Syma X51 Spaceship

Specs
Flight Time	6 mins
Charge Time	approx. 40-50 mins
Control Distance	about 30m
Size	6.7 x 5.7 x 2.9 in
Weight	45g

Package includes: 1 x quadcopter, 1 x USB charging cable, 1 x transmitter, 4 x replacement blades, 1 x screwdriver, 1x blade removal tool, 1 x user manual

Here is the first drone off of my wishlist, Syma's X51! I have mentioned previously that I enjoy looking into unique drones. Prior to purchasing this one, I was looking into tricopters (like a quad, but with 3 motors), and to my dismay, the majority of them are quite pricey. At least one of the motors on a tricopter will have a special function where it not only spins the propellor, but can also lean in any direction to control the direction of the drone. Anyway, this was the closest I could find to a tricopter for a reasonable (low) price.

Of course, it isn't exactly a tricopter. The X51 has four motors: two on the front and two on the back. The two motors on the front are positioned facing each other, with one upside down over the other, giving it the same general layout as a tricopter.

The X51 is able to do flips, but due to the design, it can only flip in three directions: left, right, and backward. Even if you try to flip it forward, it won't.

Other than that, it does have a special mode called automatic cruise. Now this sounds super cool, as if it would just fly around by itself. Well, it does, but it doesn't do it in the way I expected. Automatic cruise is more of an... automatic rotation? Activating this mode makes the drone rotate using the front motors (the two within the sphere) as its axis. The drone will continue to rotate until cancelled out of this mode, but you will still need to maintain the altitude manually. It seems to have a different axis of rotation than rotating the drone with the throttle.

This drone is likely meant to be more of a racer-type. Like Eachine's E010 and JJRC's H20, it feels very powerful. When you try to turn or try to move in a particular direction, it feels like the drone really wants to keep going in that direction. It would be better suited for indoor environments with less breakable objects around.

It essentially comes with built-in guards with the two front propellors encased in the sphere and the two back propellors partially surrounded by guards. It is possible to hit something just right to hit any of the propellors, the back two being the most vulnerable. The X51 also has little feet on the bottom to protect the drone from landing damage.

Like any other drone with removable batteries, I get a little nervous inserting and removing the battery. The X51's battery cage (on the bottom of the drone) is a very tight fit and I find myself bending the wires constantly to try and get it to fit in. I'm worried that this may cause damage to the wires and require replacements sooner than other drones with better battery cages.

I have yet to try this one outdoors, as we have had many windy days in a row (> 10 mph winds). But I imagine it would do well, given its speed.

Summary
Features	★★★★★★★
Battery Life	★★★★★★☆
Control	★★★★★★★
Durability	★★★★★★☆
Price	★★★★★★★
Total: ★★★★★★★