The 'ZY Plane' or ZY-425 (both names are on the box, take your pick!) is a fun little toy RC airplane capable of take offs from water and land, with its smooth hull-shaped fuselage.
With a wingspan of just 260mm (10 inches) it's a small plane, but packs a lot of fun!
Made from very tough foam, the ZY-425 can withstand all the knocks and bumps it is likely to take, although toy planes like this are so light in weight that they carry very little inertia, which means that little, or no, damage occurs if you crash - great news!
The ZY-425 comes completely ready to fly, other than you having to charge the small Li-Po battery and insert 3 'AAA' size batteries into the transmitter (not supplied, you need to buy those separately).
The main battery pops into a small compartment behind the 'cockpit' of the plane and connects directly to the electronics board via the standard micro 'Molex' type connector commonly found on this type of toy micro RC plane. A simple USB charger is supplied, the battery will take around 45 mins to charge (from my own experience).
Two small motors not only power the plane, but also give you steering and height control. This is called differential motor control and is a simple, but effective, alternative to traditional control surfaces found on most radio control model airplanes.
The way differential motor control works is by adjusting the amount of power to each motor individually. If both motors are turning the propellers at the same speed then the plane will fly in a straight line or, in technical terms, maintain a steady heading.
If one motor receives a command from the receiver to reduce power, then that motor will spin its propeller slower relative to the other motor and prop. This results in the faster spinning motor & prop pushing the plane round in the appropriate direction ('yaw') and so the plane turns in the desired direction.
Height is also controlled by both motors. Quite simply, the more power you add then the faster the motors and props spin, and so the plane climbs. In the case of the little ZY-425, adding full power results in a really steep (almost vertical) climb and on a good day perhaps even a loop-the-loop!
The transmitter that comes with the ZY-425 is loosely based on the shape of a games controller, which should appeal nicely to the younger generation. By the way, the age recommendation of this plane is 14+ years, but I reckon kids a couple of years younger would be able to handle this - under some sensible adult supervision, of course!
Operation is very simple really, and the transmitter is a good size for smaller hands. On the transmitter you have the two main control sticks (speed/height and steering) and also two trimming buttons, which you can use to fine-tune the power for each motor. Use this to adjust the flight path of the plane, to get it flying in a straight line whenever you are not turning it.
Also on the transmitter are two buttons which reverse the motors. This is not a function meant for aerial use, but for when you are driving the ZY-425 on water. All watercraft need a reversing capability, and that's exactly what these buttons are for.
Taking off from the water is easy. Simple gently apply full power and the ZY-425 will skip along the surface. You'll probably find it will do a few little bunny hops before breaking free from the water surface tension and getting airborne.
In the air, the plane is great fun. It's quite responsive to the differential motor control, and it won't take you long to get used to how your transmitter inputs affect its flight path. You can have a lot of fun with this, and quickly adding full power puts the plane into a steep climb.
But, as with any plane of this weight, flying is best done on calmer days. A breeze of less than 5mph is ideal, and you'll get the best flying experience on a completely calm day.
Flight duration can be in excess of 15 minutes if you're careful with the power use. If you use full power often during the flight then you're probably looking at 10 minutes or so. Still plenty long enough for heaps of fun!
In summary, I think this little ZY-425 is an excellent choice for younger RC pilots (and older ones will have a lot of fun too!).
It's very affordable, very tough and resilient and comes ready to fly - no assembly required.
Available from kidstoylover.com, I can honestly recommend this toy RC plane for some low cost land and water based radio controlled flying fun!
Happy landings!
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