Bird's eye view: the best quadcopters tried and tested

Whether you're a beginner, keen to get into racing, a photography buff or just curious about a possible new hobby, there's a drone to suit you. We try out some of the best with the UK's top FPV drone pilot

"I hate the word drone," says James Bowles, aka JAB1a, the best drone pilot in the country. He's acknowledging the less than warm reputation they enjoy, as death-dealing instruments of war and surveillance.

But there's another side to drones (a catch-all term for unmanned aerial robots). For radio control hobbyists, FPV (first person view) quadcopters are the most fun it's possible to have at a distance. These are four-bladed helicopters, fitted with front-facing cameras which transmit live to goggles. Wearing goggles and controlling the craft via handset puts the operator straight in the cockpit: climbing giddy heights with the birds, picking through gaps in trees, zooming low to the ground. And crashing - there's a lot of that.