Top 5 Blade Quadcopters: An Impressive Pieces of Technology

In a world where the word quadcopter is immediately associated with an interesting piece of engineering that can be used for both fun and work, there’s no surprise that the market is filled with manufacturers. Among them, one of the most renowned and popular is Blade. The Blade quadcopter is known everywhere as a high-quality product and no one dares to challenge its reputation.

The Blade trade is based in Champaign, Illinois and it is owned by Horizon Hobby. This company is known for manufacturing the Blade range of quadcopters. It is good to note that their designs incorporate some enhanced features, like the SAFE technology which guarantees you that flying their crafts will be much easier and safer.

This company offers to their esteemed customers a wide range of quadcopters but the most popular drone is the Blade Nano QX. This is an extremely good and affordable beginner quadcopter that you should try out.

This article will provide a detailed review of some of the most popular and reliable Blade quadcopters that you could consider for your next purchase.

The top 5 best quadcopters from blade

Blade quadcopters are best known for their SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology and they come in different price ranges. The drones listed below are among the finest products from this manufacturer.

The Nano QX 3D BNF blade quadcopter

The Nano QX 3D is a micro quadcopter that has been designed in a way that defies most of the barriers of maneuverability. It is able to skillfully make high-speed flips, hairpin turns and, last but not least, exquisite inverted flights. With the unique SAFE technology, this drone can be trusted to deliver nothing but smooth, self-leveling flights and it has multiple flight modes.

Its intuitive design, as well as its reverse motor technology, aids the Nano QX Blade drone to have a strong but light body. This leaves no margin for error in case you choose to practice aerobatics on any surface, be it soft grass or even some plush carpet.

The SAFE technology can be dubbed as a revolutionary electronic protection for this drone while in flight mode, it offers the desired the versatility even in windy conditions to ensure that you have a smooth and consistent performance. It doesn’t matter what your experience is you can settle on a flight mode that best suits you.

The Nano QX is a stable drone thanks to its pitch and roll limits which are locked to enable the user to have a limited flight envelope. The electronic self-leveling will also enable you to have positive stability when you release the sticks. What is more exciting is that you can flip it 360 degrees just at the press of the controller button.

You can evolve your flight routine in the EVO mode at the press of a button and this drone is able to flip 180 degrees from an upright to an inverted position. The flight controls for this drone stay the same no matter the orientation. You can be sure to enjoy a 3D flying experience courtesy of the 3D Agility mode which will aid you to have full-range maneuverability.

The key features of the Nano QX are:

• It’s fully assembled thus no need for building
• The drone is small enough to fly in any room
• You will enjoy RC flight and aerobatics more easily thanks to the SAFE technology
• It can flip in 180 and up to 360 degrees in any direction just at the press of a button’
• The orientation can be maintained due to the colorful LEDs and its high-contrast body
• The drone has tough but lightweight composite airframes and the blade guards are durable
• It has an ultra-micro 4 in 1 DSMX receiver
• Comes with replacement rotor blades to keep you flying

The Blade Nano QX is a tiny quadcopter that one can carry along everywhere. It is a good beginner hobby drone as those who are not experienced drone pilots can use the SAFE technology to keep the drone in a stable position. You can switch to Agility mode if you wish to fly at high speeds. This drone costs about $50 and it doesn’t feature a camera. For a better insight on all the features it offers, you can also read our Nano QX in-depth review.

The BLADE 200 QX BNF with SAFE quadcopter

This is the ultimate sporting quadcopter you can settle on. The manufacturer claims that the Blade 200 QX model is among their favorite fun-to-play quadcopters. It is quite similar to the 350 QX (about which you can get more informed by reading our in-depth review), but it is much smaller in size.

The design is mainly focused on power and will enable you to have a blast in aerobatics. The drone represents a near perfect blend of functionality and power featuring a translucent body that has internal lighting and astounding power.

The blade 200 QX comes with three flight modes to enable you to experience aerobatics performance like never before. This is courtesy of the new firmware update but you will require and update cable to install the software to this drone. It will also be necessary for you to install propellers that are appropriate for a given flight mode to the get the most out of this drone.

The stability or bailout flight mode of the Blade 200 QX is akin to the stability mode for an upright flight. The throttle will be offset in this mode to run between 51 and 100 % and it is able to curve to prevent you from accidentally dipping into the ground when you are trying to flip.

The 3D Stagility flight mode will allow you to self-level this drone when you release its sticks. It doesn’t matter if you are flying inverted or upright as this drone will self-level so that you learn how to invert flight with mild assistance. If you are an experienced drone pilot, you will enjoy a full 3D flying experience using the Agility mode.

The notable features of the Blade 200 QX quadcopter are:

• Features the SAFE technology
• Has three flight modes; the stability, stagility, as well as the agility flight modes
• Features brushless motors which are high performance
• There is internal lighting, LED illumination for ease of orientation and to enable night time flying
• There is an optional camera but it is available separately

This is generally a good quadcopter drone for hobbyists. It is suitable for both the beginners and the experienced drone users who want to fully experience an ultimate 3D flying performance thanks to its three flight modes. This drone goes for about $229.

The Blade Chroma AP Combo

The Blade Chroma drone is a suitable pick for those who are so into 4K aerial photography as it has all the essential components to facilitate this. It is a good drone for both beginners and the experienced drone pilots due to the existence of multiple flight modes.

It has a CGO3 camera that is capable of taking amazing 4K videos and crisp photos. This camera combines an HD camera and a stabilization gimbal into one unit that is good at taking steady aerial videos with minor details being picked by it.

It is a convenient drone to use since all the controls of the camera are within easy reach on the ST-10+ controller. This 4K camera is a 16MP one with the fisheye effect being eliminated thanks to the no-distortion lens.

The Blade Chroma quadcopter also has an integrated 3-axis brushless stabilization gimbal with an adjustable resolution as well as frame rate. It is also capable of streaming videos live to the ST-10+ and the streaming can be to multiple devices. However, you will need to have an Android device or an iOS one that has 802.11N Wi-Fi connectivity with the free CGO app having been installed.

All the camera functions will be at your fingertips, courtesy of the ST-10+ controller. This has a 5.5-inch touchscreen display with a pretty intuitive Android interface. It is able to display live videos with real time telemetry.

The switches and buttons are clearly marked to ease their identification and the flight and camera controls are super-simple. There is slider switch for adjusting the camera tilt and the drone speed.

This Blade quadcopter uniquely features the SAFE Plus Technology which provides you with multiple flight modes to choose from. With this technology be sure to have a smooth and steady flight experience regardless of your experience in flying drones.

All the flight modes are self-leveling and they use GPS as well as altitude sensors to hold the position in a more precise way. By selecting the Return Home Function, you can get this drone to land on its own.

If you are first-time drone-flyer you can use the Smart mode as this will enable you to easily move the Blade Chroma to any direction that the control stick will be pushed. This mode will also create the SAFE circle barrier and the drone will auto hold position and altitude when the control sticks are released.

If you are an experienced pilot you can make use of the AP, (aerial photography) mode as it will make the quad respond like a conventional drone without relying on the stick relativity. Users will have more control and you can even turn off the SAFE Circle.

This mode also keeps the control response smooth, and it can auto-hold the drone when the control sticks are released. On the other hand, the Follow Me Mode acts like a built-in copilot.

In this mode, you can focus on that perfect shot, pan and tilt the camera as the drone follows and you may also resume full control of the drone at any time. This drone will enable the user to be a star thanks to the watch me mode – the drone will follow and keep the camera pointed at however holds its ST-10+ controller.

The Blade Chroma AP drone will aid you to stay legal, safe and you will also fly responsibly courtesy of its adjustable flight boundaries. This drone can be easily kept within the altitude and distance limit that you will define for it and it will aid to avoid sensitive airspace. All this is facilitated by the Chroma program.

The outstanding features of this drone are:

• Its camera can take smooth and steady aerial video at 4K definition
• The fisheye effect is eliminated by the no distortion lens
• 30 minute flight times
• Has SAFE Plus technology
• Smart mode suitable for beginners, AP mode for the experienced pilots, Autonomous Follow Me Mode as well as the Watch me mode
• Return Home Function
• It features a mast-mounted GPS antenna to facilitate perfect signal reception

This drone goes for about $1000 and it’s a good pick for beginners who can afford it and quite suitable for professionals due to its good specs for crisp photography and cinematography. For a much better insight on what this model offers, we suggest checking out our Blade Chroma drone in-depth review.

The Blade Vortex 250 Pro BNF drone

The Blade Vortex 250 is the main evidence of how effective partnerships can positively impact on the drone market. This drone has been made through a collaboration of ImmersionRC and Horizon Hobby brands utilizing the strengths of both companies.

The drone is an FPV mini-quad that has the desired performance and convenience in drone racing. The flight experience is out of this world due to the utilization of cutting edge technology in its design. Compared to the original Vortex ARF this drone is lighter, stronger as well as powerful and you will definitely fly like a pro with it.

The Blade Vortex 250 Pro comes as a total rush in just one box and it has fully integrated features; the flight controller, a Black Box recorder, a 40-channel video transmitter as well as a full graphic OSD. The construction of this drone is strong and it has 7 32-bit ARM processors.

The notable features of this drone are:

• The industry leading spectrum 2.4 GHz technology
• The unique ImmersionRC Fusion 32-bit flight control system
• Features the Protune capability with the 2MB black-box recorder
• Has durable airframe with 4mm carbon fiber motor arms
• 8 24-bit RGB LEDs as well as super-loud lost model alarm
• An integrated 40 channel NexWaveRF 5.8 GHz video Tx along with a dynamic power control.

The Blade Vortex 250 Pro is a good drone for RC drone racing hobbyists. It costs about $500 but you will need to get a relevant transmitter, a compatible FPV monitor, a 3S-4S 1350 Li-Po flight and its battery charger.

The Blade 350 QX2 AP Combo RTF Quadcopter

This is an improvement over the Blade 350 QX and it has extra features to enrich your flying experience. It offers a fully integrated aerial photography solution with the addition of a 2-axis brushless gimbal, 1080 camera which offers a 720/30 video downlink to mobile devices with a 3S 3000 mAh flight battery for you to enjoy a longer flight time.

Besides having a new DX4 transmitter, the system of this drone has been upgraded; there is a new RF chipset with an external antenna, improved GPS accuracy and performance and a visual compass error detection.

The system of this drone also has a simplified radio solution to simplify its use and there is improved orientation thanks to the battery hatch. The 350 QX AP drone is pretty cool in taking aerial photos and videos and you don’t need to stress yourself by buying several components as it comes as a whole package.

Some of the key features of this cool drone are:

• A 2 axis brushless gimbal
• It has a C-Go 1 camera 1080p/30
• Features 5.8GHz Wi-Fi video downlink to its supported devices
• You will get a large 3S 3000mAh flight battery
• This drone is compatible with all the Spektrum radios

The 350 QX AP drone is good for professional photography and comes as a whole package eliminating the need for you to buy separate components. This drone goes for about $1099.

If you interested you can buy it from Amazon.

Who should buy quadcopters from Blade?

The Blade quadcopters are suitable for all users due to the convenience offered by a wide range of flight modes. Their prices however are varied depending on the extra features and components added to the specific blade quadcopters.

For instance, the Nano QX 3D is a suitable drone for beginners with a limited budget as it is quite affordable. It is small in size with a light, yet strong, built and it is a suitable pick for drone hobbyists. The SAFE technology makes its use easy and it pretty safe to fly.

On the other hand, the Blade 200 QX is a perfect pick for drone hobbyists with an average budget. It has intuitive features that will make flying it a fun-filled affair. You can additionally fly the drone at night due to the presence of internal lighting.

The Blade Chroma AP Combo is a drone that will be appropriate for professional photography and cinematography due to its 16MP camera. It is relatively expensive compared to the other quadcopters and beginners who can afford could pick it due to the convenience offered by the SAFE Plus technology. There is also Agility mode for experienced drone pilots.

The Vortex 250 is a good pick for die-hard fans of drone racing. It is a suitable pick for the average spender and you will enjoy features of a blend of two hobby and race drone manufacturing companies. One will, however, need to add other components to the drone and this increases the cost to be incurred.

Last but not least, the Blade 350 QX2 AP RTF Combo is a suitable pick for professional use in cinematography or photography. It is a relatively expensive drone but it comes as a whole package. This drone has a longer flight time, 30 minutes due to its powerful batteries.

In conclusion, Blade quadcopters are among the best drones in the market. They uniquely feature the SAFE technology and some even have the SAFE Plus technology that enables the adoption of appropriate flight modes depending on the experience or preference of the users.

You could pick a suitable one for you depending on the specific drone’s affordability and suitability to your specific needs. Hope this article has been useful to you, regards.