Today I have the privilege of reporting on 2 cool, little LiteHawk RC vehicles—one a rider-clad motorcycle, and the other a cage enclosed mini quadcopter that’s capable of flying, crawling on the ceiling, and bouncing off the walls! These little machines might be small in stature, but they’re definitely big on fun! Read along to see the results of my testing and to see if either of these tiny beasts might be right for you.
LiteHawk APEX RC Motorcycle
At 7 cm wide by 10 cm high and 13.5 cm long, theLiteHawk APEX Remote Control Motorcycle is quite small as RC toy vehicles go these days, yet it is still capable of reaching speeds up to 15 Km/H. It also features real rubber tires, front and rear lights for nighttime driving, and its 2.4 GHz digital system is designed to work without any frequency / channel conflicts (a nice feature for racing among friends). It is meant for those aged 10 and up, and I would suggest that the 10-12 range is probably the best demographic for this cycle. I say that mainly because its speed isn’t so much to make it overly difficult or dangerous to control.
Performance in Testing
The LiteHawk APEX performed pretty much as expected during my tests. At 15 Km/H you’re not getting the type of speed that we’ve seen in some of the other RC vehicles we’ve previously tested, but that’s to be expected considering the smaller size of the APEX. All things considered, it goes a little bit slower than I’d like, but part of the issue is undoubtedly the bumpy surfaces I found to try it out on. If I had a large, smooth testing space, such as a basketball floor, then I think it would seem a lot quicker due to the smoother ride. Ordinary pavement may not seem overly bumpy, but to the small wheels of the APEX, it’s a bit of a rocky road and the bike’s progress is somewhat impeded by it.
Another problem I had was when encountering cracks in the pavement. The APEX has some difficulty overcoming them if they’re a bit on the larger side. Sometimes a crack will affect the bike’s direction and send it veering off to one side or the other. Again, a smooth surface would make all the difference here. Overall, the APEX is fun to play with and provides a proportionate ratio of value to size. The real test would be having more than one of them to play with and racing against friends over a set course.
If you’d like to know what the controller looks like, that’s it there on the right. It’s a pretty standard RC controller, and the APEX is overall fairly simple to operate. You certainly don’t need a ton of experience to get started, and I think that this toy is a great “starter” toy for those new to the RC hobby.
LiteHawk High Roller Mini Quadcopter
TheLiteHawk High Roller Mini Quadcopter (Best Buy link forthcoming) comes equipped with a 2.4GHz radio controller which, as with the APEX Cycle above, allows you to operate your vehicle in close proximity with other copters with no threat of radio interference or crossover. Its also got multi-directional capabilities and a round exterior cage that allows it to roll over and around whatever obstacles that get in its way. With a rechargeable 3.7 V LI-PO battery that works with a standard USB port, bright LED lights for flying after dark, and the ability to fly safely either indoors or out, the High Roller Mini has everything you need to enjoy some serious, albeit miniature, quad flying fun!
Performance in Testing
The LiteHawk High Roller Mini Quadcopter is recommended for use by those aged 14 and up, and I think that 14 is a suitable starting age for this toy. Even though it is small and not likely to do much damage in and around your home, it can be a bit tricky to use and is probably best suited to those either with some RC experience or at least the dexterity to operate the controls with precision and skill. Although I myself am well above the minimum recommended starting age for using this quadcopter, I am precluded from being allowed to operate one due to my complete lack of either of the above requisite abilities. Even so, the copter definitely does do what it is designed to do! While my operation of the copter was horribly erratic, I did find that it lifts and hovers nicely, it steers well (if extremely sensitively), and it bounces all around the house if and when you happen to fly it into things (which I was doing constantly).
Even though I am a terrible pilot myself, I still had heaps of fun with thing and I prefer it over the APEX Cycle by a significant margin. It’s really fun to bounce it off of just about everything inside the house and never once did I knock anything over. Outside of the house I found that it goes really high and I was almost afraid to lose it in a neighbour’s yard due to its very good range. If I had a bigger yard I might have been able to really see how far it could go. As it is, it was getting well over 50 feet away from me at times and I nearly lost it on a rooftop, so excellent range for such a little device! By the way, my wife gave it a try and was able to fly it much better than I was!!
If you were curious about what the controller for this one looks like, I have provided a photo at right. It kind of reminds me of a video game controller (with both buttons and joysticks). There are various directional controls, and controls for things like thrust and trim. All up, the High Roller Mini gives you numerous points of control—if you can handle them all!
You should really take a look at the embedded video created by LiteHawk for this copter. It really gives you a complete picture of what this thing can do!
In the final tally, I do think that these LiteHawks are both worth picking up, but the High Roller his my favourite. If you’re an adult RC hobbyist, you’re not likely to be as impressed with the APEX Cycle, though if motorcycles are of particular interest to you, you’ll probably like it more.
Of course, if you’re looking for RC vehicles with more speed and power, you might want to pick up something that’s a bit bigger than these, and LiteHawk certainly has plenty to choose from! Their
RC Cars & Land Vehicles & their
RC Helicopters & Air Vehicles each come in a variety of styles, sizes, and power & expertise levels. For those looking for really great RC starter models, or if tiny machines really intrigue you, then either the APEX Cycle or the High Roller Mini Quadcopter may be a good fit. I honestly think that the High Roller Mini is as fun and entertaining to adults as it is to the younger crowd, but the APEX Cycle is probably more appropriate for those 10 and up. I definitely suggest doing a bit of research and considering your RC speed and power desires before making a final selection. Then, just have fun!
RC Cars & Land Vehicles & their
RC Helicopters & Air Vehicles each come in a variety of styles, sizes, and power & expertise levels. For those looking for really great RC starter models, or if tiny machines really intrigue you, then either the APEX Cycle or the High Roller Mini Quadcopter may be a good fit. I honestly think that the High Roller Mini is as fun and entertaining to adults as it is to the younger crowd, but the APEX Cycle is probably more appropriate for those 10 and up. I definitely suggest doing a bit of research and considering your RC speed and power desires before making a final selection. Then, just have fun!
