Most days, working as a writer involves searching for clients, mining the depths of the human psyche for inspiration, and struggling to find the perfect word to convey an emotion like “getting exactly what you expected but still being disappointed with what you got.” Not last Thursday, though. Last Thursday, being a writer involved getting a S107G Gyroscopes System remote control helicopter in the mail from Syma to test and review.
My two boys and I have gone through our share of remote controlled vehicles. By now, we know what to look for in an RC toy. So here are my observations and grades of the S107G in several key categories after two days of testing.
Maneuverability – Excellent
The S107G handles well for an airborne vehicle. I was able to maneuver inside the house with relative ease. The biggest trick is controlling the vertical lift. If you’re not careful, you will rocket up to the ceiling or plummet too quickly to the ground.
Running Time/Charging – Excellent
One of the biggest drawbacks I’ve found with RC vehicles is the short run time per charge. The S107G promises 6-7 minutes of flight per charge, and we got at least that much. The charge time is fairly long at 50 minutes, but it is worth it for the uninterrupted flight time. Another nice feature is that unlike most RCs, the S107G has a dual charging system. You can connect the chopper to the remote to charge off the batteries or you can connect to a computer via the provided USB cord.
Durability – Good
This one’s the real trick. The average life span of an RC vehicle in our household can be measured in days, if not hours. The S107G took everything we could throw at it inside, including letting the 5-year-old pilot the chopper, and came back for more. On Day 2, we took it outside – against the express intended use of the product – and it still held up well against the repeated crashing into trees and asphalt alternately. Our S107G took a licking right up until the time we crashed and bounced into a storm drain.
Range – Good
Again, the S107G is intended for indoor use. The range would qualify as excellent for those who obey the rules and keep the helicopter inside. Outside, we managed to fly beyond the range of the controller with alarming frequency, ultimately leading to the aforementioned storm drain tragedy.
Directions – Laughable
I know they pay workers in China thirteen cents a day to make these wonderful toys for us, but you’d think they could find one native English speaker to proofread the directions.
Overall – Excellent
Syma’s S107G delivers everything it promises and maybe a bit more. Just keep it inside where it’s safe.
(Editor’s note: The Syma S107G was provided by Xenon Project.)