Rage R/C X-Fly VTOL
An X-wing quadcopter with amazing stability
After test flying several aircraft from Rage R/C, I have come to the conclusion that even though they are very light, they are also very stable, have excellent performance, and are fun to fly. Recently, the Rage R/C X-Fly VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) arrived in the office, and I raised my eyebrows. Like all the others, it came factory assembled and ready to fly. I wondered if this strange-looking X-wing-looking quadcopter was in the same class as the rest. Well, I’m here to tell you that the answer is “yes.” Weighing in at a scant 1.4 ounces, the X-Fly VTOL is indeed a fun-to-fly and easy-to-control quadcopter. Let’s see what it has to offer.
UNIQUE FEATURES
The X-Fly VTOL comes ready to fly straight out of the box, with its own 4-channel transmitter, plus a flight battery pack, a
USB charger, and four spare propellers. Molded out of sturdy EPP foam, the model has molded plastic parts, including the battery-compartment hatch cover, four motor mounts, and LED light strips. A true readyto-fly aircraft, all you have to do is add three AAA batteries to the transmitter and charge up the 250mAh 3.7V LiPo battery.
The transmitter has two control sticks. The left stick controls left and right rotation and power for ascent and descent. The right stick controls forward and backward movement as well as left and right movement. At the top of the transmitter are two angle buttons. The + button increases the angle of attack, and the – button decreases it. The buttons automatically adjust the tilt for forward flight. The two forward Angle of Attack settings are 20 and 35 degrees. On the face of the transmitter,
the On/Off buttons fine-tune the forward/back and left/right settings. At the center of the transmitter is the Auto Takeoff/ Land button, which quickly gets the X-Fly into the air and then activates the Altitude Hold function. The transmitter also has a Dual Rate function, which you can adjust by pressing down on the right control stick.
IN THE AIR
The best part of the X-Fly
VTOL is flying it. It is so easy to control, and the built-in features make this X-wing quadcopter a keeper. To fly, you first have to bind the model to the transmitter. To do this, turn on the transmitter and then press and hold the power button on the X-Fly until the LED lights start to blink; it is the little square flush button opposite the battery-compartment hatch cover. Move the left control stick all the way forward until you hear a beep, then move it all the way back until you hear another beep. When the lights are no longer blinking, the model and
the radio are paired up and ready to fly.
To take off, all you have to do is place the X-Fly on a flat surface and press the Auto Takeoff button. The motors will start up, and the model will smoothly become airborne and then enter a stable hover about 4 to
5 feet above the ground. At this point, you can use the control sticks to adjust its position as it hovers. The left stick controls its altitude by moving it forward and back; by moving it left or right, you can make the model rotate (spin) left or right. The right stick controls the position of the X-Fly. Moving the stick right or left will lean it, and it will move in the direction the stick is moved. Moving the right stick forward and back also makes the model lean and move in those directions. It takes very little time to get used to the control response, and the X-Fly can easily be flown indoors and within a relatively small space.
When you want even more action, you can experiment with the Angle of Attack buttons, which are used to put the model into forward movement. As the angle increases, the forward speed also increases. To really show off, you can press the left stick downward until you hear a series of beeps. This activates the Autonomous Circular Flight (ACF) function. You can now move the right control stick to the right or left to fly in circles. You should have more area (preferably outdoors) while flying in this mode. To exit out of the ACF function, simply press the left stick down again.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
I found the X-Fly VTOL to be a great little flier that is very stable. It can be flown by anyone, even those with little or no RC piloting experience. I especially like flying it in my kitchen when no one is looking, taking off from the floor and landing on a shelf or the kitchen table. Outdoors, with the ACF function activated, you can fly wherever you like—even do figure-8s. During extended forward flight, the model is still easy to control by using the right stick.