I once had a remote control plane, which was, to me, the coolest thing in the entire world. That is, until my second time flying it when my supreme flying skills got it stuck in a tree. That pretty much ended the fun. Of course, my plane was a cheap $40 piece of cardboard that required a good throw before it actually got into the air. If you’re willing to pay a little more, about $100, you can get a real plane, one that you can land and take off on its own.

Made by Estes, a popular name in the model rocket industry, this 1/10th scale plane has twin engines which can power it at up to 20 mph (about 200 scale mph) allowing it to taxi, take off, and land with ease. In the air is where you’ll really appreciate the twin engines, as they allow much easier turns and a more stable flight. The included two channel remote control is fairly simple: it controls climbing and descending. For turns, the plane uses thrust-vector steering, which adjusts engine power during turns making it easier for beginning fliers. All of that is pretty cool, and that fancy thrust-vector steering system sounds intelligent, but there is a bit of a disappointment as far as the battery goes. Expect only 5 minutes of flying time for every 30 minutes of charging time. That’s just pitiful, 10 would be OK, but waiting half and hour to fly for a few minutes seems way too much.

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