Silverlit PicooZ 3-Channel Atlas Helicopter
Product Description
The 3-channel version of the fun device PicooZ is used here. The aerodynamic design of the fuselage gives a very true to size impression. This version too is naturally made from the almost indestructible foam (EPP) and can even survive a collision in flight without damages.
- Easy-to-fly 3-channel infra-red micro helicopter with LED light
- Available in various colours and we are unable to determine which colour you will receive
- Weighing 12g and featuring a high capacity LIPO battery
- Simply plug in the helicopter, charge and fly
- A 20 minute charge will give 5-10 minutes of play time
I’ve wanted a mini choppers for a year or so now and at Christmas my wife finally bought me one of these.
I’d told her I wanted a 3 channel one and that’s what I got. The Atlas is a bit of a misfit in Silverlit’s range as it seems very difficult to find any information about it from them.
I’ve no experience of other choppers to compare this to but would agree and disagree with some of the points others have raised:
- Build quality: I’ve nothing to compare it to but it seems fine to me and it’s survived a fair few bumps and crashes so far. It does feel a little flimsy and because there are no guards for the rotors (as is usual for Silverlit) it can’t bounce off walls and will usually fall out of the sky. It does look a little unbalanced when on the ground – I wondered if this was a manufacturing issue but I’m advised it’s deliberate and helps take off.
- Lag: Yes there is a bit of lag when you use the forward motion buttons but it isn’t really a problem – just allow for it when flying. 2 channel choppers don’t even have the option of forward or not – it’s all or nothing for them.
- Battery life: Seems really good, charges pretty quickly and then lasts for about 10 minutes flight time. With messing about with tables, passing from person to person and clearing space, play time is longer.
- Fun: Yes. Buy it, especially if you’ve not had a mini chopper before. It might be more difficult to get going with and be a bit trickier to fly than some others but when you master it you’ll get more satisfaction. I’ve not fully mastered it myself yet but will!
Recommended, especially to anyone new to these things. My favourite pressie this Christmas!
Rating: 3 / 5
Whenever you turn it on and fly it it continuously spins around. If you keep clicking the trim button in one of the directions it will stop spinning and you can fly it properly. Once this happens best fun I’ve had in ages.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a well made piece of kit – although by its very nature – it has to be handled with care. Not for very young children. Ok for a bright 7 year old.
It responds well to the controls, although the forward motion is a bit unpredictable, it does at least have forward movement buttons, which the cheaper version does not. Takes a bit of time to learn how to control it. But it is well worth the money!
Rating: 4 / 5
Technically very clever, this is an evolution of the tiny Picoo Z 2-channel machine that has taken the world by storm.
What they have added to this is a ‘Forward’ button that gives a surge of forwards movement to the otherwise very slowly moving helicopter.
But….
This surge forward comes after a slight but unpredictable delay, and the yaw control (left/right steering) on this machine is less good than on the Picoo Z.
So you might have this little machine hovering, and want to buzz it across the room, but it is twisting to the right, OK?
If you try to stop it twisting the sticky yaw control can set it spinning left, and the trim is not a lot of help in this – unlike the older Picoo Z. If you take pot luck and wait until it lines up on your destination, the forward button may delay enough until it aims you at the wall!
So it can be a bit of a lottery, but still great fun.
Fortunately it seems just as tough as the Picoo Z.
The tiny actuator mechanism for the ‘Forward’ control is jewel like and a very neat bit of model engineering, significant educational value, as always – but the way the whole machine flies is not so good in the ways described. Pity.
Oh, and it has a remote controlled light on it. Might add fun to the arrival of the Xmas pud? Just don’t get too near the flames!
Still recommended, but for fun rather than precision flying.
Rating: 4 / 5
although this is the best toy(flies forward yes-and its fast) i’ve ever had i must admit that out of the 7 pieces i received only 1 works perfectly. i originally ordered 2 and since then kept sending them back for replacement. i really thank amazon for their service. free shipping back!
-fault on 4: keeps spinning left!
-fault on 2: not flying forward!
i only got one which perfectly works.
by the way i still got a faulty one lying however i am actually embarrassed to send it back for replacement. but i guess i’ll have to.
oh yes, the legs of of all the helicopters werent straight.
i guess that the series i got had a serious manufacturing fault. or is it just me?
still, if your one works trust me you’ll have so much fun with it. flies forward yes. only a few low price helicopters can do that on the market. all the 2 channels are boring!
Rating: 4 / 5