Bionic Bird MetaFly / X-Fly price & specs

Bionic Bird (XTIM SAS, France) Bionic Bird MetaFly / X-Fly (1)

Bionic Bird (XTIM SAS, France) Bionic Bird MetaFly / X-Fly (2)

$119 – $149

AvailableNot programmableConsumer ornithopterRC insectUnder 10 g

Possibly ≤ 1 weekShipping: Days.

Remote control: Not possible. Flown only with the bundled RC controller (MetaFly) or phone app (X-Fly).

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Overview

The most accessible flapping-wing flier, a sub-10-gram carbon and liquid-crystal-polymer insect flown with a small RC transmitter that also charges it. The newer X-Fly adds gyro-based flight assistance, a swappable battery and a phone app, and a faster 'The Swift' model was on pre-order in 2026. Bionic Bird calls X-Fly an open platform because its board has a connector for plug-in modules, such as an LED module for night flying and a buzzer module. It has no SDK or open firmware, so owners can add the maker's accessories but can't run their own code. Toys rather than robots in the programmable sense, but they fly remarkably like the real thing.

Type: Flapping-wing robot · Flapping-wing robots
Maker: Bionic Bird (XTIM SAS, France)
Released: 2019
Price: $119 – $149
Status: Available
Best for: Ages 12+
Programming: No programmability

Price and shipping

MetaFly $119–$144.90 (Standard/Upgrade kit). X-Fly $119–$149 on bionicbird.com (September 2026). MetaFly was crowdfunded on Kickstarter from March 5 to May 2, 2019, raising ~$669,000 (€595,940) from 6,437 backers.

Shipping: Days. Sold direct from bionicbird.com with free express shipping to the USA advertised. Bionic Bird US store ↗

Specifications

Category	Flapping-wing fliers · Flapping-wing robots
Released	2019
Country	France
Availability	Available
Sales	More than 1,850 Kickstarter backers (2019, estimate) Digital Trends ↗
Programmability	No programmability
Built-in autonomy	None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions
LLM support	None · Flown only with an RC controller or phone app.
Best for	Ages 12+ (estimated)
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	DC / gear motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller
Remote control	Not programmable
Size	MetaFly: 19 cm long, 29 cm wingspan, 9.5 g, X-Fly: 38 cm wingspan, 12 g
Locomotion	Single pair of flapping wings with tail steering, can glide and take off from the floor
Compute	Simple RC receiver (MetaFly), X-Fly adds a flight-assist controller
Camera	None
Sensors	MetaFly: none, X-Fly: 6-axis gyro/accelerometer
Runtime	MetaFly 8–10 min (Bionic Bird quotes both figures, 12 min charge), X-Fly flight time roughly matches its approx. 12 min battery charge
Speed	MetaFly 5–20 km/h
SDK	None, MetaFly uses a 2.4 GHz handheld controller, X-Fly a smartphone app over Bluetooth 5.2

Common questions

How much does Bionic Bird MetaFly / X-Fly cost?

Bionic Bird MetaFly / X-Fly is listed at $119 – $149. MetaFly $119–$144.90 (Standard/Upgrade kit). X-Fly $119–$149 on bionicbird.com (September 2026). MetaFly was crowdfunded on Kickstarter from March 5 to May 2, 2019, raising ~$669,000 (€595,940) from 6,437 backers.