Candyman
'Cuse is in the house!
Supporter
If you've been around here long enough, you have heard me tell you many times that I am anxious to get into the world of R/C Helicopters. But the reality is that helis are a pretty expensive proposition. Whether it be something like an E-Flite Blade series (around $200) or an Align T-Rex (in the $600-$700 range) or a reasonable nitro bird ($1000+) it's a big outlay to get in. But the jones doesn't go away. Recently I read on "another forum" about something that might just keep me smiling until I can get one of the big birds. The Silverlit Picco Z. It was released a little over a month ago and is usually available at your local Radio Shack or Toys R' Us. On a whim, I stumbled into Radio Shack while running some errands and lo and behold there was one left on the shelf. I just had to. Since I heard they are in short supply and big demand, it went home with me. Right now they list at RS for $39.99. Not much investment for what I hope is a lot of fun. I loaded myself up with some AA batteries and hurried home.
There's something undeniably cute about this thing. It's small. It will fit in the palm of your hand. Probably around 8 inches. The body of the heli is made of Expanded Polypropylene. The same stuff my Combat Wings XE2 is made of. Having flown my wing straight into the ground at 40+ mph with no damage, I can say this thing won't break. A perfect little indoor flyer. The package comes with the heli, an Infrared transmitter, 2 spare tail blades, ballast weights and instructions.
It's pretty darn simple to use. Just load 6 AA batteries into the transmitter. The Picco charges from the transmitter, so all you have to do is plug the Picco into the transmitter and turn it on to charge.
After about 30 minutes, the onboard LiPo is charged and ready to go. Control is pretty simple. It's 2 channel control. The left stick controls rotor speed, which controls lift. The right stick controls the tail which will turn the heli right and left. It's initially set up so that a right turn will not only turn the heli gently, but also cause it to fly slowly backwards. A left turn will turn the heli a bit more sharply left and give it some forward speed. There are also some tips in the instructions on how to tweak the bird to keep it settled. There is a left/right trim on the TX which allows you to trim the yaw to keep it hovering straight.
So after 30 minutes, I took my first plunge. I unpluged the Picco, and fired up the power. I held it in my hand for a lift test first. With a fresh charge, it pulls ok for a small machine. Then I cleared some room on the floor for a launchpad since I had no idea what to expect. The first launch was a bit sketchy as the heli was spinning to the left quickly. A few punches on the right trim and it settled down and lifted off without a hitch. I brought it up to eye-level with no hassle. It does take some getting used to. Having only lift and yaw controls make you have to really think about what you're doing. But after a minute or 2, I had it nice and steady and was working it around the dining room. I can say the dog and cat were amazed by this thing. Unfortunately, I found it that it doesn't land very well on my dog's back. Ooooops. Don't worry, she's fine. I told you this thing is nearly harmless. I even bounced it off a couple walls and it's fine. It's awesome! I can see hours of fun this winter with this thing. I can't wait to smuggle it into my office and freak out my coworkers.
A couple other quick notes. The radio system is infrared. That means 2 things. First, it works on "line of sight". If there's a significant obstruction between the tx and heli, you'll lose control. So no flying around corners and stuff. Secondly it can be affected by sunlight. I haven't tried it outdoors yet, but some reports are that it can get a bit glitchy outdoors and in sunlit rooms.
Also, some other reviews that I have seen suggest adding a bit of weight to the nose. That will give it more forward momentum and speed it up a bit. It also improves right/left control. But that also means no hovering. Once it's moving, it will keep moving. I haven't tried it yet, but I soon will.
Otherwise, after 1 flight I can say this thing is great! I couldn't help but smile the whole time. I know it's going to be tons of fun when the weather is bad. And if you want to feel the rush of flying a heli without dropping a ton of money, definitely run out to Radio Shack or Toys R' Us and grab one. You won't regret it!
For reference, here are a couple pictures to show its relative size.
First is next to my Air Hogs Aero Ace (a great $30 plane to fly around the yard, BTW)
And then next to something we're more familiar with. My Savage SS:
Candyman
There's something undeniably cute about this thing. It's small. It will fit in the palm of your hand. Probably around 8 inches. The body of the heli is made of Expanded Polypropylene. The same stuff my Combat Wings XE2 is made of. Having flown my wing straight into the ground at 40+ mph with no damage, I can say this thing won't break. A perfect little indoor flyer. The package comes with the heli, an Infrared transmitter, 2 spare tail blades, ballast weights and instructions.
It's pretty darn simple to use. Just load 6 AA batteries into the transmitter. The Picco charges from the transmitter, so all you have to do is plug the Picco into the transmitter and turn it on to charge.
After about 30 minutes, the onboard LiPo is charged and ready to go. Control is pretty simple. It's 2 channel control. The left stick controls rotor speed, which controls lift. The right stick controls the tail which will turn the heli right and left. It's initially set up so that a right turn will not only turn the heli gently, but also cause it to fly slowly backwards. A left turn will turn the heli a bit more sharply left and give it some forward speed. There are also some tips in the instructions on how to tweak the bird to keep it settled. There is a left/right trim on the TX which allows you to trim the yaw to keep it hovering straight.
So after 30 minutes, I took my first plunge. I unpluged the Picco, and fired up the power. I held it in my hand for a lift test first. With a fresh charge, it pulls ok for a small machine. Then I cleared some room on the floor for a launchpad since I had no idea what to expect. The first launch was a bit sketchy as the heli was spinning to the left quickly. A few punches on the right trim and it settled down and lifted off without a hitch. I brought it up to eye-level with no hassle. It does take some getting used to. Having only lift and yaw controls make you have to really think about what you're doing. But after a minute or 2, I had it nice and steady and was working it around the dining room. I can say the dog and cat were amazed by this thing. Unfortunately, I found it that it doesn't land very well on my dog's back. Ooooops. Don't worry, she's fine. I told you this thing is nearly harmless. I even bounced it off a couple walls and it's fine. It's awesome! I can see hours of fun this winter with this thing. I can't wait to smuggle it into my office and freak out my coworkers.
A couple other quick notes. The radio system is infrared. That means 2 things. First, it works on "line of sight". If there's a significant obstruction between the tx and heli, you'll lose control. So no flying around corners and stuff. Secondly it can be affected by sunlight. I haven't tried it outdoors yet, but some reports are that it can get a bit glitchy outdoors and in sunlit rooms.
Also, some other reviews that I have seen suggest adding a bit of weight to the nose. That will give it more forward momentum and speed it up a bit. It also improves right/left control. But that also means no hovering. Once it's moving, it will keep moving. I haven't tried it yet, but I soon will.
Otherwise, after 1 flight I can say this thing is great! I couldn't help but smile the whole time. I know it's going to be tons of fun when the weather is bad. And if you want to feel the rush of flying a heli without dropping a ton of money, definitely run out to Radio Shack or Toys R' Us and grab one. You won't regret it!
For reference, here are a couple pictures to show its relative size.
First is next to my Air Hogs Aero Ace (a great $30 plane to fly around the yard, BTW)
And then next to something we're more familiar with. My Savage SS:
Candyman
