I put this under hot deals because there is currently a sale on these planes, but I think they are a hot deal even at the normal price ($29.99 [1]).
The Aero Ace is a very small electric radio controlled biplane (wing span of about 10 inches - I haven't measured). It's got 2 motors which provide thrust and directional control (through differential thrust). You charge the plane from the transmitter (takes about 10 minutes to charge for a 10+ minute flight (from new alkalines)). I think the max stated range is 300 feet - I know I've flown mine out beyond 200 feet. But, I think they are more fun flying close and low to the ground.
This small foam biplane comes from the toy store, but it flies well enough that it's caused quite a bit of excitement among more serious flyers. There are quite a few threads on www.rcgroups.com about this plane. There are numerous threads about customizing the plane (or removing the electronics and building them into other models).
RCGroups Aero Ace thread
The plane is currently on sale at ToysRUs (brick and mortar, not online) for $20.99. You can also get it at Target for $29.99 with a free ($9.99 value) free-flight plane [2]. You want to make sure you get the Aero Ace biplane - there are other Air Hogs planes that don't fly nearly as well. There is also a new "jet" version that has just been released (in the US), but I haven't seen one yet.
They come in 3 different channels: A, B, C. All are operating on the same frequency in the 27MHz band, but they use different digital encodings so you can have 3 flying at the same time.
Anyway, these are a lot of fun. If you or any "kids" you know have wanted to play with RC airplanes, these are a great way to start. They fly pretty slowly and are not too easy to destroy (made mostly of soft foam). The flight is not as stable as more expensive airplanes (they tend to "porpoise" a lot, especially coming out of turns) but it's pretty impressive for the price. And, you don't want to fly it in the wind - I've only flown mine on still or very low-wind days. I've read stories of the wind taking them away. Certainly, even a breeze can make them harder to control.
I bought a couple at $29.99 (from Target). I may need to go get a few more from ToysRUs as spares.
[1] I've read that they are $39.99 at WalMart - not always the lowest price, I guess.
[2] I've read that the free-flight plane does not fly very well without a lot of adjustment but I haven't actually charged one to see for myself.
The Aero Ace is a very small electric radio controlled biplane (wing span of about 10 inches - I haven't measured). It's got 2 motors which provide thrust and directional control (through differential thrust). You charge the plane from the transmitter (takes about 10 minutes to charge for a 10+ minute flight (from new alkalines)). I think the max stated range is 300 feet - I know I've flown mine out beyond 200 feet. But, I think they are more fun flying close and low to the ground.
This small foam biplane comes from the toy store, but it flies well enough that it's caused quite a bit of excitement among more serious flyers. There are quite a few threads on www.rcgroups.com about this plane. There are numerous threads about customizing the plane (or removing the electronics and building them into other models).
RCGroups Aero Ace thread
The plane is currently on sale at ToysRUs (brick and mortar, not online) for $20.99. You can also get it at Target for $29.99 with a free ($9.99 value) free-flight plane [2]. You want to make sure you get the Aero Ace biplane - there are other Air Hogs planes that don't fly nearly as well. There is also a new "jet" version that has just been released (in the US), but I haven't seen one yet.
They come in 3 different channels: A, B, C. All are operating on the same frequency in the 27MHz band, but they use different digital encodings so you can have 3 flying at the same time.
Anyway, these are a lot of fun. If you or any "kids" you know have wanted to play with RC airplanes, these are a great way to start. They fly pretty slowly and are not too easy to destroy (made mostly of soft foam). The flight is not as stable as more expensive airplanes (they tend to "porpoise" a lot, especially coming out of turns) but it's pretty impressive for the price. And, you don't want to fly it in the wind - I've only flown mine on still or very low-wind days. I've read stories of the wind taking them away. Certainly, even a breeze can make them harder to control.
I bought a couple at $29.99 (from Target). I may need to go get a few more from ToysRUs as spares.
[1] I've read that they are $39.99 at WalMart - not always the lowest price, I guess.
[2] I've read that the free-flight plane does not fly very well without a lot of adjustment but I haven't actually charged one to see for myself.