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POWERUP 3.0 Original Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplanes Conversion Kit - Durable Remote Controlled RC Airplane for Beginners, Works with Most Paper Airplane Books

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 1,420 ratings
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  • Bring your favorite “blast from the past” to the present when you turn your paper airplane into a remote-controlled flying Machine!
  • This multiple award-winning conversion kit features a crash-resistant design and will give your paper plane a massive 180 ft. (55M) range - truly a gravity-defying experience.
  • Equipped with Bluetooth Smart technology, you can control your plane with your smartphone through the power up app (iOS/Android compatible, check Power Up website for more details)
  • Simple controls are fun for all ages: tilt smartphone/tablet from right to left to maneuver and use the throttle lever on the app to ascend and descend
  • Features battery level, charging status and range indicators plus an air traffic control attribute. New features! For easy on-boarding - boost - Nitro for extra power, in app flight Academy, free template downloads, gesture control and game-pad controls
  • Contents: power up 3. 0 Bluetooth Smart module, crossbar, Spare rudder, Spare propeller, 4 sheets of special template paper (2 Cardinal design, 2 invader design), instructions, quick start guide, and mounting display and storage box
  • 365 day limited !

WARNING:

CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.

Product information

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here [PDF ]

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POWERUP

POWERUP 3.0 Original Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplanes Conversion Kit - Durable Remote Controlled RC Airplane for Beginners, Works with Most Paper Airplane Books

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Product Description

Product Description

PowerUp 3.0 durable, crash proof design makes it an easier and more enjoyable option to traditional, bulky and battery intensive remote control helicopters and planes. The PowerUp 3.0 Bluetooth, Smart Module transforms ordinary paper planes into motorized machines, controllable directly from your smartphone. It’s also an educational experience — PowerUp 3.0 meshes origami, physics and incorporates all the components of STEAM, (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, Math). This unique combination allows for schools and teachers to educate students on the basic principles of flight, aerodynamics, and lift. With 180 feet/ 55 meter range, and 10 minutes of flight time capability, PowerUp 3.0 is the first choice in flight.

From the Manufacturer


$1,232,612 raised with 21,412 backers.

Features

Crash-proof design | 10 min. flight on a charge | 180 feet range | FlightAssist TM technology.

The App

Bluetooth SMART seamless connection | beginner and advanced modes | Precision turning with responsive motion | iOS and Android friendly.


Fold it

Fold a sheet of paper into a paper airplane.


Connect it

Attach the Smart Module to your paper airplane


Fly it

Tilt your smartphone to steer and increase or reduce throttle to go up or down.


Customer Testimonial

"I don’t mean to be overdramatic, but it really combined my boyhood love of paper airplanes with my boy’s love of planes and smartphones into an awesome experience to be enjoyed over and over again."

About the Startup

Describe your product in 3 words.

DIY paper drone

Where did you get the inspiration for your product?

I got excited about the project in 2007 teaching immigrant kids the principles of aerodynamics. While doing research on advances in micro indoor flight I came up with the idea for a remote-controlled paper airplane. The idea gathered momentum, and by 2011 he incorporated a company to build the device, later in 2013 I integrated the smartphone factor into the product and launched a Kickstarter to fund production. The crowd funding campaign raised over $1.2 M becoming the most funded project ever in flight category.

What differentiates your product from similar products out there?

I invented the commercial solution for powered paper airplanes. The PowerUp systems universally connect to almost any paper airplane design allowing customers leverage their know how in folding paper airplanes and adding the gravity defying magic of propelled flight. There aren’t any similar products out there which are not cheap imitations.

Tell us about the best and most challenging parts of the creation process.

PowerUp 3.0 combines technology and art, it allows the customer to be involved in the creation process of a flying machine just by folding a standard copier paper. Making a sheet of paper fly and controlled for up to 10 minutes is not a simple task, the airplane must be folded and adjusted properly. Educating and explaining the creation process to my customers has been challenging, we have created a support page and FAQ data base including tutorial videos guiding our customers step by step through the creation and flying process. Once they get the hang of it, the opportunities are endless and very addicting.

Important information

Safety Information

Included inside and outside the kit.

What's in the box

  • Kit contains: special template paper to ensure easy folding and flying , spare propeller and rudder,quick start guide, USB cable (not included)

    • Looking for specific info?

    Customer reviews

    4 out of 5 stars
    4 out of 5
    1,420 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers like the entertainment value of the toy. They say it's fun to fly and would make a great present. They also like the appearance. However, some customers have reported issues with the ease of flying and value of this product. They mention that it'd be impossible to fly for more than few seconds and that it was a total waste of money. Customers also are disappointed with connectivity. They differ on performance, sturdiness, and ease of use.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    38 customers mention35 positive3 negative

    Customers find the toy fun to fly, assemble, and watch it fly. They also say it's a great toy that makes adults feel like kids. Customers also mention that it'd make a good present.

    "...By no means is this easy but it is fun. It is fairly durable as we had several hard crashes...." Read more

    "Fun to fly but hard to control by turning your phone. Younger people seem to pick up in it quicker." Read more

    "...This is a way more fun and creative option for a flying toy than standard RC helicopters and planes, since those are ruined if they crash and the..." Read more

    "This is a fun little machine that seems to work pretty well. The prop seems to be pretty brittle though and breaks off easy...." Read more

    29 customers mention25 positive4 negative

    Customers like the appearance of the toy. They say it's pretty cool, the idea is splendid, and the tow is beautiful. They also describe it as creative, unique, and clever. Some love tinkering with the design and material. Overall, most are happy with the product's appearance.

    "Very cool product! Can't wait to try it out with my son on Christmas...." Read more

    "The product looks pretty cool, It is a gift for somebody and I have not given it to them yet😊..." Read more

    "...Looking forward to getting him the 4.0!!! It looks fantastic!!" Read more

    "The is a beautiful toy. If you can get it flying, then there so much joy seeing it soaring. The only drawback is that the battery discharges fast...." Read more

    62 customers mention26 positive36 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the performance of the toy vehicle. Some mention that it works amazingly well, while others say that it simply doesn't work. Some customers say that the rudder doesn''t operate, and the controller doesn'’t work well.

    "...check of the throttle and rudder, I would have discovered the rudder didn't work. But here is the kicker...." Read more

    "...I also just want to say that this device is really quite amazing... these last couple of weeks I experimented with several different paper airplane..." Read more

    "I am very happy with this product except it did not work with my LG G3. I had to use an old Galaxy S3.This toy is very durable...." Read more

    "...After much practice and modification, they got it to work pretty well, maybe 15-50 second flight...." Read more

    41 customers mention14 positive27 negative

    Customers are mixed about the sturdiness of the toy vehicle. Some mention that the product itself is solid, stable, and lasts a while. However, others say that it's very fragile and broke within an hour of having it. Some customers also mention that it has a tail radder that breaks very often.

    "...Assembly and launch were challenging and usually didn’t last long enough to use the app. Perhaps it’s intended to require two-person team?" Read more

    "...The "Phantom" model worked best for me as a starter. It was stable but very responsive in turning...." Read more

    "...The plane is too fragile and the company does not stand behind their products...." Read more

    "...The prop seems to be pretty brittle though and breaks off easy. From what I've seen you're not able to buy bulk packs of replacement props either...." Read more

    23 customers mention12 positive11 negative

    Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the toy vehicle. Some mention that it's easy and fun, simple, and small. They also say it'll link to their iPhone and control from the phone. However, others say that it is extremely difficult, complicated, and hard to figure out. They mention that the directions are hard to follow and the paper enclosed was not the best quality.

    "...It's inexpensive, easy to use, incredibly durable and provides instant feedback to aerodynamic experiments...." Read more

    "...Logging back in to the phone while flying was irritating, difficult, and unnecessary. Make sure the phone stays awake.4...." Read more

    "If you have kids, or not, you should really get this. It is super easy to get started and the app walks you through all of your preflight checks...." Read more

    "...you have to speed up or slow down, which seems fine but it is extremely difficult...." Read more

    56 customers mention11 positive45 negative

    Customers find the ease of flying the paper airplane to be difficult. They mention that it's nearly impossible to fly for more than few seconds, and the app is terrible. Some say that the paper plane only does a small arc of flight and then quickly goes to the ground.

    "...It worked, only liked turns to the left, and is under powered but I had an airplane flying within minutes...." Read more

    "...The plane wouldn't turn! I guess that shows I'm not a pilot ...." Read more

    "Nearly impossible to fly. The idea is splendid, but the app is terrible...." Read more

    "...The only thing is the paper airplane CANNOT FLY. We tried multiple times and all failed. Will keep trying.......I guess this is not for beginner." Read more

    48 customers mention7 positive41 negative

    Customers are not satisfied with the value of the toy. They mention that it's a total waste of money, a piece of trash, and useless. Some say that the quality of the product is not well controlled.

    "...back in to the phone while flying was irritating, difficult, and unnecessary. Make sure the phone stays awake.4...." Read more

    "...Still setting on my counter!Too much money for quality" Read more

    "Amazing idea. Horrible execution. NEEDS MORE POWER IN MOTOR. BETTER PROTECTED RUDDER.LIGHTER PAPER. CMON GUYS." Read more

    "...all get destroyed simultaneously was interesting, it was not worth the money I spent on these." Read more

    14 customers mention0 positive14 negative

    Customers are dissatisfied with the connectivity of the toy. They mention that it would not connect via Bluetooth to any of their 5 cell phones. Some say that the Bluetooth connection is twitchy and loses connection after 15 to 20 feet.

    "...They are rated for 200 feet, but I found that the bluetooth connection is twitchy past that point in my area, and every time I pushed the distance..." Read more

    "...is fun to fly." Now I want to change my review since it never paired with any phone again no matter where I try...." Read more

    "...Sometimes the phone app won't open, or the unit won't communicate properly." Read more

    "...It repeadedly disconnects the bluetooth and then shuts itself off before you can get it into the air...." Read more

    Excited.. To really a boomer.
    1 Star
    Excited.. To really a boomer.
    I was so excited when i saw this technology so i got it for my brother can't wait to get my hands on it.. When it arrived my bro was so happy with it we build the plane and it was wendy, so we try it and it worked fine. After a month we go camping and whore super exited to finally tested 😭When we started up it did not connect we tried it again then it start smokingIt was really a boomer for as 😩Really sorry for taking so long that was my experience it really was.. 😔
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    Top reviews from the United States

    JR
    5.0 out of 5 stars Works Great! 5 stars! ...Check these guidelines.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This great gadget will take some effort to learn, and a VERY VERY calm wind day. But when you find yourself in a large, open, grassy (or beach sand) area it is a complete BLAST to fly! For once, I was happy to purchase a product that worked exactly as advertised.

    Note added later: I have had direct interaction with Power Up Toys since my initial review, and have found them to be quickly responsive and generally awesome to deal with. Wish I could tack on another star for great customer service.

    Recommendations:
    1. Fold a good airplane, with elevator and rudder surfaces cut, that flies well and straight on its own. The "Phantom" model worked best for me as a starter. It was stable but very responsive in turning. Make sure your plane has plenty of dihedral angle, (check the manual), then, when you go to fly it with the module on, notice if the motor makes it turn one way or the other. I had to adjust for the motor on nearly every plane, I think it was right rudder that I added to bring it to straight flight, but observe for yourself, and adjust.

    2. Wait for a very VERY calm day. I initially couldn't wait, and tried on a marginal day. I paid for that decision with despair and irritation. Give yourself a break, wait for the calm. You will be rewarded for it.

    3. Turn off the "Sleep" mode on your phone, as well as the ability to receive calls or texts, like they recommend in the manual. On my first long flight, I looked down to change the throttle, and found the phone blank. Logging back in to the phone while flying was irritating, difficult, and unnecessary. Make sure the phone stays awake.

    4. At first, hold the phone vertically, (up and down), instead of flat when flying. Of course, you will be tipping it all over the place, but do it with the phone perpendicular to the ground, rather than parallel with it. Also, cut the enthusiasm. (Yes, initially I was a maniac. Dancing around, leaning out in both directions etc, while grinning ear to ear.) Smaller, gentler movements will reward you with a smoother, more controlled flight. Later you can engage "movement" based throttle, after getting the hang of flying.

    5. Understand that the throttle level will mainly affect two things: first, how much "loft" (the amount of nose-up climb), and second, the altitude at which the plane will fly. Adjustments to the elevator tabs at the back of the wing, in conjunction with the throttle will allow you to find the level flight "sweet spot", but it will usually take a few launches to get it right. Starting with the throttle in the seventies is a great piece of instruction from the manufacturer. Follow it. I found that initially adjustments to the throttle required that I look down at the phone and away from the plane I was trying to fly, so I had to keep them to a minimum.

    6. Test max distance a little at a time. I had to keep the plane to within 100 feet or so. They are rated for 200 feet, but I found that the bluetooth connection is twitchy past that point in my area, and every time I pushed the distance envelope, I lost control of the plane. Many onlookers were greatly entertained, watching me sprinting toward that spiraling plane, trying to re-establish contact. It was good cardio, but I would have been better advised to keep the plane closer. And remember, altitude is part of that distance. If the plane is ninety feet off the ground, (yes, it can happen), you need to be within ten feet of straight below it, (again, in my area).

    7. Understand that control is an illusion. We do not have true control over these paper planes, or else we wouldn't need so much open space to fly them around in. Our recommendations to turn this way and that are just that; recommendations. These things can and will go anywhere. The slightest stray breath of wind can blow them far off our intended course. Have fun with the idea of making what feels like thousands of steering recommendations a second just to try to keep the ship in the air, and understand that in the end, that is where the fun lies.

    8. Last but definitely not least, try the waterproof paper. Regular bond paper reacts so quickly with the ambient moisture in the air, that on a moist day, the plane can and will distort in mid flight, crashing for no apparent reason. If you're flying in a desert, maybe this is less of an issue.

    Many thanks to Power Up Toys for so much fun!
    79 people found this helpful
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    NZ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Customer Service!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Two weeks ago, my wife gave me the PowerUp 3.0 for birthday. It worked great up until yesterday... it was paired with my phone while I was holding the plane in my hand ready to launch it, when all of a sudden the motor started to throttle up all on its own (all the while, the app throttle display was at zero). I proceeded to shut off my iPhone bluetooth connection, but the motor continued to turn at full speed. I then turned the device switch to the 'off’ position, and this shut off the motor. But then when turning the device switch back on, the motor immediately began turning at full speed, and then it did this every time when I would toggle the switch from 'off' to 'on'. Upon inspection of the unit I noticed that there was a small blackened area in the transparent nose casing (looked like a burned-out transistor), and it smelled of burnt electronics.

    I contacted PowerUp Toys right away about this issue, and very shortly afterward received a reply from them that they were sorry that this happened and that they would send me a replacement. Great customer service, in my opinion!

    I also just want to say that this device is really quite amazing... these last couple of weeks I experimented with several different paper airplane designs and it works great on a lot of them. A lot of fun to use this with the kids... they are learning so much about aerodynamics as we look at what could make the plane fly better, stall less, fly faster, etc. I'm sure that it was just a glitch with my particular device (...problems can potentially occur with any electronic devices). And it's great to see that the company values customers and stands behind its products!
    20 people found this helpful
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    Dane
    4.0 out of 5 stars If you can't build a good paper airplane this will not fly for you
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I actually want to give this product 4 1/2 stars but... The quality of construction, durability and educational and learning potential are five+ stars. The billing that the average person will be able to make long flights right out of the box brings it down half a star. You'll realize why so much of their video instruction is based on making a paper airplane that flies well (without the PowerUp). It's all about the airplane. This just straps on it's back.

    Do not think of this as a radio controlled airplane or something that flies out of the box. This is a small Bluetooth controlled motor and rudder that you can attach to your paper airplanes. If you can't build a good paper airplane this will not fly for you. If you like to tinker and experiment I think you will love the PowerUp 3.0 regardless of your age or experience. I also think this would be a wonderful teaching and learning tool. It's inexpensive, easy to use, incredibly durable and provides instant feedback to aerodynamic experiments.

    I got it, charged it and folded the trainer airplane. It worked, only liked turns to the left, and is under powered but I had an airplane flying within minutes. It wasn't a great flyer so instantly I'm thinking "what if I do this..." I can't tell you how fun I find making subtle changes and tweaks and seeing how they perform. Fold a new airplane and see how it does.

    I'm a pilot and have built a full size airplane from scratch and have a good grasp of aerodynamics, center of gravity bla... bla... bla and at almost 50 I find this little thing a lot of fun. If you just want to buy something that will fly you might be disappointed but I absolutely love tinkering and experimenting with different airplane configurations and seeing how they turn out. All it takes is a minute to fold a new airplane and give it a try. I'm already thinking of how to shed weight and make it perform even better.

    Durability... Well, so far I have not broken it. I've crashed it onto a concrete driveway several times and once at full throttle into a brick wall and it just bounces off and is ready to go for the next flight. Everything is small. Small propeller, tiny rudder... so I don't think it would be appropriate for small children but it's durable enough for any detail oriented or careful handed youngster or old guy.
    413 people found this helpful
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    Top reviews from other countries

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    I. McE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best for calm dry days - and great fun
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is great fun, but I'm waiting for warmer weather...

    I received it at Christmas, and carefully folded a template printed from the power up website, checked the plane would glide well, the set out for the field with my two boys...

    And it flew, in a controllable way - i managed to fly out for about 30 seconds before bringing it to the ground as it was some distance away!

    The next flight was better, and I did right and left turns before it came down. Then I gave both my boys a try, but honestly, the paper plane was already wet from the grass, and although each managed to fly it a little, it was just too heavy to stay aloft...

    So... I will wait until it is a little warmer, and dryer in the spring and probably take two folded aircraft to the local field so I can really learn how to fly.

    As a tip, it is really important to accurately fold the template, then check that the paper plane (with power up propeller added) glides straight and level before adding power, then power provides lift, to keep it up, and the tiny rudder will be able to control it.

    If without power, your plane dives to the ground, or stalls - or turns one way or the other, then the power up machine will not be able to fix this...

    Good luck, and happy flying!
    One person found this helpful
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    Comprando
    5.0 out of 5 stars Correcto
    Reviewed in Spain on June 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Tenía miedo de que no funcionara el motor. Siempre que compro aparatos electrónicos por internet tengo ese miedo. Cumplió mis expectativas. lo recomendaría.
    Report
    Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Du fun à l'infini !
    Reviewed in France on November 27, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Super innovation, ayant toujours rêvé de pouvoir faire voler des avions en papier plus longtemps, voici enfin une solution abordable et vraiment innovante pour le faire !
    Les avions sont assez simples à plier, même s'il faut être minutieux car la moindre dissymétrie entraine des difficultés à contrôler l'appareil. Malgré tout, après quelques avions ratés et quelques crashs, on s'y fait bien et il est possible de réussir à effectuer des vols contrôlés pendant de très longues périodes et avec une super portée !
    Il ne convient pas forcément en extérieur, il faut très peu de vent pour pouvoir le faire évoluer, si le vent est trop fort, il risque de prendre beaucoup d'altitude et de partir très loin, à perte de vue ! Toutefois, même si en intérieur on trouve moyen de s'amuser (prévoir un grand espace quand même) il est 100 fois plus fun d'atteindre des sommets d'altitude en plein air et de pouvoir faire des vols de plusieurs minutes sans rencontrer de mur !
    Un point bonus aussi pour les différents modèles à imprimer sur le site officiel ainsi que les tutoriaux disponibles !
    Toutefois, je regretterai la petitesse de la gouverne de direction qui n'affecte pas suffisamment le vol pour pouvoir resserrer les virages ou contrer une légère brise.
    Bref, un super modèle que ce powerup qui vaut largement son prix pour les heures de fun qui s'ensuivent ! Encore quelques imperfections de jeunesse, vivement le powerup 4.0 !
    One person found this helpful
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    Cliente de Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buen Producto
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 1, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Funciona al 100%, estoy contento con mi compra, por supuesto que volvería a comprar
    un dispositivo parecido. Muchas gracias d.
    2 people found this helpful
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    Fudd
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous for kids and big (adult) kids
    Reviewed in Australia on February 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This product is amazing! My 7 yr old son enjoyed flying it so much and started experimenting with different paper planes and foam planes...
    The service from power up team was also outstanding. After a few weeks of solid play - we had a crash and power up staff helped us get up and flying again.
    One person found this helpful
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