Review of the RC Flying Saucer

Last Christmas while doing some shopping in our local mall, I was amazed when I saw a vendor playing with this small flying disc that lit up the sky with colorful lights. It was like a mini UFO, and I knew the moment I saw it, I had to have it. I didn't care f he told me the disc would cost $100, I was ready to slam down any amount. I had a plan. It was to scare my dad at night outside with it. You see, he has this fear of getting abducted.
I made my way over to the small Chinese man, and asked him how much. He told me $30.00. I was sold.
I got home and waited for dark. My cousin was in on the plan. I was to go outside, turn it on, and let it lift, while she was to run inside in a panic, and pretend that she is afraid of this flying disc outside. She needed good acting skills to get them convinced.
Outside I got the disc in the air with the push of a button. As soon as my family ran out, I watched as my mom ran back inside, and my brave brother who planned on catching the UFO to become rich was the one who caught me. However for that slight moment both my mom and brother were 100% convinced this small lighted disc was in fact a UFO. Batteries not included man! HAHA!
My dad, who stood in bed due to laziness missed the show. Oh well. The gig was up, but it was well worth the fright my mom got, and the excitement my brother got thinking he'd be the first man on earth to catch himself a mini UFO. Hehe!
Anyways, I played with the disc for about 15 minutes, and finally it duded it and needed to be re-charged. The disc came with a small re-charging station, which the box called a docking station. It took about 5 minutes to get a full charge, and I was back to playing around with it some more.
What sucked about it was how I had no steering control over it. The UFO flying disc only comes with a remote with one activation button. This button is pushed to go higher, and released to come back down. However if the flying saucer is up in the air too high, and the wind blows, it could easily end up in your neighbors pool.
Another suck-o-licious bit of information is the fact that the UFO is made from heavy duty styrofoam. Even though it is heavy duty, it does not mean the thing is safe from harm. Mine came crashing down a few times and dented up. I'm sure with younger children this flying saucer would only last an hour until it was broken. Basically what I'm trying to say is that this RC is fragile and should only be given to older children that would take proper care of it.
However there is no stopping the inevitable. I am telling you, eventually your UFO will break. Mine did, and I took every precaution to make sure it got safe light play. However when it was up in flight, the wind caught it, and it came tumbling down head first. The small red plastic bulb that protects the UFOs electronic mechanisms broke off, and I guess damaged one of the wires inside, because the UFO no longer took flight.
My UFO was awesome for about 4 days, and then it died. I still think though that it was well worth the $30.00. I fooled 2 people, and honestly I would have paid more. You should have seen their faces!
How it works:
At the bottom of the UFO is a fan that once activated with the remote produces air underneath the foam to produce a lift. The unique cuts in the disc allow it to take flight and move around in weird unusual, yet steady flight. All of the UFOs guts hide beneath the cheap plastic cap, that eventually will fall off with play. On the sides of the disc small lights are placed strategically to look like they are spinning once the RC is in the air.
It is a really neat display at night, and a really neat toy. However I do wish it was more durable. The models released since last year have not improved, but luckily the prices have, and you can find them in stores such as Target and KMart for about $15.00.
I would recommend this RC for a great gag or gift to any UFO fanatic. However I wouldn't recommend wasting the money on them for much younger children. They are fragile, and even with proper care eventually break. They however are fun while they last.