Recently we've really missed our regular jaunts out onto the
grassy heath to worry dogs and bother passers-by. No, we're not murderers or
perverts (well...), but rather we're big fans of radio-controlled flying
gadgets. Fortunately Revell have seen us right once more, by sending us
something to take to the skies in yet again. It's the Revell Spot Camera
Quadcopter!
Sit back, press play and jack the video up to 1080p...
enjoy!
So... yes, it is very cool looking, isn't it? The Spot
Camera Quadcopter is probably the meanest looking chopper Revell have yet to
send us, and the smaller controller has certainly helped to keep the packaging
to the bare minimum. But by golly is it a beast to control! We've had a lot of
experience with flying things of all kinds, especially those from our German
chums at Revell, but the Spot just seemed to be an unruly ride.
We adjusted the trim sooooo much while flying this thing,
trying desperately to get it correct and balanced, but still it flew wildly. To
be honest, it was buckets of fun, and extremely responsive, and out in the open
with very little to hit and a nice soft grassy ground to crash onto, it made
for an exciting five to seven minutes of flight. In your garden, or in your
living room, you might find yourself hitting the walls (and maybe even your
pets) more than you'd care to. We can see why Revell have added those rotor
guards.
And as for the camera, well... it's okay. As we said in the video
we weren't expecting much, and we didn't get much. In bright conditions, with
steady flying, you'll get some pretty nice shots, and of course having any kind
of camera on a RC helicopter is bags of fun. The Spot's camera faces a bit far downwards
for us, however, meaning that when the throttle is on, and the 'nose' of the
craft is tilted downwards, you'll mostly be filming the ground below you.
There's no option to change the angle of the camera (without forcing the lens from its surroundings).
So we love the looks, the smaller controller (which you'll
soon get used to), and the fact that this micro-copter has a camera at all, but
we're a bit disappointed by the insane handling. With a camera you would expect
be to be able to get a level and steady shot, so if aerial photography is your
bag, this ain't for you. If you love crashing into trees, slamming into the
ground, and almost taking your own head off (and then watching the footage
back) this is your chopper, my weird friend.
£44.99
Revell Control models are available from www.amazon.co.uk and all good toy and model
retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en