Ok. I saw these advertised on TV. I thought the concept would be really cool if it worked. Guess what? It DOES work!
Well...the Spinblade actually flies, anyway. I can't pilot worth a damn, but it's still fun! I broke one of the counterweights on the second day, but was able to glue it. Then I broke it again AND lost one of the hangers. I made a new hanger from a discarded twist tie.
The two images below are the beginnings of some flights I did. There's about 4 days between the two, which are frames from video clips. The image below right is from what is currently the last for a while. The Spinblade flew as shown with my glue and wire repair installed (which had already withstood at least 5 flights and crashes and re-assemblies). On the next flight, it hit the bed and broke again, this time REALLY messing up the counterweight. Hey...considering the number of times I crashed this thing, it's a wonder it's not in more pieces. I had to wait for my spare parts to arrive to repair it.. If the two pictures make you curious (after all, it's just sitting there), then click on the links below to see the video clips.  There are people out there who fly RC devices all the time, and can fly this thing all over the place. I was just amazed to see this thing hovering in front of me. Then I forgot  that I had to control it and I then I'd hit a wall.,,or something.  As you watch the videos below, you will see a definite improvement over my flying style over time.

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        FLIGHTS ON 12/11/05 NO SOUND IN CLIPS                             FLIGHT ON 12/15/05 NO SOUND IN CLIP
---FLIGHT 01 flv video 1047kb -18 SECONDS--SIMPLE TAKEOFF AND LANDING--------FLIGHT 04  WINDOWS MEDIA  2324kb
-- FLIGHT 03 flv video 1595kb-28 SECONDS--TAKEOFF, SHORT FLIGHT, THEN      24 SECONDS--QUICK, HIGH TAKEOFF, SHORT SLOW FLIGHT, THEN
                                             COLLISION OFFSCREEN TO CRASH AND ROLL         HOVER, THEN LANDING ON FLOOR.
                                             ACROSS THE FLOOR. SPINBLADE SURVIVED.
Since that last crash, I bought another Spinblade. I did much better with this new one, because of the mistakes
I'd already made. Below are  pictures from clips and links to the video clips under the pictures. These show longer flights, without
crashing. I could even fly towards the camera, then turn around and land--almost--on the platform I started from. It definitely works...and it's fun. There's one rule that will probably save most people's SB. It's saved mine. That rule is: If you are going to hit something, or if you lose control of your SB--CUT THE POWER IMMEDIATELY. As you can see from the "flight 03 video" above, the SB can take most crashes without damage. It is very light and with the cage on it almost everything is protected. Problems can occur if the rotors and gyro bar are turning when a crash happens. The cage can deform temporarily entangling the blades and gyro bar, or foreign objects can get entangled in the blades and gyro bar causing breakage. While cutting power won't guarantee that you won't damage your SB, it can cut the chances of serious damage.

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-------------------- ---------449 seconds, 12/17/2005 to the camera and back. No sound.
-------------------------------FLIGHT 06  flv video  2802kb   SLOWER CONTROLLED TAKEOFF FROM THE BED, SLOW FLIGHT TOWARDS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------CAMERA, THEN SLOW FLIGHT BACK TOWARDS BED AND LANDING.-
      You might notice the white bump on the nose of the fuselage. This is to add a little weight to the front
     of the helicopter. The weight causes it to move forward a little faster. I used a push tack for the
     weight. I've learned since (through reading various forums) that puncturing the SpinBlade is a bad idea
    (this is also mentioned in the instructions), because puncturing the rechargable battery is a VERY BAD
    IDEA. DON'T put pins into your SpinBlade. Weight it with tape or objects hung from the cage.

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-This is a 50-second flight. 12/18/2005-NO SOUND-------All flights don't go smoothly. 12/17/2005
--TAKEOFF FROM PAD, SLOW RISING CIRCLE, FLY BACK AND FORTH,-----------Here's one that didn't. The sound tells the story.
--INVESTIGATE HANGING SHIRTS, RETURN TO BED AND CIRCLE TO-----------Everything survived, though. 15 seconds. SOUND IS LOW.
  LAND NEAR PAD.-------------------------------------------------------TAKEOFF FROM PAD, SLOW FLIGHT TOWARDS CAMERA, BONK!
-----    ----FLIGHT 07 flv video 2884kb -----------------------------FLIGHT 08  flv video  918kb
       Although there are only two channels controlling two motors, there are some tricks to controlling the
      Spin Blade. Throttling the main rotors while the SB is flying straight can cause increase in speed
      as it climbs. Slight adjustments of the tail rotor while climbing can cause the SB to circle and
      slowly gain speed. Adjusting the main rotor drag so the SB doesn't rotate while flying will add to
      your control, because then all movement of the tail rotor will change direction of the SB (if you are using
      the tail rotor to constantly spin to "trim" the SB, then the rotor will have to stop first to move in the
      other direction). Varying the speed of the main rotors can cause the SB to turn also, so brief adjustments
      of the main rotor speed can turn the SB faster. I like flying over the bed, because the ground effect (where
      the prop wash  actually pushes against a surface) can cause faster response as SB is actually riding on an air
      cushion that spills towards the rear (since the forward weight is pitching it, and the rotors, slightly forward).
      If I keep it on the bed, I can get a bit more response, but I can fly it off the bed to slow it down.

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----This is a 2 minute, 11 second flight.  It starts on the            This is a 59 second flight.  It starts at my feet,
----platform, moves out towards the door and then I try to          buzzes the camera, flies over the bed and ends
      land back on the platform after flying around it a bit.           at my feet.
     Although I don't have "land on a dime" control, I can                            FLIGHT 12/26/2005  WMV  5652kb
        stay around the area of the pad, and fly near it.
        I had to fly over the camera so I wouldn't hit it.
        You can see the prop wash push the bedspread and hear
        it when the SB overflies the camera. Almost made it...but
        not quite, and the SB powerslides off-camera. 12/18/2005
-------    ----FLIGHT 10  flv video 7324kb -
       The place where I work is going through an unprecedented growth in business requiring major plant
      renovations and readjustments. I, and many other people, are putting in long days with some stress
      involved in meeting deadlines and supporting quality work. It's nice to come home and be able to spend
      a little time in the evening flying my little machine around my home to unwind. I don't have to find
      a safe place to fly it, I don't have to go anywhere to do it. I can just charge my SB, and buzz it around
      a bit. Then I can go about my other business.  It's quiet, inexpensive fun.

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---Two more flights, starting on the bed, buzzing the camera,       5 more flights, beginning on the pad, moving towards
---and ending on the bed. I've increased the surface of the         the door, flying around, and ending on the bed near the pad.
   ttail rotor with scotch tape. Big difference in control!pe--       This SB also has the repaired blade and S-hook shown on
   -FLIGHT 12/27/05 01 WMV 2855kb-30 seconds ------------------the next page.  You can see the slight wobble as the blades begin
---FLIGHT 12/27/05 02 WMV 4840kb   51 seconds ------------------spinning up to speed. The cage on this SB has also been
---------------------------------------------------------bremoved. Both SpinBlades have the tail rotor tape mod.
-  - -----------------------------------------------        -  FLIGHT 01/01/06 01 WMV  2480kb26 seconds
-------    ------------------------           --------   -FLIGHT 01/01/06 02 WMV  3996kb42 seconds2
-------    ------------------------           --------   -FLIGHT 01/01/06 03 WMV  2668kb28 seconds
-------    ------------------------           --------   -FLIGHT 01/01/06 04 WMV  2957kb30 seconds
-------    ------------------------           --------   -FLIGHT 01/01/06 05 WMV  5410kb56 seconds

                                                      This page created 12/16/2005.  Updated 01/07/2006
                                          To go Spin-Blade page 2 (some repairs), click Here.
                                          To go back to my main page, click Here.