Revell Control Argus Camera Helicopter Review
Reviewed by David Savage
I have reviewed the much smaller Revell XS Helicopter before so was delighted to review the Revell Control Argus Camera Helicopter.
The Argus Camera Helicopter is a much larger helicopter measuring at 29cm in length and 15cm high. It also has the added feature of a camera to take still pictures or video. It is for beginner level.
On opening the box I found one Argus Camera Helicopter in red and black, one large remote control handse(requires 4x AA batteries, not supplied), one mains charger with UK plug adapter (to charge up the helicopter), one 1GB MicroSD card (to record video/pictures onto) with USB adapter to use the card in your PC, a pack of spare rotor blades for the helicopter and a user manual in various languages.
After removing the helicopter from the box I inserted the memory card into the slot underneath the helicopter and then plugged it on the charger to charge the helicopter up – this can take up to 90 minutes and a full charge will give you about 7 minutes of flying time.
Once the helicopter had charged I was ready to start flying. So I put the batteries in the remote control handset, put the switch on the helicopter into the on position and was ready to go.
The helicopter is recommended for indoor use, so clear any obstacles before you are ready to try flying. To start the helicopter in was placed on a flat surface (the floor) with the tail towards me as per the instructions. By pushing the thrust control fully forward and then back again backwards again the handset will beep and you are ready to fly. By pushing the trust forward the helicopter will lift off the ground (just be careful not to push all the forward, as I found out it is very fast and will be hitting the ceiling before you know it) – the manual recommends for beginners to adjust the trim for fault free flying, this will take some time and patience but gets you used to the helicopters speed and motion. Once you get the hang of lift off you can now use the direction control to move around the room. By pressing the left button on top of the control this with start video recording (pressing again stops it) or pressing the right button will take a still picture. To land simply press down on the trust control slowly for a smooth landing.
To see the video or pictures that you have taken simply pop out the memory card, place it into the USB adapter and plug it in to your USB port on your computer. The quality of the images is very good and the video is great (although mine show an awful lot of crash landings but are getting better).
Overall, I love this helicopter. I have found it easier to manoeuvre than the previous smaller versions I have tried (or maybe practising with the smaller versions made me better aware of movement controls). The video camera function makes the flying experience much fun and is very easy to use.
This helicopter is aimed at beginners aged 15 years + and after practising as per the manuals instructions you get the hang of flying it reasonably quickly but does take a bit of practise to manoeuvre it proper. I have crashed it into the ground, walls and ceilings several times and it is still in excellent condition with no damage so is very sturdy with makes it good value for money.
The only small criticism I have is the charger is a little bit awkward to plug into the wall socket with the UK adapter so maybe it could be supplied with a UK charger without the need for an adapter?
This is excellent fun and would make an ideal Christmas present for RC fans and lovers of gadgets.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £69.99
Available to buy from www.amazon.co.uk.
