By Chad Budreau and Matt Ruddick More rotors provide greater stability Photos and video by Chad Budreau and Matt Ruddick Full review in the Fall 2015 Park Pilot.
Specifications
Type: RTF micro quadcopter Skill level: Beginner Diagonal measurement: 2.5 inches Weight: 0.7 ounces Price: $39.99 Info: towerhobbies.comFeatures
• Three speed settings • Six rotors for stable flight • Auto-flip button for instant flips • Multicolored LEDs for easier tracking • 3.7-volt 150 mAh LiPo battery and USB charger • Durable construction to survive impactsMatt Ruddick: I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Two things are better than one.” Well, how about “six motors are better than four?” That’s the story with the Nano Hexagon from Revell. This micro-size multirotor comes ready to fly and features six small and punchy motors that offer you a stable flying experience, LED lights at the end of each arm to assist in orientation during day or night, a built-in 150 mAh rechargeable battery with charger, and the ability to do aerobatic flips on command. Chad Budreau: And it comes at a great price ready to fly out of the box. The Nano Hexagon has a retail price of $39.99. MR: At that price point, I didn’t expect a whole lot in the way of toughness and build quality, but that was the first thing that shocked me when unboxing it. CB: I’ve flown other slightly larger park-size multirotors that can take a beating. I, too, was worried that this micro multirotor wouldn’t last more than a few flights, but that’s not the case. MR: This thing felt sturdier than any other micro-size aircraft that I’ve handled. Although many products feature a body that is, more or less, an exposed circuit board, this shell is made from a thick plastic that I feel confident could take a beating without affecting its flying characteristics. CB: The Nano Hexagon can really take some hard landings! The only damage I encountered was that a couple of the rubber feet under the motors fell off after a few flights. They didn’t appear to be adhered well. MR: Luckily, that was an easy fix and we had no problems after that. CB: As a safety precaution, I went ahead and removed all of the feet and reglued them. Because the Nano Hexagon is so small, if one rubber foot is off, the balance and trim will be affected. MR: Because this is the first hexcopter that I’ve had the privilege to fly, I was anxious to see if the added rotors would assist in stability. Even on something this small (2.5 inches in diameter), I immediately noticed the increased stability that I found lacking in quadcopters of this class. Precise movements and pinpoint landings were slightly easier on the Nano Hexagon than what I’m used to, and my ability to do a static hover improved quite a bit. CB: Even compared to larger park-size multirotors, the Nano Hexagon was surprisingly stable. Of course, it can’t handle much of a breeze, but it performed better than my micro coaxial helicopters. MR: One thing I hadn’t accounted for when flying the Nano Hexagon was how difficult orientation would be. There are LED lights that light up each of the six arms and in a configuration that makes it easy to see which arms are the leads. With something this size, however, I found keeping track of six LED lights at even a modest distance difficult, especially in the bright sunlight. CB: You’ll find three distinct flight modes on the Nano Hexagon. Like other micro-size multirotors, clicking in the left stick of the transmitter will cycle between beginner, intermediate, and expert modes. You’ll want to keep the manual nearby during your first flights to make sure you are in beginner mode. MR: I used the beginner mode to get a good feel for the handling of the Nano Hexagon, and quickly moved up to advanced mode to gain more control. I recommend that approach for most users, especially those who’ve never flown an aircraft of this size. CB: Beginner mode is the best way to learn to fly the Nano Hexagon. After a few flights, most pilots should feel comfortable moving to a more advanced flight mode. In advanced mode, you’ll want to fly in extremely calm conditions. I normally keep mine in beginner or intermediate mode. MR: : This little guy does the standard flip maneuvers that we’ve come to expect from this class of multirotor. Similar to its competitors, a click of the right stick and a flick in any direction will toss the Nano Hexagon into an acrobatic flip that will surely impress your friends and family. Even I would get the occasional “oohs” and “ahhs” when doing this at our office. One nice thing I noticed about the Nano Hexagon’s flipping is that it lost far less altitude with each flip than I’m used to seeing. In most cases, my recovery altitude was roughly the same as where I began. This gave me far more confidence to attempt these tricks in any situation I found myself flying in. CB: It’s almost expected to lose altitude when doing an auto flip, but I agree, I was surprised this didn’t drop much. Other auto-flip multirotors require quite a few feet of clearance, but not this aircraft. MR: Revell made an interesting decision when bringing the Nano Hexagon to market. As I looked through the user manual, I couldn’t help but find something I wasn’t used to seeing with a device at this price point: photo illustrations and instructions on replacing the blades, the battery, and the motors. For such an inexpensive device, one would expect that Revell would prefer that you buy a new model if you damage a motor or if your battery surpasses its peak performance. Fortunately, that’s not the case here. The company notes that some soldering experience is required, but that replacement is a trivial exercise. This is a practice that should be a welcome sight to an experienced modeler looking for something small to fly without the fear of irreparable damage. CB: Overall, I find this a worthy product, especially at its low price point. It provides ample fun, both indoors and out, and should keep both novice and expert pilots entertained for many flights. Read the full review and see photos in the Fall 2015 issue of Park Pilot. 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