I’ve been a remote-control-airplane enthusiast for years. I’ve never really been able to get my six-year-old son into it, though: Planes are difficult to control, and he’s a bit afraid of breaking the machines I’ve spent hours putting together.
Big Buck Hunter
When the chance for him to try the new Spin Master Air Hogs Switchblade ($69.99 list) came along, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get him into the hobby. The Switchblade is part helicopter, part plane. It takes off by rotating like a helicopter, but once it’s up high enough, you hit the Morph button to cause the wings to align–and it then flies like a plane.
Once you remove the Switchblade from its box (which includes, naturally, those annoying wire-ties), resist the urge to throw away the packaging. One part of the Switchblade looks like packaging material, but you’ll need it to assemble the launch base; I had to retrieve it from the trash.
