WowWee Robotic DragonFly
By: Sourcing Network Sales Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 14
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 On: 2008-04-07
My 8-yr old had this dragonfly on his Christmas wishlist and got it from a relative. We read the instructions, took the dragonfly out of the box and flew it for a few minutes - indoors - and on the fourth or fifth fall, from not very high up, the wings broke in two places. I was helping my son, and we were not at all rough with the toy, but still it broke incredibly easily. My son was really disappointed, so I phoned WowWee customer service and was told to take photos of the broken wings and email them in. So then I did that, and received a one line reply telling me to buy new wings on the WowWee website; apparently, the wings are not covered in the "warranty". When the dragonfly broke so quickly, my son said, "This toy sucks!" and I have to say the same of WowWees customer service. Needless to say, we wont be buying any more of WowWees products.
 On: 2008-02-11
This is a great substitute for un reliable and delicate rc airplanes. Also its more fun than airplane because all an aiplane does is spin its propellers, crash, and break. Flytechs on the other hand, are relible, fun, and durable. They flie great on a windless day but they are bothered by even the slightist gust of wind. On a nice and sunny day, the flytech is pretty radical. They fly at a "high" speed for a small and cheap toy. And they are very derable and survive in situations that an airplane would just explode. Mine got stepped on and it flies great still. The only complainable thing is the life of the battries, charging for 30 minutes and giving 15 minutes of flight is reasonble. And another good thing about batteries is that it charges straight from the remote, unlike other fliers which must be brought indoors to charge. And with little practice, you can, or least I can, get airtimes of 5-7 minutes without crahing or landing. Overall, the fly tech dragonfly is great in all departments, Durabilty, fun, and reliable more than an airplane that would just blow up.
On: 2008-01-18
Im not sure why some people had trouble flying it. I charged it up, went to a local park, and gave the RC controls to my 6yr old daughter. she loved it! She had absolutely no problems flying it or keeping it in the air. My job was to run after it and make sure it didnt fly away or over the park fences.
Its plenty durable too. We had no broken parts after flying it for about 1 hour.
I was pleasantly surprised and give this 5 stars.
On: 2008-01-11
What a great toy: It is quite simply LOADS of fun! Loads I tell ya! I gave this toy as xmas gifts to 3 kids of varying ages (14, 17, 19... and a 4th one I bought for myself, a kid of 40). The kids loved their Dragonflies. And everyone else loved them too. Everyone wanted a turn to fly the remote control insect. Definitely the smash hit of all the xmas gifts given that day. They were so enjoyable I went and bought one for myself. Im nearly 40 years old, still play video games, and will always be a kid at heart. Ive been having a BLAST flying this thing around my neighborhood. Everyone who sees it is keenly intrigued and impressed at how this thing flies by flapping its wings. Its just so cool.
Only caveat I have noticed is that it can take a bit of practice before one gets the hang of flying this thing. Its not so easy that just anyone can fly it on their first try. Most people are able to fly it pretty well after 2 - 6 training flights. Some may take longer. It took me two days before I could get it to stay in the air. But Im glad I didnt give up because its just so much darn fun once you get the hang of it! In my opinion it should be for ages 12 and up. I think 8 is kinda young for this toy and 7 or under I seriously doubt they possess the needed skills to master this machine.
If you have any doubt about this item I would encourage you to seek out any of the remote control hobbyists discussion forums on the net and see what they have been saying about this toy. (Look for subjects about "ornithopters" which are flying machines powered by flapping wings). These are people that live for flying RC airplanes, helicopters, ornithopters, and other machines. They know their stuff and overall they seem to be thoroughly impressed with this inexpensive little "toy". (IMO this thing is much more than just a "toy".)
Without a doubt this thing is the best bang for the buck Ive encountered in many years. If you can get it for less than 40 - 50 dollars, then by all means GET IT! Especially you adult kids out there, like me, dont make the mistake of thinking this thing is only a toy for children. Quite the contrary, Id have to say the older you are the more likely you will be able to appreciate the impressive physics of this machine and therefore derive that much more enjoyment from it.
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 On: 2007-12-26
I bought this for my 9 year old for Christmas. He has had a great time playing with it. It took him several hours to be able to get this toy to do a loop around the living room before crashing but he had fun learning it.
This toy has crashed into walls, the Christmas tree, curtains, and cupboards and it is still working. Not bad for something made out of Styrofoam.
As a warning to parents and those with pets, the wings are loud. It terrifies our dogs and is annoying when you are trying to watch TV or listen to the radio.
This is a good gift for those in love with flying but since it is difficult to master keeping it in the air, you may want think twice if it is for someone with a low frustration threshold.
On: 2007-12-14
I bought the bee version on a whim. I had no interest in RC planes etc. I now have a CX2 helicopter and a $70 heli based on the fun this toy provided. You will not find a more reliable low maintenace rc flyer then this. The flip side is that it takes a lot of practice to get to where you can fly and gain altitude. If you have kids, then this is something that you can do with them. My two year old loves to watch it fly and fetches when there is a crash.
As I mentioned, my two year old fetches for me when I crash, he crushes the tail, abuses the wings, has fallen on it and it still flys great. I have had some spectular crashes and it has always recovered. This is more fun then my more expensive flyers just becuase is always ready to go and is a challange to fly. Also, it does not seem to cause the same degree of damage to objects that my helicopters do.
When there is no wind this is a blast to fly outside. Once you have mastered the toy, very slight wind can be used to gain high altitude if you wish but you might find yourself stuck in a tree.
Tips: turn with sticato bursts to maintain altitude. Use very gentile turning inputs (takes practice). Practice throwing so that the bug flies straight out of your hand. If you can not seem to hold altitude, you might need to replace the batteries in the charger, but more likely, you need to practice turning gently and maximizing the diameter of your space. If you space is small, practice throwing it and then fly it back to you and catch.
On: 2007-12-13
I bought the bee version on a whim. I had no interest in RC planes etc. I now have a CX2 helicopter and a $70 heli based on the fun this toy provided. You will not find a more reliable low maintenace rc flyer then this. The flip side is that it takes a lot of practice to get to where you can fly and gain altitude. If you have kids, then this is something that you can do with them. My two year old loves to watch it fly and fetches when there is a crash.
As I mentioned, my two year old fetches for me when I crash, he crushes the tail, abuses the wings, has fallen on it and it still flys great. I have had some spectular crashes and it has always recovered. This is more fun then my more expensive flyers just becuase is always ready to go and is a challange to fly. Also, it does not seem to cause the same degree of damage to objects that my helicopters do.
When there is no wind this is a blast to fly outside. Once you have mastered the toy, very slight wind can be used to gain high altitude if you wish but you might find yourself stuck in a tree.
Tips: turn with sticato bursts to maintain altitude. Use very gentile turning inputs (takes practice). Practice throwing so that the bug flies straight out of your hand. If you can not seem to hold altitude, you might need to replace the batteries in the charger, but more likely, you need to practice turning gently and maximizing the diameter of your space. If you space is small, practice throwing it and then fly it back to you and catch.
 On: 2007-12-13
I bought one of these for my best friends boy and he loved it. Therefore I got another one for my nephew, and that is where the problems started. After a mishap on the units maiden flight, I tried to find out how I could get replacement parts or any kind of warranty service. Customer service is nonexistent, unless you consider being offered replacement parts at extortionate rates to be customer service. I tried emailing the customer service site and they never even bothered to respond except with a form letter telling me to buy a replacement part for more than I had paid for the whole unit! If you are rich, buy two of these and be prepared to just throw it all in the trash within a few days, otherwise steer way clear of this product. As for me, I am steering clear of the whole company!
 On: 2007-11-30
My son wanted this toy really bad so we got it for him on Black Friday. Within an hour of playing with it he had bent the antenna about 4 times by running into walls, etc while trying to play in the house. Finally it broke off so we lost some range right off the bat. The toy does not fly as well as it does on tv and seems like it doesnt want to stay in the air for more than a few seconds before it crashes. My son, who is 8, is happy enough with it, so Im not going to complain about it too much. All I can say is im glad I didnt pay full price for this toy because it is not worth it. They need to do some work on the toy and bring it out after they work out all the defects.
On: 2007-11-29
My son wanted this toy really bad so we got it for him on Black Friday. Within an hour of playing with it he had bent the antenna about 4 times by running into walls, etc while trying to play in the house. Finally it broke off so we lost some range right off the bat. The toy does not fly as well as it does on tv and seems like it doesnt want to stay in the air for more than a few seconds before it crashes. My son, who is 8, is happy enough with it, so Im not going to complain about it too much. All I can say is im glad I didnt pay full price for this toy because it is not worth it. They need to do some work on the toy and bring it out after they work out all the defects.
On: 2007-09-23
Neat to see. The dragonfly doesnt stay in the air very long no matter what I did, so if you are looking for fun flight times, better go with an RC helicopter. The design is great to look at, and the sounds and feel of the dragonfly are really pretty incredible, but I think it needs work to keep it in the air.
On: 2007-09-19
I got my dragonfly today and it looked cool and i couldnt wait to use it. I charged it for 20 minutes like it said to and then took it out to fly. The first time i got it to go around it it was cool. Then it landed and i did it for a second time. I couldnt get it to stay in the air for even 3 seconds it hit the ground and one wing broke. I put on a new, wing took it out to fly, it fell and one more wing broke. In the end i have one good wing left and this is still the first day I got it.
On: 2007-09-17
I purchased the DragonFly for my grandson who is 9 years old. It was an immediate hit and even prompted him to write a thank you letter! (a first).
The remote controlled DragonFly is very easy to operate. After only a few tries we were flying high! The aircraft part is sturdy and survived several collisions with furniture and walls before we were all pushed out of the house by an irate Mom.
The structure of the DragonFly is based on the early experience of Igor Sikorsky, who saw the insect version as a child and tried to design his first helicopters based on the flapping wing concept. (Eventually the current horizontal 4 bladed rotating wing proved more mechanically durable and and was universally adopted.) This great aviation history lesson can be added to the product, and it really helped open up communication between this Grandpa and a very active 9 year old.
Great product and a good value. I bought it through an Amazon affiliate and it was delivered on time and as advertised.
On: 2007-06-16
This is a very good product but its very hard to learn to make it fly well, and it has waaay too much packaging - make sure you have some scissors. It was weak when I first tried it, but got stronger after a few charges. It crashes in spectacular fashion every time you fly it, but it is very durable and hasnt broken yet. So far Ive crashed it at least 100 times, mowed down all the origami from my shelf, decimated the chess board and dive-bombed the laptop. The dog is thoroughly freaked out by this thing, and its very funny the way it buzzes around and crashes like a real dragon fly against a window screen. I would recommend putting away anything breakable before flying this thing inside.
The toy itself is very durable, but it will knock things around. Pay attention to the condition of it after each flight though - I had to fix the nose of mine with some clear packing tape. I had the opportunity to test this with an 8-year old boy (Im 36 and my boys are teens), and he was actually better at flying it than I was. He dropped the controller in our warehouse and the antenna bent... then I broke it trying to bend it back. It still flies fine though, and it is a standard sized radio antennas and replacements can be bought at Radio Shack. It does not fly outside in any breeze at all! The one time Ive taken it outside to fly and we had no wind, it did very well, but if there is a slight breeze it will dip and dive and sail and turn all over the place. The wind picks it up very nicely, so be aware of that.
Tips: Turning of any kind causes it to go into a dive, so make sure you turn gently. The tail feather slows it down a lot and makes it hard to turn, so you need even more space. The tail feather is very difficult to attach, and I hurt my thumb a bit trying to get it on. The best way to launch the dragon fly is by starting the motor and holding it about 4 or 5 feet in the air, giving it a slight forward push as you release it. Let it fly a bit to stabilize before you try to turn it. It does not launch from surfaces very well, but if you have a long, smooth runway, it will take off from the ground. To do this, you need to start out slow and accelerate to full speed, otherwise it flops over on its nose. It taxis around on my no-wax floor in a fairly silly way and in this respect, makes a very funny pet toy. In the house, I set the trim dial to one side so the Dragon Fly will go in circles, then use small controller inputs to periodically straighten it out, which makes it gain altitude. You need to vary the power level carefully as you fly, or it will stall out and dive. Only if you are outside or you have a ton of space, should you set it to fly in a straight line... it just doesnt have enough control to keep it within the allotted space. A basketball court would be a good sized space to try this in, but once you get some experience, you will be able to fly it in more normal-sized spaces.
NOTE: when I bought this, I was told that it simply would not work at high altitude above about 7000 ft. I am at about 5500 feet, and it clearly doesnt have the ooomph it might have at lower altitudes. Please, if you write a review, please indicate the thickness of your air - it matters a lot. Again, WILL NOT WORK above 7000 ft or so.
On: 2007-06-12
I bought this because its the first RC flying toy Ive seen with actual flapping wings. Im an adult and I bought it for myself because I work in a room thats a converted warehouse and we have really high ceilings and not many walls. Its really enjoyable to fly because youve never seen anything like it. It really does resemble a giant flying bug and its movements are kind of creepy and it makes a soft buzzing sound.
The key is to make sure a) the controller antenna is fully extended, and b) the rotor is still and while you start the wings flapping you hold it and release it into the air. With more practice, youll get better. Dont be frustrated if it crashes--the fun is seeing how long you can keep it going. Even if you can only get it to fly around the room once, its worth it.
It comes with extra wings (different pattern and color printed on them), and an extra rotor. Be sure to unpack it all from the box carefully because some of the small parts are tucked away inside. It takes 6 AA batteries that go in the controller, which charges the bug via a small cable. The battery life seems pretty good so far. (Ive had it for a couple weeks and have yet to change the batteries...but then, I only fly it here for fun and not more than about 10 minutes a day.) Ive had it run into walls and poles from the height of 10 or so and it seems pretty durable (because its so light). Fun. Somewhat educational too because it demonstrates a unique method of flight.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-16
This was a great flying toy while it lasted. Unfortunately, after the breeze took it down a few times onto the cement, some of the paint scraped off of the black nose and blue eyes. I was disappointed, but it still flew well once I got used to it. It has a styrofoam body like the Air-Hogs (a toy you should not buy), but since you have control over it, it doesnt go down so hard. On May 15 (2007), I charged her up-- oh wait, I hardly charged it up at all because as I later found, the left eye had quit after a few nose dives. ARG, ARG, and once again ARG!!! I knew it would still fly, but if the other eye went out, I would not know when it was charged. I proceeded to charge it for about 20 minutes, unplugged it, and waited for two minutes for the remote to detect the Dragonfly. It never detected the Dragonfly, and after turning it on and off, on and off, I concluded that it was history. There were some things I liked, though, such as: styling, pair of extra wings, extra propeller, flight, (before A FEW nose dives) and the compartment on the remote controll to put the charging cord in.
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