Since arrival, inclement weather delayed the first flight of my Phantom. I finally took the quad copter out for a test flight yesterday.
Some thoughts...
Very simple to get up and flying to the point where you may skip key parts of the manual. My experience says don't skip...LOL. Landing is important. Fortunately it seems to handle rough landings.
While in flight, I learned that it is an easy thing for novice users to panic. It is a hard thing to fight the urge to to move the control sticks quickly. Slow and easy works much better. In fact, work through the exercises in the included Phantom Pilot Training Guide before doing any recreational flying.
I also realized that I need a pre-flight checklist. You also need to have a plan with respect to operational safety since it draws a crowd.
I'll link to some photos and video once I have share-worthy material.
Excellent. Thank you.
I'm looking into the DJ as well. After some pretty extensive research, I opted for a Syma x1 for a trainer. Amazon has them for around $35. You don't get your initial pilot's license in an f16 after all. This will let you get through to banked turns and most importantly, your orientation. It's really weird to turn a quad 90 degrees to your control stick and not fly it sideways all over the place. A pretty amazing little flyer for the money and pretty tough too. You can fly in your garage at first. Much better to bang up this little guy than your DJ and a camera. Buy a few extra batteries while you're at it.
Here's a great little primer... Quadcopter Flight School Watch the video of the guy with the helicopter in Tutorial 2: Hover. He gives some really good orientation drills. After a day I am getting pretty good. I can't wait to step up. The potential for this technology is HUGE. Now, if the FAA can only catch up...
Cool. Just ordered my $35 toy.
Hey Brad,
You are going to dig it. It is really amazing for a $35 toy. Read up on the Amazon reviews regarding syncing the gyros. It helps a LOT. Start by skidding it around on the floor. Once you get reasonable control, take it outside and the real fun begins. When you are ready to step up, the x1 will make a great hand-me-down to any kids in your life. Go slow, and have fun!
Cool- post pictures/videos so I can post some more!
I have two MJX f45 heli's with the $20.00 camera. Camera looks like 720p. Best advice... Get a simulator like REALFLIGHT. I've learned alot from it. They simulate helis, planes, gliders, and quads. Eventually going to upgrade to a larger ALIGN T-REX 450. The 45 is very cheap to repair but has realistic controls. Had the SYMA F1 but outgrew that in a week. There are some crazy videos on U-TUBE with large quads lifting 50 pounds or more. Crazy!!!
Oooohhh Boy
Why does my wife utter this phrase at least once daily?
"What is wrong with you?"
Oooohhh Boy
LOL....
I bought the same one as a learner.
My wife said exactly the same thing, word for word.