Radio controlled helicopter in Aldi, €24.99

Ghandee

Just noticed in an Aldi flyer today that from Thurs Aldi will be selling these little helicopters for an extremely reasonable 24.99.

From the pic, it looks like it has a rear propeller which would enable it to go backwards, forwards, left and right etc. as opposed to the other little choppers for sale on amazon etc that can only go round in circles, so in effect the only controlling you actually do is make the rotor turn!

I do know that I seen a bloke selling (looked to be exact same) these in liffey valley for one hundred euros, and I almost bought one from him, they looked, and flew PERFECTLY!

I could be wrong of course, maybe these are cheap dirt (any one bought one from Aldi before?) But for 24.99€ definitely worth a punt, especially if you have kids.

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_15245.htm

g0g

The 100-quid ones in Liffey Valley are the long ones I'm pretty sure. This is (by the looks of it) one of the smaller size ones and they're normally for sale in gadget shops for € 30-50.

Bear in mind you can get them delivered from Hong Kong cheaper with Deal Extreme (example).

I bought one when I was in China earlier this year and they're good craic and can take a fair bit of bashing around!

The handy thing about buying on ebay or Dealextreme is that if you buy a common model you can get spares too.

dvpower

g0g wrote: »

Bear in mind you can get them delivered from Hong Kong cheaper with Deal Extreme (example).

But probably wouldn't make it for christmas at this point.

Gregsor

If only these were around 20 years ago,the urge has passed :mad:.

iknorr

To be honest lads these helis wont last very long.

A few years ago i purchased one in malaysia. An apache about a foot long. about 25 goes ( lasted about 7 mins in the air per flight) battery died.
Bought a large one last year. had a decent few goes, a month later got a smell of smoke from the charger, disconnected too it apart. the heat sink melted off and started burning the outer plastic. Checked the battery. 0.2 volts.
Cant get a battery pack for it now but i know how to make one from decent lipo batteries.
I had two of the mini helis also. (the type that have the guns that can shoot each other down) One of these is still working after a few months. There is a problem with the other one - either a battery or motor- just a complete lack of power to even lift off.

If your thinking this is a long lasting toy then forget about it.

Dont get me wrong, these things are perfect for children as they have that WOW factor but find out about the warranty with these. Anywhere i have seen....theres little or no warranty.
BUT the aldi ones look fairly decent with the lipo batteries. If i was going to choose one, it would be this.

I see some temporary shops and stalls in shopping centres opening up in the past week or two, mainly run by foreigners. These shops wont be there after xmas...i wonder why?

The price in ireland for one of these helicopters is 10 fold what i paid in asia. Even deal extreme is expensive cos they must pay for the shipping.

Im just worried about all the little kids being disappointed if these things break down after a few flights.

Sidenote-They dont act anything like a normal radio controlled heli. they just sit in the air and u can move them a few feet by nudging the tail boom up and down and spining the heli on its rotor axis. Ideal for a child.

Tallon

These are tiny, and brake very easy

Not worth it

patch

SMyths had a great one a couple of months ago.
Has a metal frame, flies in all directions.
25 quid too.

Sgt Pepper 64

Halfords have this at 23.49

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_781329_langId_-1_categoryId_233151

And another one at 19.49

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_781261_langId_-1_categoryId_233151

dvpower

Tallon wrote: »

These are tiny, and brake very easy

Not worth it

I could never get them to brake; but they do break very easily.

Plazaman

Tallon wrote: »

These are tiny, and brake very easy

Not worth it

I hear ya, had one for all of 20 mins, after first minor crash that was it. The flashy lights still worked but nothing else. The instructions were all in Engrish so that didn't help ("for putting the battery warm up in casing, let the positives touch you...."

Tabnabs

I got a present last christmas of a double set of mini choppers (around €40/50) and have given them both dogs abuse. I've even had them out in the back garden on very calm days and they are still going strong. They're not all as bad as you'd think from the posts on here.

Tallon

I'm not saying mini copters are abd, I'm saying these Aldi ones are bad

spider_pig

not worth it i got this one last year for €20 kind of impossible to fly i got it going in a wide open park and the thing just took off by it self one small gust of wind an it was gone flying over peoples houses and came down and broke.

The Dagda

spider_pig wrote: »

not worth it i got this one last year for €20 kind of impossible to fly i got it going in a wide open park and the thing just took off by it self one small gust of wind an it was gone flying over peoples houses and came down and broke.

All these mini 'copters are for INDOOR use only.

spider_pig

The Dagda wrote: »

All these mini 'copters are for INDOOR use only.

oh rite found that impossible aswell tho, trying to keep it from hitting the ceiling and surrounding furniture if i had of known that now id a kept my €20

listermint

spider_pig wrote: »

not worth it i got this one last year for €20 kind of impossible to fly i got it going in a wide open park and the thing just took off by it self one small gust of wind an it was gone flying over peoples houses and came down and broke.

Really dont think these are designed for that type of messing. They are a indoorsy / back garden type of toy.

If you want a professional one for professional heights you will pay big money. These are great for what they are.

Run_to_da_hills

Gucky wrote: »

Just noticed in an Aldi flyer today

Pun intended I presume.

mathie

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Pun intended I presume.

It's one heli of a bad pun if it was.

AHOKD

mathie wrote: »

It's one heli of a bad pun if it was.

I never even copter

Ghost Train

would recommend this type

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SYMA-3-Channel-RC-Mini-Micro-CHINOOK-Helicopter-S026-/280586960386?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item4154493e02

Very sturdy and balanced with the two sets of blades, great fun (indoors). These sort of toys can have short life time if taking hard hits

MarkR

AHOKD wrote: »

I never even copter

No the whole thing?!

Sgt Pepper 64

Ghost Train wrote: »

would recommend this type

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SYMA-3-Channel-RC-Mini-Micro-CHINOOK-Helicopter-S026-/280586960386?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item4154493e02

Very sturdy and balanced with the two sets of blades, great fun (indoors). These sort of toys can have short life time if taking hard hits

Yep, nothings worse than getting your approach all wrong and then kissing your chopper goodbye! (Been there, done that :eek:)

MarkR

Ghost Train wrote: »

would recommend this type

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SYMA-3-Channel-RC-Mini-Micro-CHINOOK-Helicopter-S026-/280586960386?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item4154493e02

Very sturdy and balanced with the two sets of blades, great fun (indoors). These sort of toys can have short life time if taking hard hits

They actually have this model in smyths


http://toys.ie/3-CHANNEL-RD-CONT-MINI-TRANSPORTER-!H00044-prod.aspx?qwSessionID=17d5a1bd-7eda-41f4-a752-62c332ff2f07

Bob Z

Would these be good for a present for an adult?