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Parrot Swing + Flypad Review

With the Parrot Swing + Flypad, you can expect the full flight package that will get you started flying a mini drone. The Parrot Swing  is a small, remote controlled toy drone . It is small, but it has been built to withstand the rigors of flying, it will not break into pieces when it crashes and the best thing yet is that it will take off and land vertically, just as the big boys of the quad drone world. What sets this mini drone apart from the others is that it has X wings, and the fact that it can hover like a chopper and fly like a plane. It can do incredible speed as you will see in this Parrot Swing + Flypad review. Whether you are looking for something to fly about or an unforgettable drone for your child, this is it.

Parrot Swing + Flypad

Parrot Swing + Flypad Features & Technical Details

Small size – This drone measures 160mm by 78mm by 9.8mm only. It is one of the lightest quadcopters in the market. Its wings are shaped like an X and they are made of polystyrene to keep them as light as possible. The wings are the most noticeable feature on this drone because they are big. To make the drone even lighter, the skeleton is made of plastic. This is where the wings are attached. When you buy the drone, it will come with a pair of batteries, remote control (Flypad), charging cable (micro USB), manual and 4 spare propellers.

LED lights for status – In the front of the drone, there are two “eyes” or LED lights that are hard to miss. These serve two purposes. One, if they are red, then it means the drone batteries are drained, time to come back home. If they are green, it means the drone is good to go and that the remote control is connected.

Flypad and smartphone stand – The remote control of the Parrot Swing drone comes with a smartphone stand. If you like, you can mount your phone and  monitor the progress of the drone and the status of the battery on the phone. The Flypad is compactly built and it comes with two joystick controls as well as button controls. You can fly the drone from your smartphone alone as long as you have downloaded the Parrot app.

Easy to use app – If you would like to connect to the drone through your smartphone, make sure you download the Free Flight app, which is designed to connect to your drone through Bluetooth Low Energy. This app will enable you to achieve many things among them the use of JoyPad mode (virtual joysticks) or just use the tilt mode to steer the drone.

Serious flight acrobatics – It may be a small drone, but it has the capacity to do serious flight acrobatics. For example, you can take corners at high speed, do in flight flips, loops, somersaults and dives. You may also set in quadcopter mode to fly it in autopilot, which keeps it stable even when hovering even without you having to touch the controls.

Speed – You can fly this drone at a maximum speed of 19 mph. To do that, you just need to lean the drone forward and away it goes at high speed. To minimize speed, lean it backward. It also has a feature called Boost Mode, which enables you to give it a burst of speed mid-race, a good thing indeed if you are in a drone race.

The camera – There is a camera located at the rear of the drone. Remember the charging slot and the battery slot is also in the rear. This camera will only capture still images, no videos.

Flight time – Charging time for the battery is 30 minutes only. Since it only uses one battery at a time, it is best that you charge both of them to get more flight time. With the battery full, the drone can give you 10 minutes of flight. If the battery goes down to about 2% the drone will go to quadcopter mode automatically and will land shortly after.

Parrot-Swing+Flypad

Short Summary of Feedback From Existing Owners

The first time I flew the Parrot Swing mini drone, I crashed it in a pile of foliage. It cost me one propeller, which I could not locate. Apart from that, I have had no other issue with this little drone. Harold P.

I gifted my son this drone for taking good care of the lawn when I was sick. The joy that fills his face every time he flies it tells me I bought him just the right thing. I would say I bought him the perfect gift and from time to time, we do fly it together.  John T.

We fly this one with my daughter and although we have never flown it using my phone, we have had a lot of fun flying it with the remote control. We love our Parrot Swing! Phoebe M.

Small, nimble and affordable. I bought two of these drones so I can beat my son at flying in our backyard. I am yet to beat him. Drone Dad

Pros of Parrot Swing

  • It is very affordable
  • Comes with four spare propellers
  • Good and easy for a beginner drone enthusiast
  • Battery charges fast – 30 minutes
  • Versatile control – Flypad or phone
  • Tough enough to handle crashes

Cons of Parrot Swing

  • It is hard to tell the clockwise propellers from the anti-clockwise ones as they are not indicated. If you install the clockwise prop in place of the anticlockwise one, it may cause the drone to flop when you fly it.
  • Flight time is short

Who Should BuyParrot Swing

With the short flight time in mind, as well as the learning curve, this drone is best suited for people who want to a toy drone, so you will not be buying it for its camera or any other function apart from fun. Any drone enthusiast will find this one a lot of fun to fly. Considering its affordability, you can buy it for your kids. They will love it. It is also the best drone for you if you are looking for a drone that can fly in plane mode instead of quadcopter mode.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The Parrot Swing offers a drone enthusiast two choices – fly in quadcopter mode or in plane mode. Many people love the latter especially as it is missing in many drones. Apart from fun, there is not much else to expect from this minidrone as the camera quality is low. Even with the few misgivings that you have seen in this Parrot Swing + Flypad review, this is still one incredible drone to fly indoors or outdoors.

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