Propel's hand-painted and hand-sized Star Warsdrones are more than just your average licensed toy.
The hand-sized drones, available in four designs (Millennium Falcon, X-Wing, TIE Fighter and 74-Z speeder bike), light up and shoot lasers just like in the movies. The latter isn't just for show. Up to 12 drones can engage in aerial dogfights to recreate Star Wars' most epic space battles.
SEE ALSO:The Force is strong with these hand-painted, laser-shooting 'Star Wars' dronesAhead of its launch on Friday Dec. 2, Propel invited me to check them out in person and try my hand at flying for the Empire and Rebellion.
It's one thing to look at photos and watch a YouTube video of the drones in action and another to see them in person. I can confirm the drones look way better in person.
The attention to detail on the X-Wing and TIE Fighter, complete with battle scars, is mighty impressive.
Three of the four drones Propel will start selling on Dec. 2.Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
TIE Fighter drone.Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
The speeder bike drone.Credit: raymond wong/mashableAnd they're super-light, too -- to the point where it almost feels like there's nothing inside. Which is deceiving because they're packed full of intelligence (more on that in a sec). The speeder bike comes with a Forest Trooper, but the entire thing looked and felt flimsier than the others, in my opinion. To my disappointment, the Millennium Falcon drone was a no-show.
Unlike most drones, the propellers are positioned on the belly instead of on top. Propel says it went with this design for two reasons: 1) to preserve the aesthetic integrity of the ships; the transparent blades are almost invisible in the air and 2) the downward-positioned blades help create better thrust for greater speed and nimbleness; these drones can reach up to 35 miles per hour in three seconds!
I can't fault the designs at all. They sure beat having unsightly blades protrude from the top or holes cut into the design themselves, like AirHogs' Millennium Falcon drone.
The battery is actually the cockpit. Just pop it right off and swap in a fresh one.Credit: raymond wong/mashableEven the batteries are cleverly integrated into the drones in the most invisible of ways. For example, the X-Wing's battery is actually the cockpit and wind shield and pops right off for fast swapping.
I've flown many different types of drones before and would say I'm pretty comfortable with DJI's consumer Phantom drones. But like getting behind the wheel of different cars, every drone has its own type of handling.
Each of Propel's Star Wars drones handle slightly differently to better replicate the nuances between an Imperial and Rebel starfighter. The X-Wing is a little more agile than the TIE Fighter.
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLEControl-wise, there's definitely a steeper learning curve. The remote control resembles your typical drone controller with two metal sticks for controlling up/down/left and right. Compared to other drones, the Star Warsdrones are easily more sensitive. You don't really need to push hard on the control sticks to get them to fly in any direction. But that's not a bad thing since they're supposed to be agile to cut through the air.
Got to check out @propelworldwide hand-painted Star Wars drones last night and they were SOOOOO COOOOOL pic.twitter.com/K9loJEls4W
— Raymond Wong 💾📼🍕 (@raywongy) December 1, 2016
Beginners need not fear, though. The drones come with three different modes, including a training mode that hovers the drones about three feet in the air for users to practice their directional skills.
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLEThe drones' biggest weakness, like many drones, is battery life. Their batteries only last for about 6 minutes of flight time. As mentioned, you canswap in fresh batteries, but Propel hasn't announced how much additional batteries will cost.
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLEWhat differentiates Propel's Star Warsdrones is the combat aspect. As I said earlier, the drones can shoot lasers (these are low-power lasers and FDA-approved so they won't blind you) and when they successfully hit other ships, those ships will spin out until they land on the floor. It's really cool!
The coolest combat involves an app for iOS and Android which will come out later this year. With the app hooked up to the controller and headphones, players will be able to hear audio cues like "watch out" from familiar Star Warscharacters like Darth Vader and Obi-Wan in real-time as their ships dogfight in the air. Players will also be praised for successfully taking out opponents. Basically, the app acts as a referee, so to speak, and keeps track of what's happening between all the ships in play.
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Credit: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLEAnd I haven't even talked about the box yet. Yes, the box. Each drone comes with two boxes. One cardboard box and another collectible box. The latter is for display purposes, obviously, and boy, does it awe; it lights up and plays Star Warsmusic when you lift the cover off.
The box even lifts up and makes sounds! pic.twitter.com/u4Mx1xXfwI
— Raymond Wong 💾📼🍕 (@raywongy) December 1, 2016
Credit: raymond wong/mashableIf you're interested in capturing beautiful aerial footage, these Star Wars drones are not for you (they don't have a camera).
But if you're a huge Star Warsfan and also like drones? These little guys are the perfect gift.
I was a little worried the $239.99 price tag would be too steep, but after playing with the drones and their combat capabilities, and -- oh my -- the high-tech box, I think you're getting a ton of value for your money.
The drones will be available at Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Brookstone starting on Dec. 2. My gut feeling tells me these are going to sell out fast.
TopicsStar Wars
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