Holiday Buying Guide 2008

The past five years have been a golden age for toys that fly, from RC helicopters to Styrofoam-winged airplanes. The Blade Star — basically a pair of whirlybird blades that spin on either side of a tiny capsule — is the easiest to handle of the bunch. With a guidance system that detects walls and ceilings, even a child can fly it. Better yet: get two and pit them against each other in dogfight mode. ($39.99)

—Josh Quittner