Tandem Z-1 - Flying Toys Ltd

PRODUCT REVIEW | RTF palm copter
For absolute
beginners the righthand
gimbal of the
transmitter is fi tted
with a movement
restrictor which can
be unclipped once
control familiarity
has been achieved.
Sometimes you just
have to stop and
appreciate what
you’re looking at.
This is quite an
impressive toy you
know!
The tiny Picoo-Z has sold by
the container load over the
last few years - they’re
everywhere... the clones, too. Whilst
you could describe this little
helicopter as nothing but a clever toy,
you can’t ignore the fact that a good
number of recent newcomers to club
fl ightlines can trace their interest in
the hobby back to the day they
purchased one of these little
machines. And there’s nothing wrong
with the Picoo-Z in my book. I like it.
No good business ever survived by
standing still and, as such, Silverlit
Tandem Z-1
haven’t been idle.
The Tandem Z-1 - a
cartoon scale Boeing
Chinook in all but name - is
the latest addition to the Silverlit
range, imported into the UK by
Flying Toys Ltd. A new body, an extra
rotor, a new transmitter design and
an extra control function distinguish
this 170mm (6.7”) long machine
from the Picoo-Z we’ve come to
know and love.
The transmitter is conventional and
houses a charge lead under a sliding
cover, with throttle on the left and
rudder / elevator on a ball-type
gimbal on the right. Elevator and
rudder trim dials now adorn the
upper casing and, handily,
incorporate a simple visual reference,
whilst an additional button activates
a bright little blue LED in the
Tandem’s nose, this offering the
possibility of night fl ying.
The helicopter itself overcomes
torque stability issues by angling the
rotor heads in opposite directions, the
DAVID ASHBY CHECKS OUT
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R/C HELICOPTER
blades themselves being standard
Picoo-Z units. The Z-1 is pre-fi tted with
two clear plastic stabiliser vanes fore
and aft, although the nose stabiliser
can be removed once the user has
familiarised himself with control. The
charge socket and on/off switch
haven’t changed from the Picoo-Z, nor
the fl ashing red LED alongside.
Flight preparation is simple and
this, along with some good fl ying and
trim advice, are covered in the
excellent instruction manual.
In the air the little machine is
audibly better than a standard
Picoo-Z indeed the two rotors hum
away together quite nicely. Of course,
there’s a little more rotor wash than
with the single rotor machine but this
doesn’t seem to be enough to upset it
unless a very tiny area is chosen for
fl ying. In dispensing with the nose
stabiliser I was surprised how steady
the Z-1 was in the hover. Small stick
movements are best as she’s pretty
sensitive to inputs, and the trademark
Picoo-Z fl ying traits are still there - a
80 RCM&E www.modelfl ying.co.uk - MAY 2008

nudge on the stick will start a turn but she can
suddenly whip around if you’re not careful, so
be ready for some opposite stick action.
The new elevator function really adds to the
controllability of the machine so she’ll drop
her nose and fl y forwards nicely - less so with
reverse fl ight, which seems to invite spiral
dive tendencies. Mind you, that angled rear
stabiliser isn’t helping matters when she’s
moving backwards. Truth is, a challenging yet
achievable level of practice is required with
this model, sustained, controllable fl ight being
the just reward.
Improvements all round, then, which point
to an evolutionary step forward for the
Picoo-Z in this new tandem rotor guise.
datafile
| David Ashby
The twin rotors
sound great and it’s
nice to have the 3rd
control function for
forward fl ight.
The little blue light
in the nose is
surprisingly
powerful and can
be switched on and
off at the
transmitter.
Name: Tandem Z-1
Model type: Indoor R/C helicopter
Manufactured by: Silverlit
UK distributor: Flying Toys Ltd.
Tel. 01702 295110
www.fl yingtoys.co.uk
RRP: £49.99
Fuselage length: 170mm - excluding both
stabilisers
All-up weight: 24g (0.9oz)
Control functions: Throttle, rudder (yaw),
elevator (forward cyclic)
MAY 2008 - www.modelfl ying.co.uk RCM&E 81