While we work hard here at iGeekPhone.com to bring you the latest news and reviews in the non-stop world of personal electronics, sometimes we get to review fun things too. Today we are bringing you the review of the Mingji No.901 Infrared Controlled Helicopter. Measuring at only 10cm in height and 16cm in length this mini infrared controlled helicopter has a wingspan of 14cms.
This author has always wanted to play around with RC helicopters, quadcopters and drones, and this time he gets to play around with one AND do a review for it at the same time. So let’s get started, this copter has 4 foldable blades as well as one weighted arm for balance. The great things about the blades is that they are extremely tough and flexible meaning you do not have to worry about crashing and breaking them, and trust me at the beginning we did a LOT of that. More about that later.
Built inside the copter is a rechargeable battery that lasts about 10-15 minutes of operation before needing to be recharged. What impressed me is that the charging port is actually an USB port built into the actual controller. So without the need of cables and adapters you can play with this wherever and whenever you want, without carrying anything else with you, asides from the controller. Considering the copter is not that technologically advanced, it isn’t a surprise that the controller isn’t either. The controller takes 4 AA batteries and has the same basic controls that you’d expect on a RC device, Up/Down, Left/Right. The copter itself charges relatively quickly (under 5minutes) so that you can get on with your fun. Those 4 AA batteries will last you a very long time as we charged the copter at least 20 times without any need to change them.
Now onto the actual operation of the copter. As many of us know, the key to a successful game or product is that it is simple to use but hard to master. This product is no exception, we spent at least a couple hours playing around with this off and on and it was a fun time. It was a tad frustrating at the beginning, getting used to the controls, but after a while we got used to it, even though we would still crash it often. It has great I/R range and is definitely something I can see a father and child playing with over the course of an afternoon.
Overall the Mingji No.901 Infrared Controlled Helicopter is a great way to enter the RC/IR for a beginner. It is simple enough to operate and built to be extremely durable so you don’t have to worry about it crashing and breaking. It charges really quickly directly from the built-in USB port and gives you about 10-15 Minutes of operation per charge.