Griffin’s Helo TC cleared for takeoff, we try to get airborne in a hands-on (video)

We got to the choppa! It has been nearly a month’s time since Griffin introduced its AppPowered Helo TC , a mini RC helicopter for iDevices, and we’ve been lucky enough to play test pilot for a chunk. Fifty bucks gets you the TC itself, an infared Flight Deck in your device, 4 extra rotor blades, a USB charging cable and a paper landing pad for when your done wreaking havoc at your residence or office. Obviously, there are similar OEM models that use a common remote available for almost half the cost, but we were curious to determine how Griffin’s free iPhone app could mix things up — plus, it’s alot easier at the wallet than an AR.Drone . So, was it clear skies and smooth sailing or something more like Blackhawk Down? Breeze on past the break to determine.

Setup was simple because the Helo comes well-nigh able to fly. After a brief 20 minute charge with our laptop, loading four AAAs for the Flight Deck and downloading the app, we were cleared to move. The Deck attached to our iPhone 3GS and iPad 2 with no problem, but it’s fairly clunky and obviously intended to be used with a phone in landscape mode. It really works by plugging into your device’s audio jack and translating any in-app movements into control signals for the copter. The app is reasonably straightforward: for basic control you get a throttle slider, joystick with trim, an auto-land button and a toggle switch for the mini chopper’s LEDs. There’s also Flight Plans for advanced pilots, which helps you to record maneuvers for 20 seconds — although, we weren’t in a position to fly it long enough to check out. Digging through its settings menu you can see flying tips, a joystick / motion control toggle, three transmission channels, pitch inversion, and on-screen throttle placement.

With that said, lets discuss manning the AppPowered’s controls and flying the item. We usually got around 10 minutes of flight time per charge, which led to short bursts of fun and lengthy bouts with frustration from mid-air mishaps. It took us two flight-cycles to remain airborne for various seconds without having to apply the car-land feature, hitting the office ceiling, or grazing someone’s hair — furthermore, the iPad version of the app just plain didn’t work.

With somewhat practice using our iPhone we managed longer flights, but getting the Helo to head forward and backward or rotate precisely remained extremely difficult as a result of control communication lag. As the copter can zip to the ceiling very quickly, unless yours are of the vaulted variety, it sort of feels ill suited to indoor operation. Taking it outside gave us a less complicated time — even at night, because of its lights — but once it was hovering smoothly at powerline height the signal usually began cutting out.

After numerous crashes caused quite a few battle scars, we were surprised to work out how well the blades and the TC itself held up, but ultimately it proved to be no match for concrete. Eventually we lost total control of its trim, which caused it to permanently veer left and shortly after our unit was in two pieces. Did your friendly Engadget staff have an occasional blast during our day with the Helo TC? You betcha. When it comes right down to it though, the iOS angle feels rather gimmicky and you’re probably just going with an inexpensive ol’ RC version. Sometimes you simply can’t beat the classics, but when you’re into this sorta thing it’s now available from Griffin.

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This post is tagged: control signals, landscape mode, mini rc helicopter, settings menu, smooth sailing, transmission channels, wreaking havoc