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At a mere 22mm square, the new Jetjat Nano quadcopter from Mota is not what most of us think of when we think of a drone. This tiny quadcopter is a drone though, it's just really small.
The JetJat's appeal doesn't lie with its size -- though its diminutive size does make it the best cat-annoying device since the laser pointer -- it lies with its price: $40. For $40 you can get a drone. You can actually get one for even less if you go with one of the many nearly identical models available around the web. I ended up with this particular model because it's highly rated on Amazon, made by a U.S. company and the controller doubles as a carrying case. More on that in a minute.
Sure, it's tiny and lacks even a camera, but it's a whole lot of fun to fly. And if you can fly the JetJat you can fly a big drone as well, which is why I got one.
Drone flying has a steep learning curve, why try to work your way through it with a $1600+ drone when you can get a feel for how it all works with something like the Nano?
True, flight doesn't translate one-to-one between small and large, but the basics of quadcopter flight are the same regardless of the size. As an added bonus, from my experience anyway, the Nano and its ilk like Proto's Proto-X, are actually harder to fly than the larger offerings from [DJI](http://www.wired.com/2015/06/review-dji-phantom-3-professional-drone/) or [Yuneec](http://www.wired.com/2015/10/review-yuneec-typhoon-q500-4k/).
Because it's harder, and because you want to torment your cat, not actually hurt it, be sure to practice for a while before unleashing the Nano around unsuspecting pets or friends and family.
In fact, get ready to spend quite a while practicing before you really figure out how to control the Nano. And sadly, while flying little drones will give you valuable practice for flying larger ones, the opposite is almost completely untrue. Despite having considerable experience flying large drones, it's taken hours of practice for me to really get the hang of little ones. The difference is that the little ones have no stabilization, without your input they drift with every draft of air and twitch of your thumbs.
On the bright side, the Nano is dead simple to get started. I tore open the package, popped the drone out of the remote slash carrying case (a very nice touch, that makes carrying the Nano a snap, its all in one handy package that easily fits in your pocket, something the Proto-X can't do) and had it flying across the living room in less than 30 seconds -- for less than ten seconds, at which point I lost control and crashed into the rug. A fast, if not auspicious start.
Still, there's no props to assemble, no GPS satellites to connect to, no wifi to pair, no apps to download. Just flip a switch on the drone, another on the remote, wait for the beep and you're good to go.
Mota calls the Nano's controls "pro-grade" and touts the "ultra-high power-to-weight ratio" which I think is marketspeak for "this thing is fun, but hard as hell to fly". The controller handles throttle, which controls altitude, and then the second joystick makes turns (mirroring what you'll find in bigger drones, hence the main reason the Nano is handy for practicing).
Perhaps the most challenging thing about flying is the lack of altitude stabilization. Unlike the big drones, when you ease off the Nano's throttle it doesn't hover; you crash. That's part of why it makes you a better drone pilot -- it forces you to think about everything until you internalize it and it becomes natural. And contrary to popular opinion, I promise it won't take 10,000 hours. A week should be sufficient.
Half the reason it will take you that long is that the Nano only has the battery life to stay airborne for about 8 minutes at best (Mota claims 8, my testing put it at more like 6-7 depending on what you're doing). That sounds bad until you consider that the entire body of the craft is about the size of your thumbnail. Given the size constraints the Nano's flight time actually seems pretty impressive. It also charges quickly via a special (provided) USB cable.
The Nano has a 75 foot range, which is a about as far as I'd be comfortable letting it get, the lights (blue for front, red for back) are basically impossible to see beyond about 50 feet. The body is bright red so it's usually not too hard to spot when it crashes, but I still lost it for a while in some autumn leaves.
If you're looking for a way to become a better drone pilot without slamming your $1600 drone into a pine tree (been there) the Nano makes a great way to practice. It's also just plain old fun to fly.
Wired: The Nano is simple to use and the all-in-one carrying case design, decent battery life and low price make it great way to practice flying quadcopters without the stress.
Tired: It's so small it can be hard to find if you crash outdoors, lights are not as large or easy to see as some competitors, would be nice to have more than the 4 spare rotors included.
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