AirHogs AeroAce - A $20 R/C Plane that Really Works

I’ve had a number of radio-controlled planes from AirHogs over the years and, while I guess what they did could technically be called “flying”, they weren’t very controllable and they weren’t a whole lot of fun.

My first AirHogs plane was the Titan. This beast used 4 ducted fans to generate a huge amount of thrust — almost enough to overcome its massive weight and actually allow the plane to fly. I finally got it into the air with a bit of — shall we say — “aeronautic improvisation” (you know, like taping soda straws to the trailing edges of the wings to act as flaps). By the time I made enough tweaks to allow the plane to fly the batteries decided that they didn’t want to hold a charge anymore. It’s blue, it’s too heavy, and it doesn’t fly, so I named it the “Blue Spruce Goose”.

My next AirHogs plane was the SkyWinder. This plane flew, but it was too fast through the air and too tough to control to fly in small areas (like my back yard). Just about the time I was getting some control over the SkyWinder one of the two propellers went flying off during a flight and the SkyWinder came crashing down and broke one of it’s wings. I pieced it back together but it’s sitting down in my basement keeping the Blue Spruce Goose company.

You can understand, then, why I was a bit skeptical when I saw the Air Hogs Aero Ace. Here was a tiny little plane with a tiny little price ($30, but you can find them on sale for $20). I took a chance and have been having a blast ever since.

This little guy uses a LiPo battery, so the guys at AirHogs were able to keep the weight (and size) down. It takes about 20-30 minutes to charge the plane up and the charge will last for about 10-12 minutes of flight time. There aren’t any controllable surfaces — turning is accomplished by speeding up one propeller or the other. But, unlike my previous two AirHogs planes, this one actually flies in a very slow, controllable manner. I have a small back yard and have no problem zipping the little guy all over the place.

The plane’s bi-plane design helps keep damage to a minimum when the inevitable “incident” occurs. The struts between the wings keep them from bending and breaking, and the propellers don’t extend above or below the wings so they hardly contact anything when the plane goes down. Or lands on the roof. Or bounces off something. Or someone. You get the picture.

So, if you’re looking for a low-cost little r/c plane, I’d highly recommend the AeroAce. Find yourself a little flying space, wait for a day when there’s no wind, and have a blast. It’s too much fun for only $20. (And if you can’t wait for a no-wind day, try taping a dime to the nose. It helps the AeroAce cut through a little bit of wind).

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