Hubsan X4: The Smallest and Sexiest Ready-To-Fly Quadcopter

If you have decided to enter the world of RC quadcopters, and you are looking for one that is great for a beginner, you need to know about what things to focus on. The best part is that the Hubsan X4 offers all those things.

For example, as a beginner, you will need a model that is very stable, has a decent flight time, and, if possible, a not-complicated-to-use controller that offers different flight modes. As we already mentioned, the Hubsan X4 offers exactly that.

Even though this drone comes with relatively small dimensions and  weighs around 28 grams without the battery, it offers some insane flying speeds, as well as durability. It is actually not bigger than the palm of your hand, but still it offers lots of fun.

Judging by the owner reviews we found on the internet, even though this quadcopter comes as a ready-to-fly deal, ordering some extra equipment is not a bad idea, because it will provide more security for your drone, and allow you to fly it for more time. The customization equipment includes stuff like prop guards, stronger batteries, or a crash pack, but we will talk more about additional equipment later in the review.

Product specifications:

Check the current Hubsan X4 price on Amazon

As far as the design of the X4 goes, ever since it came out, RC fans have called it the “sexy little drone”, because of its great aerodynamic design, super cool controller design, and the way it glides smoothly through the air.

However, if you are a beginner, the part where your drone glides smoothly will not come at first. It does take a little practice to get to that level, but once you get the hang of it, you will see how easy it is to control. Here is an example of how fast and great it flies.

Build specifications

This is the part where we talk about Hubsan X4’s design, durability and what comes in the box. So for starters, when you order this little super fast drone, here is what you can expect to get.

Packaging

From the store, the Huban X4 comes in an almost ready-to-use state. When unleashed from the kit, it comes in a fully welded condition. Alongside the drone itself, you should also confirm the presence of:

• 1 x Hubsan X4 Micro Quad Copter 2.4GHZ
• 1 x 2.4G Remote Controller (batteries not included)
• 1 x USB charging cable
• 1 x 3.7V 240mAh LiPO Battery
• 4 x Propellers

Unboxing explained in the below YouTube video.

Design & durability

The first thing you will notice when you open the box is the X4’s small size. The quadcopter is smaller than the palm of your hand, and it is really light, 28 grams light to be more precise.

This means that it is more of a drone for indoors, but the owners claim that it can handle a mild wind, without getting tossed all over the place. On the other hand, when you are inside, the X4 flies very aggressively, and is very responsive to the commands. Even the beginners and first-time pilots, can easily get used to its easy-to-use controls.

The Hubsan X4’s sexy aerodynamic design comes with a black coating, and a pair of white streaks along body sides. It also comes with small rubber feet, who are in charge of providing a soft landing, but if you want to keep your propellers in one piece, the smartest choice would be the additional prop guard, which not only protects the props, but it also adds extra durability to the entire body.

Above is a video that shows how it looks with prop guards.

Camera

The standard model, the Hubsan X4 H107L doesn’t have a camera, but, if you wish to have footage of your flights, you can order the Hubsan H107C, which comes with a 2MP camera, and offers 720 x 480 video resolution (it records at 25 frames per second). The quality of the video is good, but considering that it doesn’t have a gimbal, it is known to be shaky.

Here you can see how the footage looks, and have in mind that for a price of less than $50 dollars, you can’t expect footage like from a Phantom 3 with a 4K camera on it:

If you are into RC aerial FPV racing, you can opt for the more expensive model, the X4 H107D, which offers the same camera, but with an FPV (First Person View) transmitter, and a screen on the controller to let you see where you are flying.

In the above YouTube video, you can see how the FPV experience looks like.

Battery & flight time

The Hubsan X4 uses a 3.7V 240mAh Li-Po battery. When fully charged (it needs around 40 minutes to get to there) you can get around 9 minutes of flight time. Have in mind that this is an average time, and it strongly depends on how you fly it.

For example, if you don’t give it too much power, and don’t reach the maximum speeds, the flight time might even go over 10 minutes, but if you push it to its upper limits, or fly it in windy conditions, the battery will last around 6 to 7 minutes. Since this is not that long, the smart choice might be to get some additional batteries, so that the fun lasts longer.

Controller

When talking about the Hubsan X4’s controller, we have to mention that you will feel like playing with a PS3 controller. This is because it looks similar, but has a bit more style to it!

The controller comes with:

• two joysticks,
• an LCD screen that displays important flight diagnostics,
• trim buttons for drifting fine tuning,
• flight mode buttons which are in charge of making the controller more or less sensitive,
• a power button for, you have guessed it, turning the controller on and off.

We also have to mention that the design of the controller is quite ergonomic, and feels great in your hands. Unlike most of the drone controllers, whose design leaves you with sore fingers and wrists, the Hubsan’s controller will allow you to enjoy the flight without the unwanted pain in your hands.

When it comes to controlling signal distance, this lightning fast, little drone allows you to fly it up to 30 meters in all directions, and that includes the altitude. However, some owners claim that they were able to take their X4 up to 60 meters up in the sky, which is pretty impressive, considering that this is a small quadcopter.

As far as the pairing the controller with the drone goes, it is really simple, you just need to turn on the controller, place the battery in the drone, and they will automatically pair with each other. Now, when the drone is in the air, you will see if it drifts to any side, and this is where trim controls come to help.

Flight performance

Basically, this little drone is fast, and we mean really fast! But that is not all, besides being really fast, it is unbelievably responsive, agile, and maneuverable. You just need to press the joystick in the wanted direction, and the X4 will immediately change course.

If what you are looking for is a quick quadcopter with the ability to perform aerial acrobatics, the Hubsan X4 is the one that should be on your list of top choices. If you asked us to describe this drone’s flight performance, we would have to say: “smooth”.

To get a better idea of what we are talking about, below is a video that (we hope) will tell more than words.

Value for money & guarantee

If you want to know if the price of a little under $40 dollars is a good deal, we can tell you that it is probably the best deal you will come across. Okay, there are drones from the same class, that are maybe cheaper, but they are not even near the speed this little daredevil offers. When it comes to guarantee, as, with everything else you order online, it depends on the website you order it from.

So, make sure that you read the return policy, and make sure that they offer a refund or that they send a new package if the first one arrives damaged or doesn’t work.

Unique features

Our Hubsan X4 review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the drone’s Anti-Flip Mode. If you are thinking “what is the purpose of this mode?”, you are not the only one. But, the name says it all, and this is basically a mode that doesn’t allow you to make single-button flips with your drone.

You have to know that this mode can only be activated when you set your controller to “Expert Mode”. In all other situations, this mode doesn’t do anything.

Another great thing about this little quadcopter is that it offers you the ability to modify the drone with additional equipment.

We have to set one thing straight from the start, your X4 drone will fly great the way it comes out of the standard package, but if you buy the right accessories, you will allow your toy to be protected from crashes or hitting obstacles, and it will have longer flight time. All the X4 owners  highly recommended a few accessories, and below are the most popular ones

MICROMALL 3.7V 500MAH Upgraded Battery

Like most of the RC flyers, the short flight time of most quadcopters, including the Hubsan X4, is probably the only downside to this interesting hobby. But, there is a way to add a couple of more minutes to your flight.

You can buy the MicroMall 3.7V 500mAh Upgraded Battery, which is durable, lightweight, and best of all, it offers the juice to your drone longer than the battery that comes with the standard package. You can also learn a few tricks by reading our article about the ways of extending your drone’s flight time.

Hubsan Crash Pack

If you are a beginner, this crash pack is something that you probably should seriously consider ordering. As a fresh drone pilot, you will definitely have your fair share of hitting the wall and crashing the X4, and with that, the chances of damaging the drone’s  propellers, or even the body shell, are high.

However, with this crash pack, you will get back up in the air in a matter of minutes, because it offers all the replacement parts you need.

The Crash Pack includes:

• 2x Motors
• 1x Flight Battery
• 1x Replacement Body Shell
• 2 x set of 4 Propellers
• 4x Rubber Feet for soft landing

Having all these parts at hand will definitely be useful.

The protection cover

This is an Hubsan X4 accessory that you simply must have. Why? Because it keeps the drone’s parts safe during a crash.

It comes as an excellent padding between the quadcopter’s fragile parts like propellers and outer body shell, and the obstacles like walls when you are indoors, or trees or who knows what, when you are outdoors. Thanks to the lightweight of the protection cover, the battery doesn’t suffer practically at all, so your flight time will basically stay unchanged.

Similar models or main competitors

Hubsan X4 H107C

This is basically the same model, with the same flight characteristics, but it also comes with a built-in 0.3 MP camera. It is just a bit more expensive than the standard X4 H107L ($5 dollars to be precise),  but it offers you the ability to record your flights.

The downside of this model is the inability to move the camera, and it offers only “point straight” view. However, this means that the footage won’t be as shaky as with the X4 H107L. Also, the flight time is around 7 minutes max which is lower than the X4 H107L – supporting about 9 to 10 minutes in the air

The X4 H107C can be taken outdoors as well and has the necessary lighting to fly it in the dark. It also supports 360 degrees flips and rolls to make the experience more fun.

Like this product? Then you can check the current deal for it on Amazon.

Hubsan X4 H107D

Again, as far as the design and the flight performance goes, the Hubsan X4 H107D is the same model, but with an addition of a camera, an FPV transmitter with a 4.3″ LCD FPV Monitor, and a stronger 380 mAh battery, which allows you a bit longer flight time than the X4 H107C model.

It also has a micro SD card slot built into the controller, which records the flight. The price for this more advanced model is around $90 dollars, but if you are a fan of  FPV drone racing, it will be worth the money, because it is a really fast little drone.

Eachine H8 Mini Quadcopter

Perhaps the most serious opponent to Hubsan X4 is the Eachine H8 Mini Quadcopter. It comes with a price of around $12 dollars, and it offers pretty much the same flight performance as the X4. Even more, it supports 3D flip and one-key return module.

Even though it is not as fast as the Hubsan, it offers very stable flights and it recovers amazingly from air flips. The Eachine H8 Nano Quadcopter has a great design, and is practically indestructible. Definitely one of the contenders for the list of best available nano drones.

Just like with the Husban X4 models, the battery is protected by the case and frame and it can be improved with protection for the propellers. It also has LED lights for nocturnal flights. You can find out much more about this model by reading our Eachine H8 Mini Quadcopter in-depth review.

Overview

Well, our verdict is that the Hubsan X4 quadcopter is one of the best little drones out there, but not the best. It does offer great stability, amazing speed, and sexy design, but if you want it to be really durable, and longer flight times, you have to invest more money in additional equipment.

Pros:

• The Hubsan X4 is inexpensive
• Very stable
• A quality quadcopter and transmitter that is easy and fun to fly

Cons: 

• The wires and the power supply connector are hanging off the back of the unit and are exposed
• When putting the battery in the drone, or when taking it out, it rubs on the wiring, which can cause a loose connection
• Instead of having an on/off switch on the drone, those functions are done by disconnecting or connecting the battery wire.
• Not so spectacular air flips that are hard to recover from and can cause the drone to crash

For those who are interested in recording their flying adventures, or even participate in FPV races, there are models with cameras and live feed video transmission.

The personalization possibilities are also available, and highly recommendable so that your flying experience improves. This way, you’ll have more time to become an ace in the art of flying a quadcopter.