Remote controlled flight is, to many, an incredibly entertaining and satisfying hobby. The high cost of very fragile equipment that will certainly break (after a single crash in many cases) has kept young adults with limited toy budgets away for many years. The opposite end of the spectrum was cheap electric RC "Ready to Fly" planes available at department stores. Anyone hoping to actually fly with these devices however was imideatly discouraged by their crappy Nickle battery capable of no more then a 5 minute charge and 10 minute charging time, sloppy aerodynamics, lack of control and heavy weights.
Recently, advances in micro RC components have paved the way for a series of very small RC flying craft that compete with their large expensive cousins for less then $100.00 US. The casual hobbiest beware, these things will suck you right in.
The following list of 5 RC vehicles is based on performance of flight, length of flight, and of course, price.
5) The B2 Spirit Bomber by Interactive toy - $30.00 - $60.00 (depending on location, best to buy it online)
interactivetoy.comFor a nickle battery plane, this one really performs. With flight times as long as 10 minutes, and an interchangeable battery, it almost makes up for the lack of Lithium battery. Without an adjustable throttle however (it's either flying hard or gliding) it certainly does not out fly some of it's competition in the field of cheap ready to fly planes.
4) Storm Launcher - $80.00 (+$25.00 for charger and LiPo battery)
stormlauncher.comThe storm launcher is the most advanced (and most expensive) vehicle on our list but for good reason. It's what RC nerds would tell you is a Hyrdo. A "toy" hyrdo, (meaning it wont cost you your first born) hasn't been done until now that I've seen. It uses two large foam platforms to scoot across water and land, but has enough surface area to fly nearly as well as any RC plane on this list. It has an elevator with a rudder system so in a sense it's more fragile than the others. Going off ramps and in and out of water before taking off and flying back to your hand is worth the risk if you have 80 bucks to spare (and the 25 for the battery and charger.)
3) Picco Z - $30.00
crazyfruitbat.comThere's actually several different indoor micro helicopters. Until the Picco Z's release, the bladerunner was the foremost in this field. RC helicopters are notoriously hard to fly, but the up/down, left/right system makes it a breeze. Within hours, you can take off from one table and land on another. A must have for any RC enthusiast who's seen the dread of a rainy day.
2) The AeroAce Jet - $29.99
Introduced shortly after the success of the AeroAce Bipe, the jet design of the AeroAce uses all the same components that made it's famous counter-part what it is (see #1). It flies amazingly well, but unlike the bi-plane it has ducted fans half way through the wings. Sadly they nick the ground upon landing, slowly damaging the fans. It was designed to be faster then the bipe, but once the bottom wings are removed, the biplane can fly circles around the jet. Thus it comes in at number 2.
1) The AeroAce Bipe (In the US) or the X-Twin (Just about anywhere else) - $29.99
Number one is the Aero Ace bi-plane, sold in the US under Air Hogs. It was first sold in Europe as the X-Twin. It's popularity is marked by a strong internet following. Countless forums, websites , and even YouTube videos are available for fans of this little device. Instructions on modifications are available by the bucketload, the most common and easiest is that ripping the bottom wings off will make the plane much faster at the sacrifice of stability. Citizens of the USA can buy this gem at almost any Wal*Mart, Target, or Toys R Us for just $29.99.
It uses Vector steering to eliminate tiny fragile rudder systems, so it's not going to do barrel rolls and loops without a wind gust and bit of luck. But it flies like a dream. Very simple, but entirely satisfying It also has a Lithium Ion battery that will see up to 15 minute flight times on one charge.
It needs about 1/10 the space of larger RC planes. A front yard is fine once you've had a little experience.
