I always like opportunities to try out new gadgets…  RCMoment sent me this cool little mini quad to try out –  JJRC H36 2.4G 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter.  First thing’s first – full disclosure.  I don’t have any vested interest in RC Moment. They sent me this quad for free.  I am not the type of person that is influenced by free stuff.  I get asked to do a review, and I will give it my honest opinion.  Free or not.

The quad sells for $23CAD ($16USD) with free shipping.  A video review is posted below.  In short, for the price, it’s a nice little quad.  It uses the same remote that most of the other mini/micro quads use.  It has a 6 axis gyro and comes with headless mode. I did a quick flight test and that tiny battery holds up for about 5-7 minutes of flying – which is typical for these size quads.

Update:   I managed to get more flying time with the quad and I am impressed.   It is no racer, but great for family fun.  I got headless mode figured out and oddly it’s not for me.  Maybe for the kids…  I am used to flying my custom quad in standard mode and am accustomed to keeping it oriented correctly, so headless mode feels strange to me.  I am also used to flying FPV which makes a big difference.  I am again impressed with the flight time on this little battery.  If you have spare batteries, it’s easy to swap in a replacement which will give you lots of play time.  I also like the prop protectors – this is a must have for inexperienced flyers. It will save your quad as well as limit any harm to people/animals.  Of course, it does not mean you can go chasing people around to try and cut their hair…  It is a mini quad of course, so other than a few nicks, it’s pretty harmless.  Check out the video below for more…

JJRC H36 2.4G 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC

Pros:

  • Well packaged with bubble wrap.
  • Price is reasonable.
  • Shipping came in 3 days via DHL. However, I believe this was simply because I was provided the unit for review. I believe standard shipping is via surface and you should expect 3-6 weeks.  I have not bought much from RC Moment, so not sure how fast they actually ship.  If someone can weigh in on the comments, I will update this note.
  • Instructions are well written and easy to follow.  If translation was done, it was done well.
  • Prop protection helps protect the blades.
  • The quad and prop protectors are flexible so it avoids breakage. I have hit the wall and floor over 10 times in the first few minutes of testing – and it is still working fine.

Cons:

  • Throttle had a tiny nub from the plastic mold that caused it to catch at full throttle.  It was easily removed with a knife, but good to check for these sort of things before powering up something like this.
  • Lots of plastic in the packaging – I look forward to the day when using recyclable materials for packaging is universal.  There are many clever ways cardboard can be used to protect products.  Plastics should be banned.
  • Word of warning – the plastic on these things don’t like cold.  My son took it outside to give it a try – when the temp was -12C. Before I had a chance to think about it, he was back in talking about it making ‘strange noises’…   Well, the becomes as brittle as potato chips…  The parts surrounding the props and one of the motor mounts broke when he crash landed it a few times. Time to break out the crazy glue.

I am going to do some more flight tests and report back on the performance if this little sucker.  For the time being, if you are interested, you can buy the quad here.