I decided to go with the Force pack, since I wanted 2 helis and you do save some money buying them together.
The Force brand is Horizon hobbies brand, probably made for them by the company that makes Blade helicopters, etc. The MH-35 and the FHX are basically the same under the hood (I own both), and are designed to do battle with each other. I will focus solely on flying aspects, especially for beginners, etc. and compare it to the Syma S107 (which I also own)
My first R/C heli was a Syma S107 and it was an exercise in frustration. I wanted a beginner/medium heli that would work well and not cost an arm and a leg. You can see my S107 review elsewhere. The S107 had too many problems and was limited in what it could do. I decided that I would stay away from Syma and started looking for alternatives. I quickly realized that you get what you pay for. I figured that I'd spend up to $100, including shipping, but no more. I went through a couple hours, at least, of research, looking into Colco, Walkera, Blade, etc, trying to see what was there and reading reviews, RC groups etc. I then discovered the Force brand. I went as far as reading the manual for it online, before committing. I bought the Force pack, which contains the FHX and the MH-35 together. You can save some money that way too, since the pack is less than buying the helicopters separately.
I have no reason to regret my decision. Even though this heli is 3 times the cost of a (genuine) S107, it is worth it. This product is in a different class from S107.
Ease of controls for beginners: 5 stars - this thing is super stable, and super easy to fly. Just take it easy, RTFM and be careful if you have no experience.
Controlability: 5 stars - it is capable of flying like a real helicopter, unlike the S107 (which only approximates real helicopter movements), and can do advanced maneuvers when you are ready
Connectivity: 5 stars - radio controlled, not IR( radio control is better) and you can bind it to any helicopter, so a whole bunch of people can be flying together. You can also fly in bright light, or outside, in calm winds of course, which you cannot do with IR. Infrared control is for bottom of the barrel toys. Any serious model uses radio control.
Battery - replaceable, unlike the S107, so you can have a fresh one ready to go when one in the heli runs out. Extended battery available too, as well as external chargers.
Quality of build: 5 stars - well put together
Appeal of build: 4 stars - I want to differentiate this from the quality, because it is really subjective and has nothing to do with performance. The S107 and the MH-35 are about the same size but that is where similarities end. S107 has the bulk and heft, as well as the structure, that is close to a real heli. MH-35 has the look of a real heli, but no such underlying metal structure, just a very light carbon body. Of course, while the S107 has the appeal, but no performance or reliability, the MH-35 has the performance AND reliability. Looks alone don't fly well. You DO want to fly it, right? If you just want to LOOK at and FEEL your heli, by all means go with the S107.
Durability: 5 stars - if you crash a lot, you will break something sooner or later. The S107 had proven very damage resistant. This heli is lighter and has a strong carbon body, so it should do ok, as long as you dont intentionally crash it. It seems to survive minor crashes fine. Make sure you kill the throttle on ANY heli when crash is imminent.
Support: From the manufacturer website, to the quality of the manual, to what is included in the box (some spare parts, even batteries, everything you need to fly) it is also impressive. I have not had to order any parts yet, but it looks like I won't have any issues if I do.
So in conclusion, while the S107 is a cheap toy, as I found out the hard way, the MH-35 and the FHX are actual helicopter micro models that provide much better value for the money. When I test the battle feature more, I may add to this review. Force Combo Pack'
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