Destroying the Death Star is the ultimate Star Wars fantasy. It's the moment from the original film that would spawn an entire franchise, a climactic finale often mimicked but rarely replicated (even when replicated in other Star Wars films).
Which is precisely why an upcoming Air Hogs drone set from Spin Master (via iO9.Gizmodo) is so cool. Soon fans will be able to pilot their own X-Wing and go head-to-head with a miniature Death Star for the fate of the galaxy (or the backyard, in this case).
The X-wing vs. Death Star Rebel Assault RC Drone set comes with both a X-Wing and a Death Star. Both drones come equipped with infrared blasters, receivers and LED status lights. However, owners only get to pilot the X-Wing via remote control. That's because the Death Star hovers in the air all its own, and it's up to X-Wing pilots to "destroy" the superweapon by blasting it three times with the X-Wing's infrared blasters before the Death Star blasts the X-Wing back.
Pretty cool huh? It's a classic battle of man vs. machine, but with an awesome Star Wars twist. The set will retail for $130, with preorders going live on Sept. 9. The set is expected to arrive before the holidays, just in time for Rogue One.
That's not even the only new Air Hog drone set. Another comes with two pilotable drones in the form of a X-Wing and TIE Fighter, letting two pilots create their own Star Wars dogfights between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. Like the Death Star set, both the X-Wing and TIE Fighter are equipped with infrared blasters, receivers and LED lights. Each pilot is attempting to blast the other three times in order to win. The X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter set will sell for $200. Just in case you were wondering, the wireless controllers used to pilot the drones have a 200-foot range.
Each set is cool in its own way, but for my money I would go with the Death Star drone. Being able to take on the Death Star head-on in an X-Wing drone is just way too cool. It's something fans have always dreamed of, and while the drone set certainly isn't to scale, it's still an experience that sounds like a blast. The cheaper price tag certainly helps as well.
