Let Your Little Ones Become Detectives With These 5 Awesome Spy Drones For Kids

NOTE: These drones are just toys and can’t be used by professionals (private investigators, detectives..) for spying activities.

I’m sure most of you are well aware that the USA Air Force has been using drones (or other types of unmanned aerial vehicles) for quite some time. As a matter of fact, military drone use has had its peak way before spy drones for kids… or even commercial drones for that matter.

Cheap spy drones on this list :

5. UDI U49W
4. UDI U818A
3. Altair AA108
2. OCDAY Poke Mini
1. Blade Inductrix

USA Air Force and other government branches are using various types of drones not just for surveillance (although surveillance is the most represented usage) but for other missions too. As a matter of fact, take those newly announced weaponized drones as the perfect example of how important drones could be for the future of not just ours but international airspace too…

But what does all of this have to do with our topic? What do these sophisticated military machines have to do with drones for kids, or mini spy drones for sale? Well, the thing is – we will be focusing on the drones that take the same principles from surveillance drones and pack them into much smaller form factors… Basically, we are going to take a look at the best spy drone with a camera for kids.

Mind you, some of these might seem like cheap spy drones, but in reality, they have a lot going on underneath that pretty canopy. But, before going out on a limb here and buzzing straight to the topic, first, we’ll investigate the potential uses of proper surveillance drones

 

Let your children become detectives!

spying drones

This photo is just an illustration. Actual drone spying on other people is not allowed. Playing spying games with your friends is fun, but actually spying someone is not fun and it is forbidden by a FAA (“you are not allowed to operate UAV above other people”).

With everything that’s been said above, I believe we can come to an interesting summary – drones could be the future of surveillance and spying and provide plenty of jobs for new generations. And while that might still be too early to introduce your children with (I am referring to their career options), what you can do is let their imagination flow and encourage their detective games with the addition of a brand new gadget – their very own spy drone!

These cheap spy drones won’t make a big dent in your budget but could greatly influence how your children portray drones in their developing minds. By talking to them while they’re playing Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot detective games, you can embed valuable lessons that might just turn their minds onto chasing a career in unmanned surveillance systems.

 

Best mini spy drones for sale

If any of the above-mentioned reasons for buying one of these birdies sounds interesting to you, perhaps you’d like to check out our list of best spy drones with a camera for kids. The list features only 5 models but all 5 of them are awesome in their own right. As you’ll have the chance to see below, the first 3 drones might not be the smallest ones out there, but due to their high-resolution cameras and quiet motors, they will still allow your children to spy on your neighbors (Using drones to spy on your neighbors is forbidden by FAA regulations, don’t be stupid and do such a thing.).

If you travel further down the list and end up reading the last 2 entries, you’ll see the true definition of what every good spy drone for kids needs to look like. Heads up – it needs to be small, quiet, maneuverable and possessing an awesome camera.

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5. Force1 U49W Blue Heron

U49W Blue Heron

The first model on this list is called U49W Blue Heron and is capable of delivering exceptional spying performance for a low price tag. However, you will realize that we are not talking about a small drone. On the contrary, Force1 U49W Blue Heron is pretty huge… but to compensate for that, it sports an excellent camera with rubber damping for improved image stabilization. This will, obviously, greatly improve the transmission smoothness of FPV stream which is of utmost importance for your little detectives!

While we are talking about the camera, you should also know that it sports a 120-degree wide-angle lens and is capable of capturing 720p videos. While the quality can’t really be compared to premium ones, it is still more than good especially for the price you’ll end up paying for U49W Blue Heron.

Moving forward to the flight performance, this birdie fares surprisingly well. It is highly responsive and that simplistic controller fits into hands rather nicely. I should also add that it incorporates 3-speed levels which are becoming a common occurrence for entry-level drones.

Moving onto the specifications, U49W Blue Heron can go all the way up to 15 minutes per charge. Make that half an hour per flying session since it comes with an extra battery. As far as the range is concerned, this little fella can go anywhere from 100 to 150 meters. Feature-wise, Blue Heron sports headless mode, low battery alarm and 1-key takeoff/landing. Lastly, this thing is highly durable not just because of those integrated prop guards but because of a sturdy frame that can take quite the beating.

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4. UDI U818A

UDI-U818A_web

Similarly to the Force1 drone, UDI U818A isn’t exactly the smallest model out there. That’s why many of you will think it is not suitable for your children’s detective games. However, even though it’s relatively big, UDI U818A is surprisingly quiet and delivers an excellent camera. You’ll have to agree with me that those two traits make up for its big size. But, in addition to those 2, UDI U818A has a lot more to offer…

Take that miniature camera as an example – it can record HD videos and does so in a high-quality manner. Don’t expect too much sharpness on big displays (monitor, TV) though, as we are talking about 720p and not 4K. Stepping away from the camera, let’s talk for a bit about the general design. UDI U818A sports a uniformed body with integrated propeller guards. They are thick and sturdy, well capable of providing an extra layer of protection for the propellers.

Performance is not that shabby at all. You see, UDI U818A can fly for approximately 7 minutes and reach up to 70 meters away from its controller. That might sound low to you at first, but when you consider this birdie costs around $100 you’ll realize it’s an actually good value for money.

The controller is good too. It delivers responsive and intuitive controls which is always important with children as the target audience. It also gives quick access to several features that are present with UDI U818A. These include headless mode, 360 flips, and return to home. Finally, it’s great to see that the package includes an extra battery alongside a spare set of propellers. It seems though more toy-grade drone brands are including extras in their standard packages and I really appreciate that.

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3. Altair AA108

Altair-AA108_web

I’m sure most of you haven’t yet heard about this one! Altair AA108 is the name and it is technically a brand new drone on the market. It has been released just a couple of weeks ago but is claiming a lot of praise from satisfied customers. It’s relatively small (not as small as the first 2 models though) and possesses a good camera that can do wonders for your kids’ detective missions. With that said, let’s see what exactly can it do!

Starting off with the performance, Altair AA108 boasts with excellent flight duration but lacks a proper operating range. It is limited to only 100 meters, even less than that (just 30m) if you plan on using the FPV feature. However, as stated above, flight duration is excellent and stands high at up to 10 minutes per charge. Camera, on the other hand, rocks 720p video recording capability but doesn’t provide any sort of dampening mechanism to soothe the vibrations.

Still, Altair Aa108 is capable of providing crisp aerial videos especially given the fact it’s a toy-grade model. There is nothing bad to say about the design either. The structure is firm and sturdy, seems durable enough to withstand a couple of high-speed crashes thanks to its relatively thick prop guards on each side.

Altair AA108 doesn’t fail to deliver in terms of features either. It follows the revolution that has been going on in the toy-drone market for quite some time now with the implementation of “smart” features such as Altitude Hold and Flight Route. While you won’t have the benefits of GPS precision, these cheap smart features will still do their job with decent results. I’ve saved the best for last – Altair AA108 comes nicely packed with an extra battery as well as a spare set of propellers if you happen to break the stock ones.

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2. OCDAY PoKe Mini

ocday-mini_web

The second place of this list goes to a much smaller drone than the previous ones. In fact, OCDAY PoKe Mini is a drone that’s well suitable for tiny whoop FPV racing. Come to think of it, in a similar fashion like the first model on this list, OCDAY PoKe Mini is also a proper representative of the micro FPV brushed quad movement. Still, it possesses a solid camera with virtually no FPV latency, making it great for little detectives.

As far as the features go, PoKe Mini does not have a bunch of them for bragging rights. Nope, that’s not the case with this little birdie. It only has one key return and a headless mode. On the bright side, it sports a miniature 25mW 5.8G FPV camera. It does not have the best image quality but can provide you with a decent range for up to 30 meters, depending on the interference. Unfortunately, it does not come with an FPV monitor so you’ll have to supply your own.

Moving forward to the actual build, it is very similar to Blade Inductrix which we’ll talk more about down below. It runs on small 1S 25C 200mAh LiPo batteries (basically the same as Blade Inductrix) and each can provide it with roughly 5 minutes of airtime. That’s a decent amount of airtime from such a tiny whoop and I’m sure your children will he happy with it. However, the charging time takes cca 45 minutes which proves that it isn’t the fastest charger out there.

But, OCDAY PoKe Mini is an insanely maneuverable model that flies fast, accurate and completely in-sync with your commands. While it is best used for indoor flying sessions, this birdie can fly outdoor too so your little explorers will have everything they need for some good old detective work. Lastly – please do note that the controller requires 2 AA batteries which are not supplied with the package.

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1. Blade Inductrix RTF

Blade Inductrix

The final drone featured in this article is the one and only Blade Inductrix (best spy drone with camera for kids)… and not the BNF (bind and fly) package but RTF (ready to fly) which comes with both the controller and FPV monitor… but more on that below. For those of you unfamiliar with the matter at hand, Blade Inductrix is considered an icon among micro FPV brushed quads. But, despite its main use is to whoop around tight spaces, Blade Inductrix also excels at being young detective’s best friend! Let’s talk more about that…

The first thing about Blade Inductrix you should know about is this – make sure you buy the FPV RTF version! It’s going to cost you slightly more than the basic one, but you’re getting a camera (the standard version doesn’t come with one) along with a controller and a 4.3-inch FPV monitor. Without those 3 things, your kids won’t be able to do any sort of detective games.

Now that we got that out of our way, it is also important to notify you of Blade Inductrix’s ducted fan platform which greatly increases its thrust and power efficiency.Best of all, it is powered by 14,300Kv coreless motors! For those of you wanting more, you can always go for 19,000Kv ones which will turn this birdie into a proper tiny whoop. However, your kids will mostly be interested in its FPV capability so I bear good news in that department as well – Blade Inductrix FPV range can reach up to 90 meters which means your kids will have a huge spying area! That’s all thanks to that tiny 25mW camera and its highly-durable dipole antenna.

In terms of flight time, Blade Inductrix can fly for around 6 minutes with its 200mAh 1S LiPo battery. All things considered, if you are aiming for a small, quiet drone with great FPV range, they don’t come any better than Blade Inductrix!

 

Drones are a big factor for surveillance

Sophisticated surveillance platforms ( a classy name for what basically is a spy drone) are not just used by military or government branches. Nope – they are also being used by private surveillance/security companies from all over the world.

With the use of such drones, these companies are significantly cutting their expenses and, with a one-time long-term investment (and low operating costs), drones are proving to be an invaluable asset to their businesses. It’s a fact!

From demonstration monitoring to threat analysis and data collection in autonomous threat responses, surveillance drones are making their efforts known! Even more so when used with comprehensive pieces of software that delegate their behavior and, in some cases, make up for fully autonomous security systems.

One such company is Nightingale Security which specializes in robotic aerial security. They integrate several deployment scenarios including manual surveillance missions, scheduled autonomous patrols, and autonomous threat responses. This is all thanks to their intelligent flight software and base stations which, together, provide 24/7 surveillance support to their clients.

This all leads to one simple conclusion…

 

Drones could be (already are) the future of international spying

mini spy drones for sale

It’s true! If there are such comprehensive and sophisticated autonomous systems solely for surveillance, just think about their potential use in terms of spying. More precisely, international spying. As a matter of fact, I believe we already have the technology to fly over Pyongyang, North Korea and eavesdrop on Kim Jong Un seducing his maid without him ever knowing anything about it. But why isn’t this technology being used?

Well, the most obvious answer that comes to my head is that we’re waiting for an immense threat. More specifically, in terms of North Korea, I think that day is approaching as Lil Kim seems to be losing his grip over the last couple of months…

But why am I telling you all thigs? Well, these drones served as a large-scale introduction of mini spy drones for kids which is what we’ll discuss further in this article. What I basically tried to do is give you a whole bunch of general information about military and commercially used spy drones in the hope that you’ll get one of those cheap spy drones for your children to play with…

 

Conclusion

That’s it ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! I am afraid we have come to the end of this article! It’s been an honor providing you the list of awesome cheap spy drones that will give your little ones a ton of detective fun. As you had the chance to see for yourself, there are plenty of great spy drones for kids to choose from… so make sure you don’t end up buying a mediocre one!

Thank you for reading,

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Anthony Turner