Flybrix

I have often stayed away from many toy drones. I’m terrible at flying them and cringe when I see them hit the wall or my friend’s arm when things get a little too out of control.

But having a drone that’s encouraged to be crashed is something I can get behind.

Flybrix kits are build-your-own drones that use LEGO bricks as the foundation. Everything is included in the kits, from the motors to the batteries to the LEGOs. There is enough supplies to build a quadcopter, a hexacopter, or even an octocopter.

Designed for kids ages 14 and up, Flybrix kits are compiled for beginner pilots like myself, but allow for creativity and encourage trial-and-error building. More inventive and advanced users can experiment with different frames, and even get into the coding of Flybrix for the programmers out there.

The kits could certainly be built by kids younger than 14, but I would insist adults build with them as these are more intricate than the typical LEGO kit and include a lot of safety with the batteries and motors.

Although Flybrix can be made into any design a user wants, I would suggest starting with following their models first to learn how to make a balanced drone with the pieces given. Of course the larger the drone, the more intricate the build, so I opted to start with the basic quadcopter.

Building took only 10 or 15 minutes, as I insisted on triple-checking each step because I never trusted myself in science classes. The online instructions are well-written with check-in pictures along the way to make sure builders are following along correctly, with a big attention to user safety.

My kit came with a controller, but Flybrix has kits with the option of downloading their app to a phone or tablet (both iOS and Android) instead of paying extra for the deluxe kit with the controller.

Flying Flybrix is similar to flying most other toy drones, but takes a little more patience to master the feel for at the beginning. It takes some getting used to when seeing the drone break into pieces most every time it hits a wall or the ground, but that’s also part of the appeal of Flybrix.

This drone challenges users more to find balance while flying and if they fail, they get the excitement of a crash that can then be easily fixed. I found that it usually only took a minute or two to get the parts back together to take flight again. Just try not to get too attached to the LEGO pilot that comes with the kit because mine had several ejections mid-flight.

The process of building a drone, learning what makes it work and what makes it wobbly, and having the familiarity of LEGOs makes the Flybrix accessible for all kinds of users.

About the author

Kristen Nelson

Kristen Nelson

Kristen Nelson is an assistant editor at Adventure Publishing Group. She does weekly toy reviews for The Toy Insider and contributes to the trade magazines The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. She is an expert in Penn State sports, as well as with numerous cooking techniques. Kristen has been crowned the Queen of Potatoes, but her friends call her Lady Spud. When not yelling at the TV during football or hockey games, she is often binge-watching virtually any cooking show. You can delve into her witty mind and follow her on Twitter @Krypton_87.

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