I finally got over a rather tragic crash in high school and bought an RC helicopter. This cheap model which was purchased from RadioShack arrived a few days ago and has been endless fun.

I made a short video using a digitial still camera to show off a typical flight. Still working on some control issues but since the body is made mostly from Styrofoam and the blades are very flexible, it has been a fairly forgiving learning exercise.

A month after I made the purchase, I was sent a link to a CNN/Money story which features the helicopter I bought.

My suspicions were confirmed:

By October, YouTube-fueled demand allowed many retailers to sell the Picco Z for more than its $30 suggested retail price. RadioShack raised its price to $40; some online stores were asking $99.

I distinctly remembered seeing the lower price before they mysteriously “sold out”. When they were available again, it was $40. Damn YouTube.