Popular toy manufacturer WowWee has announced the Flytech Bladestar, a totally new type of rc helicopter which should become available this Feburary.

The BladeStar rc helicopter uses a single main blade along with small propellers mounted on the ends of two arms or ‘booms’. Sensors incorporated into the Flytech BladeStar allow it to fly autonomously and avoid bumping into walls or objects. In addion to this ‘auto pilot’ mode, it can also be controlled using its 3 channel digital IR remote to control (with beginner and expert level settings).

See a video of the BladeStar on YouTube.

The BladeStar rc helicopter recharges from the remote control and reports indicate that it will fly for 5 to 15 minutes and take about 20 minutes to charge. An optional combat feature which will allow you to shoot other BladeStar rc helicopters out of the air (or get shot out of the air yourself) had been mentioned. The Flytech BladeStar rc helicopter is suitable for indoor flight only, and is constructed from durable crash-resistant materials. Additional information is available on the official web site.