The Walkera Ufo 5 is perfect for beginners

what i did not like about the walkera 5 is this:

The appearance i mean not bad but still not a uav it's a cookie cooker image.

Now that i got that out of my system let's move on. If you have not read my previous blog i suggest you do.

I recently sold my gaui 330x original version but i needed something to fly not too pricey and spare parts ready available. until i find a u-3d- ufo with funpilot too buy at a 30 percent savings. I decided to buy the walkera ufo 5 about 169.00 plus shipping. I was pleasantly surprised with this quadcopter it's easy to fly, very stable and excellent for beginners and i mean excellent. Unlike the advertising pros who trick consumer in to buying something that is marketed for beginner and is not ,leaving the consumer's pocket feeling a bit lighter.

The pros: Very easy to fly and stable, a good design, spare parts are easy to find,affordable and can be flown indoor , outside on calm days and it is pretty durable. The cons: Medium power ,the motor are brushed.

Oh and getting back to the appearance of the copter well i made a few changes and very soon i am doing the propeller mod. I had to make it look like a real quadcopter I thought the original appearance of the copter looked a little cheesy.

While this item is certainly cheap (sub$200) - I must say it is deservedly maligned.
As Earl said, Parrot $299 - so I would advise anyone looking to spend a couple of hundred bucks to wait and spend another hundred more on something that is feature rich and actually well built as well.
Yes, spare parts are readily available, but this somehow does not justify the purchase of the UFO5. I bought one of these as well and I agree with Steve....it is crap. It does fly fine...for a while. Then the motor mounts get loose, props get unstable, the battery holder is prone to flying open and you have to keep adjusting the tilt out of the motors - eventually you just get frustrated and glue everything in the hope that this will resolve the constant fiddling required - but it does not end there because the props get out of balance frequently. In the end I tallied the time I had spend messing around with this hobbyist's black hole and returned to working on worthwhile/rewarding projects. If the device is levelled at beginners then as Steve says "It should take a beating and be easy to repair" - This boasts neither qualities.

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Comments

Juan Soler July 22, 2010 at 8:44pm

While this item is certainly cheap (sub$200) - I must say it is deservedly maligned.
As Earl said, Parrot $299 - so I would advise anyone looking to spend a couple of hundred bucks to wait and spend another hundred more on something that is feature rich and actually well built as well.
Yes, spare parts are readily available, but this somehow does not justify the purchase of the UFO5. I bought one of these as well and I agree with Steve....it is crap. It does fly fine...for a while. Then the motor mounts get loose, props get unstable, the battery holder is prone to flying open and you have to keep adjusting the tilt out of the motors - eventually you just get frustrated and glue everything in the hope that this will resolve the constant fiddling required - but it does not end there because the props get out of balance frequently. In the end I tallied the time I had spend messing around with this hobbyist's black hole and returned to working on worthwhile/rewarding projects. If the device is levelled at beginners then as Steve says "It should take a beating and be easy to repair" - This boasts neither qualities.
Charles John July 22, 2010 at 2:50pm

It's a beta and i am not paying 300.00 plus shipping to test a beta copter, no thank you, for free yea but my next quad i buy will be the x-bl-ufo
Simon Wood July 22, 2010 at 2:37pm

Regarding the Android app for the Parrot; this is good news as it will be very little time before the control protocol is 'public' and ported into other applications.

A standard games controller might not have great joysticks, but I think that it would be a step up from using the accelerometers in a cell phone.
Simon
Charles John July 22, 2010 at 9:21am

To early to tell but if i was a betting man i would bet that it will be a bust. Reason 1. spare parts availability 2. No traditional transmitter or receiver for that matter. 3 Proven quality and performance. This is exactly what i'm talking about the company put a lot of money in advertising. You got the sexy girls virtual fighting cool music but once the smoke clears it will be another waste of money at 300.00 and shipping cost extra.
Xander July 22, 2010 at 7:59am

Looks like the Parrot can be controlled by Android too now. That certainly opens up a lot more options. You can even get a netbook to run Android.
Earl July 22, 2010 at 7:42am

The absolute easiest and most stable quad I ever flew is the Parrot. Great machine with 2 cameras. $299
Will be available in Sept.
You need an iphone or ipod Touch as a controller tho.
Earl
Charles John July 22, 2010 at 4:20am

I agree with you on some points. I think fly an actual vehicle is the best way to learn, some may like simulators but when it said and done it's the real flying experience that make a difference. I have always flown quads or coaxial helicopter. When you fly them it's so enjoyable and when you crash and your going to crash a hobbyist must consider the repair and maintenance cost. There are some good starter copter that I like: eflite msr, mcx, cx and walkera and esky make a really good coaxial copter.
Moderator

Gary Mortimer July 22, 2010 at 3:26am

I would never recommend a rotary anything to a beginner, you can do it but its a pain. An Easystar and standard flying to start with is the way forward (or a home made airframe)

Its another subject that keeps popping up.

UAS are complex things but the entry into flight need not be, a paper dart is a start. We really ought to have a from paper dart to UAS buy strategy that allows people to buy things bit by bit and gain experience on the way.

One of the reasons I love being a pilot is that its a job that you can't take shortcuts with. Its not in an office where you can hide some shoddy work under a pile of other paperwork.

There are no shortcuts, you need to get the training done and in a logical manner, otherwise it costs a fortune!
Charles John July 22, 2010 at 3:12am

Thanks for comments, I agree with Taylor there no compare the two and i did not compare it too the 330x. and let me make my self clear what i am suggesting is that if a beginner want to try a copter this is perfect for casual flying and pratice it's perfect. It's not that expensive and easy to repair. Steve it sound like the circuit board was busted or gyro. It's a stepping stone on the way up to a gaui 330x(s) or the German made quads. But to recommend a gaui 330x or x-3d-bl ufo for a beginner trying the hobby out for the first time or coming back i would not. For example the whole circuit board for the walkera ufo 5 run about 65.00 compare to the 259.00 for the gaui 330x(s) gyro.
Moderator

Gary Mortimer July 21, 2010 at 11:47pm

Decent multirotor solutions will never be cheap. If your hoisting expensive cameras in the air you will want to buy decent motors and speed controllers etc. This and the Gaui are fine to get your eye in but not an end solution. A free flight sim like FMS will save you thousands in incidents if you practice. Flying is all about keeping current and forcing yourself to fly circuits and complete exercises. The old saying, the harder I try the luckier I get!!

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