360° Coverage iHelicopter iPhone Remote controlled Helicopter Review
Filed under: Reviews | I4U Gadget Reviews
iHelicopter iPhone Remote controlled Helicopter Review
iHelicopter is cool little toy with controls that throw a wrench in the works
Sep 12 2011, 2:00pm CDT | by Shane McGlaun
Today I am checking out an interesting little remote control helicopter called the iHelicopter. This little copter is controlled using an app from the iPhone or iPod touch. Read on for all of the details on the iHelicopter.
Specifications
The iHelicopter uses the iPhone or iPod touch with a free app for a controller. The copter has a 3.7mAh battery inside that is rechargeable via USB. The transmitter plugs into the headphone port of the iPhone and sends the signals to the iHelicopter. The copter is available now for a bit under $60.
In Use
The iHelicopter is an interesting little copter. I have played with an almost identical copter before with the main difference being the other copter had a little wireless remote control. The iHelicopter uses the iPhone and an app to control the copter. The transmitter plugs into the headphone port of the iPhone, I used my iPhone 4 for testing. The transmitter has to be charged via USB as well as the helicopter.
The app provides control over the helicopter and is available on the App Store right now. You can control the copter for left, right, forward, backwards, and hover from the app. My review unit was also the version of the copter that has little flashing lights you can turn off and on with the app. The app and copter work with three different bands so you can fly more than one copter at a time.
I had to play a bit of a guessing game with the app when I went to the App Store to download it. There are a couple other apps called iHelicopter, but I found the right one. Once I installed the app on my iPhone 4, I had to choose the model of helicopter I was flying for one page of the app. Once that was done, I was ready to fly.
I realized right away that the iHelicopter was missing the ability to trim the up and down motion of the toy. It does have a trim control for the rotation of the copter to the left or right. I guess the app developer though that rather than have a trim control for up and down that they would just make the left virtual stick on the app used for throttle, which controls up or down, stay where you place it. The problem I had was that the up and down stick was so sensitive that any movement meant the copter was either climbing to the ceiling or falling to the floor.
I could not get the helicopter to simply hover. The other issue was that if you hit a wall or ceiling you can't just let go of the throttle that controls altitude since it stays where you leave it. That means that copter was often flopping around on the floor while I fumbled for the virtual stick to make it stop.
I would have much rather had the throttle control for up and down return to center when I let it go like the right stick for controlling forward, back, left, and right does. The lack of a altitude trim and the stick staying where you put it rather than returning to center makes the iHelicopter much more difficult to fly than other toys of this sort I have used that have a normal controller. My daughter was unable to fly the iHelicopter because of the controls and she flew the one I had with a normal remote all over the house. I hope an update come for the app that adds in trim and makes the altitude left stick return to center.
Verdict
Pros
- Fun toy to fly when you can control it
- Cool flashing lights
Cons
- Controls are difficult to master
- Lacks trim for altitude/throttle
Conclusion
I liked the iHelicopter, but it was hard to fly thanks to the app controls. I hope an update to the app comes that makes controlling the altitude easier.
Sponsored Update
where to buy
Don't miss ...
news
iTunes 11 Download is Released
Nov 30 2012
Get the all new iTunes 11 now. Apple has finally released...
news
iOS 6 Download Release is Today [Update]
Sep 19 2012
Apple is releasing iOS 6 today. You can upgrade your iPhone...
Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane McGlaun (Google) knows technology inside out. His
extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer
electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Latest stories
DirecTV, the second largest satellite provider in the United States is vacillating over a decision. Should it or should it not buy Hulu? And furthermore ought it to wholly or partially acquire the online site that lends access to television programs?
Who hasn’t heard of the Xbox phenomenon that has swept the world by storm in recent years. The Xbox 360 Dashboard is being updated for the year 2013. As for the new Xbox it will be launched close to the middle of May.
The CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer has decided to buy the social micro-blogging site known as Tumblr. She also plans on updating Flickr for her company’s sake. Both these transactions are rumored to take place in an event set for Monday.
More From the Web
Viral Stories
- Visit our Homepage for the Latest Rumors, News and Shopping Tips
Viral Videos and Photos
The Hottest Cheerleaders of 2013
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012
