Half Chrome Hack: 818A-1 Gets a Facelift & Better Performance

Have you ever wanted to modify your drone?  Are you looking for a drone hack to improve performance? Half Chrome has one of the easiest hacks to perform, and it will produce great results.

The UDI 818A-1 is an excellent drone for a beginner.  It is very stable and very durable.  The giant propeller guard does an excellent job protecting the drone. While the guard’s large size is great for bouncing off of walls, it also decreases the drone’s performance. This is particularly noticeable when you get the UDI 818A-1 outside on a windy day. The prop guard can act a bit like a kite, taking the drone for a ride.  Unfortunately the propeller guard is a permanent attachment, or is it…

We have a solution.  Remove the propeller guard.  It is simple enough.  All you need is a steady hand and some sturdy scissors.  In just a couple minutes you can transform your beginner quadcopter to an aggressive flying machine. Note that this change to the drone is irreversible, you will permanently lose the propeller guard.  The drone won’t be quite as “safe” as it once was.

If you still think this hack is for you here is how it is done. Cut around the center hub.  We left a point at the front end of the drone to help us with orientation. Be careful not to cut the LED.  The LED can be easily relocated in a slot in the front. That’s it, you are done! You have transformed your drone for the better.

Your Half Chrome UDI hacked drone will be have better acceleration, higher top speed and will not struggle in the wind like it used to.  It was hard to get over how much faster this drone was.  It acts almost like our Hubsan X4. The graph below shows the vertical take off of the UDI before and after the modification. The time to reach 7.5 feet (1 Chewbacca) decreases from 1.2 seconds down to 0.95 seconds. That may seem like a relatively small change, but it feels very different. Check out how it stacks up to all of the competition in our full article on vertical speed testing.

After hacking this drone the we have moved it up our list.  It’s now one of our favorite small drones. In its original state it is ideal for a beginner, but as you grow as a drone pilot you want something faster and more agile.  The Drone Guyz hack have given you just that.  The best part is how easy this hack is to accomplish.  So take that next step and modify your drone.

Half Chrome has done full reviews on both the UDI 818A-1 and the UDI 818A HD+ with FPV. Click HERE to see our review on the standard UDI 818A-1.  Click HERE to read our see our review on the FPV version of the 818A.

Not sure if this is the drone for you???

No worries, Half Chrome Drones has you covered. Maybe you want an aerial photography drone, or maybe you want a fun toy. Want FPV? We’ve developed an advanced system to match you to the right drone. We call it our Half Chrome Drone Cipher™, go check it out. We also are constantly updating our Best Drones Now page to help you stay current.

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