Inexpensive and durable RC plane
Written: Jul 12 '03 (Updated Jul 12 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great price; Excellent for beginners; Short charge time; Fast; Durable
Cons: Flying in winds over 5mph can make it difficult to control; Limited range
The Bottom Line: This ISN'T an RC model. It's a toy... A very FUN toy. It's well-engineered, durable, enjoyable and is intended for newbies to RC flying.
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| yuenp's Full Review: Spin Master Air Hogs: Radio Control Intruder Airpl... |
For some time, I've been looking for a remote control plane that wouldn't run me over $100. I was looking for something that was easy to fly, inexpensive, and durable. I wasn't really looking for a hobbyist’s plane... too many controls and incendiary investments. I just wanted something simple and cheap.
Initially, I found an Estes Sky Ranger starter plane for around $30. After 45 minutes of assembly with cheap, flimsy parts and equipment, the plane was ready to "fly." After cycling the battery and checking all the necessary checkpoints, I took my first hopeful launch, anticipating RC flying bliss. Instead, I was disappointed with a cheap rudder that locked up and caused the plane to crash, snapping the propeller and damaging the inner-workings beyond repair.
After returning the disappointing plane to the store (due to faulty equipment with the rudder locking up), I went out in search for a more durable plane. I searched the internet and found the Air Hog Intruder.
Remember when buying this plane that it is geared to greenie novices like myself... it's not going to do any really fancy tricks. More advanced flyers may be able to get it to do a few, but it's more focused to giving the inexperienced market a reasonable hand at RC flying.
OVERVIEW
Sporting powerful twin motors and a VERY sturdy durable foam body, the Intruder is everything I'd hoped it would be. It even came with a video explaining how to get started (battery installation, charging, launch, in-flight control, etc.)
The package comes with the plane, a charging cradle, and the controller. It also includes the rechargeable batteries which are already installed in the plane. You will need to acquire 6 C cell batteries for the charging cradle and a 9 volt for the controller. The FIRST thing I noticed was that the plane came fully assembled. There was NOTHING further that was necessary to get the plane in flying condition. ...ok, that's not entirely true... I'm not including the necessary step of unwinding the twistie-tie on the antennae at the back of the plane. Basically, the only thing keeping me from the big blue sky were the batteries that needed to be installed in the charger and controller. I COULD have put the stickers on the wings if I wanted to.
If you're as green at RC flying as I am, you'll probably find that though your launches may be successful, your landings may not be... especially if you lose control of the plane due to wind. I found that VERY little gusts of wind were needed to cause the plane to fly out of control. Extremely calm days are going to be your best bet.
Most of my early flying sessions with the Intruder ended up in the plane taking a tumble on grassy surfaces. One ended up in a paved parking lot, and another in a tree. (I admit I am not a good flyer.) I am pleased to say that though the plane has gone through a few rough landings, it is completely intact and has suffered very minor damage (a few paint scuffs on the nose). This plane is built to take a beating.
CONTROL/MECHANICS
Charging:
BE SURE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOUR FIRST FLIGHT. I've found that other reviews on the Air Hog Intruder from various places on the web were negative, but the nature of the complaint revealed that the users did not read the instructions carefully before flying their planes for the first time... the rechargeable batteries MUST be cycled at least 2-3 times before you will have a successful launch/flight.
Charging the battery is a pretty simple matter of securing the plane to the cradle. There are 2 settings to charge the battery. The first setting will quickly charge the battery in 1-1.5 minutes. The second setting will slowly charge it in 2-2.5 minutes. The difference is evidenced in the play. The longer setting will result in better control of the plane and longer fly-time. The reverse will be true for the shorter charge time.
While charging, a red light will flash. When the battery is fully charged, a green light will turn on. This helps considerably to prevent over-charging the batteries.
Take Off:
Launching the plane is fairly simple: turn on the plane and throw it level with the ground... the plane will take care of the rest of the launch. There are 2 settings on the plane motor. The first setting is the beginner setting. This will result in slower turns which will decrease the likelihood of spiraling the plane to a very hard and fast crash.
The second setting is geared toward more advanced flyers which will turn the plane more quickly, enabling a bit more interesting play. When I first flew the plane, I set it to the first setting. There were unfortunately a few gusts of wind which sent the plane out of control at that setting because the turning capacities were so limited. I found that even as a novice, setting the plane to the "Advanced" setting yielded notably better control and satisfaction.
The onboard "computer" sets the motors to full thrust when the plane is initially turned on for the first 5 seconds. You still have to throw the plane to launch it, but for the most part, the plane takes care of the rest. It spins one of the motors slightly faster than the other which causes the plane to turn. This results in an automatic take-off from launch which gains altitude, while turning the plane so it doesn't get away from you.
Controlling in-flight:
The plane has no moving parts, other than the twin motors. It achieves control by varying the speeds of the motors, respectively. When you turn the stick to the left, the right motor increases in power. The imbalance causes the plane to go into a turn.
The controller also includes a "thrust" button which will power both motors to full throttle and cause the plane to climb. Lastly, is the option to "land" which cuts the engines down to nominal power resulting in a descent.
All controls serve as independent toggle switches: pressing the "land" button and releasing will only cause the plane to momentarily descend. You need to HOLD the button in order to actually get the plane on the ground. Depressing 2 controls at once (i.e. turn and thurst) will not work. Only 1 of them will affect the plane's flight at a time.
Landing:
Generally speaking, a good landing is caused by 1 of 3 things:
1.) Out of power: The plane will sense when the battery is running low and reduce the engine speed which will slowly decrease the alititude, while still allowing you some control to turn the plane back in your own direction, if necessary.
2.) Holding the "Land Button": This will cut the motors and glide the plane to a smooth and safe landing.
3.) Out of Range: Another nice feature is the plane's ability to "automatic land" itself if it flies out of range of your controller. Once it goes past about 300 feet, if the receiver on the plane no longer gets a signal from the transmitter in the controller, the engines automatically cut and bring the plane down. This prevents it from flying into the next county with you running behind it, cursing and furiously shaking the controller. In fact, it's best NOT to chase the plane if it begins to go out of range... I found out the hard way and ended up having to climb a tree to get it back down.
SCORE
9.8/10
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Type of Toy: Plane, Kite, or Rocket
Age Range of Child: 9 Years or Older
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Epinions.com ID:
yuenp
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Location: Toledo, OH, USA
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Web Developer.
Enjoys video games.
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