Remote Control Helicopter Reviews


#1 Syma S107/S107G R/C Helicopter--Best First Copter

Syma is the number one provider in the toy category with their patented Coaxial technology. The S107/S107G is honestly a marvel to fly around. The quality of the S107/S107G is on par with the flights of many Beginner Hobbyists Helis yet is priced in the toy category making it an EXCELLENT first copter. The S107/S107G is lightweight enough for some indoor flights, but is also able to fly at low height outdoors! Reviews are overwhelmingly positive and this copter has dominated the Amazon Best Seller list since it came out. It uses the perfected Syma Coaxial technology to stay nearly perfectly stable. In addition, it uses a simple balance bar to resist changes in direction and allow for total user control. This Copter has 3 CH motion: Vertical, Horizontal, and Perpendicular. Fly time is safety 5 minutes and charge time is 15 minutes with a recommended 5 minutes between charging and flying to avoid overheating. Following precautions, the helicopter is reported to last hundreds of flights.

    Syma S107/S107G Classification: Toy- Coaxial Gyroscopic

  1. Indoor Flight Recommended
  2. Parts are irreplaceable
  3. Low Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  4. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Durable Metal Construction
  2. Rapid Charging
  3. Portable
  4. Price
  5. Ease of Use
    Cons
  1. Suited For Indoor Flight
  2. Must be Charged
    in between uses
  3. See how to upgrade
    the Syma S107 Battery
Price Range: $15-35




#2 UDI U818A 2.4GHz 4 CH 6 Axis-- Most Affordable Quad-Copter

UDI is the number one seller of quad copters. The China based company has managed to get the best features of quad-copters at an affordable price. This piece of machinery flies like much more expensive tech. The U818A has a built in gyroscope that can be activated to combat winds or it can be disactivated to allow for the highest horizontal speed. The U818A is beginner friendly with its protected blades. Amazon places this copter on its highest rated list and it is definently deserving! This UDI flies for roughly 9 minutes while keeping the battery at a safe charge. Then the common 3.7 v LiPo battery can be replaced for another round! These batteries go for $3-$5 around the web and there are people who have modded theirs to take higher capacity batteries for longer flights. The Range is categorized at 30m but that is hardly a stiff line as we have successfully tested over 40m before signal weakened noticeably. Also the U818A comes pre equipped with a 480p standard definition camera. This Copter is an absolute steal at the price point with the amount of features it comes with and is a testament to the real benefits of purchasing in the Beginner hobbyists category rather than the toy category.

    UDI U818A Classification: Beginner Hobbyist- Quad-Copter

  1. Outdoor Flight Capable
  2. Parts are Replaceable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Medium Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Very Easy to Fly
  2. Portable
  3. Price
  4. Camera is built in
  5. Exchangeable Parts
  6. Consecutive Flights
  7. Suited For Indoor
    and Outdoor Flight
    Cons
  1. Power Inefficient
  2. Charging Takes 2 Hours
  3. Made of Plastic
    Components
  4. Short Range for the Size





























#3 WLtoys V913 2.4G 4CH RC Helicopter RTF- Largest Size in Price Range

The first contender from the Scale Category! Based on the HeliSport Ch7Kompress helicopter, the V913 is a sleek model that is very fairly priced. This is an absolutely gorgeous single rotor helicopter. This is an excellent first step into the scale category as a 1:50 ratio. This particular copter uses a realistic single rotor which makes it a bit harder to fly, it has a balance bar to offset this, but a new rotorist will find this to be a more difficult flight pattern than a quad or coaxial. However, unlike coaxial, it offers a full 4 channels of motion. This allows it to pitch and yaw in addition to the up/down, forward/reverse, and perpendicular motion. The battery is 7.4 V 1500mAH beast that will put this 14in helicopter in the sky for a full 10 minutes. This Heli is large enough that you can feel the power it produces. Another benefit is that batteries are grabbable under $20 if you can wait the 2 weeks for importing. It does take a little expertise to change out the batteries, which is a great introduction to the field of modification. Out of all of the copters on Amazon's best seller list, this is the best size/dollar ratio. Due to the use of single rotor and aircraft size, this heli is much more difficult to fly and is a higher level of flight than the previous options. This is an excellent start for hobbyists looking to have something to take to an airfield!

    V913 Classification: Beginner Hobbyist- Scale Model

  1. Outdoor Flight Capable
  2. Parts are Replaceable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Medium Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Learn More about Classifications
    Pros
  1. More Realistic Flight
  2. Size to Price Ratio
  3. Exchangeable Parts
  4. Consecutive Flights
  5. High Altitude Flight
    Cons
  1. More Difficult Flight
  2. Requires more
    maintenance than others
  3. Long Charge time

























#4 Walkera Super CP 6Ch RTF- Indestructible and Extremely Challenging

The Super CP is a cost effective, realistic flight heli. This is a sturdy little heli measures at a stout 9 inches long and is notorious for its ability to take a beating. Many people love to take this guy out to the airfield and see peoples expression as they crash it into trees, power lines, and trash cans. People who are flying larger or even same sized helis will freak out but the Super CP will keep on trucking! It is easy to get a full day of use out of one with its standard 3.7v LiPo batteries which are about $3 and give 10 minutes of active flight each. The Super CP offers a full six channels of motion, vertical, horizontal, perpendicular, pitch, yaw, and roll! It offers fully realistic flight and all of the benefits and challenges that come with. It is not unheard of to flip this guy upside down and send him careening to the ground from 20 feet only to walk up, flip it over, and throttle back up! Probably the most forgiving realistic heli on the Amazon Best Seller list!

    Super CP Classification: Beginner Hobbyist- Realistic Gyroscopic

  1. Outdoor Flight Capable
  2. Parts are Replaceable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Medium Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Fully Realistic Flight
  2. Cheap Batteries
  3. Exchangeable Parts
  4. Consecutive Flights
  5. Full 8in long
  6. Extreme Durability
    Cons
  1. Most Difficult Flight
  2. Less Weight than most:
    Wind has large effect

























Syma S109G 2.4 GHz 3CH- Bridges Coaxial and Single Rotor Flight

The Syma S109G brings lot to the table that has not been mentioned yet. The S109G is the PRIME example of a Toy class Scale model. It is based off of the most well known FAC (fast attack copter), the Apache. It reduces the amount of difficulty by only allowing 3.5 ch of motion. This is a step up from the most basic 3 Ch by allowing the user to implement a fixed pitch for strafe motion. This allows for more acrobatics than the others in its price range but also makes it a little more difficult to learn on. Syma counteracts this by giving it a slightly thinker frame than others in its class allowing for some great protection to the internal components. This does result in slightly shorter flight times due to higher weight, around 5 minutes. This is in the toy class, so you must charge between flights and cannot do contiguous flights. Over all, this is an excellent bridge in difficulty and is the best choice for those wanting something more difficult to try on!

    Syma S109/S109G Classification: Toy- Coaxial Scale

  1. Indoor Flight Recommended
  2. Parts are irreplaceable
  3. Low Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  4. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Easier than Single Rotor
  2. Fast Charging
  3. Price
  4. Durability
  5. Attracting design
    Cons
  1. Harder than 3Ch flight
  2. Cannot be taken Outside

























#6 Syma S026G 3.5Ch Mini Chinook- High Powered Mini size

The Syma S026G follows the Syma trend of small steps. The Chinook S026G is another step harder to fly than the S109G (which is harder than the S107G). The Chinook is approximately 50% bigger but has 200% more power. My experience with the Chinook Places it at the top of the Toy Category in terms of fun. It also wins the most stylish toy scale! The Chinook is not made for outdoors, but can handle it better than most other minis. As produced, the Chinook is a little slow moving, but a small weight added to the nose and a small trim adjustment makes this guy a beast! From personal experience, it is easy to build up speed and smash it since this is a modification. Remember that it is in the toy class so it is irreparable.

    Syma S026G Classification: Toy- Coaxial Scale

  1. Indoor Flight Recommended
  2. Parts are irreplaceable
  3. Low Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  4. Learn More about Classifications
    Pros
  1. Fastest Coaxial
  2. Eye Catching Model
  3. Price
  4. Durability
  5. Very Entertaining Flight
    Cons
  1. Harder than 3Ch flight
  2. Not a great starter
  3. Higher Speeds means
    More Dangerous

























#7 WLToys V911 2.4 GHz 4CH- Best Trainer Single Rotor

WLToys has a range of copters for a whole lot of different environments. The V911 is their response to the Syma F3. Both size in around 10 in and are excellent single rotor trainers. The V911 offers some specific benefits however. WLToys tries to catch niche markets wit their products. The V913 aims at people who want larger yet affordable copters but don't care about acrobatics. The V911 drops the price 50% and cuts down on the size while keeping everything else the same. As a 4Ch heli it offers more realistic flight and can be quite a challenge to master. Another niche this heli owns is grass indestructibility. This heli is built to be flown over grass and is able to fall from almost max height and land on the grass without breaking any internal components.

    WLToys V911 Classification: - Beginner Hobbyist Gyroscopic

  1. Outdoor Flight Capable
  2. Parts are Replaceable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Medium Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Good Size/Price
  2. Price
  3. Grass Indestructible
  4. Very Challenging Flight
  5. Very popular at airfields/li>
  6. Consecutive Flights
  7. Cheap Batteries
    Cons
  1. Harder than 3Ch flight
  2. Not the most Agile



























#8 Syma F3 2.4 GHz 3CH- Most Well Rounded *Best Purchase

**UPDATE** Check out our Syma F3 Video Review. The Syma F3 is another AMAZING Helicopter to get in to. It offers 10in of length and is an awesome value. It is an extremely well rounded single rotor. Syma is known for its coaxial line, but their single rotor also benefits from their astounding understanding of stability. This is the first showing from Syma that was capable to be flown outdoors. It handles up to 10mph winds extremely well and offers up to 10 minutes of flight. This is probably the best first single rotor copter that is on the market as it is forgiving and can take a beating but still is quite agile allowing for real skill development. Syma has severe mark ups on parts but many can be ordered directly from the manufacturers. While this model is a little large for indoor use, its brother the Syma F4 can easily fly inside.

    Syma F3 Classification: - Beginner Hobbyist Gyroscopic

  1. Outdoor Flight Capable
  2. Parts are Replaceable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Medium Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Learn More about Classifications
    Pros
  1. Fast for Gyroscopic Helis
  2. Forgiving Flight
  3. Price
  4. Moderate Durability
  5. Consecutive Flights
  6. Non-Gyro Mode
    for more Agility
    Cons
  1. Less Durable than Others
  2. SYMA Part Mark UP
  3. Cost affordable parts
    must be imported from China

























#9 MJX F645 F45 4CH- The Gateway to Racing

As the only Intermediate Helicopter on this list, the F45 earns its stay. It is an interesting blend because it has the cost input of a beginner class, but to properly fly and tune it takes more of an intermediate time investment. The F45 is considered the entrance to true RC flight. It is 100% customizable and it is almost a requirement to take the time to set this copter up. This copter has dozens of improvements from custom engines to power efficient motherboards that can completely change the product.

    MJX F45 Classification: - Intermediate Hobbyist Gyroscopic

  1. Outdoor Flight Recommended
  2. Parts are Replaceable and Upgradeable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Larger Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Customization is Recommended
  6. Compare to Other Copters
    Pros
  1. Fast for Gyroscopic Helis
  2. Forgiving Flight
  3. Price
  4. Moderate Durability
  5. Consecutive Flights
  6. Non-Gyro Mode
    for more Agility
    Cons
  1. Less Durable than Others
  2. SYMA Part Mark UP
  3. Cost affordable parts
    must be imported from China


























#10 Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 720p Quad-Copter- Easiest to Fly Outdoors

This is the most marketed RC copter that has been ever produced, and there is a reason behind that. It is one of the easiest to fly and most entertaining. The initial cost is closer to the Intermediate level, but the time input is more beginner if not toy class. The amount of entertainment is endless and it is easily accessible. The parrot uses a built in wifi system to stream the controls straight from an iphone like a video game. The Parrot AR 2.0 is also equipped with a 720p HD camera that does quite well at capturing the essence of the flight. While the wifi range is a little short for most people, the ease of use compared to specialized controllers and special monitors is awesome. It takes almost no set up time allowing you to take it out for short runs rather than dedicating sections of your day to it.

    Parrot AR 2.0 Classification: - Intermediate Hobbyist Quad-copter

  1. Outdoor Flight Recommended
  2. Parts are Replaceable and Upgradeable
  3. Battery can be replaced, allows for consecutive flights
  4. Larger Barrier of Entry: Time and Money
  5. Customization is Recommended
  6. Learn More about Classifications
    Pros
  1. Very Stable
  2. Simple Flight
  3. Rapid Set Up
  4. Hight Durability
  5. Consecutive Flights
  6. Publicly well Regarded
    Cons
  1. Higher Cost
  2. Parrot Part Mark UP
  3. Limited range for cost