People who have used the FLYHAL FX1 drone say that it is one of the best deals within the $200 price range. However, it takes much more than the price to make a good drone. So, here, we are going to do a deep review of the FX1 and see whether it is a good investment.
FLYHAL makes many drones, such as the F111 Mini Drone and E69. However, what really sets the FX1 apart from the other models is that it looks like the MJX Bugs 16 Pro drone. Only the color and the price are different, with the Bugs 16 Pro coming in gray color while the FX1 is black.
Before you get to know the features and the flight functions of this drone, you need to know there is a learning curve. Thus, if this is your first quadcopter, you will need to take it slow at first so that you can learn how to use the camera, and how to fly it.
There are no propeller guards. You need to be extra careful because a crash could ruin the blades.
Keep reading to see the other features that this quadcopter comes with.
FLYHAL FX1 Features and Technical Specifications
To know whether you are getting good value for money, you need to know the features of the drone that you are buying. You will not be disappointed with this one because it comes with some good features.
Design and build quality
By design, you will see that this is a long-form drone. It is also foldable, so traveling with it or packing it for storage should not be a problem at all.
The unfolding size of the aircraft is 15.6 by 15.5 by 3.4 inches. The unfolding size is 11.6 by 3.1 by 3.4 inches, which is quite a reduction in size.
With a takeoff weight of 612g, you will need to register this drone before you can fly it. Most civil aviation authorities require the registration of every drone that is heavier than 250g before you can fly it.
This drone is designed with 2204 1000KV Brushless Motor. The main benefit of coming with brushless motors is that the drone gives a powerful flight experience, it is not too loud and it does not consume the battery as fast as brushed motors do.
This is a high quality camera drone. It comes with an SD card slot and it can support cards of up to size 128GB. Thus, you do not need to store your footage in your smartphone.
Finally, FLYHAL uses ABS plastic to make the fuselage of this drone. This is a strong material, so the drone is not going to disintegrate into pieces if it crashes.
Camera and Gimbal
This is a camera drone. It comes with a high quality camera. Therefore, you can use it to take high quality footage from the air.
To be precise, this is a 4K 5G camera. It has a long distance image transmission capability of up to 450 meters. Thus, you will enjoy a high quality FPV experience, which you can catch over your smartphone.
The photo and video resolution is 3840 by 2160P. Of course, the video resolution can differ depending on a few things such as the frame rate. Thus, at 60 FPS, you will capture video footage at a resolution of 1080P and at 30 FPS you will get 2160P.
The camera has a wide angle of view at 120 degrees. Since the vertical angle is also adjustable from the remote controller by up to 90 degrees, you can get the best view when the drone is flying.
To remove all distortion from your video and photo footage, there is a 3-axis coreless gimbal. This is definitely better than the 2-axis gimbals that most other drones within this price range come with. Coreless design is better than brushed or brushless designs for saving battery power.
Batteries and Flight Time
The FX1 comes with two batteries. These are Lipo 11.4V 3200mAh batteries. By design, they are modular, which means they charge outside the drone.
The drone package comes with a Type C charging cable so it does a faster job than a regular USB cable would. The charging time is 5.5 hours for one battery.
With a maximum operating temperature of 40°C, these batteries will never get too hot to handle. Also, they are safe to handle and they have overcharge protection, so they are not in any danger of exploding or sustaining damage even when they stay connected to the charger after they are full.
One battery is going to give you a flight time of about 28 minutes. Collectively, you get almost 60 minutes of flight time. You can also order more batteries if you want.
Remote Controller
This is a high quality remote controller. The first most noticeable feature is the small display screen in the middle.
This screen displays important details such as the battery voltage, distance from home (where you launched it from), altitude, speed mode the drone is flying on, the number of satellites and so on.
The remote controller also comes with different functions and keys for various things. On the right side in the front edge, there is the one key for take off and landing, the gimbal control wheel is on the left side while the speed switch is above the gimbal control key.
On the upper side of the remote controller, there is the smartphone holder that folds and stays out of the way when you do not need to use it. It will expand and it fits most of the modern smartphones.
The transmitter uses 2 AA batteries. On the transmitter LCD display, you will see the voltage remaining in the batteries too.
Carry bag
The storage bag is really a good addition to this package because it comes with extra pockets on the interior. It also comes with a hand carry strap so traveling with it is not hard. Everything fits inside the storage case.
Flight Functions
While this is not exactly a beginner drone, it still comes with many flight functions that make it a lot of fun to fly, especially the ones that enable you to fly it hands-free.
Here are some of them:
GPS and Optical Flow Positioning
GPS connectivity means that the drone will stay connected to the GPS module in your smartphone, so it can come back home automatically (when it loses signal or the battery dies) or it will come back with the use of the return to home key.
Optical flow ensures the drone maintains its altitude during the entire flight time. It also enhances the hovering experience.
Follow Me
Get the FX1 drone to follow you while taking footage from a distance. Follow me mode is available on the app, so you can enjoy flying the drone in hands-free mode.
Point of interest
Again, with this function, you can get the quadcopter to fly around a certain landmark or monument, while taking video and photo footage from different angles.
Tap Fly
With this flight function, you just need to open the map interface and tap a route on the screen that you would like the drone to follow. It will fly along that route when you launch it.
Slow and fast speed modes
As a beginner, you want to fly this aircraft at slow speed at first and then try the fast speed when you have gained some experience.
One key take off and landing
With just one key, you can get this quadcopter to take off or launch. You can also make it land with just one key. This function is best for beginners since it takes the guesswork out of the picture.
Short Summary of Feedback from Owners
The footage is so clear, thanks to the camera with the 3-axis gimbal and EIS. It also stores the footage onboard on your SD card. Even if you are a beginner, this is a good drone to buy. Aman M.
This is a good drone, but you need some time to learn how to fly it. The flight performance is so good thanks to the brushless motors and the slim, sleek shape. Johnell J.
I am impressed by the high speed of 40KPH. This is a fast drone and when you punch the high-speed key, it goes off at a blink. Fly it at slow speed to catch a good FPV experience. Bruce S.
This is a stable drone and it flies well. I found it a bit confusing to know the right app to use. However, after figuring things out, you get a high quality flier. Symo K.
FLYHAL FX1 Pros
- Supports PD fast charging where you can charge the battery in as little as an hour
- Stable and powerful flight
- Flies at fast speed of 40KPH
- Takes nice pictures and videos
- It comes with a high quality storage and carry bag
- Affordable price for such advanced features
- 50 Times zoom
FLYHAL FX1 Cons
- You cannot fly the FLYHAL FX1 drone indoors because it is too big
- Some people have trouble finding the right app
Who should buy the FLYHAL FX1 Drone?
This drone is good for users of all skills. However, it is too big for a beginner kid so it could feel a bit intimidating. It is best to get kids mini drones as their first drones.
If you buy this as your first drone, you might never need to upgrade it because it comes with a good selection of features and flight functions.
Since it has two speed modes, you can start on the low speed to learn how to fly and then try the more advanced speed later.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This is a very good drone by all measures, coming with brushless motors, long flight time per battery and high quality brushless motors.
Before you fly it, read the user manual. Know how to use the different keys on the remote controller and how best you can fly it.
You also need to start on the low speed and then hit the high speed after you learn how to fly it. Also, do not fly the FX1 in the wind because a gust can make it impossible for the drone to respond to the return-to-home command.
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