The Hubsan X4 H107C drone isn’t much bigger than an overgrown bumblebee. Seriously, we’re not kidding. It fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and can be flown indoors as well as outside. But don’t let its diminutive size fool you. The pint-sized pilotless aircraft packs a punch.
Probably better suited to beginners, the Hubsan X4 H107C is durable and robust, with a sleek design and excellent handling. It’s very well-priced, and definitely worth considering. The X4 H107C is an updated version of the popular H107L and comes with its very own camera, which is a very nifty addition.
Okay, so let’s take a closer look and see what all it has to offer, why we think it’s an excellent choice and what you can expect.
What we like:
- It’s durable, especially compared to other quadcopters in a similar price range
- Can fly indoors and outside
- Great design and looks good
- It’s responsive, can do flips and turns and handles well
- It has different flight modes
- It has a camera
What we don’t like:
- Flight time is average
- Can’t fly outside if there’s the slightest wind
- The camera quality isn’t great
- It takes a while to charge
In the Box
Like we said, the Hubsan H107C is really good value for money, and it even comes with a few extras, including:
- 4 GHz transmitter
- USB charger
- Prop guards
- Spare propellers
- LiPo battery
Transmitter: The 2.4 GHz transmitter that comes standard with the drone isn’t too bad at all, and you’ll be able to hold it in your hands, which can’t be said for other drones of this size.
USB Charger: It’ll take about an hour to charge the drone with the charger, but it’s not a big deal because you’ll find it’s the case with most quadcopters that fall within this price range.
Prop guards: Yes, we know, prop guards will reduce your drone’s flight time, but we strongly recommend you install them. Your prop guards preserve the props, and once you feel a little more confident behind the controls, you can take them off.
Spare propellers: Unless you’re an expert, when it comes to your drone it’s not a case of IF it crashes but rather WHEN. Spare propellers are very necessary, and if (or rather when) they’re all damaged, you can buy extra spares separately.
Lithium Polymer battery: The drone comes with a 380mAh LiPo battery, which is a particular type of Lithium battery.
Buy Hubsan X4 H107C
The Design
Okay, so awesomeness is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s safe to say the Hubsan X4 H107C is very cool looking, and it’s available in two color combinations, black with green or black with red. In our experience, for when it crash lands, red is better because it increases its visibility. For a drone in this price range, it’s a solid little thing and will handle a few tumbles. The propeller guard is also well-made and worth keeping on until you feel more comfortable.
Flying the X4 H107C
This drone is pretty easy to fly if you’ve flown any of the X4 models before. Of course, if you’re a new pilot, it’s going to take a little bit of trial and error (and a few crashes) to get the hang of it. Pairing the remote and quadcopter is simple enough, you just need to plug in the battery, place the drone in the launch area and turn on the remote. It takes about half a second for the LED lights to stop flashing, and you’re ready for take off.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the H107C is powerful for its size and a lot more responsive than you might expect. So if you’re operating it for the first time, it’s a good idea to keep the propeller guard on. It’s a bit of a pain to put them on; you need to remove the four propellers (with the included removal tool), slide the guard over each mount and then reattach them. They also add extra weight but trust us, they keep your props safe.
The Camera and Video
The X4 H107C, unlike the H107L, comes with a standard definition 720×480 resolution 25 fps camera. What this means is you’ll get some decent footage, but it’s the by no stretch of the imagination anywhere near professional quality. The video records onto the microSD card, and it records sound, but again it’s not the best camera on the market.
If you use the camera indoors with low-light, the footage isn’t great, but you’ll get some pretty decent shots outside with the sun shining. For us, the quality of the camera is where it should be, given the price of the quadcopter. We need to add that if you’re buying it for the camera, you’re going to be left feeling very disappointed.
The Transmitter
The transmitter is light, fits well in your hands and comes with all the settings and adjustments you need to fly. It displays the remote battery level, which is handy. There is an LCD display, recording button, buttons for the different flight modes and of course a power button. But what we particularly like is that shows your throttle position. This tells you how much throttle is needed to reach various heights.
Battery Life and Flight Time
Again, flight time depends on how experienced you are flying the H107C, but on average you’ll get between seven and 10 minutes. We’ve gotten around nine minutes, but that’s with no landings, flips, and takeoffs, just cruising. It can take up to an hour to charge it, which can be a little frustrating, especially if you all want to do is fly. But to be fair, it’s what you can expect from most quads in the price range.
Conclusion
So, what’s our verdict? In our opinion, you can’t go wrong with the Hubsan X4 H107C. For a very affordable price, you get a drone with a camera that flies well and has agile handling. It’s the perfect quadcopter to learn on, and the video camera allows you to hone your skills before you move onto something better (and more expensive). You’ll be hard-pressed to find another quadcopter in this price range that offers everything the H107C does.