Air Terminators Battle Drones

Let me first thank Riviera RC for allowing me to test some of their interesting and exciting products.

The item up for testing today is the Air Terminators Battle Drones, part number RIV-Y822, by Riviera RC. The product was packaged well and survived shipping without damage. In the box were two drones, batteries for the drones, two controllers (without batteries) and spare parts.

Set up was simple and the instructions were thorough and easily followed. Although these drones are easy to master and well balanced, you still need to know how to fly a drone to effectively battle or dogfight. So, I can't say that this product would be suitable for beginners. On the flip side, I'm not a expert pilot and I was able to fly them easily. To the products credit, the instructions admonish the user to become familiar with all the flight controls and practice before attempting battle. You battle by maneuvering your drone and shooting a laser; easily controlled by a button on the transmitter, at your opponent.  Each drone responds to a "hit"; the first and second change the drone's head position, the third causes it to flip and, finally, the fourth causes the drone to land and the fight is over. The transmitter control sticks were a little stiff, but were aided by the ability to adjust the "speed" of the drone (40%/70%/100%). Most drones have this ability, but I don't know why they call it "speed". To me the "speed" change simply alters how the drone reacts to the transmitter input. In other words you have greater maneuverability via a steeper angle of attack. Additionally, the drone has roll and flip capability and performs impressive acrobatics. Like a lot of drones, flight outdoors has to be performed in little to no wind. You will need and appreciate a second set of batteries to continue the fun.

This product is obviously a toy, but I found it to be durable and well built. I am disappointed that Riviera has chosen not to include a LED/LCD screen on its transmitters to monitor performance (something most manufacturers provide) and a on/off switch on the drones. Overall I found these drones to be thoroughly enjoyable to fly, both in and out of battle. I believe Riviera has a winner here.

Selecting a Drone

It's no secret that I love the Syma quadcopters (or just quads). Folks at the hobbyist level will sometimes snicker when it comes to toy drones. One argument being that they require a fair amount of maintenance and upkeep; and that you will eventually spend enough money to justify  buying a hobbyist level drone to begin with. I currently own six toy drones and have less than $500 in them, including spares. I also believe the upkeep and maintenance is part of the hobby and the fun. Regardless; you have to start somewhere, and I'd rather see you spend less than $60 to find out if the hobby is for you. Which brings us back to Syma quads, particularly the X5C-1. There is a predecessor to this model, called the X5C without the 1. I have not flown that model and there are several explanations as to why they changed the designation. One was an effort to consolidate and minimize the packaging, which helps with costs, as it is manufactured in China. Some also say improvements were made to address complaints of stability issues.  I have found that Amazon gives you about the best deal on the internet and they also have every part imaginable for the Syma quads; (which is one of the reasons I love them). Do yourself a favor and purchase some spare batteries and a crash kit with it. I am not going to bore you with minutiae; there are plenty of places that will break down the details of this quad for you.

I had experience with other drones before I flew the X5C-1 and my first impression is that it is very lightweight. I say that because one should be aware that you have to be gentle with the throttle as it will climb quickly. The flip side to having substantial power is that this drone is very catchable and forgiving. If it starts to gain altitude too fast and you need to lower it, you can literally chop the throttle and catch it by reapplying throttle. Not all drones will let you do that. This quad comes with two settings, changed by pressing the button on the top left side of the transmitter. I always fly in "H", as I prefer to the higher angle of attack when I'm fighting wind. This quad is a superb flyer, forgiving and easy to master. Concentrate on the basics at first (check out  my prior post on beginning flying) and you should find this quad to be a joy to fly. As you gain confidence you will find, by depressing the upper right hand button on the transmitter and moving the right hand stick (or rudder), that you can get the quad to perform barrel rolls and flips-something Syma calls inversion. Make sure you have the provided memory card installed and you can also take photographs or shoot videos by actuating the trim switch to the right of the power lever-up for photos down for video. Not the greatest pictures and videos, perhaps, but impressive considering the cost of the quad. As my skills have progressed I still find myself flying my X5C-1. That's a testament to how great a little drone it is and I highly recommend it.

The Art of Flying

Flying a drone, especially one at the toy level, requires finesse and recognition of limitations. Finesse, in that you have to know precisely what amount of force and in which direction to move the transmitter's control levers. Limitation, in that you have to know the range and altitude limits of your drone. First, read the manual and familiarize your self with the controls. Second, find an open field, free of trees or obstructions. Assuming you have little or no experience, start by applying a little throttle (you did read the manual, right?) till the drone starts to lift off. Be careful, because some craft will soar once they leave the ground. This is where finesse comes in and you need to moderate the throttle lever. To start, do not exceed much more than head high altitude. Believe it or not, maintaining head high altitude and hovering will greatly aid you in future flights. If there is little to no wind, and you feel comfortable, you can start applying trim to aid in hovering. Maybe I'm just lucky and have well mannered drones, but I do not use the trim switches. I have found that the least amount of wind can upset a drone, so I am applying force to the levers most of the time anyway. Moving on. Once you feel you can control the drone in a small area, it's time to figure out what is the head and tail of your drone. Most manufacturers apply tape or paint to the head of the drone and/or install different colored propeller(s). This is vitally important to know because it dictates what input to apply to the controls. Here's the process as best as I can explain it. Come to a hover and apply forward force to the right control lever. If you're drone is pointing forward, it will move away from you. You can bring the drone back by applying reverse force to the same control lever. Now, we'll make it a little more complicated. Using the identifiers mentioned earlier, apply force to the left or right on the power lever and the drone should rotate left or right bringing it around so that the head is facing you once again. Now the input needed will be reversed to move the drone backward or forward. If you lose orientation, remember the color identifiers and/or apply input forward and backward to the right stick to determine which way brings the drone towards you. If all else fails do not panic and set the drone down. Finally, we haven't mentioned what moving the right control lever left or right does. In the beginning try to limit yourself to basic, low altitude back and forth and figure eight flight exercises. As you progress you'll notice that you need to guide the drone to the left or right to keep it on track. That is what the right lever's left and right input accomplishes. It is very similar to the rudder on conventional aircraft. I can't overstress how important it is to take baby steps and limit your altitude and distance from the transmitter to begin with. It is very important to note that most toy level drones have very limited range. It is also important to note that that range is not only determined by distance, but also altitude. You may want to enlist the aid of a friend or two and determine that distance in an unobstructed area. There are hacks to improve the reception of the drone which we'll discuss later. Now, go practice and have fun!

Some things to note. A lot of drones offer a headless mode which is suppose to aid in removing the confusion on what input is needed to control it. Basically, in the headless mode, the drone will respond to the right transmitter lever input no matter which way it is oriented. Simply put pull the lever and the drone will come toward you and vice versa. Personally, I have found that to be confusing; especially in the beginning. Some transmitters also offer the ability to change/swap what each lever controls; often referred to as Mode 2. We'll delve into all of that in later posts.

First Post on Drones

As drones have grown in popularity it soon became clear that navigating the flooded market is difficult, at best. There are endless choices and varieties of drones with widely varied prices. I intend this to serve everyone, but wish to deal specifically with the consumer just beginning to explore the world of drones. As this blog (hopefully) grows it might expand outward to the more expensive and usually more complicated hobbyist level. For now its intent is to help the "average Joe" get started in the hobby.

I believe the beginner should spend under $100, or even lower, to facilitate the learning process without breaking the bank, should the "worse" occur. Unfortunately, the "worse" can and does occur; you're flying, after all. Let me jump ahead here. There are hard core hobbyists that believe you should just take the plunge and buy an expensive drone to begin with. The argument being that you'll eventually spend that  money getting there. I am writing this from the perspective that I am not out to take perfect pictures and/or video. Nor am I (at least for the near future) aiming to send a drone out on some complicated, GPS guided mission. There is plenty of fun to be had at the beginner level experimenting with photography, acrobatics and just the basics of flying.

Getting to the meat and potatoes. YouTube is invaluable for lessons on flying, take time to watch a few of the videos. The internet itself is just as valuable and you should research and read the reviews on any drone you're interested in purchasing. Before the purchase ensure that you have verified that the manufacturer offers technical support and parts are readily available. More posts will follow soon with lots of info on the hobby, including helpful hints and guidance. I'll also share some of the things I learned the hard way. Meantime, take a look at the Syma X5C-1 or the Hubsan X-4. They're both great drones for beginners.