I had to drop by RadioShack tonight to charge my Razr, since the battery was so low, I couldn’t even get it to stay on long enough to have my Mac recognize and start charging it.
While I was there I picked up a PiccoZ mini-IR Helicopter!
I’ve always wanted to fly a mini-RC helicopter (or a real one actually), so for a mere $29.95, this is an absolute no-brainer of a purchase. I got back to my hotel, ate dinner, then finally opened the package. A nice touch, the heli was already charged and I only needed to load batteries into the remote unit and turn on the *tiny* switch on the heli and I was ready to go flying.
I placed the heli on the bed and tried to get used to taking off. After many attempts, it’s best to just open the throttle quite crisply and wait for the little foam heli to stabilize.
Once in the air, the PiccoZ will start spinning. The instructions tell you to hit the trim buttons and this is effective in making the heli settle down.
It’s then surprisingly easy to nudge the tail around, and let the model drift around the room.
Landing is easy, just make sure there is a clear space below the heli and reduce the throttle slowly. The PiccoZ will drift down, and crisply reducing throttle at the last second will have it settle to the ground perfectly. Very very satisfying, and lots of fun.
See link below for pics of my one on the ‘helipad’, and flying around my room at the Hyatt.

Flickr pics of my PiccoZ mini-IR Helicopter

YouTube video of someone flying one.