WARNING: This Product Contains Chemicals Known to the State of California To Cause Cancer And Birth Defects Or Other Reproductive Harm.

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So this is my review on the NanoDragon II

The NanoDragon I is a 1/16 scale 4wd electric RC. It is made by Firelap, distributed by Toyeast, and is a clone of Kyosho's Mini Inferno.

So last Friday, about a week ago, I get home to find a package waiting for me. w00t




^Heres the box of the Nano. Pretty nice, cool graphics and lots of info on the outside


^Other side



^It has a little removable piece on top that reveals a window for you to look inside, pretty neat.



^Located on the bottom of the box. This is what the beginning of the review refers to. Was fairly surprised when I found that this RC may cause cancer. I have no idea what part of the Nano this is referring to.


^The packaging inside the box. Clear packaging holds the Nano, with the tx underneath, and spare parts/documentation at the very bottom.


^One thing that really stands out is the manual. It is really nice and glossy, and is in COLOR. Yes, an RC manual that actually has detailed color pictures, omg. It also has perfect English, aint no speeling/grammar errors usually found in products from Asia (airsoft guns instructions? nearly impossible to understand). Other things in teh pic are a small notice to remove the clear protective film on the body, and decals to put on the wing and body (lawl u cN aDd mr0E HP!!1).


^Nice detailed instructions on programming the TX's many functions, helpful to me since its my first programmable tx.


^Spare parts/tools include a multi-wrench, 2 tools for adjusting diffs, and 2 pieces to change the rear toe-in angle.


^The NanoDragon II. sweet looking huh?


^The underside. Supposedly the chassis is 40% carbon fiber, but I cant really tell


^Body removed. Other than the labels and some minor design differences, you would not be able to tell if this were a Nano or Mini Inferno


^Closeup of electronics and motor


^Front end. One strange thing I noticed is that the pins in the center of the right tire are aligned left and right, but on the left tire they are not


The following are some comparison pics between my MIST and my Nano, to show both the differences between buggy and ST, and differences between NanoDragon and Mini Inferno:


^Here you can see that buggy and ST have the same wheelbase. Differences between Nano and MI are electronics and other minor things


^Here is the difference in track width, due to different length of a-arms. Sorry for the blur


^The ST wheel/tire is wider and taller than the buggy wheel, and has a higher profile

Next are pics of the really freakin nice tx-

^Very nice, not what normally comes with RTRs. Display screen, many programmable functions, allows you to use battery pack instead of AAs, exchangeable module.


^TX comparison: left to right- Nano tx, Kyosho KT-3 (Mini Inferno), Kyosho KT-5 (Mini-Z). The Nano tx is a bit larger than the other two.


^Closeup. The wheel grip is foam, which is very nice. Display has a protective film on it, hadnt removed it yet



^Rear side


^Closeup of the module box


So thats it for pics, heres the info and opinions and stuff

Nano and MI comparison-
The Nano is different from the Mini Inferno in a few minor aspects. The servo is 3-wire, which is a good thing as that is standard for servos. The Mini Inferno is retarded in that it uses a 4-wire servo which makes you have to upgrade servos if you change escs. Both the Nano and MI have a esc/rx combo and they look nearly alike, except that the Nano one does not come with a heatsink for the FETs. The only other difference is in the shape of a plate taht covers teh servo, which really doesnt matter. All parts for the Mini Inferno are fully compatible with the Nano.
Quality-wise, however, you can tell the difference. The Mini Inferno plastic feels less cheap and the parts are molded better, making it feel more expensive, which it is. The Nano plastic feels somewhat cheap and some parts have bits of plastic from molding, that should be cut off. The wing is more brittle than the MI buggy wing and feels like it may shatter or crack in a wreck. But these downsides only apply to the chassis. The Nano electronics are top-grade and just as good, if not better, than the Mini Inferno. More on this in the next section

Performance-
The Nano requires 14 AAs, not included, to run. 6 AAs for the car, 8 AAs for the transmitter. To test the Nano out, I used Energizer 2500mAh NiMH AA batteries. When putting the batteries in, I again noticed that the battery holders felt cheaper than the MI ones due to the plastic being flimsy. The covers of the battery holder also fit on loosely, without the tight snap of the MI ones. The batteries were hard to fit in and the battery holder was bulging and bent slightly after putting the cells in:

This problem was solved by using some pliers to bend the battery taps in slightly.
Next I put the holders in and connected it to the esc. I turned on the tx and found out that it emits a short beep when you power it up. Pretty cool, makes it feel high-end lol. I hit the gas for the first time and was surprised at the torque and speed. I havent clocked the speed yet but it feels faster than a stock Mini Inferno. Strange, considering that everything is the same as the MI, unless the Nano is somehow more efficient in power delivery or something. Its probably just because its been a while since Ive used AAs in my MIST and have forgotten what it feels like. Ill get an actual MPH figure soon.
Handling is very nice and tight, no sloppiness in the steering mechanism. The tires grip nicely on all surfaces, and the three differentials provide even power distribution to all 4 wheels. The gear mesh between the motor pinion and the slipper gear felt a bit tight though and I couldnt fix this due to the motor mount screws being overtightened. They refused to budge when I used all my strength (which is a lot btw), so I gave up before stripping the screws.

Value-
Is the Nano a smart purchase? Fkn yes, $60 for this RC is unbelievable. While the car itself is a little cheap feeling, the The tx again is of extremely high-quality and not what you usually would receive with a ready-to-run RC, and everything else such as packaging, manuals, and spare parts make it feel full-priced, not a clone. I highly recommend you purchase one. If you dont have an RC, buy one. If you dont have a 1/18, buy one. If you already have one, who cares? Theyre $60 so buy one anyway!


What's cool-
- High-quality TX
- Very nice electronics
- Pretty fast (faster than MI)
- Nice handling
- Only $60!

Gripes-
- Plastic is kinda cheap
- Not as many spare parts included as the Mini Inferno
- Causes cancer

Verdict-
Yes you should buy one, the value is unbelievable. Yes its not as good as the Mini Inferno but hey, its $60, the MI costs twice as much and three times as much for the MIST. Good performance and the electronics are quality, a great deal

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