WowWee Robotic DragonFly - Blue (27 MHz)
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Toys and Games Reviews of WowWee Robotic DragonFly - Blue (27 MHz)
Customer Review: Take your time with this
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a very good product but it's very hard to learn to make it fly well, and it has waaay too much packaging - make sure you have some scissors. It was weak when I first tried it, but got stronger after a few charges. It crashes in spectacular fashion every time you fly it, but it is very durable and hasn't broken yet. So far I've crashed it at least 100 times, mowed down all the origami from my shelf, decimated the chess board and dive-bombed the laptop. The dog is thoroughly freaked out by this thing, and it's very funny the way it buzzes around and crashes like a real dragon fly against a window screen. I would recommend putting away anything breakable before flying this thing inside.
The toy itself is very durable, but it will knock things around. Pay attention to the condition of it after each flight though - I had to fix the nose of mine with some clear packing tape. I had the opportunity to test this with an 8-year old boy (I'm 36 and my boys are teens), and he was actually better at flying it than I was. He dropped the controller in our warehouse and the antenna bent... then I broke it trying to bend it back. It still flies fine though, and it is a standard sized radio antennas and replacements can be bought at Radio Shack. It does not fly outside in any breeze at all! The one time I've taken it outside to fly and we had no wind, it did very well, but if there is a slight breeze it will dip and dive and sail and turn all over the place. The wind picks it up very nicely, so be aware of that.
Tips: Turning of any kind causes it to go into a dive, so make sure you turn gently. The tail feather slows it down a lot and makes it hard to turn, so you need even more space. The tail feather is very difficult to attach, and I hurt my thumb a bit trying to get it on. The best way to launch the dragon fly is by starting the motor and holding it about 4 or 5 feet in the air, giving it a slight forward push as you release it. Let it fly a bit to stabilize before you try to turn it. It does not launch from surfaces very well, but if you have a long, smooth runway, it will take off from the ground. To do this, you need to start out slow and accelerate to full speed, otherwise it flops over on it's nose. It taxis around on my no-wax floor in a fairly silly way and in this respect, makes a very funny pet toy. In the house, I set the trim dial to one side so the Dragon Fly will go in circles, then use small controller inputs to periodically straighten it out, which makes it gain altitude. You need to vary the power level carefully as you fly, or it will stall out and dive. Only if you are outside or you have a ton of space, should you set it to fly in a straight line... it just doesn't have enough control to keep it within the allotted space. A basketball court would be a good sized space to try this in, but once you get some experience, you will be able to fly it in more normal-sized spaces.
NOTE: when I bought this, I was told that it simply would not work at high altitude above about 7000 ft. I am at about 5500 feet, and it clearly doesn't have the ooomph it might have at lower altitudes. Please, if you write a review, please indicate the thickness of your air - it matters a lot. Again, WILL NOT WORK above 7000 ft or so.
Customer Review: Marvelous flying toy. Worth every cent!
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great toy: It is quite simply LOADS of fun! Loads I tell ya! I gave this toy as xmas gifts to 3 kids of varying ages (14, 17, 19... and a 4th one I bought for myself, a kid of 40). The kids loved their Dragonflies. And everyone else loved them too. Everyone wanted a turn to fly the remote control insect. Definitely the smash hit of all the xmas gifts given that day. They were so enjoyable I went and bought one for myself. I'm nearly 40 years old, still play video games, and will always be a kid at heart. I've been having a BLAST flying this thing around my neighborhood. Everyone who sees it is keenly intrigued and impressed at how this thing flies by flapping it's wings. It's just so cool.
Only caveat I have noticed is that it can take a bit of practice before one gets the hang of flying this thing. It's not so easy that just anyone can fly it on their first try. Most people are able to fly it pretty well after 2 - 6 training flights. Some may take longer. It took me two days before I could get it to stay in the air. But I'm glad I didn't give up because it's just so much darn fun once you get the hang of it! In my opinion it should be for ages 12 and up. I think 8 is kinda young for this toy and 7 or under I seriously doubt they possess the needed skills to master this machine.
If you have any doubt about this item I would encourage you to seek out any of the remote control hobbyists discussion forums on the net and see what they have been saying about this toy. (Look for subjects about "ornithopters" which are flying machines powered by flapping wings). These are people that live for flying RC airplanes, helicopters, ornithopters, and other machines. They know their stuff and overall they seem to be thoroughly impressed with this inexpensive little "toy". (IMO this thing is much more than just a "toy".)
Without a doubt this thing is the best bang for the buck I've encountered in many years. If you can get it for less than 40 - 50 dollars, then by all means GET IT! Especially you adult kids out there, like me, don't make the mistake of thinking this thing is only a toy for children. Quite the contrary, I'd have to say the older you are the more likely you will be able to appreciate the impressive physics of this machine and therefore derive that much more enjoyment from it.
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Customer Review: All mine did was nose dive!
Summary: 3 Stars
I got this toy about 3 years ago and at the time it was the coolest thing out there. I saw how cool it looked on the commercial and really wanted it. So after the holidays I had enough money to get it. I went to Sharper Image to buy it. It came in 3 colors and it took a while find which one I like the most. I picked blue! So the guys was talking to me and saying how its a really cool toy, but that it takes time to learn how to fly it and may crash a lot. I though hey I'm smart enough to figure it out. So as I was checking out the many told me that I should get the warranty with it, just incase something should happen to it. I thought, only $5, so I got it. It comes with a little blue tale to make it fly slower and easier to control. There is also a switch on the front for exports and beginners, I always had it in beginner. On top of the controller, there is the charging station. Push the button and out comes the charger. The dragonfly sits on top and charges. After about 30min its ready to fly for about 10min. I use to be able to fly it pretty well. But I don't know if I just forgot how to fly it or if it just does not wanna fly anymore but all it does is go up........down.........up......NOSE DIVE!!!!!CRASH!!!!! If I try to turn it, oops, another nose dive. The box came with extra wings just incase you brake one. I also broke the antenna by hitting into a wall. Not on purpose. So i found a old antenna which i taped onto it and that seems to work fine for now. Oh and good luck trying to fly it outdoors.
Design- 5 stars
It has a nice look to it and really looks like it would fly well. The legs on it which also act as the land gear broke on me too. (Oh and if your wounding about that $5 warranty i got, it covers non of this.) Its well built. The foam is strong enough to handle any crashes.
Function- 2 stars
Its really had to fly and even the kids on tv who are playing with it, you don't see it flying around in circles or anything. All they show is it going in a straight line. I did not have much luck trying to get it to do anything but go in a straight line.
Overall- 4 stars
I mean if you think you can fly it, then more power to you. But I had a hard time flying it and would not recommend it to anyone unless they know what they are doing and have past experience flying things like this.
Customer Review: Great Dragonfly
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this Dragonfly so I could evaluate the flight performance. This is a great toy ornithopter (bird-like flight). I am a pilot and aircraft mechanic and I wanted this toy for myself. First, it is packaged very well for a small light toy. Take your time getting it out of the package. However, it may look fragile in the box, but I have flown it into just about everything and it keeps on going. I read the entire owners booklet and it offers some good advice.
Flight
It takes some time to get used to the flapping wing action, but when you do it is easy to fly. I attempted flight in all of the modes (expert/beginner and tail ribbon on/off) First off, with the ribbon off it is very roll/pitch unstable. I had a spectacular nose dive from about 7 feet when I attempted a turn. It scratched the paint on the nose but that is about it. With the ribbon on and the control set to expert there is a bit of control. I say that because it is more of an extended glide then actual flight. The ribbon adds too much aerodynamic drag. If you look around on the internet you will find a template for a horizontal stabalizer with a trim tab. USE IT! After a few flights that lasted a maximum of 15 seconds, I made the horiz. stab. out of construction paper and scotch tape. The difference was immediate. First flight with the stab, yeilded a violent pitch up followed by a stall and crash. Just adjust the trim tab down slightly to pitch down the nose and presto, sustained controlled flight. The second flight with the new stab on was amazing! It lasted several minutes as compared to seconds without the modification. Now it flies just like on the promotional video. It will take off from the concrete floor and climb to the lights. I also took off from a metal table. I tried flying it through the window but missed and hit the wall. Ah well, keep practicing. Outdoor flight can be fun if there is little to no wind. With a very slight breeze the dragonfly will climb easy and hover into the wind. Lots of fun, but if the wind catches it it is up and away.
This is a neat toy that encompasses a different area of controlled flight. I would recommend this toy to anyone that is interested in aerodynamics and R/C flight.
Customer Review: Excellent Value but requires practice
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the bee version on a whim. I had no interest in RC planes etc. I now have a CX2 helicopter and a $70 heli based on the fun this toy provided. You will not find a more reliable low maintenace rc flyer then this. The flip side is that it takes a lot of practice to get to where you can fly and gain altitude. If you have kids, then this is something that you can do with them. My two year old loves to watch it fly and fetches when there is a crash.
As I mentioned, my two year old fetches for me when I crash, he crushes the tail, abuses the wings, has fallen on it and it still flys great. I have had some spectular crashes and it has always recovered. This is more fun then my more expensive flyers just becuase is always ready to go and is a challange to fly. Also, it does not seem to cause the same degree of damage to objects that my helicopters do.
When there is no wind this is a blast to fly outside. Once you have mastered the toy, very slight wind can be used to gain high altitude if you wish but you might find yourself stuck in a tree.
Tips: turn with sticato bursts to maintain altitude. Use very gentile turning inputs (takes practice). Practice throwing so that the bug flies straight out of your hand. If you can not seem to hold altitude, you might need to replace the batteries in the charger, but more likely, you need to practice turning gently and maximizing the diameter of your space. If you space is small, practice throwing it and then fly it back to you and catch.