GADGETS & GIZMOS

Kids love remote-controlled toys, but radio-operated aircraft have been too expensive, hazardous and difficult for young children to operate.

That’s changed with the Intruder from Spin Master Toys in Toronto. Designed for kids as young as 8, the Intruder is made of soft, Nerf-like foam so it won’t do serious damage to anybody it falls on. Its simple control system makes for extremely stable flight, so junior will have a hard time making it stall out. It’s electric, so it’s quiet. And at $60, it’s much cheaper than a typical radio-controlled plane.

The Intruder has no flaps or other movable control surfaces. Instead, twin propellers speed up or slow down for direction changes. To make the plane turn left, accelerate the right prop and slow the left. Increase altitude by boosting power to both props, and reduce altitude by slowing them down.

All this is done with a simple controller that runs on a 9-volt battery. A single stick controls left or right. A button on top accelerates for climbing and a button on the bottom decelerates for landing.

The aircraft has rechargeable batteries on board. Slap the Intruder in the recharger--which runs on six C-size batteries--for a couple of minutes, and you’re good for a three-minute flight.

Although the electric motors are quiet, they’re not silent. They make a noticeable noise, like a weed whacker. The plane itself is surprisingly resilient. Several rough landings produced only scuff marks.

But the Intruder has serious control issues, a problem that’s typical of inexpensive radio-controlled craft. Don’t enter this airplane in any pylon competitions.