This is probably the best toy you can get for the money. I've only flown it once, as it came an hour ago. But that was one heck of an enjoyable first flight. The copter is very stable in the air. Basically, when you touch the controls to make it go in a specified direction, it GOES in that direction - which is essential to having some fun! The controls are simple, but if you've never flown a helicopter before like me, mistakes will be made - you might find yourself panicking that you've about to hit something and going FULL DOWN for a rapid descent/crash landing then kick yourself afterwards! It's a challenge to fly but it's perfectly doable, by the end of the flight I had the copter hovering in the same spot without any problem!
It had a few little scrapes against walls and a couple of light turn-overs. Survived just fine with no damage! If you have kids though I can see this getting damaged easily, but I just checked the replacement parts kit cost: £2.79 with free delivery and it covers everything likely to get damaged (rotor blades, fins, balance bar at the top, and the cogs that presumable drive the blades that might break if you hit the blade against a wall hard). That's fantastic value really.
I've read stories about the battery not lasting long before dying due to overheating. To combat this you're supposed to wait for it to cool down before recharging, and again before use. I also place my copter on top of my PC to charge as I have a top-mounted PC case fan - this blows cold air over it during the charging process which I think is a good idea. Keep that battery as cool as possible!
The controller includes a compartment where, if you open it, a charging lead pops out. Rather than charge via USB, you can charge the copter directly from the batteries inside the controller if you like! This is great as I use rechargeable Eneloops in the controller so if you're out and about you can get several flying sessions without returning home!
Edit: 15+ flights now. Still an excellent heli!
Edit: Well over 100+ flights now. Still great. Had to re-solder a cable that's next to the ON/OFF switch, as it broke loose after a heavy accident. I think they use high temp solder as my soldering iron wouldn't melt it but I managed to bodge something together eventually. The battery doesn't have quite so much power now, so I'll have to replace that soon. But that's to be expected considering the use I've had out of it. Still probably the best toy I've ever bought for the money!
| Product Dimensions | 3.8 x 9.8 x 23 cm; 322 g |
|---|---|
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
| Item model number | SYS107 |
| Manufacturer's Suggested Maximum Weight | 481 g |
| Educational Objective(s) | Spacial Awareness |
| Language: | English |
| Number of Game Players | 1 |
| Number of pieces | 3 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Engine Type | electric |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Batteries included? | Yes |
| tech_spec_battery_description_toys | Lithium Polymer |
| Material Type(s) | Plastic |
| Material Composition | 65% Plastic plastic, 35% metal |
| Remote Control Included? | Yes |
| Remote Control Type | infra red |
| Radio Control Suitability | indoor |
| Radio Control Number of Channels | 6 |
| Radio Control Frequency | General 26.96 MHz - 27.28 MHz |
| Colour | Yellow |
| Release date | 17 May 2011 |
| ASIN | B00BFSF6AU |
