Introduction
I’m the owner of an original Blade Inductrix, a small bind and fly quadcopter made by Blade Helis. The original Inductrix is a relatively small 83 mm square and a ton of fun to fly. So when I saw that Blade released a larger, faster, more powerful version of the Inductrix with brushless motors and built in FPV, I had to give it a try!
Like other Blade quads, the Inductrix 200 features SAFE flight mode, which stands for Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope, and basically allows for the ability to switch between very stable beginner mode, less stable intermediate mode, and an experienced mode that removes limits and allows full control and maneuverability. The Blade Inductrix 200 also comes with a built in FPV camera that transmits to the Fat Shark goggles right out of the box. It has a durable frame that can take a beating and keep on flying!
Key features
The Blade Inductrix 200 looks different than most drones because of the ducted propeller blades. It seems to have a more rugged frame than other drones in its class and definitely stands up to abuse. The motors are brushless, which means that they provide more power than most “toy” drones on the market. However, because of the rugged frame, more power seems to be needed to keep it in the air, and despite the brushless motors, I would not say that this drone is particularly fast or nimble.
The FPV camera is built into the frame and adjustable in terms of its tilt. The quality of the camera is not bad for a drone of this price and the transmitter seems to send a decent signal even at a few hundred feet away. The Inductrix 200 features LED lighting in the rear of the craft to give you status of flight modes. One other unique thing about this drone is the batteries. They are 800 mAh 3S LIPO batteries and they fit nicely into the rear of the craft. They are designed in such a way that they are easy to change, which is nice compared to other drones that make you remove covers and squeeze a battery in before they will work. The Inductrix 200 drone comes in a RTF (ready to fly) and BNF (bind-n-fly) version that either includes a remote or binds with any Spektrum remote you already own.
Specs
| Camera | Wide Angle Camera With Adjustable Lens |
| Video Transmitter | 25 mw, 5.8 Ghz, 8 Channel Fat Shark Compatible |
| Max Flight Time | Approximately 8 Minutes |
| Flight Battery | 800mAh 3S Li-Po Pack |
| Weight | 185 grams |
| Length & Width | 155 mm Square |
| Height | 45 mm |
| Flight Modes | Beginner, Intermediate, Expert |
Quality of build
The Blade Inductrix 200 is very solid feeling and quite heavy for its size. It has a low profile and, as mentioned before, looks unique with the ducted propellers. After several flights and crashes, I realized this quad is very rugged. I have flown it both inside and outside. Crashing outside is usually not too bad because I’m flying over grass, but when I have crashed it inside, it has hit all kinds of hard surfaces including tile, doors, walls, and even a refrigerator! The only two things I’ve had happen to the craft when I crash are, first, the camera sometimes gets knocked out of alignment and second, one of the covers for the propellers pops off.
As far as aligning the camera, that’s no problem at it. Simply reach into where the camera is and push it to where you want it lined up. It’s important to check camera tilt alignment after each crash so that you don’t end up flying with the camera pointed too far up or down. And as far as the propeller covers, they actually are designed to pop off and on with a simple twist. I guess it’s designed so that they pop off rather than breaking in a crash.
Assembly and tuning
The Blade Inductrix 200 comes assembled, but requires a bit of setup if you plan to use your Spektrum radio with the bind and fly (BNF) version. Basically, you have to create a profile for the Inductrix 200 in your radio with certain parameters set up. The instructions on how to do this are in the manual, and I highly recommend taking the time to set up the aircraft in your radio before your first flight.
One other unique thing about this quad is that, much like higher end drones (think Solo or Phantom), this one requires you to start the motors by pulling the sticks down and to the right, and then, you must flip a “kill” switch (assigned when you set up your remote) in order to stop the motors. This can take a bit of time to get used to, but I actually really like having the ability to start and stop the motors using the remote.
Flying
I own a Blade QX2 FPV and have spent some time comparing these two quads. With the brushless motors, I was really expecting the Inductrix 200 to be much more powerful and responsive. In some ways it is, and in other ways it isn’t. First, it’s heavy, which means that it takes every bit of the brushless motors’ power to take off and stay in the air. And once in the air, it takes very deliberate control inputs to make it move and do what you want. Also, it is very loud compared to other quadcopters of this size. I suppose that the ducts around the motors and propellers amplifies the sound a bit, or maybe just having brushless motors on such a small quad makes it seem louder than others in its class.
The upside to the design is that it flies pretty well outside. Its low profile and weight actually help it move through the wind much more smoothly than the QX2 FPV. In fact, in intermediate and expert mode, it can handle a pretty substantial wind gust. It can get some speed going when you have some open space, but because it is not the most agile copter, I don’t recommend trying to fly it too fast in your house or small back yard.