I'm Flying High (Yes, Me!) With the XPV
Monday October 30, 2006
| Regular readers know well of my struggles with RC flying. Well I'm happy to report that I've broken through the flight barrier with the Fly Wheels XPV radio controlled car/plane from Jakks-Pacific. I can understand why the XPV is one of Toy Wishes "Hot Dozen" toys for the 2006 Holiday season. I can drive my way right up into the air, back down again for a safe landing, and then right back up again -- reaching new heights with each flight. |  Photo © M. James; Fly Wheels XPV |
 Photo © M. James I was at the controls taking the XPV well up over buildings and trees. | Affordable enough that I'm thinking about getting a second one, I look forward to having more XPV flight time with my son and I don't think it will be too long before my wife and step-daughters will want one too. Sounds like head to head racing with elimination brackets is coming around the corner... Oh Yeah, Bring it on! That is what my son and I will be saying. We may be out numbered 4 to 2 but I think my son and I can handle it. Finally, a flying RC that I can land more often than I crash. |
Have you purchased an XPV? Are you enjoying it? | |
Comments
I’m so glad to hear that someone else is enjoying the XPV. I just bought mine yesterday and had a blast. Have a small issue with the left engine constantly out powering the right but the manufacturer instructed me to just return it to the retailer and pick up a new one. My new XPV is waiting for me at the customer service desk as we speak. I can’t wait to see how well this done when it goes straight. This is the first RC flyer that I’ve ever been able to operate. With the exception of the engine problem this seems like a great toy and one that I’m sure will bring smiles to the faces of children and adults alike this season. I’ll update everyone when I’ve got my second one in the air. I think the only other problem is trying to decide what is more fun. XPV on land or in air.
What about the new Cox warbird combo’s?
Any better than what wallyworld was selling?
Roger
I thought for the price that I payed for the plane and the battery that it would stand to get beat on a little more. My nine year old son and husband were eager to get some air, and only on the second try, the small plastic area that holds the batterys fell apart. The plane is not usable now and we are all very dissapointed. It should come with a couple spare parts for the price we pay for it. It’s too bad….
Hell yea! I bought this for my little cousin, and I want one for myself!!!
I got this for christmas and it DOES NOT have the “xtreme performance suggested. the battery does last for about 30 mins. but it does not fly if there is any wind. it would help to do some personal reinforcing. I havent been able to get much more than 8-10 feet off the ground without it stalling and crashing. I even flew it (while the battery was working) and it died in mid air and crashed. If you are looking for this for a little one, dont get it.
very very good fun flies very well don’t use full throttle it does not need it only to get to flying speed at takeoff turns very well and yes lands like the space shuttle A brick on the dead stick well worth the money Argos uk £69.99 just good fun.
I test flew the plane. The lack of contra-rotating propellers leaves the craft prone to torque rolling. The craft has insufficient vertical fin area and is laterrally unstable. It flies, but its very sensitive to control. Excessive input on the vectored thrust control system will immediately invert the aircraft. I certainly wouldn’t call it a beginner’s plane.
A “begged for” Christmas present which has left my son very disappointed. After using the XPV just twice it now needs moving to the scrapyard. A complete waste of money.
My friend an I got ours the other day. Our batteries only last 15 minutes or so. Tons of fun on the ground, but takes alot of effort and time to get consistant flight. Both our canopies broke during our first use. The lack of rudder makes the flying touchy and if you hold the turn control to long the plane inverts and is unrecoverable. When the battery is dead it just dies, no warning of losing power until you are 80feet in the air and your engines die.
My wife bought me one of these for Christmas. $90 with battery. This thing is terrible. I’m used to flying smaller Air Hog RC’s and have no problem flying them in the yard or on the street where I live. We’ve got a ton of trees, but even in wind I can control the smaller Air Hogs. The XPV is super unstable, and needs a ton of air under it, (read 20 or 30 feet), before you attempt to turn it. Also found that any wind, and I mean ANY wind will put it down like a stone. It has absolutely no glide and it does not have the 300 foot control range as advertised. You’re lucky if you get 75 feet consistantly. You need a football field or golf course to really fly this thing, and we don’t have any of those nearby. It’s a 20 minute drive after an hour charge, for 15-20 minutes of frustrating flight time. If you’re wanting something that is easy to fly out of the box, and durable, stick with Air Hogs small RC’s, like the Aero Ace Bi Plane, or the Aero Ace Jet. Both are great little planes and will give you tons of fun for less than $40.
The xpv RULES!!! I took my brand-new xpv (wich i got on sale for only $50.00, including battery pack!!) for a test flight at a graveyard in my neighborhood. It was really easy to fly, and I could even manage to pull off a few barrel rolls and backflips! It took a couple very hard falls into gravestones, but still worked perfectly! The only thing I dont like about it, is that its hard to hand launch, but altogether, it RULES!!!!
I forgot to mention the range is great!!! I flew it over my neighbors field (witch was around 89 feet from where i was standing!) and it perfectly did everything it was said to do! I also like the sensitivity of the controller, it can easily do barrel rolls, my record was 5 in a row!
this toy is awesome ive had 3 and havnt flown my 3rd one yet because of cold (why 2cd 1 broke) and i love these
XPV price:_____
BRAZIL
my son got it for christmas we are very disappointed IT DOES NOT FLY my husband even made a ramp for it and it did not work we wasted our hard earn money and have a very sad boy because of this toy im glad im not the only one who feels this way i will tell everyone about this toy so no one else gets rip off
ok where do i start the xpv is an incredible plane when compared to a storm launcher it just rivals in durability after a frustrating first weekend i have mastered it and it survived every crash i put it through when you get the hang of it it is an incredibly fun plane yes barrel rolls and high speed turns you must use small taps to turn left or right and always stay on the throttle never let off my storm launcher broke and had to be glued on the first day xpv far superior i have flown it over fifty times and still flies like new doesnt look new but still performs and battery life is around twenty minutes compared to storm launcher five to eight minutes tops
i forgot to add
if your xpv seems real wafty kind of floats around like its unstable tape a penny to the nose or you can cut the penny in half and put it in with the battery in the front of the plane and you will get a much more stable flight
i just got a new xpv and it is really cool. after 10 minutes only one propeller was working. so my dad returned it and got a new one. then something was worng with the new one i got . both of the wings broke off b-kuz it was loose. now i got a black and silver one and everything is going fine. btw todays date is 3/27/07 and 4:01 in the after-noon THANKS 4 READING!!!!!!
Two of the “cons” listed are actually “pros!”
1. “Doesn’t come with required battery and charger; must purchase separately”
This is a GOOD thing! If you break your plane, you don’t need a whole new kit! Just the plane. Cheaper to replace. BTW, mine is not broken yet, very durable!
2. “Not suitable for winds of more than 5-7 mph”
I think it’s MORE fun in the wind! Launch it into the wind and it flies VERY high! And it can practically hover so you can do more tricks!
TIP!! Fly this at the park over grass! It can crash into grass with next to no damage. Just rev the engines and toss it to launch! Also, wrap the nose with electrical tape for added durability. The clear tape it comes with will peel off anyway.
we bought the fly wheel xpv 49MHz as you know it requires the battery pack and charger but the problem I am having is that the walmart store where we got it doesnt sell the battery and charger which is a total waste because now we cant even use it. can you tell me where to purchase the charger and battery kit
I’ve flown all types of r/c aircraft for twenty years and this has to be one of the most unstable, hard to fly planes out there. It took twenty launches and crashes before we got one decent flight. Any attempt to change the direction of flight causes the plane to spin out of control. Don’t waste your money on this one.
how much is the battery and were can I get it?
i got a a good idea on a xvp you miet like it
i hate the xpv it suck i put it then three days later one motor goes slow one goes fast it tryed to fix it put it wont work please help me i miss the fun times i flew it it is the best rc plane i ever had so it you want to hel me me email is mariosadiq11@hotmail.com
i hate the xpv it suck i got it. then three days later one motor goes slow one goes fast it tryed to fix it put it wont work please help me i miss the fun times i flew it it is the best rc plane i ever had so it you want to help me my email is mariosadiq11@hotmail.com
Faulty out of the box. Had an Air Hog and also a mosquito from the same manuafacturer and none of them fly like they are supposed to. They are cheaply Chinese-made polystyrene and plastic efforts that are incredibly overpriced due to slick marketing videos.
How many dodgy and faulty ones did they have to go through to find one that flys?
They are a rip-off company – you are lucky if you get one that works. Save up and get a proper real remote control vehicle rather than this faulty overpriced toy. Very, very disappointed. Spike
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