Customer Reviews

Air Swimmer Remote Control Inflatable Flying Shark

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(66)

 

 

We have the shark, and first of all, let me say that virtually everybody's first reaction upon seeing it is to yell out a four-letter word! If you want to get a good idea of what it looks like and how it flies, look up Airswimmers on the web and watch the videos. They are also on YouTube. It looks and flies just like the videos.

WARNINGS:

This toy does not work outside, because there are too many air currents, and the slightest breeze will send this large balloon flying out of control. It does not work in small apartments or small rooms, because it is too darn big. You need a decent sized house, or an auditorium, church or basketball court to use this. Our house has normal 8-foot ceilings, and a big family room-kitchen area, which works great. Make sure there are no fans running. And it's a bit too delicate for little kids!

FLYING:

Wow, it really flies! You move forward by flapping the tail back and forth. You steer by flapping more left or more right. You climb and dive with a separate button that tips the shark up or down. With a bit of practice, you can steer wherever you want. Unlike many flying toys, this one really works.

ASSEMBLY:

You need to be somewhat adept at assembling delicate things to build this from the kit. There is a detailed video available that shows every step that is a bit easier to follow than the instructions-the video is highly recommended. The link is given in the instructions, or just search for airswimmers on the web. In any case, take your time, and make sure you have a second person to help.

HELIUM:

Any store that sells helium balloons can fill this for you. It stays inflated for a long time, then the store can top it off. I bought a tank of helium for this, and my guess is I have a lot of refills remaining. It hasn't deflated appreciably since we got it. The good news is, you use putty (included) to adjust for the amount of helium remaining (neutral buoyancy), so you won't have to refill often.

OVERALL:

Like many of you, when we saw this, we had to have it. I assembled it carefully, and it works. We're planning a trip to the community center with a two-story lobby to amaze some of my daughter's friends. It's fun, albeit a bit expensive with the currently inflated prices. Once some more of them make it into the country and the price comes down, expect to see more of them.

It's fun, a bit delicate, it works as advertised. Enjoy!

UPDATE: We've had the shark for three weeks. We surprise guests with it every time new folks come over. It still works great, but we've had to top off the helium twice. The directions say you can top off with air, but this results in too much loss in buoyancy. So be prepared to refill once every 10 days or so. You can do this anywhere they sell helium balloons, or buy a helium tank. This is not unreasonable, given that the shark is essentially a mylar helium balloon.

I own a toy store at elevation 4500 feet, but my house is at 5500 feet. We can fly the Air Swimmers just fine at our house. We sell and help our customers with the Air Swimmers which is why we've learned a few things about them. We would like to pass along the following information:

1) At high altitudes, you have to overfill the balloon a bit to get the best results. However, DO NOT overfill. Leave creases every two to three inches at least two inches long.

2) We use high grade helium which we purchase from a helium and a welding supplier. The helium sold in portable "party" containers is a mixture of air and helium and should not be used at altitudes above 4,000 feet.

3) We don't use the supplied tapes to assemble the swimmer. Instead, we use Crazy Glue (a.k.a. CA glue or Super Glue) to attach the fins and gondola and then a couple inches of scotch tape per fin to hold it while the glue dries. It is pretty durable and easy to fix when a feisty kid jumps up, grabs the shark by a fin, and rips it off. Anything can be reattached in just a couple minutes. This method also reduces the overall weight of the Air Swimmer.

4) The Air Swimmer is a Mylar balloon. Helium expands with a rise in temperature and contracts with cooler temperature. Do not put a full air swimmer in a hot car. It will EXPLODE!!!! Putty adjustments are required frequently to keep the Air Swimmer buoyant.

5) The radio controlled Air Swimmers (available only at Toys R Us) weigh more than the infrared version and will not work above 4000 feet in elevation.

6) Watch the Air Swimmer Assembly video on Youtube, however make the following change when you assemble at home: Test the remote control and track prior to assembly. Apply the remote control track to the Air Swimmer prior to application of the fins. If you apply the fins first assembly of the track is more difficult.

I have the shark and first off, it looks way cool. People who see it flying are intrigued and delighted. The only thing that could be improved would be the radio reception. Line of sight is critical and even then, it doesnt seem to have the claimed 40ft range. This would be an excellent revision/upgrade. Also it would be nice if repacement parts were provided or at least available by the manufacturer, so you dont have to scrap a whole shark if a fin breaks. Overall it is way fun though! hours of entertainment and soooo many great applications (i enjoy flying mine at the high ceilinged local bar). Until there is a model with better remote reception, this thing really cant be beat for the money. Youl love it.

First off, the thing is just really cool, assuming that you have:

- High ceilings, big rooms, or another way to really get it to show off it's "air swimming' capabilities. the thing has to have room to actually flap its tail fin around for momentum, as that's how it get around - it's not propelled by a propeller or anything like that.

- Time, like two ro three hours of time, to properly set the thing up. The process is well-documented in the instructions and in vids online, but you'll still wind going, "Wait, what???" at least a couple of times. Also, the RC takes some getting used to, because you actually have to make the thing 'swim,' no just joggle a joystick around to make it fly. It's part of the fun, but takes some adjustment - especially that last bit where you put in bits of putty counterweight (included) to get it to float neautrally.

- Packing tape on hand. The bits that they give you in the kit are good, but you will wind up tearing or folding or otherwise making them unusuable. Regular packing tape and good scissors will get you out of that jam.

- QUALITY helium. I never knew that there was more than one kind of helium, so I took it to the dollar store, where they charged me 10 bucks to fill it based on the size, and it stopped floating after the weekend. Instructions say something about blah-blah-blah percentage of helium per whatever, but I got bored. Got a small party tank from ARNEs, and it's stayed afloat for days now, and I've got lots of leftover.

- Also, once the thing starts deflating, the essential rubber bands fall off. You need those to keep the rear fin and other stuff together.

Overall, this is just a really cool toy. Well-designed, nicely implemented, worth the 40-something bucks that I snagged it for. Just remember to include the cost of gas and batteries. Suggestion for the makers (since I know you're all just obsessing over your Amazon reviews and such,) but the IR control technology is way over. I understand that it's cheap, but I'd have paid extra to have RF controls so I could sit in comfort and not have to follow the thing around when I swim it. You've probably heard this a bunch of times before, so what's once more gonna hurt?

Long story long, this is a super-cool attention-getter, and will keep you obsessed until it stops floating. Get the good helium. Get good batteries. Take your time putting it together. Enjoy it. There's no other toy out there like it.

Ths Air Swimmer will work in Denver at 5200 feet elevation, but..,

The packaging states that it "may not work at high elevation", but there is no warning on the Air Swimmer site or online, so you will not find this out until it arrives. Initially, I was unable to get the Air Swimmer Shark to achieve neutral buoyancy at altitude of 5200 ft. I filled it with a Helium bottle purchased at Walmart online, bottle states that "Helium" is the only content in bottle. Same bottle sold at Toys-r us and on Amazon, redish colored bottle that looks like a standard barbeque propane bottle shape (different names like "Ballon Time"). I was later contacted my email stating that these bottles are not 100% helium no matter what is on the label. Sure enough, after draining the Shark and refilling at a local florist ($5.00), the shark is lighter than air. It requires very little counter weight so I would not try the shark at much over 6000 ft. And the florist told me I will need to top it off more often at this altitude. All in all, the Air Swimmer works fine at this altitude and is lots of fun. But be cautious of where you get your Helium. Stick to a welding shop if buying a bottle, otherwise go to a florist or Party supply store to fill it up. It is actually cheaper to fill at a florist (at $5.00) than to buy the Helium.

I purchased my Shark Air Swimmer at an inflated price after seeing an online video. Wow was it worth it! Forget the kids, adults are mesmerized by the magical, swimming-in-air action.

For RC novices, it is also easy to fly, and not prone to damage from normal collisions with objects. Everything is constructed very lightly of course (It DOES have to float after all) so care in handling is essential. It is also quite large, but remarkably maneuverable in flight in confined spaces.

The biggest notes I have are: (1) Watch the online instructional video before buying or assembling (airswimmers.com) and (2) Have an assistant for assembly. The written instructions make more sense if you have seen the video first. The inflated shark is so large it is difficult to handle while attaching the components without help.

After that, just have a ball with this toy! Most everyone to whom I have shown this declared they had to get one too.

After having played with my shark now for a couple of weeks, I thought I would add a couple more observations. It has held helium remarkably well, and I have not yet had to "top it off" at all. The only issue has been that the little sticky tape items which hold the receiver track to the belly of the shark have a tendency to come loose. Fortunately, extra tape pieces were included in the kit, so I have reattached the offenders.

Take this to your local pub if you want to have some fun!

I just purchased the shark today. I bought it at Toys R Us for $49.99 It included batteries and they filled it with helium (for free) It's a little different than the one pictured since it's radio controlled and the controller uses a 9v battery (included) instead of three AAA (the track AAA battery is also included) It also comes with several spare parts (rubber bands, rubber band hooks, clips) I really like this - very fun toy and hopefully it will go over well at work tomorrow (the reason I bought it)

Definitely recommend watching the instructional video on Youtube before assembly:

[...]

Make sure you tie a tether on it before filling with helium.

It does fit in the back of a sedan.

Install the control track before the fins and it makes it easier especially if you are putting it together yourself.

Make sure your ceiling fan is off and you practice away from the oven / open flame / etc.

What I did not like is the noise of the motor / track although that is not a huge issue.

Remember: Indoor only!!!

I bought this for my Grandson - he loves sharks! The tail is held on by rubber bands that attach to the sharks body with small adhesive pieces. They do not stay stuck! This works by a small remote and only worked for one day - the tail will not move! The pieces that you put it together with are very flimsy and do not hold together well. Until they improve the way the tail is held on I would not recommend this - for the cost it worked one day.

Sent this to my adult son for his birthday who loves things like this. It is definitively an indoor toy and due to its size it is not easily taken places other than your home. It requires helium which can be expensive, my son had to buy a bottle which was about $48 but he said it may last 6 months and the shark seems to be staying afloat for one month now. It took most of the bottle to fill it. The shark seems durable but his two children would also love to tear it up ages 3 & 1. It is good it stays afloat out of reach. Excellent toy for entertaining the children, your guests and yourself.

Well, it looked really fun, it didn't look like it was too hard to assemble, and it looked easy to fly. I was wrong on all three assumptions.

I suppose I was asking too much for 40 bucks. Assembly took the best part of an hour. A child would have a VERY hard time of it without a parent's help. The instructions were unclear a lot of the time and the photos were not always helpful.

This product is a fragile bit of balloon and machinery. First of all, it is a non-metallic helium balloon plus electronics. That by itself would make it a fragile product. I bought two hoping to fly a "pod" of them. The first one ripped its string holding hole and it is probably in the stratosphere by now. The VERY THIN tape covers for the various stick on pads tended to stick to themselves. I could hardly get them on right. There is no orientation for the tail. If you know nothing about fish, like I do you would put it sideways like I didn't. It can't fly with a tail that is sideways. The fins are made of a very thin very flimsy plastic, which will probably rip in time if the balloon does not burst first.

Operating the shark takes a bit of practice and can be quite tiring. After assembled, but before your first flight you need to make your fish so that it neither goes up nor down when you release it without a tether. You add and then remove clay from it. Now to get it to move, you need to flap the tail back and forth. The tail is also doubles for steering it. The left button push sends the tail to the left and the right button push sends it to the right. Repeat endlessly to get the fish moving. Kind of like a video game. Too bad the people who designed it couldn't have a "Flap your tail" button that would move the tail both ways. To get the fish to go up, you need to already have some forward momentum, then you hit the "up" button that moves a weight to the back of the fish, angling the fins upward and if you have enough forwad speed, the fish will go up.

Be forewarned: you MUST have a large room with a high ceiling for this to be any fun at all. I have 18-foot ceilings in a 15 x 25 foot room and this beastie went from one end to the other in less than 10 seconds. It will NOT work outside due to the IR control having problems with the sunlight. Besides, the slightest breeze would send it sailing to the next county.

I suppose that a room of 60 x 100 would make this toy a lot more fun, but swishing that tail continuously back and forth would make that more tiring than fun after a short while.

It is a great attempt, but I give it a C-.