Gizmodo: rc helicopters

Dealzmodo: Big R/C Helicopter Sale at Think Geek

Mark Wilson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Think Geek is throwing a "Pre-Holiday R/C Flying Toys Blowout" and offering their various helicopter toys at up to 70% off. Two models, including this pictured Dueling Galactic Marines Copter Set, run just $15. That's like the price of three McDonald's Value Meals. Don't eat for a day and you have no excuse not to make this purchase. Plus, if you're actually eating fast food three times a day, the abstainer will probably add at least a few hours to your ever shortening existence. [Think Geek]

3-Channel Black Stealth R/C Chopper For $30

Sean Fallon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:30:00 EDT

The guys at Think Geek are bringing R/C junkies one of the cheapest 3-channel mini choppers on the market with the new "Black Stealth." Unlike dinky 2-channel versions, the Black Stealth can handle forward flight with ease—or so they claim. In fact, Think Geek goes so far as to say that it is the easiest to fly small copter they have ever used. I would be kind of skeptical with a price tag of only $30, but the video below does a good job of showing off its capabilities.

[Think Geek via DVICE]

Tandem Z1 Chinook Minicopter Flying (and Crashing) on Video

Kit Eaton — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:30:22 EST

My new Tandem Z1 Chinook finally arrived. And guess what? Two rotors and proper six-way control actually does equal twice the crashes. At least while starting out, anyway— just like a real helicopter these things are a bugger to learn to control. Balancing throttle, forward, backwards, turning and the trimming controls felt like it needed about three extra hands. So, I had crashes. A lot. But, eventually, I got the hang of it, as the video shows.

Once my crash factor had reduced, it's the most fun toy I've ever played with. I even felt bold enough to take off the extra plastic vane at the front—something the instructions say to do only once "you obtained certain control skills." Then there was renewed whirling and high-speed encounters with floor, ceiling, curtains and wife (sorry!), but I eventually got the hang of this maneuverable mode too.

Alas, the attempt to carry a Legoman hanging from its payload hooks totally failed, as you can see from the crash compilation video. There was lots of footage to choose from.

The Tandem Z1 charges from the remote control, just like other Picoo Z choppers, though this controller has an extra trim adjuster for forwards/backwards. The four-way steering joystick comes with a plug-in limiter so you can get the hang of things while starting out. The attention to detail on the model is great: it's even got undercarriage and a switchable nose searchlight. Despite the extra complexity of the design, the styrofoam seems pretty resilient, and has survived a hundred crashes with only a few dents.

Overall verdict: awesome, flyable, crashable fun.

Tandem Z Chinook R/C Helicopter Has Two Rotors for Double the Crashes

Kit Eaton — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:46:54 EST

Picoo Z has just doubled the fun of R/C mini helicopters with the Tandem Z Chinook. Yes, two rotors, just like the real thing, for twice the number of high-speed crashes into walls, twice the chased-by-your-cat action. Its also got a three-channel remote control now, so you can try forward-backward moves properly—remember how tricky the original Pico Z was to fly with only up-down and left-right? Available for around $79. [Geek Alerts]

Next-Gen Tomy Heli-Q RC Helicopter Takes to the Skies Next Month

Charlie White — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:10:00 EDT

Japanese toy giant Tomy says it's about to roll out the next generation in tiny copters, and it's calling this one the Heli-Q. The company says this is the world's smallest radio controlled toy helicopter, but other than its smaller size, its specs seem similar to those of Picco-Z Styrofoam helicopters we've flown before. The Picco-Z took a 20-minute charge of its battery to give us an eight-minute flight, but Tomy conservatively says this Heli-Q will fly for five minutes on each charge.

We like its bubble-front design, which looks a lot cooler than those Jet Ranger replicas we've tested. There are no photos of its remote control, but from the looks of its rotors it may have the same control system as the Picco-Z, too. Tomy didn't quote price, but said the Heli-Q will hit the market next month, just in time for the annual Christmas buying spree. [Tiscali News, via Spluch]

AH-64D Apache Rechargeable Micro RC Helicopter is Licensed by Boeing

Charlie White — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:15:18 EDT

Looks like one more of those tiny styrofoam helicopters has taken to the air, and just like the others, this one pretty much goes up, down, and bangs into walls. This AH-64D Apache Rechargeable Micro RC Helicopter is supposedly so realistic it's officially licensed by Boeing (that Apache name was the part that was licensed, not the design). More pics, post-jump.

It does seem to have a few more design details than its run-of-the-mill PicoZ brandmate, but it looks like its flying mechanism is the same. The company mentions it has a "super wide infrared remote controller," but that looks just about the same, too.

If you do want to fly one of these $32.90 choppers, here's a helpful hint: Slightly bend the tail rudder and you get just enough directional control to accurately fly the thing. [Brando]

DraganFlyer Four-Rotor R/C Helicopter Puts All Others to Shame

Charlie White — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 08:47:30 EST

With our current fascination with helicopters, we would be remiss not to mention the DraganFlyer Industrial Electric Gyro Stabilized RC Helicopter that's been around for a while, a $5000 flyer with four rotors and an electronically stabilized mechanism that makes it sturdy enough for video surveillance work. Use your imagination here.

Never mind those little buzzing mosquitoes and Bell Jet Ranger look-alikes that have caught our attention in the past; we want one of these carbon fiber babies that can fly for 18 minutes on a charge, and can lift a payload of up to a pound. These drone aircraft are so sophisticated, this model's more-expensive brandmate can't even be purchased by mere mortals—it's only available to the military and government black ops. Now that's the one we really want! – Charlie White

Product Page [Draganfly Innovations Inc.]

Micro Copter Takes to the Sky

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:57:52 EST

We like putting our gadgets through torture tests and what better way to test something out than the grimey, concrete streets of New York. We took our mini chopper for a joyride to see how it'd perform outdoors. The chopper not only impressed us, but it got the attention of pretty much every passerby. Moving the chopper from side to side, however, was nearly impossible (it seemed to have a mind of its own), but we easily got it to ascend for about 50-feet before the frequency cut off and the mini copter made a nosedive for the concrete. Still, despite a bunch of crashes, the little chopper kept taking off. It may be cheaper than the Micro Mosquito, but it can still take a beating.

– Richard Blakeley
– Louis Ramirez

Palmsize Mini Copter [Gizmodo]