Tiny Remote-Controlled Helicopters Generate Big Buzz
Interest in indoor remote-controlled (RC) helicopter toys has soared thanks to online videos that show the tiny remote-controlled flying toys in action. Business2.0reports that nearly 150,000 of the tiny Picco Z helicopters will ship this season. The Picco Z is just six inches long and weighs only 10 grams. The article credits online videos for spiking interest in the tiny flying choppers.
An instant message from a friend popped up on Lane McConnell's computer in September, telling him to check out a YouTube video of a cat chasing a remote-controlled toy helicopter.
He watched it. "I said, 'Oh, yeah, that's the coolest thing,'" recalls McConnell. "'I have to get it.'" Hours later the 39-year-old software salesman from Richmond, Ill., drove to a RadioShack with his two children in tow to buy the $30 Picco Z helicopter.
The proud new owner of that toy? McConnell, not his kids.
Success without the 30-second spot
The $500 million radio-controlled toy industry just got YouTubed. TV ads and pitches on the Today show are no longer the only road to a holiday hit for the makers of remote-controlled toys, which count on grown men as much as kids to drive make-or-break seasonal sales.
Buzz from bloggers, viral videos, instant messaging, and subtle product placement in TV shows and movies are proving to be just as effective for some products. For instance, Silverlit Toys, the Hong Kong manufacturer of the Picco Z, has shunned traditional advertising. But thanks to bloggers' enthusiasm for the chopper, the company is shipping 150,000 units this holiday season - a whopping number for a radio-controlled toy.
You can see the Picco Z in action in this video. HobbyTron's Picco Z page also contains a video. Dozens of other videos of people playing with Picco Z helicopters they have purchased can be found with a search on YouTube.com. HobbyTron.com said in a recent press release that they still have the Picco Z helicopters in stock.
"Once you've played with the Picco Z, you immediately understand why they’re flying out of Internet retailers and off store shelves the way they are — they're incredibly fun," said Jim Royer, president of HobbyTron.com. "We're happy to report that although the Picco Z is sold out at Radio Shack, Toys 'R' Us and others, we still have tens of thousands available for holiday shoppers at HobbyTron.com – but we're burning through our inventory quickly. We're especially glad to bring this news to all the panicked parents out there who don't want to disappoint their kids this holiday season."
The Picco Z faces competition from the $70 Micro Mosquito, an indoor RC helicopter with glowing green eyes, created by Interactive Toy Concept. You can watch a video about the Micro Mosquito here. Several videos that Micro Mosquito owners have made can be found here on YouTube.com. The Micro Mosquito can be found at RadioShack bricks-and-mortra stores and here on Radioshack.com. Yet another indoor helicopter model is the Dragonfly Mini Helicopter -- you can see a product page and video for this chopper on here on HobbyTron.com. Amazon.com also carries the Dragonfly as well as several other mini helicopter models. You can also find some other RC helicopters here.
Interest in indoor remote-controlled (RC) helicopter toys has soared thanks to online videos that show the tiny remote-controlled flying toys in action. Business2.0 
