The JXD is made by the Chinese JinXingDa Plastic Toys Factory and is sold, in most cases, complete with a matching TX. However, I was attracted to this quadcopter based on it being available without the TX – Banggood’s (and others) web sites declared that it would work fine with an existing WL Toys v2x2 TX. True to their word, the models works perfectly with my v262 TX.
Without the TX, the price is probably as low as any quadcopter on the market – Banggood sells it for about $27 including worldwide shipping! This is what attracted me to take a shot and see what this quad could do.
Here is a link to the model I purchased.
Appeal to users:
Beginners UP
Type of Quad: Consumer/Toy Grade
Cost: $27 with 1 battery, spare props, charger (this is BNF Version)
Crashworthiness – Good
The Basics
I received the JXD 388 in a full sized box – Banggood probably removes the TX in order to sell it for the lower price as a BNF (Bind and Fly) model. As mentioned above, it can use an existing WL Toys v2x2 TX. The battery included is a single cell (1s) LiPo with a 300 mAh rating, however I have used a number of my existing 250 mAh batteries with no problem except perhaps a 1 minute reduction in flight time. The total contents of the kit I received is as below:
The JXD weighed in at about 39.4 grams with the battery – only 3 grams heavier than the Hubsan X4 (w/o prop guards). The slightly higher weight seems to be offset by the slightly larger propellers as well as a slightly greater distance between props (4 inches across the X as opposed 3.5 on the X4).
Here is a side by side comparison of the JXD 388 and Hubsan X4
As you can see by the pictures, the JXD 388 has a fully enclosed plastic body shell. The Battery goes into a hatch on the bottom, which is accessed by a small removable cover.
There is an on-off switch located on the rear of the quad body, making it easy to activate after the battery is installed. The 388 projects a finished look with details such as small rubber pads on the bottom of the landing feet and protective hubs cast into the props to protect against premature destruction of the motors. At first glance it appears that the manufacturer tried to address some of the shortcomings of earlier micro-quads with these features.
The owners manual, although in fractured english, seems more helpful than most. Suggestions on flying practice, safety hints, parts lists as well as other information is covered. One point of confusion is that the 388 is called both a 4-Axis and a 6-Axis quadcopter on the front of the owners manual and perhaps in other places such as the box and advertisements. As you will see in the section below, the JXD quad is self-leveling and easy to hover, so for our purposes we can call it equivalent to the Hubsan X4 and other so-called 6-Axis craft.
Flight Characteristics
Flying the JXD 388 was easy! I placed it on a flat surface, turned on the external switch and then turned on my WL Toys TX (v262). It bound immediately, and after pushing the throttle forward once to arm it, it took flight.
My first flights were in a small room and I was easily able to keep the quad stable. It flies well – responds well to stick inputs and yet doesn’t feel overweight or improperly balanced. Since a video is worth a lot of words, here are some quick scenes of the JXD 388 quadcopter in flight. It’s best to look at these video on full screen so you can see the quad (click on the 4-arrow icon on the bottom right of the video window).
The JXD easily does flips – simply push the upper right button on the TX and it will start beeping – indicating it is ready to flip. Any move of the right stick will then cause the quad to do a 360.
All the various options on the WL Toys TX seemed to function normally – I was able to use the trims, the % settings (for aggressiveness of flight) as well as the flip button. The lowest setting of 40% on the TX was more than enough for comfortable indoor and outdoor flight, although I suppose the higher settings will be need to fight very strong winds.
Flight times, depending on the battery used and type of flying, seem to be from a low of 6-8+ minutes – more than long enough for some good fun.
It’s still quite cold here in New England, so I haven’t been able to get as much outdoor flying time as I would like.
Longevity and Crash Worthiness
Very few quads can survive multiple hard crashes against concrete and blacktop. That said, this quad seems quite tough I’ve knocked it into a couple tree trunks, crashed into some walls and had it fall to some hard concrete in my basement. So far (about 10 flights), I have not had to replace any parts.
The extra protection of the fully enclosed circuit board as well as the rubber feet and prop hubs should make this quad last longer than earlier models. However, I simply don’t have enough hours of time on it to make a final determination – read our Forum Continuation Thread to keep up with my and others future experience on this quad.
Conclusion A Keeper!
I have been pleasantly surprised by both the fit/finish of the 388 and the way it handles. It’s size, just a big bigger than the Hubsan, makes it much easier to see when flying outside. The yellow color of my model also makes it stand out from backgrounds, both inside and out.
The main beginner feature it seems to lack are propeller guards, so this may not be the best first quad for someone who is “all thumbs” and will constantly crash it. However, the more careful beginner could start with this model…and more experienced flyers may want to add one to their stable just for the “fun factor”. After all, for $27 (assuming you have a v2x2 TX), it’s hard to beat the value!
As we noted in our review of the Estes Proto X, it is possible for a quadcopter to be too small. The JXD 388 seems to be just right in terms of size and shape for a micro-quad.
Add your comments and questions on our Forum Continuation Thread at our discussion area.
Purchase the 388 from Banggood at this link.
Note – the company just announced a model of this quadcopter with a built-in low resolution video camera (640×480). The entire package is still in the $50 range! This would, of course, be a toy grade machine but may interest some who want to get their feet wet with aerial video.
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