For once Russell Brand had nothing to say

Last night I went to the launch of a new range of Star Wars drones from Propel at Madame Tussaud’s. It’s an interesting venue. Absolutely huge and labyrinthine inside although a bit shabby in places. I’ve been there a number of times as a member of public and it’s always nice to go there when you don’t have to queue for hours. I’m surprised more companies don’t hold press events here – maybe it’s really expensive.

As well as the wax celebrities (see me with Russell Brand above) there were a few real ones too, including stand-up comedian Leigh Francis (you know Keith Lemon or Avid Merrion if you remember Bo! Selecta) who looked virtually unrecognisable in a huge hat.

But the real stars of the evening – once they finally graced us with their presence – were the Star Wars Quadcopters themselves.

Make no mistake, these could be this year’s must have Christmas toys if the manufacturer Propel pulls its finger out. However, unfortunately it seems that limited production this side of Christmas will mean that most of us, including press, will have to wait until next year to get our hands on one.

I have to confess to knowing very little about Star Wars, not having seen it since 1977 when I was a kid, but I’m pretty sure these Quadcopters will, quite literally, fly off the shelves.

What I liked is the way you could use the accompanying app as a flight simulator to train yourself to fly one and you could then take on your friends in a laser battle at speeds of up to 35mph.  Get hit three times and your quadcopter will make a controlled emergency landing. How clever is that?

Another clever feature is that the Quadcopters actually talk to you, telling you to the put the AA batteries!

At the time of writing I’m still a little unsure of exact pricing, but looking at the Toys R Us website it seems that you can buy a Speeder Bike quadcopter for around £200. Not cheap, but what price can you put on endless hours of fun battling your mates in the skies.