Flight is a subject of fascination for many; even among those who fear it. While many of us take this form of travel for granted, very few will experience it from the controls. So it was with great pleasure, that I found my hands on the controller of an Air Hogs Jackal: a tiny, lightweight helicopter operated by a remote control handset.
For ages 8 years and older · 4 x AA size bartteries required (not included)
£19.99 from Toys R Us 
$39.99 from Amazon.com
After removing the Jackal from the box the first thing to do is add 4 AA size batteries into the handset. A small Phillips (crosshead) screwdriver is required to do this and the batteries are not included. A charge time of about 20 minutes is needed before it’s ready to play with. A red light on the handset remains lit when it’s charging the helicopter and automatically switches off once charging is complete.
Then it’s time for take-off. However, if you begin with trying in fly-off at speed in a specific direction, you’ll quickly find yourself making your way to recover it from a crash site. Fortunately, despite being small, the helicopter very robust and withstood all the crashes it had to endure whilst I was the pilot.
Mastering this toy helicopter is begun by using the vertical control to practice take-off, landing and maintaining height. You’ll probably find, when you first fly the Jackal, that the helicopter turns in one direction. This is fixed by adjusting a trim dial. Once the trim settings have been perfected, maneuvering around even a small space becomes easy and fun.
Every 20 minutes of charging gives around three minutes of flight. Whilst this does interrupt the fun, playing with this toy is still very enjoyable.
The helicopter is designed to be played with indoors only. I took a test flight in a garden once and after the briefest moment I had to knock on a neighbour’s door to ask for it back.
The Verdict
MOST WANTED: This infrared remote control helicopter finds itself in a crowed market, however, I rate the Air Hogs Jackal as the best to get started and experience some remote controlled flying. The Jackal is relatively cheap, easily available on the high street and a joy to fly.
Air Hogs Jackal R/C Helicopter
By Spin Master
For ages 8 years and older · 4 x AA size batteries required (not included)
Where to Buy Air Hogs Jackal
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£19.99 |  |
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£19.99 | |
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$39.99 | |
All prices correct at the time of publishing. Please check retailer for latest prices, availability and delivery information.
Features & Contents
- 1 Air Hogs Jackal Helicopter
- 1 infrared contoller/charger
- 2 spare tail rotos
- 1 user instruction guide booklet
Product Details & Specifications
Product name: Air Hog Jackal
Recommended age: for 8 years and older
Minimum age: 3 years due to small parts
Battery requirements: 4 x AA size batteries required (not included)
Safety considerations: Adult supervision advised. Keep away from obstacles and electrical hazards.
Assembly requirements:
Manufacturer/Supplier: Spin Master Toys
Manufacturer/Supplier no.: #20028225
Barcode (UPC/EAN): 778988843697
Product dimensions: Helicopter length 13 cm
Product weight:
Packaging dimensions: 35.6cm x 9.0cm x 12.8cm
Packaged item weight:
Country of origin: Made and in China
I derive much more enjoyment from playing with flying toys than I ever have from being in a flying machine; which I do not like at all. Perhaps, a luxurious zeppelin with fine dining facilities maybe? No, even such a more civilised mode of travel has been proven to be innately dangerous.
So, remote flying is my wholehearted recommendation. PicooZ is an excellent choice and has been very popular. Weighing-in at a mere 10 grammes (and barely noticed on my kitchen scales, meaning I cannot quickly verify its weight in English), it’s currently Guinness World Record holder for the world’s smallest remote controlled helicopter. An achievement far beyond enduring one’s feet inside a pair of cold baked-bean filled wellies for a record period of time.
Now to Sky Challenger, which promises to double the fun by providing two helicopters but it delivers even more, through the use of infra-red technology. The remote controls include a fire button which activate a beam of infra-red. Which, If aimed precisely, will send the opposing helicopter tumbling from the sky; that is, if you describe the space between the floor and ceiling of your home as sky.
The helicopters are charged by the remote control hand-sets in about 20 minutes. Each charge gives you around 10 minutes flying time, which is quite good for this kind of toy. The range of the hand-set is 10 metres (32 feet).
Available from: I Want One of Those
Sky Challenger | £39.99
For ages 12 years and older | 12 x AA batteries (6 per remote control) required, not included
Dragonfly R/C
Indoors or outdoors the Dragonfly is easy to control. This has much to do with the fact that it beats its wings in a fashion similar to a real insect. There is also a ribbon that can be attached to add some weight and create drag to aid beginner pilots and make indoor flight easier to control. In case damage occurs there´s a spare set of wings but the Dragonfly is really quite robust.
The controller is similar to one you´d find on a video games console making it instantly familiar. The batteries are kept in the handset controller which attaches to the Dragonfly for charging. Each flight lasts for about 20 minutes whilst charging takes a similar amount of time.
Its possible to fly 2 together but they must operate on different radio frequencies. Check the packaging carefully for either 40 Mhz and 27 Mhz quoted, buy one of each different frequency for racing and dog fighting fun.