Giveaway & Review: RC SkyTrooper Military Helicopter [CLOSED]

I am a nut for remote control flying things. So I was very happy when my wife told me about DiscoveryStore.com’s Megatech’s SkyTrooper Radio-Control Military Helicopter review opportunity.

The SkyTrooper is small but not tiny and has a dual rotor design to aid in keeping the heli trim (not spinning). The remote has two channels for movement (up/down and left/right) and one to adjust the trim in flight.

The SkyTrooper has a bright LED in the nose and two colored blinking LED’s on the tail for dark or low light flying. It also came with an additional tail rotor for those “oops” moments. (I have not managed to break mine yet.)

The SkyTrooper requires just 4 AA batteries and charges right from the remote control (like many of its peers). I found the charge time a respectable 20-25 minutes or so for about 10 minutes of flight.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Although the SkyTrooper is recommended for indoor/outdoor use, there are some considerations to make prior to flight. I would only fly indoors in a very large room with little or no clutter. The SkyTrooper flies forward at all times and there is not much time to adjust direction in small spaces. As far as outdoor flight is concerned, there really cannot be any wind at all. The air must be completely still. In all fairness, these considerations affect all helicopters in this class (I own four).

The SkyTrooper’s motor is very powerful and taking off is easy and fast. There is even a safety feature that keeps the rotors from spinning with unintended lever pushing. I found the trim control to be effective and responsive. Spinning was not much of an issue.

The SkyTrooper is similar to its peers in regards to the sensitivity of the controls. Most heli’s in this class have a delay between the remote and the heli before it performs the task required, much like piloting a large boat, so you need to think in advance. Patience is rewarded however and after a few flights your skill improves a great deal.

Overall I love my SkyTrooper and it is very fun to fly. There is no control to stop it in flight or hover, but very few heli’s in this class and price range can do that anyways. The lights are bright and fun and make it easier to spot. I would not recommend the SkyTrooper to very young kids as the learning curve takes some skill. I think anybody 10 and over would really enjoy the SkyTrooper. (This 39 year old is certainly enjoying his!)

This R/C helicopter retails for $59.95 at the Discovery Channel Store, where there are lots of gift ideas for Father's Day. If you run out of time, you can always opt for an e-Gift Card, which are delivered by email. For a limited time, you can receive Free Ground Shipping on U.S. orders of $59 or more when you use Code: FS59 at checkout.

Thank you to Discovery Channel Store for sending us a sample helicopter free of charge to base this review upon and for providing another helicopter for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a SkyTrooper Military Helicopter.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of gift ideas at Discovery Channel Store. Then leave a comment telling me the name of a specific item you would love to gift to someone you know. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Discovery Channel Store . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry, follow Discovery Channel on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: Wow Toys Battery-Free "Harry Copter's Animal Rescue"

Who better to be the first sponsor for my new "Kid Driven Toys" series about battery-free toys than Lou Lou's Corner, a children's boutique based in North Carolina that also has an online boutique. In addition to adorable children's fashions, Lou Lou's Corner carries the top name brands in battery-free toys, such as Alex Toys, Automoblox, Plan Toys, Wow Toys, and more.

I did not have any previous experience with Wow brand toys, so I was excited when Lou Lou's Corner suggested one of their products for a Kid Driven Toys feature. I just knew my 3yr old son was going to be thrilled with our choice.

Look what a lovely presentation Lou Lou's Corner created inside the shipping box. This is going above and beyond to make a child's memory of receiving a package from Lou Lou's Corner extra special. When the red tissue was pulled away, it revealed this battery-free toy helicopter made by Wow Toys.

What I thought about Harry Copter's Animal Rescue:

1) My first impression of this toy is that it appears to be chunky, sturdy, and durable. There are only 5 pieces total (the helicopter, paramedic, and 3 animals), so there are no small parts to lose. I can see why this toy is recommended for children as young as 18 months.

2) There are two main features that make this toy friction-based toy special for a child. The first is that it is kid-powered rather than battery-powered. A child just needs to grip the handle and pump the trigger to make the propeller spin. The handle is perfect for little hands and our 3yr old twins can both hold the helicopter with one hand.

3) The second feature is the magnet towards the front underside of the rescue helicopter. This allows the child to pick up and rescue the animal figures that need to be transported to safety.

4) The three animals that come with this set include an alligator, a panda, and a lion. One thing that makes these animals particularly endearing is that they each have a bandage to indicate an injury . . . on the alligator's tail, the panda's arm, and the lion's hind leg.

5) All three animals have magnets embedded in them so that the rescue copter can pick them up easily. That my 3yr old twins can use this magnetic feature with ease is so important in regards to allowing their imaginations to go further while playing with this toy.

6) A nice detail is the pair of decals inside the helicopter, which are already in place, of things a rescue paramedic might need. These items include medical supplies, a map, a mobile phone, a notepad, and a pencil.

7) Our 3yr old son, who has a special affinity towards planes, jets, and helicopters, was just thrilled with this toy. He was so proud that he could make the propellers turn and pick up the animals using the magnet without any help from me. His twin sister also was extremely curious about how this helicopter worked without batteries.

To view the extensive line of friction-based battery-free Wow Toys vehicles, visit LouLousCorner.com . Also, you should browse Lou Lou's Corner's Red Tag Sale. You can find some excellent buys on children's clothing, shoes, and toys there. Plus there is flat rate UPS Ground shipping of just $4.95 for orders up to $65 and Free Shipping on orders over $65.

Thank you to Lou Lou's Corner for sending us a sample toy free of charge to base this review upon.