Jonathan FincherNovember 18, 2013Review: Estes Proto X nano quadcopter

It's actually a little startling to pick the Proto X up for the first time, because it isn't much bigger than some insects you might find in your backyard

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You may have noticed that we enjoy our quadcopters here at Gizmag, from the GPS-equipped Phantom 2 Vision to the palm-sized 1SQ V-cam. Recently though, we had a chance to try out a somewhat unusual style of quad in the form of the tiny Proto X from Estes. It may not have a laundry list of features under its belt, but the Proto X does hold the distinction of being the smallest quadcopter we've ever reviewed ... by a huge margin.

What's in the boxThe Proto X costs US$39.99 and comes ready to fly with its own controller right out of the box.

Inside the package, you'll find:

the Proto X quadcopter2.4 Ghz radio transmitterUSB charging cablefour replacement rotor bladesinstructions

The only necessary components missing from the box are two AAA batteries, which are needed for the transmitter. However, fitting them into the controller and charging the quadcopter via USB are the only steps needed before the Proto X is prepared to take off.

A pocket-sized UAVI really can't stress enough how incredibly tiny this quadcopter is. It's actually a little startling to pick it up for the first time, because it isn't much bigger than some insects you might find in your backyard.

Estes claims it's one of the lightest quadcopters in the world with a weight of 0.4 oz (11.3 g). Measuring from the tip of the rotor blades, each of its four sides is approximately 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long. Even the frame by itself is just 1.8 in (4.5 cm) on each side, giving it almost the exact same footprint as a typical saltine cracker.

The included radio transmitter is built to match, measuring a little over 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide, making it look vaguely like a shrunken video game controller. Even put together, the copter and transmitter are compact enough to fit inside a regular pants pocket.

Piloting a bugDue to its size, flying the Proto X feels like guiding a large bug, right down to the faint buzzing noise it makes. If it weren't for the LEDs that light up when it's switched on, it would be difficult to keep track of it at a distance. My haphazard attempts to take photos of it in flight with an ordinary digital camera made me sympathize with anyone who's tried to record a UFO.

Once you get used to following it though, it flies about the same as a full-sized model. The controls are straightforward – left stick for altitude and rotation, right stick for direction, plus a couple buttons to adjust the trim – and an internal gyroscope keeps it flat while in the air. Hovering in place takes a bit of practice though, since the slightest breeze will knock it off course and the bundled transmitter can be difficult to use (more on that later). I've spent a couple hours flying it and still have trouble keeping it perfectly still in mid-air, though it's not too hard to guide it in the basic direction I want it to go.

The box and instructions say it's intended for indoor use, so that's where I flew it most, but I did take it outside once just to see how it would handle. After a gust of wind blew it far away after it had barely lifted a few feet off the ground though, I understood why the manufacturer had made that call. It might fare better on a nicer day, but in my area, this isn't exactly the time of year to find out.

On a full charge, the Proto X can remain aloft for approximately 10 - 15 minutes. When it's about to run out of power, the LEDs near each rotor will begin to flash rapidly, at which point it has about a minute left of flight time before it slowly floats to the ground and stops. To maintain the quadcopter's balance, its 3.7 V 100 mAh LiPo battery is secured inside the plastic body, so unfortunately you can't extend that flight time by swapping batteries. Once the battery is drained, it takes about 30 minutes to completely recharge it.

Made for small handsThe main hindrance when piloting the Proto X though is the controller itself. Holding the transmitter feels like holding a child's toy, especially if you have larger hands. There's really no comfortable way to grip both thumbsticks at once without folding the rest of your fingers awkwardly out of the way. I understand the designers probably didn't want to ship a regular-sized transmitter with the nano copter, but even just a couple extra inches in width could have made the controls much less cramped.

The trim buttons are also located in spots that are difficult to reach when controlling the quadcopter simultaneously. Adjusting the trim usually involves landing, pushing the button for the desired direction, taking off again to see if it worked, and repeating until it seems to be hovering correctly. The controller also doesn't have trim buttons for the copter's rotation, just for the direction it flies, which could have been useful at times.

Tough little bugBecause of its size, I thought it might need to be treated delicately when I first pulled it out of the box, but the tiny Proto X quad seems to be just as durable as its larger brethren. Crashing at full speed into walls, dropping straight onto a hardwood floor from as high as the ceiling, and even ricocheting between a chair's legs did nothing to faze it. The worst damage it suffered was when a rotor blade popped off during a crash, which was easy enough to retrieve and put back in place.

At one point when it was hovering in place, my dog actually leaped up and snatched it right out of the air. He released it almost immediately, and I made sure to get him out of the room before flying it from then on, but the quadcopter still came out of it without even a scratch. I doubt it would survive being stepped on or dropped off a building, but it's still nice to know it can survive a few mishaps during regular use.

Overall impressions

Aside from its novelty size, there aren't too many standout qualities to speak of on the Proto X. It doesn't have a camera, it can't perform any fancy tricks, and it's not really designed to be reprogrammed or customized. That said, for the price, it is a simple and dependable quadcopter that's easy enough for beginners to pick up. If you're looking for an R/C quadrotor with a myriad of features, then the Proto X is not going to cut it. However, if you're just looking for a tiny quad that you can fly around your living room or office for fun, then it should fit the bill perfectly.

Since Estes is a subsidiary of Hobbico, the Proto X quadcopter is available right now from its retailer, Tower Hobbies, if you want to try it out for yourself.

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Estes Proto X微型飞行器

乔纳森finchernovember 18，2013review：Estes原x纳米quadcopter
其实一点惊人的选择原X首次上升，因为它不比一些昆虫，你可能在你的后院

图像画廊找到大得多（24幅）
你可能已经注意到，我们享受quadcopters在Gizmag，从GPS装备幻影2愿景的手掌大小的1sq v-cam。最近，我们有机会尝试一些不同寻常的风格四在微小的原X的形式从Estes。它不可能根据其带有功能一箩筐，但原X不被我们所了最小的直升机的区别…在一个巨大的利润。

在箱原X的成本在39.99美元是什么，是准备飞自己的控制器开箱。

包里面，你会发现：< / P >原X quadcopter2.4 GHz无线充电cablefour transmitterusb更换转子bladesinstructions

唯一必要的组件缺失从盒子里有两个AAA电池，为发射机所需。然而，拟合为控制器，通过USB充电直升机是唯一的步骤需要在原X准备起飞。

袖珍UAVI真的不能强调这是多么微小的直升机。它实际上是一个小的惊人的拿起它的第一次，因为它是不远大于一些昆虫，你可能会发现在你的后院。

Estes声称它是最轻的一个四轴飞行器在世界重0.4盎司（11.3克）。测量从转子叶片的尖端，其四个边的每一个是约2.5（6.4厘米）长。连架也只有1.8（4.5厘米）的每一边，使它几乎完全相同的足迹作为一个典型的咸饼干。

包括无线电发射机的建立是为了比赛，超过3.5的小（8.9厘米）的测量宽和2.5（6.4厘米）宽，这使得它看起来像一个缩小的视频游戏控制器。即使放在一起，直升机和发射机是不够紧凑，安装在普通的裤子口袋里。

驾驶bugdue其规模，飞原X感觉引导大的BUG，一直到微弱的嗡嗡声响。如果它不是为发光二极管，当它被打开，它会很难跟上它的距离。我随意地试图以一个普通的数码相机飞行的照片使我同情任何人谁试图记录一个不明飞行物。当你习惯了之后，它会像一个全尺寸的模型一样飞。控制是简单的，左棒的高度和旋转，正确的坚持方向，再加上一对夫妇按钮来调整修剪和内部陀螺仪保持在空气中，而在空气中。然而，在一个地方徘徊需要一点点的练习，因为轻微的微风会把它关掉，当然，捆绑的发射机也很难用（后来）。我花了几个小时的飞行，仍然很难保持完全静止在半空中，虽然引导的基本方向，我想它不太难。

盒子，说明书说是用于室内使用，所以这是我飞，但我没有把它外面曾经看到它将如何处理。一阵风吹得远远的，但它几乎没有抬起几英尺的地面上，我明白为什么制造商已经作出了这一要求。在一个更好的日子里可能会有更好的表现，但在我的地区，这不是一年中的时间来找出。当它即将耗尽的力量，在每个转子附近的LED将开始迅速闪光，在它有大约一分钟的飞行时间后，它慢慢地飘到地面和停止。保持直升机的平衡，其3.7伏100毫安时锂电池是固定在塑料体，所以很遗憾你不能更换电池延长飞行时间。一旦电池耗尽，大约需要30分钟才能完全充电。

为小型手主要障碍当驾驶原X虽然是控制器本身。控股的发射机感觉像持有儿童的玩具，特别是如果你有更大的手。真的不舒服的方式来控制这两个摇杆后没有折叠其余手指笨拙的方式。我理解的设计师可能不想与纳米直升机正常大小的发射机的船，但即使只是几英寸的宽度可以使控件更拥挤。

修剪按钮也位于点很难到达时，同时控制直升机。调整修剪通常包括着陆，推动按钮，为所需的方向，再次起飞，看看它是否工作，并重复，直到它似乎是正确的徘徊。该控制器还没有直升机的旋转微调按钮，只是它飞行的方向，可能有时是有用的。

坚强的小bugbecause其规模，我认为它可能需要处理微妙的当我第一次把它从盒子里拿出来，但小原X四是耐用，由于其较大的兄弟。轰然全速冲向墙壁，滴直到硬木地板与天花板一样高，甚至会一把椅子的腿之间并没有打扰它。当一个转子叶片在一次碰撞中脱落，这是很容易的，这是很容易恢复和放回原处。在一个点上，当它在空中盘旋时，我的狗真的跳起来，把它从空中跳了出来。他几乎立即释放它，我一定要让他离开房间前飞它从此，但直升机还是走出来甚至没有划痕。我怀疑它会生存下去被踩或脱落的建筑，但它仍然很高兴知道它可以存活几事故中经常使用。

的整体印象

除了它的新颖性，没有太多的杰出素质谈原X不有一个摄像头，它可以不执行任何花哨的技巧，而不是真正的目的是重新编程或定制。可以说，对于价格，这是一个简单的和可靠的直升机，容易为初学者拿起。如果你正在寻找一个R / C旋翼与无数的特征，那么原X是不会削减它。然而，如果你只是在寻找一个小小的四方，你可以在你的客厅或办公室的乐趣，那么它应该适合账单完美。

由于埃斯蒂斯是hobbico公司的子公司，原X直升机可现在从零售商，塔的爱好，如果你想尝试一下。

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