FlyTech Hoverpod RC Hovercraft

The remote control Hoverpod Hovercraft is a micro sized RC toy that kids and adults alike wil love to have In their RC collection. The box says it Is for ages 8 and up but in my opinion the simplicity of its controls makes it suitable for those as young as 6 with a little help from an adult.

When you first open the packaging you will be glad to know that like the FlyTech LightStar there aren't any wire ties to undo to get the Hoverpod out of the box. In the box you will get the Hoverpod, controller, user manual, and 1 spare propeller. 4 AA batteries are required for the controller and are not included.

The Hoverpod comes in two channels and colors -- Blue (A) and Red (B) -- which enables you to race up to 2 at once. The two channel IR transmitter has slider type controls for forward, left, right movement. Nothing wrong with this except that if you are accustomed to using stick type controls you might find these slider controls awkward to use at first.

There are two switches at the bottom of the controller. One is to select either channel A or B and the other is to select on/off or charge. The IR transmitter, like many other micro RCs, has a built-in charger. Runtime is about the same as other similar RC toys. A 10 minute charge will get you about 5 to 10 minutes of playtime.

The blinking green LED light in the back of the Hoverpod looks cool but it does serve a purpose. It blinks to let you know that it is on and it will stay solid to let you know the controller is linked to the Hoverpod and is ready for some racing action. The WoWwee logo in the center of the controller also has two LEDs which are red and will pulse on and off while charging the Hoverpod and then goes off when charging is done. Those lights will also stay solid to let you know that the controller is on and ready to go.

The Flytech Hoverpod has a unique way of scooting about on the floor with only one propeller. The one propeller design uses a similar technology to that of the ducted fan concept in that it tunnels the air intake out the back but also tunnels the air intake below the craft as well. This ends up giving it the ability to float along the floor's surface with ease. This eliminates the need for rubber or plastic bladders to help it move along. The down side to this type of technology is that the Hoverpod can't travel on water. It is strictly an indoor only RC toy. But that's OK. There's plenty of fun to be had traveling up and down the hall or all around the living room.

The Hoverpod only goes forward, left, right -- no reverse. So check your heading from time to time because you'll need to turn to avoid obstacles, no backing away.

After awhile I finally got the hang of it and found that it is quite fun to play with. I think that WowWee is on the right track in regards to child entertainment. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with for kids like me. And younger kids too.

• TV Commercial - This is the TV commercial of the the two FlyTech Hoverpods (Red and Blue) in action racing around an obstacle course.
• Hoverpod in Action - This is a short homemade video of the FlyTech Hoverpod in action. The video clip also shows how to plug it in to the built in charger for charging.

• WowWee FlyTech Hoverpod in Blue (compare prices)
• WowWee FlyTech Hoverpod in Red (compare prices)

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.