Marines are known to be tough SOBs, so what do you think Space Marines are made out of? ThinkGeek as Dueling Space Marines Copter Set up for grabs, and at certain angles it looks as though they’re shooting laser pee at each other.

This Dueling Space Marines Copter Set gets you a set of two mini r/c helicopters with infra-red laser tag style battle action. Take to the air from the palm of your hand then use the shoulder button on the remote unleash a plasma blast your opponent copter. Each shot causes the gun of your space marine to flash with simulated gunfire. The first hit causes your enemy to spin. The second makes the enemy copter lose power… the third cuts rotor power completely as your opponent plummets to the ground and you gloat in victory. However to truly dominate the sky, you’ll need to practice up on your flying skills. With stable flying characteristics and forgiving crash dynamics these diminutive space copters are perfect for hat impending battle against the betentacled alien planet hopper that awaits when you level up.

Plenty of practice is needed if you’re to remain at the top of your game. A couple of such copters will set you back by $49.99. Would be interesting to have a third party with a slingshot attempting to shoot down either Space Marine during the duel for that wild card factor…

The RC Jump Jet is something different from the standard remote controlled planes and helicopters as it merges the best of both worlds.

It takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane, using four gyroscopically controlled rotors and a not an inconsiderable amount of flying skill. The swept back wafer thin wings and tail help to control the stability of forward flight, and the multi-directional control allows you to fly in any direction you can think of, and often a few you hadn’t expected. Saying that this is cool is like saying Ricky Gervais is mildly amusing, or that Tiger Woods is quite handy at crazy golf. It’s really quite hard to describe (which is why we’re failing so miserably) just how awesome this indoor flier is. The way it moves through the air makes the Harrier look clumsy - even if it does have more weapons. To keep it light and balanced, the bodywork has been stripped to a minimum, and a twenty minute charge should give you a good ten minutes of the best indoor flying experience you’ve ever had.

The RC Jump Jet is supposedly easy to fly, and you’ll need to fork out £69.95 to find out. Well, it definitely is compared to the real deal, but being unconventional by itself will probably involve a rather steep learning curve, but I’m sure it’ll be fun once you get the hang of it.

There’s a sweet scene in Star Wars: Clone Wars where Arc Troopers are assaulting a city. Not knowing where the bad droids are, the commander tosses up a floating ball-like camera platform and sends it out on a recon mission. The result is a birds eye view of every nook and cranny where an ambush could happen. A sweet idea that could have great uses in today’s techno efficient military, police surveillance, or even search and rescue. That’s a similar idea behind the Aeryon Scout, fly in the air and give a real time birds eye view via live wireless video feed.

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If defence is needed around your garden then a paintball turret should sort out any problems. This particular Paintball turret has a video relay allowing you to remote control it and see through the eyes of the camera. Each turret is custom built to your specifications. Upgrades are also possible too which will see the gun being able to rotate through 360 degrees of infinite motion, 1000+ round hoppers, upgrades and more. Built from machined polyurethane/delrin assembly, it also features hardened stainless steel shafts with metal gears.

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I suppose that the military has been looking for more remotely piloted aircrafts since the MQ-1 Predator, and it appears they have been going to colleges for their next one. They have given the University of Michigan a $10 million dollar grant to come up with a “six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat”.

I don’t know if the picture to the left here is their prototype, but you have to admit that it certainly looks neat. Not only is the COM-BAT (it’s official name?) designed for reconnaissance, but the military wants it to “gathers data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time”.

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The Picoz Helicopters seemed to jump start the series of tiny helicopters and planes that we see around these days. The latest is named the Snelflight VTOL which is a Jump Jet RC plane. VTOL means Vertical Take Off and Landing and it allows the plane to take off by just lifting off the ground. The stability of the plane in take off is controlled by a triple axis gyroscope. Power is provided by four pivoting propellers which keep the plane stable and allow it to fly around in a precise manor in full three dimensions.

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The X-Twin Thunderjet definitely has the looks, and according to the product description below, it also has the brawn to go along with its brain.

This ominous R/C flying machine looks meaner than a cybernetic vulture hearse (whatever that is) and it boasts twin duct-fan engines for serious kick-in-the-tailfin power. You can even vary its speed as it stalks the sky searching for enemy encampments. Or naughty duckie wucks and squirrels. Whatever. Once you get to grips with the controls you’ll be soaring through thin air and pulling off mind-blowing twists and turns. Like its real life USAF counterpart, the sinister Thunderjet looks almost unreal. In fact it reminds us of Firefox, that lethally sophisticated jet from the dodgy Clint Eastwood film of the same name. Unlike Firefox, however, the X-Twin can’t be controlled via thought impulses; you control the action with a twin-toggle, digital proportional transmitter that doubles up as a charging unit for its built-in lithium polymer battery. (20-30 minutes should give flight times of around 5 minutes).

Man, even if the Christmas season is still a good 9 months away, I want my X-Twin Thunderjet and I want it now! £24.95 from Firebox.

The TandemZ-1 Micro Chopper is not meant for novices as getting the hang of it comes with a rather steep learning curve to it.

For starters the Tandem utilises 3 channels (for up, down, forward and backward movement) and a dual trim system (for pitch and yaw), so novice pilots need not apply. It also boasts a sophisticated gyroscopic mechanism plus unique tilting rotors for additional control. Piloting this baby makes patting your head and rubbing your tummy whilst playing the xylophone with your feet seem about as difficult as pulling down your pants. And that’s what makes it so addictive.

The Tandem might come with a pair of powerful rotors, but they ought to be able to fly for approximately 10 minutes from a normal charge of up to 25 minutes. Sounds like diminishing returns if you ask me. This rescue helicopter retails for £39.95 and comes in red, blue or orange colors.