Air Hogs Micro Race Drone Review

Ben has been wanting his very own drone forever so I just knew that the Air Hogs Micro Race Drone from Spin Master would be a massive hit and I was so right! This very cool looking red, white and black drone claims to be the Ultimate Indoor Race drone so we decided to put it to the test and check that it lives up to it's claims.

Air Hogs Micro Race Drone

In the box you will find the Air Hogs DR1 Micro Race Drone, Controller, a USB charger, spare blades and the all important Instruction Guide which we found easy to follow. You will need 2 AAA batteries which are not included. On the box you will see Luke Bannister, none other than the World Champion Drone Racer and this drone, with it's flight assist technologies such as beginner and advanced mode, height lock, automatic take-off, and auto-land promises to help you follow in his footsteps.

Putting it to the Test

We have had other drones in the past but most have proven to be really difficult to control and tend to whizz about and crash way too quickly so I was interested to see if this would be different. The great thing about the Air Hogs Micro Race Drone is the fact that there are two modes, Beginner and Advanced which makes it a great starter drone and perfect for the age it is targeted at being 8+.

We started with Beginner mode which you do by setting it on the controller, the idea is that this lets you get used to flying and handling the drone as it assists with take-off and landing and has height-lock which prevents it from spiralling out of control. The controller itself reminds me of the ones we have for our games consoles and the instructions clearly lay out what all the buttons do so it's worth taking some time and getting familiar with them before you start flying.

Be sure to get familiar with these instruction before attempting to fly!

You will be glad to hear that the sleek looking Air Hogs Micro Race Drone is engineered for durability, with a crash-resistant design, ducted propellers and a 6-axis gyro for improved stability and control. It is designed for indoor racing, and is a perfect size for maneuver in and out of tight spaces so lots of fun can be had flying it about the house, going from room to room like we did as our downstairs is pretty open planned which made for a perfect flight zone.
I have to admit we definitely put it's durability to the test flying it about the lounge in hot pursuit by the kids and our little chihuahua who was desperate to catch it. It did crash a few times and we had a propeller pop off when it collided with one of the Twins but it was easy to pop back on and the good news is that there are spare propellers included if you lose or damage one.
When the battery starts getting low on the drone, a green light on it begins to flash which indicates that it needs to charge. To charge it you just plug it in using the USB lead supplied and it takes 30-40 minutes to charge fully which then gives you about 10 minutes flying time.

Our Verdict

We had a lot of fun with the Air Hogs Micro Race Drone and I was pleased with how quickly Ben got the hang of controlling it and flying it about. I should also mention that there is a stunt button allows you to amp up the action with exciting tricks like 360° barrel rolls which is something we are working up to doing. It also has a communication range of 2.4 GHz and 250' which lets you challenge your friends to a race with up to four drones at a time so Ben is busy trying to persuade friends to put one on their Christmas list by getting them hooked on it when they are over to play.

Where to Buy

Air Hogs Micro Race Drone is available to buy at the usual toy retailers including Smyths Toys for £42.99 and Argos where it is currently in the 3 for 2 deal priced at £44.99 so one to consider adding to Christmas lists!