Hi guys.
OK so I realize most of you are into more serious machines than the Alias or the Vista. But I'm looking at getting into a quad. I've seen videos of a very cool piece it - build it FPV racing quad you can piece together for a couple hundred bucks, including video gear. But having had a not-so-good experience with the Estes micro quad I got a year ago, and never managed to fly it very well at all, I'm kinda gun-shy about trying it again.

It seems, tho, that since then, flight controllers have gotten much better, and models like the Alias and Dromida's Ominus and new Vista are much more noob friendly and easier to learn to fly. Additionally, they are even coming out with inexpensive FPV cameras for these models that transmit on Wi-Fi freqs so an iPhone or Android-powered smartphone can display the video. This sounds very attractive to me.

However, I've been reading reviews of both these models, and they are not without their issues. The Alias seems to have motor failure issues, like, the motors crap out after a handful of flights. And the Dromida models have FC issues that make the units with faulty FCs almost impossible to fly, while the ones that don't have faulty FCs seem to fly very well. It also sounded like these failures may have been initial releases of faulty hardware, and that newer releases don't have these issues, but I've not been able to determine that for sure. (Most of what I read/saw was on other forums, review sites, and YouTube.) What have you guys been hearing about this? Anything?

Prob not the right place to brag but...........I think you will like/love the Dromida. I have two of the LaTrax Alias, love me both and have a Dromida and my son had/has a Dromida. About 6 weeks ago, he was flying way way too high.......battery died out and we lost it in the woods bout 600 ft away. So for 6 weeks with all the weather we have been having, today we found it!!!!! Stuck in a new battery and she flies perfectly!! charged the battery that it was lost in and it holds a freekin change!!! When they say its indestructable,, it really is. sitting in trees and then on the ground outside for 6 weeks in the rain, snow, frost, etc, and still good to go, a great machine.
I have 9 other quads and doubt if they would hold up to that. Just sayin

I don't care for the Vista. I and others think the Omnius flies much better. Look around for the Ominus as they are still out there. No major issues with them in over a year.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXEMNPGG&P=6

Thanks for the input, guys. I was looking at the Vista mainly because of the added structure they put on it. Thought it would make it less likely to break? The ability to add a camera later was also attractive. But you say the Ominus files better? How's that? ( Not being any kind of pilot to begin with, would I notice?)

Having flown both models many times the Ominus handles/flies much better than the Vista....in my opinion. Something they did in the redesign of the Vista caused it. If you want a camera then buy the "fpv" model as they are different. They have lower gears and different motors to handle the extra weight of a camera. You can remove the camera and fly it until you get comfortable with it (recommended) and then you can reattach the camera and fly with it. You don't want to crash with the camera on it !
If you try and put a camera on a regular Omius or Vista it will not fly well due to the extra weight.

Great feedback. Thank you!