Some of the coolest radio controlled toys for this holiday shopping season are flying machines. From air battles to flying robots, take a peek at some of the newest RC flying toys that you might want to put (or find) under your Christmas tree this year.
Air Hogs Havoc Heli Laser Battle
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Flying the Havoc Heli is a great solo exerience. Now Spin Master makes flying the Havoc Heli a lot more challenging by adding a laser battle system setup to the mix. Oh yeah! Not only do you have the chance to grab best pilot bragging rights, you can also snag bragging rights to airborne warfare. The laser battle experience involves a three shots and you're out setup where the first and second hit throw the heli into a tail spin. The third hit sends the heli to the ground in defeat. How cool is that? In my opinion, this is the best way to enjoy indoor RC helicopter flight and prove who's the better pilot.
Watch YouTube and Google videos of the Air Hogs Havoc Heli Laser Battle set.
Wow Wee Flytech Dragonfly RC Winged Flight
© J. James
What makes the Flytech Dragonfly (Buy Direct) unique among flying RCs is the way it takes flight. It reminds me of those little rubber band operated model birds that you would wind up, let go, and then watch as they flapped their wings like real birds. They would fly until they ran out of rubber band power. The Dragonfly uses battery power, takes bird or insect wing flapping flight, and adds a rear propeller for turning left or right. It comes in two colors, two frequencies, and includes a ribbon to add to the tail for even more stability in flight. The two channel transmitter controls wing speed and tail rotor speed and serves as the charging base. It also has beginner and expert modes of operation.
XPV R.A.D. Robotic Air Defense
Hot on the heels of the success of the original Fly Wheels XPV come newer and specialty additions of this land/air Xtreme Performance Vehicle from Jakks Pacific. The XPV R.A.D. is a robot with wings that not only drives and flies, it talks -- and the robots eyes light up when speaking. What impresses me most about the newest XPVs are that now the required XPV battery system comes in the package (previously sold separately) and it charges other USB devices. The XPV also comes with a vehicle repair kit for the inevitable accidents. There's a mini-R.A.D. too.Get the red 27 MHz one (compare prices) or the blue 49MHz one (buy direct) XPV line from Jakks Pacific
XPV 2.0 Shadow Hawk
I was already impressed by the long runtime of the original Fly Wheels XPV but now the second generation XPV boasts an 80% longer run time over the original and can reach speeds up to 30mph. While not radically different in appearance, it does look a little more serious with its new colors and restyling. As with other vehicles in the XPV line, the Shadow Hawk includes a vehicle repair kit and comes packaged with the XPV battery system that also charges USB devices.XPV line from Jakks Pacific
Air Hogs Mini Storm Launcher
The Storm Launcher was one of last season's hot RC toys. This year there's a Mini Storm Launcher. This smaller size land/air vehicle does stunts and jumps on the ground and loops, banks, and upside-down flying in the air. Take off from the ground or toss and fly.Watch a product commericial for the Air Hogs Mini Storm Launcher at the Air Hogs site. Or watch this video comparison of the original Storm Launcher vs. Mini Storm Launcher.
Air Hogs Robo Recon
One of the hot toys for the 2007 holiday season is another high-flying robot, this time from Spin Master. it looks to me like an astronaut with propellers sticking out of his head.