We've had a lot of fun in the office over the past few weeks flying the new Moskito RC Plane from TobyRich. Plus, I get to call it "work" if I write a blog about it, so here goes... I'll be honest, when I first saw the videos and read through the features of the Moskito, I wasn't convinced. It seemed like it was too simple a concept to be a reliable source of fun - however, I was wrong. Every single time I've taken the Moskito out to "work" I've found myself flying continually until the battery ran out, it's pretty darn addictive. A trait which I think is partly down to its crashproof-ness (pretend it's a word). You can quite literally fly head on into a wall and just keep going, the bi-plane design of the Moskito allows it to glide away from just about any collision that's high enough, and you can pick back up control whenever you're ready.
Moskito Build Quality
I'll admit, this "extremely durable material" that TobyRich are raving about doesn't look like much, but you can feel the rigidity when you hold it. Plus, we may have crashed our plane a handful of times (purely to test it, of course) and we can confirm that it certainly holds its own. Even the propeller feels well made - I don't feel afraid of a direct collision, as I would with some other products. Although one of the first things you notice is the unbelievably light weight of the plane, after a few flights it does feel pretty indestructible.
Flying Range
Now, lets not forget to mention the pretty incredible range. Personally, I was very happy with the 60 meter (200ft) range of the Moskito, I haven't once lost connection during a flight, even when I tried to push it to its limit. I think that the range of the Moskito really does allow for a much more exciting flight experience, plus you're not as worried about it disconnecting a gliding off in a random direction.
RTF Doesn't Even Cover It
The Moskito really pushes the bounds of RTF, it is so ready to fly that we even got it going in under 10 seconds. The only preparation you need to do before flight is to download the Moskito app and charge the plane. After that it really is as simple as just opening the app and flicking the switch on the plane, the two pair in seconds and then you're ready to go!
It's Not Quite Perfect
It has to be said that a couple of the benefits of the Moskito that TobyRich rave about aren't amazing. For example, although the customisible LED's are a nice touch, there isn't much benefit from them when flying, unless you're flying in the middle of the night (weirdo). However, it did make us chuckle that the "Police mode" is flashing red and green. Also, the "weather warning" feature is a tad sensitive, every time we have flown it, we've been told it's too windy to fly - including when we're inside! Luckily, there aren't any pop-ups or annoying alarms that come with the warning, so it's easy enough to ignore - even for the most impatient nerds in the office (me).
Moskito Charge and Flight Time
Now, one of my biggest pet peeves for RC products has to be charge time. I find myself sitting watching tiny little flashing lights for far too many hours of my life. Finally, someone has made a product with a charge time that actually reflects its flight time! The Moskito has a fairly good 12 minute flight time, but a pretty darn impressive 25 minute charge time. No more staring longingly at the charging lights for me (please tell me I'm not the only one that does that).
Flying Modes
The Moskito isn't the most agile of RC planes out there, but nor is it trying to be. It is designed to be an easy going, simple to fly plane that you can pick up in a matter of seconds - an aim which I believe it fulfils (Our drone pilot who lost one on the roof of our building may disagree, however). The Moskito app comes with three different flight modes, Easy, Normal,Expert (I'm sure you can guess which one our pilot thought he was) and is available for both iOS and Android devices. Although, in all honesty, if you're flying inside, it has to to be expert mode. With Easy or Normal modes, you just can't pull off the tight manoeuvres that you need in order to avoid walls or small humans whilst in a confined space. When you venture outside, however, it's another matter entirely. I find that the expert mode is almost too sensitive, I want to be able to glide more, and really take advantage of the open spaces - so I switch to Normal mode. But hey, maybe you're a better pilot than myself, and you prefer to push it to the limit at all times. I commend you, Sir (Or Madam). If you are a reseller looking at selling Tobyrich products, see Modus Brands who are distributors of gadgets and technology.
TobyRich Moskito Now Available At RC Geeks
The TobyRich Moskito Smartphone Controlled Plane is now available at RC Geeks for only £49.99, with free Royal Mail First Class delivery! Also on offer is the premium Smartplane Pro model. Stay tuned for more information. If you need any help or advice with your TobyRich Moskito, or any of our other products, please feel free to get in contact with our team. Finally, enjoy this collage of our Moskito in flight (and the dashing gentleman flying it). [gallery ids="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0263/8469/5395/files/TobyRich-Moskito-review_box-back.jpg|" orderby="rand"]
Written by
Rory Slatter
Keep up-to-date with the world of gadgets, drones and cars