Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz Drone and Vehicle Set Review for Bladez (8+)

Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz is a drone and a vehicle in one. You can fly the drone indoors or attach it to the included Hot Wheels car base and it will fly across those jumps and loop the loop with style.

The box is mainly cardboard and opening takes seconds to open. Inside are lots of printed cards - they fold into ramps, a ring (to jump through), a start/finish sign and a phone stand for filming your driving.

The box also includes the Drone Racer, Controller, Hot Wheels vehicle base, 2 interchangeable body shells, spare blades, instructions and a USB connector for charging. In a move of sheer genius they also include a small screwdriver to insert the 4 x AA batteries for the charger (not included).

The controller is quite chunky and slippery in a smaller hand, but familiar and the buttons are comfortable. There are 6 'trim buttons' which is a bit confusing for younger pilots, but the rest is fairly intuitive. The 2 shoulder buttons are to change between the 3 speed levels and to perform a flip, or trick - you can 360 flip even with quite limited drone talent.

Body shells may be cosmetic, but having a choice of yellow or silver is a nice touch and allows friends to race together without confusion. The shells clip on to either the vehicle base or drone.

You can fly the drone as it is, or attach it to the chassis to make a super-powered vehicle. It clips on really securely, but despite the tiny size it's very easy to do, and the reverse to detach.

The 2.4GHz drone is rechargable via a USB connection. Charging time is about an hour and flight time is only 4-5 minutes, which is quite short compared to other drones, although we've found that was actually ample for a good play around.

The Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz drone has really great lighting. Green and red lights front and back on each side. They are lit when the drone is switched on and flash to show that you have a low battery.

We have lots of Hot Wheels track from various sets that my children have had over the years, including the Hot Wheels Track Builder we reviewed last October. If you don't have any Hot Wheels track (Is that possible?), you can use any smooth floor. The car will run fine on carpet (see the video), but it's incredibly fast on lino or wooden floors.

Here is a look at the Drone Racerz in action. We're novices with only a bit of drone practise, so this is what a relative newcomer can achieve. Neither of our children were keen to be videoed - they felt they weren't yet at a skill level required. We're more willing to make fools of ourselves!

We think it's an excellent toy for the price. Incredibly robust, it's survived no end of crashes and a cat attack, although if you stand on it you'll smash it to bits - it's flexible not rigid. The variety of ways you can play with this set means there is built-in variation and longevity - this is a toy they'll still get out in 2 years time.

Drone mastery takes practise, this set allows complete novices to still have fun while they learn their skills. They won't become frustrated at not being able to pilot and give up because they can still play on the ground! A great starter drone for a younger pilot, good as a racing car and even better if you already have Hot Wheels track too.

Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz Drone and Vehicle Set is suitable for age 8+  and available to buy now, priced £34.99 from larger toy shops including Argos and Toys R Us. 

You can find out all about the Hot Wheels range, play games, learn about the cars and watch videos on the Hot Wheels Website.  If you prefer videos then you can also find Hot Wheels on You Tube.

 

We've also reviewed other radio controlled toys for Bladez, including Despicable Me R/C Minions, Star Wars R/C Inflatables and the R/C Quad Blaster With Missile Launcher (which I really am far better at now!).

We were sent our Hot Wheels RC Drone Racerz Drone and Vehicle Set for review.