Best boy’s toy 2008: it’s official (in our house anyhow)

The Picooz mini r/c helicopter is the best toy of 2008 – according to the boys in our house

Without a doubt. A truly awesome toy. So what if 3 in every 4 pounds spent in the UK goes to Tesco? This is 17.99 of those pounds well spent.

This little flyer has trounced all the other gifts in our house. It is the most satisfying little flying machine ever. It’s a technological marvel – with two motors (front and rear) and a powerful little rechargeable battery in a unit that weighs almost nothing.

The left hand lever on the r/c unit sends power to the main rotors for lift. The right hand level cuts or boosts power to the independent tail rotor to counter or increase rotation.

What it doesn’t have is a control to tip the nose forward to produce forward motion but somehow, it’s so damn satisfying as it is that you can overlook that fact. Launching it by hand with the rotors full on and the nose pointing to the ground produces a wonderful ‘Airwolf’-style swoop, pull-up and return that more than makes up for it.

You must have one. Or two. Or three.