How to Turn a Paper Airplane Into a Drone

Last week I was mailed a device that claims to turn a standard paper airplane into a drone. Could this possibly be true? 

The device itself is called the Power X FPV. It comes with paper for building the plane, an extra set of propellers, and the "motor" that slips onto the paper airplane and then connects wirelessly to a smartphone. 

Building the plane

The box doesn't come with directions for folding the airplane but instead points you to their website to "watch a video." Of course I couldn't get the videos to play on the website but I was able to find an instructional video on Youtube. The plane was folded relatively easily but tape and scissors were required. 

Attaching the motor

The "motor" easily slips into place on top of the plane. You must then turn it on and connect to its wifi signal with your phone. Then you can open the Powerup app. This never worked seamlessly for me but after a few restarts of the plane and app I got it synced up. The app is quite impressive and allows you to control the plane and have a first-person view from the plane's camera. 

Does it fly? 

Sometimes. Once you get a perfect balance of elevator crease, wind direction, and piloting, it is possible to get some pretty epic flights. Sadly, this may mean that you have to wreck it ten times to get a single decent flight but it also means that when you do finally get it flying, it feels like a legitimate accomplishment. 

Is it fun?

It's infuriating when it's not working and incredibly fun when you actually get it to work. DJI drones are certainly fun at first but they are so stable that the excitement quickly wears off. This plane will certainly keep you on your toes. 

Did you break FAA laws by flying this drone without a license? 

Probably. 

Should I buy it? 

If it were cheaper then I would certainly recommend it but I can't for $140. It feels a bit too fragile and easily lost to spend that kind of money. But, to be fair, I did wreck mine a bunch and it's still in great shape and the battery life was way better than I expected. They do have a smaller one that is just $50 which seems a lot more reasonable but from what I've read it doesn't do well in wind. 

Well then what should I buy? 

If you want something cheap then you should buy this and if you want something that looks like a toy and flies like a professional tool you should buy this.