With Summer going by so fast in the Northern Hemisphere, now is a better time than any to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather while you can. One popular hobby that’s fun for the entire family is drone flying. If you’re looking for an affordable option that doesn’t scrimp on features, the Eachine E55 Mini Nano Quadcopter should be at the top of your list.

This bite-sized gadget may not look like it can do much, but once you get it up and running, you’ll be impressed by its many features and how easy it is to use.

What’s in the Box

Inside the box, you’ll find the following:

  • 1 x Eachine E55 Mini Nano Quadcopter1 x 3.7V 300MAH battery (to be charged before first use)1 x USB charger (works in any type of USB charging port)4 x extra propellers1 x user manual1 x transmitter (or controller, if you prefer)1 x phone holder (to be attached to transmitter)1 x screwdriver (to open battery door)

Getting Started with the Mini Nano Quadcopter

There are a few things you’ll need to do before you can actually fly the Mini Nano Quadcopter. For starters you’ll want to charge the quadcopter’s battery. It arrives already inside the quadcopter but disconnected. There’s an included USB charger that looks much like a flash drive.

You’ll need to take out the battery, connect it to the USB charger, and then plug it into a USB charging port. This doesn’t have to be a port on your computer either; anything from a power strip, charging station, or even a power bank will work just fine.

There is a red LED on the USB charger that illuminates whenever it’s not charging. However, once you plug it into a USB charging port, it also illuminates once the battery is fully charged.

The transmitter, which looks much like a game controller, also needs three AAA batteries which aren’t included. The tiny little screwdriver that is included is needed to open the door so that you can insert the batteries.

There is also a phone holder that attaches to the top part of the transmitter. You just need to snap it into place so that it holds your phone while you control the quadcopter. Your phone is only needed, though, if you want to see what the quadcopter’s camera sees in real-time.

The Mini Nano Quadcopter is so small that it literally fits into the palm of your hand and in your pocket! This is also great because there’s nothing to put together unlike larger quadcopters. It arrives in one piece, and all you have to do is fold out the arms, turn it on (the power button is right on top), pair it with your mobile device, and start to fly.

Flying and Controlling the Mini Nano Quadcopter

When it comes to flying, everything is done with the transmitter. If you’re new to flying or a bit confused with how things work, you can reference the user’s manual for guidance. The main things you can do with the Mini Nano Quadcopter are:

  • Throttle: Using the left joystick, you push up to raise the quadcopter and push down to lower it.Forward and Backward: Using the right joystick, you push up to move the quadcopter forward and down to move it backward (retreat).Fly Left and Right: Using the right joystick, you push left to move the quadcopter to the left and push right to move the quadcopter to the right.Turn Left and Right: Using the left joystick, you push left to turn the quadcopter to the left and push right to turn the quadcopter to the right.Headless Mode: This mode allows the quadcopter to change its flight direction with the change of direction of the remote control.Track-Controller Mode: You can draw the flight track you want on your phone, and the quadcopter will fly following the flight track you drew.Altitude Hold Mode: This makes the quadcopter float and provides great stabilization for aerial photography.3D Flips: Once you get a bit more skilled, you can do flips by rolling the right joystick right to left or vice versa in order to make the quadcopter flip; it needs to be at least three meters away from you for this to work properly.

My husband and I thought that flying the Mini Nano Quadcopter would be a breeze right out the box compared to larger drones that we’ve tried, but it wasn’t so easy, at first. As you’ll see in the video below, with it being so small it’s a lot easier to lose sight of it, thus causing you to lose focus and balance.

Once you get the hang of flying it, though, it’s a breeze. Plus, we didn’t need as much space to fly this one and could do it right in our yard.

Using the Camera

You will need to install the WiFi FPV app on your Android or iOS device in order to control and see the camera. This allows you to see everything in real-time as well as take pictures using the quadcopter’s camera.

The app is really basic but does the job well if you just want simple recording and picture-taking features. It’s really just a tap to start and stop as desired. You can then go to your device’s gallery or file manager in order to find the videos.

The camera quality isn’t the best by any means, but it’s great for kids or just playing around with for personal enjoyment; although not listed, I would guestimate it to be 480p. If you are interested in seeing the quality for yourself, I’ve included an untouched video above that was recorded using the Mini Nano Quadcopter’s camera.

Final Thoughts

As small as it is, the Eachine E55 Mini Nano Quadcopter has a lot going for it. It’s already assembled, great looking, extremely portable, doesn’t have a huge learning curve and is a joy to use. Best of all, it even includes a camera for some added fun.

If you’re looking for an affordable quadcopter that is great for children both big and small or adults who are just learning how to fly, this is a perfect option.

Eachine E55 Mini Nano Quadcopter

Charnita has been a Freelance Writer & Professional Blogger since 2008. As an early adopter she loves trying out new apps and services. As a Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS user, she has a great love for bleeding edge technology. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.

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