The POWERUP Dart lets you create and control the ultimate paper airplane

Phones and drones are by far my favorite pieces of tech — they go together perfectly like peanut butter and jelly. So it was pretty easy to get excited about the POWERUP Dart. It combines the simplicity of a paper airplane with a sophisticated Bluetooth-enabled motor and rudder that lets you take control using a smartphone app.

It's that perfect mix of cutting-edge technology and elegant design that created a super cool little flying machine that's capable of pulling off epic aerial maneuvers but also durable enough to survive a nasty crash landing. The Dart is compatible with multiple plane designs and can be flown indoors or outdoors safely. It's lighter than the minimum weight required for FAA registration, too, so you're ready to fly right out of the box.

The POWERUP Dart has already well-surpassed its $25,000 funding goal, but there's still a couple weeks remaining to back the project and save 45% off the retail price. They also intend to ship by early December, which makes the POWERUP Dart a great Christmas gift option for anyone on your list, young or old, who loves cool technology.

You can get your own Dart with a $29 pledge to unlock the Barebone Dart package, which includes the Dart module and two blue paper plane templates. For a pledge of just $32 or more, you get the Standard Dart kit which includes landing gear and cool customization options. As with other Kickstarters, the perks continue to scale up as you pledge more money. For best value, consider the Family pack perk starting at $89 which includes four basic Dart kits — allowing you to give three away to friends or family as gifts while keeping one Dart for yourself!

This is the third Kickstarter campaign by creator Shai Goitein since 2013, and the team has previously delivered on time so you can back this project will not only be completed on time but also deliver a great product. The POWERUP Dart is the most advanced design and since you're backing a team of Kickstarter veterans you get the benefit of their past experience and their existing supply chains. That also means that the smartphone app has been developed and tested by previous backers, with a new big update scheduled for 2018.

We know it can be risky to back Kickstarter projects, but the POWERUP Dart is one that we're confident to share with our readers. We'll be periodically sharing more awesome Kickstarters in the future that are as awesome as this one.

See POWERUP Dart on Kickstarter

Marc Lagace

Marc Lagace was an Apps and Games Editor at Android Central between 2016 and 2020. You can reach out to him on Twitter [@spacelagace.