iOS-Enabled Gear Review: iHelicopter Remote Controlled Helicopter

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A week before Griffin announced their new Help TC iOS remote-controlled helicopter, I saw the iHelicopter being advertised. For $59 I figured I would order one. It came yesterday and… well… it is fun.

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As the product page explains,

The iHelicopter makes it possible to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a remote control for a RC Helicopter! Plug the transmitter in the audio jack, download the free controller App and you are ready to fly!

The gyro in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be used to control the tilt of the iHelicopter. Tilt your iPhone to the left and the iHelicopter rotates left, tilt your iPhone towards and the iHelicopter will fly towards!

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The helicopter comes ready to fly. All you need to do is download the free i-helicopter app, plug the included dongle into the 3.5mm headphone jack and you are ready to go.

I love the fact that there is an entire page dedicated to spare parts for the toy. Why? Because you are going to need them. (Yup, the back struts have already broken off!) Here’s a video of it in action…

There are two other things you need if you are going to get the iHelicopter- a tall ladder and a good cousin so you can get the toy off the roof when it crash lands there. Thanks Jamie!! 🙂

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You can order one for yourself here.

MSRP: $59.95

What I Like: FUN!!!!

What Needs Improvement: Rather delicate; Flight time per charge limited; Hard to control accurately

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.