Let’s be honest: most drones look the same.
Quadcopter. Carbon fiber. Four spinning blades. Beep-boop. Land. Repeat.
The MetaFly is not most drones. In fact, it barely qualifies as a drone at all. It has no rotors, no GPS, and no autohover. What it does have is a 7-inch wingspan, a flapping tail, and the chaotic energy of a caffeinated moth that just escaped a terrarium.
When the package arrived from France (courtesy of Bionic Bird / Parrot), I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was equal parts engineering marvel and absurdist toy. Here is my full unboxing experience.
The Box: Smaller Than You Think
First impression: The retail box is shockingly compact — about the size of a thick hardcover novel (8″ x 6″ x 3″).
Bionic Bird has embraced eco-friendly packaging. No styrofoam. No plastic shrink-wrap hell. Just a sturdy cardboard sleeve printed with a dramatic image of the MetaFly mid-flight over a forest, looking like a prehistoric dragonfly.
The tagline: “The ultra-lightweight flapping-wing drone.”
Underneath, in smaller text: “Not a toy for children under 14.” (We’ll come back to that.)
Pull off the sleeve, and you’re greeted by a matte-black inner box with a simple embossed logo. Very Apple. Very French.
Inside the Box: What You Get
Lift the magnetic lid, and the MetaFly is revealed like a museum specimen — cocooned in a custom-cut foam insert. Unlike traditional drones that arrive fully assembled, the MetaFly requires assembly. But not the frustrating kind.
Here’s the complete inventory:
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| MetaFly body (fuselage + motor + gears) | 1 |
| Left wing (carbon fiber rod + membrane) | 1 |
| Right wing (same) | 1 |
| Tail fin (flapping rudder) | 1 |
| Landing skid (bendable wire) | 1 |
| Charging cable (USB to proprietary 1S LiPo) | 1 |
| Spare wing membrane | 1 |
| Spare rubber bands | 4 |
| Instruction manual (multilingual) | 1 |
Total weight (unassembled): 22 grams. That’s lighter than three US nickels.
The Components: Delicate, Beautiful, Terrifying
The Body (Fuselage)
Holding the main body for the first time is a revelation. It’s a hollow, beige plastic shell (looks like carbon-fiber-infused nylon) that houses a tiny brushed motor, a gear reduction system, and a 70mAh LiPo battery.
The craftsmanship is impressive. You can see the brass pinion gears through a transparent window — mechanical porn for gearheads.
Warning label: “Do not touch gears while spinning.” Noted.
The Wings
The wings are the magic trick. Each wing consists of:
A 1mm carbon fiber rod (the “bone”)
A transparent, ultra-thin Mylar-like membrane (the “skin”)
A plastic root connector that snaps into the fuselage
These are not durable. If you squeeze them like a normal drone propeller, they will crumple. The manual explicitly says: “Handle wings only by the root connector.”
To find out in detail, I suggest you go directly to the page MetaFly of the site.
Unpacking the MetaFly
Let’s not waste time and open the box without further delay!
On the top we find the instructions and the accessories (wings, legs, rudder)
just below you will see the small screwdriver for the assembly, the radio control, the end caps of the RC stics and additional screws.
As you can see the bird is not ready to fly, you have to assemble it but it is very simple, fast and well explained (it will make another article)
The unboxing video
I present to you in video the MetaFly and the other birds that I had already tested, then you will witness the unboxing of the bird live by discovering it at the same time as me.
More informations…
While waiting for the video and the article on the assembly of the MetaFly, here are some links if you want to get this bird.
And to buy it it happens on the official site: https://bionicbird.com/world/fr/shop/metafly
Or below directly from Amazon
thanks to Xtim for sending me the MetaFly and test !
The Tail
The MetaFly doesn’t just flap its main wings. The entire tail fin also flaps, acting as a rudder for yaw control. It’s connected to the same gearbox via a clever linkage.
Fun fact: Real insects (like dragonflies) also use their tails for stability during flapping flight. Bio-mimicry at its finest.
Assembly: 5 Minutes of Delicate Work
Unlike unboxing a DJI where you just unfold arms, the MetaFly requires you to become a tiny orthopedist.
Step 1: Snap the landing skid into the belly. It’s bendable wire with foam feet. Simple.
Step 2: Insert the tail fin into the rear slot. It clicks audibly. Good.
Step 3: The wings. This is nerve-wracking. You must insert the carbon fiber root into the fuselage socket at a precise 15-degree angle, then rotate forward until you hear a click. The manual warns: “Do not force. If resistance is felt, realign.”
Step 4: Connect the rubber bands. These act as “wing return springs” — when the motor pulls the wings down, the rubber bands snap them back up. This is what creates the figure-8 flapping pattern.
Final step: Charge the internal battery via USB. Red light = charging. Green light = ready. Takes about 15 minutes.
First Thoughts (Before Flying)
Holding the fully assembled MetaFly, I had two simultaneous emotions:
“This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” The 22-gram weight, the translucent wings, the mechanical clicking of the gears — it feels alive, like a clockwork insect.
“This is going to break immediately.” The wings feel like tissue paper stretched over a toothpick. The exposed gear train looks like it would jam if a piece of dust landed on it.
But here’s the secret: The MetaFly is designed to be repaired. Every part — wings, tail, rubber bands, even the motor — is replaceable and sold separately. Bionic Bird knows you’ll crash. They expect it.
The Included Extras (Worth Noting)
Bionic Bird thoughtfully includes:
One spare wing membrane (pre-cut, just peel and stick over the carbon frame)
Four spare rubber bands (you will lose these during crashes)
A small screwdriver (embedded in the foam — easy to miss)
What’s not included:
A transmitter (you use your smartphone via Bluetooth)
Extra batteries (you must recharge the internal one)
A carrying case (good luck)
Initial Quality Control Observations
| Pro | Con |
|---|---|
| Incredibly lightweight (22g) | Fragile wings (no crashing into walls) |
| Mechanical flapping is mesmerizing | Short flight time (8 minutes advertised, 6 in reality) |
| No registration required (under 250g) | Smartphone app required (no physical remote) |
| Spare parts included | Charging takes 15 minutes for 6 minutes of flight |
| Bio-mimicry done right | Not for outdoor wind (anything over 5 mph is a no-go) |
Who Is This For?
After unboxing, I realized the MetaFly is not competing with a DJI Mini or a racing drone. It’s competing with:
A butterfly net
A paper airplane
The feeling of being a kid
Buy this if: You love mechanical puzzles, biomimicry, or want to freak out your cat. It’s a conversation piece that happens to fly.
Skip this if: You want aerial photography, crash-proof durability, or wind resistance. This is a fair-weather, indoor or dead-calm outdoor flier only.
Final Unboxing Verdict
The MetaFly unboxing experience is delightful. The packaging is premium. The assembly is a satisfying 5-minute ritual. The engineering is genuinely clever — a flapping-wing mechanism that actually works without immediately self-destructing.
But the moment you finish unboxing, you’ll face a choice: Do I fly this precious insect, or do I put it on a shelf and just admire it?
My advice: Fly it. Crash it. Repair it. Fly it again. That’s the point.
MetaFly
Price: ~$130 USD
Available at: BionicBird.com, Amazon, select hobby shops
*Flight time: 6-8 minutes*
Range: 100 meters (Bluetooth)
*Pro tip from the unboxing: Remove the rubber bands before storing long-term. They stretch out. And for the love of all that is holy, do not fly this near an open flame. It is 95% flammable membrane.*
