haecklers

My son wants to try his hand at making a helicopter. He wants it battery operated. He also wants it remote controlled with sensors and an automatic shut-off. I think he'll be happy if he can just get it to lift off and fly a bit. Can anyone point me in the right direction? We've looked online and so far are seeing stuff way too hard or too simple (gravity "helicopters" that spin when you drop them do not fit the bill, evidently.) Something string-powered or rubber-band powered might do.