled one.
The Nano QX has some drift, making banked turns necessary, but this drift is precise and predictable. The QX is also very responsive to input, and I get the impression that much time was spent getting everything tuned to just "feel" right. It's hard to explain before you fly it but it's a mix of excitement (because the quad is so agile) and confidence (because the quad responds just like you want). You can really fly this quad aggressively once you get enough practice and it's a blast.
There is also a selectable "agility" mode. In this mode, the QX flies very differently and requires more advanced skills. Unlike the "SAFE" stability mode, the quad does not level itself when you release the sticks but instead stays at whatever pitch and roll it was at. Also, the pitch and roll banking limits are removed - thus you can do flips, rolls, and other advanced stunts and maneuvers. You can also easily lose control while learning but the remote allows you to renter stability mode at any time for a chance to "save" a bad situation.
When flying the QX agility mode but I do recommend going beyond the stock transmitter and getting one with more stick resolution and expo (such as the $60 Spektrum DXE). The extra precision will pay dividends right away.
I actually like the Nano QX so much that I bought a second backup one a couple months after the first "just incase". That said, my first is still 100% original parts and flies great despite many "incidents" :)
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
GrampaKenCanada
Love it bought another one also
Reviewed in Canada on October 3, 2015
ChilleeDawg
An awesome indoor quad copter for beginners and for experienced pilots ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2016