The Eachine Twig is an interesting 3″ FPV drone. It is a bit larger than a standard toothpick drone and is part of the growing “Twig” class. Think of the twig class as a slightly larger toothpick on steroids. Most toothpick quads are less than 50 grams and fly on 1S or 2S batteries. A twig will typically be heavier than 50 grams and can fly on a 2S-4S battery.
The Eachine Twig is a clone
The Eachine Twig is a blatant rip off of the Racer X Twig. Eachine and other manufacturers have been doing this for years and it is nothing new to the FPV hobby. They take a design that is successful and they copy it. They have done exactly that with their Twig. Usually, they give it a different name. This time they didn’t even bother. The Racer X “Speed Racer” Twig was a design that inspired this Twig class. It is a higher quality carbon frame but you’ll have to put it together yourself. Keep that in mind.
The Eachine Twig
The Twig has a 115 mm wheelbase and can fly on 2-3S batteries. The flight controller is the AIO Crazybee F4 v3.o and comes with a built-in SPI receiver. There are two camera versions, the HD Caddx Baby Turtle or the standard Runcam Nano 2. The HD version tips the scales at 72 grams whereas the Runcam version is only 64 grams.
The Eachine Twig runs on 1105 5200 KV brushless motors. They have plenty of power to drive the Gemfan 3025 3-inch propellers. This drone is no toothpick. It is a bigger more powerful machine.
The video transmitter is switchable from 25 to 200 mw and can be controlled via smart audio. On 200 mw you’ll lose radio signal before you lose the picture. The biggest drawback to the Twig is the SPI receiver is actually quite poor. I’d say you will get 100 meters max without any obstructions. If you are flying near trees or other obstacles you might only get half of that before you lose radio signal. Eachine has noted this and has included pre-soldered wires so you can add your own receiver. I highly recommend it.
The HD Twig
The version I tested was the HD version with the Caddx Baby Turtle. I found it an improvement over some of the older split cams for sure. The HD video is pretty good and you can capture 1080p at 60fps with this 2 MP camera. Flying the HD version didn’t quite have the punch or the nimble characteristics I’ve experienced with other twig or toothpick style drones. It feels a bit heavy. It is still a solid flier and a lot of fun. From what I understand the lighter Runcam version is more agile.
Twig or Lava X?
The Eachine Twig is a beefed up version of the Happymodel Larva X. It is bigger, more powerful and if you want it can capture HD footage. I really like flying the Larva X and I was really excited to fly its big brother. But bigger isn’t always better. If found the Larva to be a little more agile and I prefer the smaller quad. Perhaps I should try the Runcam version for a better comparison.
Caddx Turtle or Runcam Nano2? Which version is better?
If you are looking for the best flight characteristics I’d recommend the Runcam Nano 2 version of the Eachine Twig. The 8 gram difference may not seem like a lot but on something this small it absolutely makes a difference. You’ll have to decide for yourself which version you want. Which is a higher priority for you, HD video or nimble flight characteristics? Maybe take a look at the Happymodel Larva X if you want something a bit smaller.
| Check the price of the Eachine Twig | Check the price of the Happymodel Larva X |
Thanks for visiting Half Chrome
Make sure you check out our YouTube channel so you can stay up to date with all things drone. Whether it is an aerial photography machine from DJI or a lightning-fast FPV racer we have you covered. We also use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep our readers and viewers up to date.
If you want to buy a drone we highly encourage you to use the links in the article above. By using them we’ll make a small commission but won’t cost you anything extra. It is how we are able to keep producing content for you. Check out our shop tab at the top for deals from Amazon, DJI, Banggood and more.
Make sure you check out some of our more popular pages like Best Drones Now, Aerial Photo Tips, Top Accessories and All Things FPV. Happy Flying.
Disclosure:
This website contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. For full details visit the disclosures and disclaimers page.