Atom Micro R/C Heli - Red Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased my Atom Micro Heli at a Target store, where it is currently carried exclusively. This little helicopter is a lot of fun, a great diversion, and an excellent first RC helicopter. I have also owned an Air Hogs Reflex helicopter, which is claimed to offer more precise control than the Atom, however I have found the Atom to be much easier to fly.
Technically, the Atom has no direct forward or reverse control; the Atom has a plastic fin on the tail boom that can slide forward to cause it to pitch forward or slide back to hover only. Also included in the packaging are small aluminum stickers that may be applied to the front of the Atom to add more weight to the front, causing more forward motion. The instructions indicate that right turns initiate forward motion and left turns return it to hovering, which generally works as a result of the direction in which the rotors spin. Although this seems like a limitation, it does make the Atom easier to control than a more complex heli.
The controller has a trim knob which rotates continuously in either direction for the purpose of trimming the heli so it does not spin when no turning input is being applied. It usually requires several turns of the trim knob to get the heli stable, but it works well. As the motors "warm up", more trim is usually required, and when the rechargable battery begins to run down, the trim is again required. Unfortunately, any time the heli is switched off, the trim must be re-applied once turned on again. I believe this is typical of other Helis as well.
The Atom seems quite durable, in part thanks to its small size and light weight, so that if it collides with anything or "crashes", it merely bounces. Also, it has NO styrofoam parts, a factor that greatly increases durability and ease of handling without concern of breakage. Despite the overall durability, however, after only about 5 or 6 flights (which last about 5 minutes per charge), something in the drive mechanism went bad so that the motor would spin but the rotors would not turn once it got airborne. Target gave me a no-questions-asked refund, and I purchased another in hopes that this was more a random defect than indicative of the product's durability.
One of the coolest features, thanks to the tiny size of the Atom, is that it fits in a compartment INSIDE the transmitter in an injection molded plastic tray. No need to worry about where to store it or transport it safely!
At $29.99, the Atom is a great deal. I recommend it for anyone wanting to try out an RC helicopter without the steep learning curve.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Atom Micro R/C Heli - Red

Click here for more information about Atom Micro R/C Heli - Red