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TOYS
QFO -
Not So New
Import, In Stock |
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NCS
Product Synopsis
«©NCSX»
UFOs or Unidentified Flying Objects aren't really
that rare above the canyons of New York City. A
seagull way up yonder is unidentified until its
identity is confirmed with a pair of binoculars. If
the literal definition of a UFO is accepted, then we
have seen such an object that we couldn't identify.
It was summer a few years ago and the skies were
bluer than the bluest eyes. At first it looked like
a thick length of rope that was airborne but that
didn't make any sense. Ropes don't fly do they? As
we watched it cross the sky above us, the rope
repeatedly changed shape from a loop to a double
loop to U-shaped object and back again. The UFO was
in our field and scope of vision for about 2 minutes
before it sailed off into the horizon and became an
itty-bitty speck in the distance. We dubbed it "Sky
Worm" but it was probably some sort of manmade
contrivance or maybe even a weird kite that got
loose.
Takara Tomy released a contrivance last September in Japan that
they called the "QFO." The Q refers to the "Q"
series of toys in the Takara universe such as Choro
Q. The QFO is constructed of two main parts:
1) A lightweight motor that powers an underside
rotor
2) A Styrofoam frame which is fitted around the
motor/rotor assembly
The motor is lightweight and small but it's loud. We'd liken it to
the sound a mosquito makes when it buzzes near your
ear but amplified through a megaphone. A handheld IR
remote is included in the package which recharges
the QFO and controls it with a simple lever that
adjusts the power of the motor. You'll need to
charge the QFO for about 30 minutes before using it
which is good enough for roughly 12 minutes of
flight. We found that maximum propeller power is required to
get the QFO airborne but once it's flying around,
little nudges on the lever can keep it in the air.
When it dips too low, give it a shot of maximum
power to get it zooming upwards again. Note that
there is no directional remote control for the QFO
but the little device doesn't just move up and down.
As the rotor and the frame of the QFO interacts with
the air currents in the room, it'll veer left and
right as it flies. We've also gotten our QFO to move
in a circular motion a few times but by accident,
not by design. All in all, the QFO is an interesting
little toy that is conducive to experimentation and
trial/error. Four color variants are available -
Gold, Silver, Blue, and Red at US$28.90 each.
QFO Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shXDP-3DC1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwldZWP7rA&NR=1
Jan
Codes
Blue / Jan Code: 4904810325321
Gold / Jan Code: 4904810322191
Red / Jan Code: 4904810325291
Silver / Jan Code: 4904810322184
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Getting Started
1)
Fill the remote control with 6 AA batteries (Not
included)
2) Connect the power cord underneath the left
hatch of the remote to the CHARGE receptacle on the QFO
(Make sure the power switch on the QFO is toggled to the OFF position)
3) Toggle the switch on the top of the remote to CHARGE and the POWER and CHARGE
light on the remote will shine red
4) Leave alone for about 1/2 an hour. You'll
know the QFO is fully charged
when the CHARGE light on the remote blinks off
5) Detach charge cable
6) Toggle the switch on the QFO to the ON position
7) Toggle the POWER switch on the remote to ON
8) Push up on the controller button and the propeller on the bottom of the QFO
will spin and provide the lift to make it fly upwards
9) Note, to get the QFO flying, you'll need to throttle the control button
upwards in a quick motion so that the QFO shoots upwards. Once in the air,
you'll just need to provide enough power to the propeller so that the QFO remains in mid-air. It'll
take some practice to get the QFO hovering properly. You cannot get the QFO in
the air if you move the control button slowly - if you do this, the QFO will
stay on the ground and sort of spin around or topple onto its side. While in
mid-air, any variation in the height or spin of the propeller tends to send the QFO veering off into different directions which makes controlling it somewhat of
a game in itself.
10) When the QFO is flying, the LED on the top of the device blinks so that it
sort of looks like some kind of FAA regulated aircraft. Except that it's indoors
and sounds like a giant gnat.
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NCS
Product Notes
» Takara Tomy includes a grey-colored flying
saucer shell inside the QFO packaging which serves
only as a storage case for the toy. The saucer shell
cannot be flown with the QFO inside.
» You'll invariably watch the QFO drop to the ground
a few times when playing around with it. Our QFO
crashed a bunch of times but it keeps on ticking.
The Styrofoam frame is a worthy protector. The fins on the side of the QFO are made of styrofoam so they're somewhat
resistant to denting and dinging when the QFO tumbles out of the sky. In our
testing this morning, we dropped the QFO a few times from a fairly lofty height
but the gadget didn't appear any worse for the wear. We do advise against using
the QFO outdoors since the flight pattern is fairly unpredictable and any winds
outside may blow the QFO uncontrollably into an abyss or crevice where it'll be
irretrievable.
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This document is ©NCSX 2009. All rights reserved. No
reproduction in whole or in part of this document
may be made without express written consent of
National Console Support, Inc.
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