Top 5 RC Quadcopters for beginners

After getting word about the latest WLtoys RC Quadcopters this week, it got us wondering which are the top 5 RC Quadcopters for beginners. These are what we found.

When choosing these RC quadcopters we haven’t gone for necessarily the cheapest models on the market, instead we have taken ease of flight, stability and durability in to account. Anyone who has every tried to fly RC Quadcopters will know how important these attributes are to the beginner, plus these are just the features you need for a spot of aerial photography.

Why is GizChina writing about RC quadcopters?

Summer is here and like you we want to be outside enjoying it. What better way than to take to the skies with your very own UFO? Also, China happens to be THE market for RC quadcopters.

Top 5 RC Quadcopters for beginners

We’ll place the RC quadcopters in price order from the least expensive to the most, listing important features which you will find helpful when choosing your first quad.

Syma X5S Explorer RC quadcopter

The most affordable quadcopter on our list isn’t the cheapest available, but it is possibly the best for the beginner who want to fly RC quadcopters indoors and outdoors.

The Syma X5S Explorer is a ready to fly quadcopter featuring a 2.4Ghz transmitter suitable for flying at a distance of 50 meters. This may not sound like much, but you you should check regulations in your country on flying RC quadcopters as 50 meters might be enough.

There is also a built-in 2 mega-pixel camera that can take around 800 photos and save then in the on-board memory. 4 channel control and 500mAh battery.

Users have noted that the Syma X5S is a good starter quad, but has a short flight time and the camera quality could be better, still at $70 USD it is very affordable.

Hubsan FPV X4

The Hubsan FPV X4 is one of the smallest FPV RC quadcopters on sale today. The tiny quad is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand yet includes LED lights for night flying and a built in first person view camera.

Despite its size the X4 has a range of more than 100 meters (depending on conditions) and due to it’s small size can be easily transported to a safe flight location.

Nice features include 4 channel control with built-in 4.3-inch LCD display for a live video stream.

Again, this is a starter model and has a short flight time and the small size means it isn’t as stable as larger, more powerful models for outdoor flying. Pricing is very good though at around $145 USD.

Walkera QR Y100

This first person view is strictly an RC quadcopter as it has 6 rotors instead of 4, but this gives it a little extra stability, and aids flying for the beginner.

The Walkera is the first on this list of RC quadcopters to break the 10 minute flight time, with good weather conditions sometimes allowing the 6 axis model to fly for almost 20 minutes. The larger battery and more advanced Devo 4 transmitter means that controlling distances are increased to up to 300 meters.

Like the first two quads, the Walkera QR Y100 has a built-in camera. Walkera have also added a return home feature to this quad meaning if the Y100 looses connection with the transmitter it will automatically return to where ti started it’s flight.

Finally an Android and iOS app mean you can choose to control the Walkera QR Y100 with your Android phone, tablet or iOS device. Pricing is around $235 USD.

Walkera X350 Pro

This is where we start getting in to more serious RC quadcopters. The following models don’t come with a built-in camera, but instead are powerful enough to carry a GoPro (or similar) and boast advanced features.

Another device from Walkera, the X350 Pro was one of the first RC quadcopters to go on sale to really rival the DJI Phantom. Walkera have designed the QR 350 with some design input from the industry leading DJI, but have managed to keep the retail price down.

Powerful motors mean and a 10 channel transmitter mean this quad can travel up to 2KM away (depending on the load it is carrying and weather conditions).A WIFI option is also available which turns your Android phone in to a HUD.

The BNF version of the Walkera QR350 Pro also has built in GPS and is stable enough for very windy conditions, however it does not come with the camera gimbal, receiver, transmitter or battery.

CX-20 Auto-pathfinder

The final entry on our RC quadcopters list is the CX20. As you can see from the design, this is the closest you can get to the look of the popular DJI Phantom without breaking the bank. Luckily the CX20 is also filled with great features, so it can perform just as well as the DJI too.

Built-in GPS means that this RC quad can return home if it looses contact with the transmitter at anytime. The CX-20 will also automatically return home if it senses it is running out of power.

Stable mode makes this the possibly the easiest of the RC quadcopters here you can fly. Simply fly the model to your desired height and let go of the control and the CX20 will hover there. Stability control works on all axis meaning you can get some terrific aerial footage even at heights of over 300 meters.

The CX20 might be the most expensive on the list at $327, but it is also the model that you can use for professional work and will be the easiest to handle.

Top 5 RC Quadcopters for beginners

With a growing trend and global interest in RC quadcopters we plan to write more articles and even review these devices from time to time. If there is anything you would like us to cover then feel free to let us know.

Also, if you have a quadcopter suggestion, or want to tell us your experience with one of the above, please do in the comments below.