Wowwee FlyTech BladeStar

Cool Yule Rating: 3 stars

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Cool Yule Rating: 3 stars

Price: $42.42

Product Web site

Description: WowWee has taken to the air with the FlyTech Bladestar indoor flying machine. It's fun, it flies and it battles.

The Bladestar comes in a clear plastic case that resembles a small brief case, which is nice for storage and carrying. Inside is a familiar looking WowWee white and black remote control, the Bladestar, extra propellers and extra wings. The construction consists of lightweight indoor safe parts.

After minimal assembly and charging the Bladestar from the remote control for about five minutes it was in the air. All remote control functions are done via infra-red, so it is recommended to stay within about 10 feet of the toy. A slider on the remote adjusts the speed of the propellers, which gives the toy its altitude. Press the directional buttons to maneuver right, left, back and forth through doorways and over tables. A second control mode enables the Bladestar's crash detection mode which avoids smashing into large obstacles, like ceilings and walls while you otherwise control the flight. We got about 6 minutes of flight time per charge.

The BladeStar is marketed as an indoor flying machine, so naturally I took it outside that evening to see if I could stir up some UFO sightings with its winning sound and blinking lights. It went up, and up, about 20 feet where I couldn't control it, the propellers stopped spinning and it floated to the ground. I would imagine that a slight breeze would probably make this useless outside as well. I went back inside.

After mastering your hovering talents, it is time for battle. With two Bladestars you and a friend can shoot each others out of the air. Aim your remote at your opponent's flying machine and hit the fire button. If you make a hit, your opponent's propellers will stop spinning and the Bladestar falls.

It's pretty easy to control for kids aged eight and up, and it's fun to fly around the house. This would make a fine toy for under the tree for kids, or even flight-happy adults.

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