OK....admit it.....you had one of these......

Actually...I've never seen one 'til now.

Where can I get one?...looks like fun..

Talk about a fun toy!

and your in luck! a few years ago a company found a way to COPY the original Mettel toy from the early 70's ! that went for up to 150.00 bucks on ebay. the new version can be found from 19.00 to 30.00 retail...or chaeper on ebay. Most versions of the new toy even has a decent helo 'thud sound' that changes with the RPM's of the motor and has lights in the contol unit.

With one of two control arms at the remote control unit.....From a dead start you can control the main rotor from 0 to high speed ( which maens you have complete control of the hover and altitude ) Then with the other control lever you 'tweek' the choppers pitch nose down for foward and tail down for reverse.....so you can put all that into a 'combo' so you have a very realistic helo except for the fact that you can only go in a large circle.

There were many versions ....police, military, navy ( from a cardboard & plastic carrier ....very big! ) even a STAR TREK Enterprise! ,,,geesh!

I logged many flight hours and flew lots of missions....there was a loose hook that let you pick stuff up. ( that took a bit of skill )

Here is a current ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38287&item=5958121900&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Here is a brief history of the real thing!

http://www.nostalgia.condoris.net/vertibird.htm

My favorite toy when I was a kid. Hooked it up to an electric train transformer for more power and flight time. Also took the rubber caps off the ends of the rotor for more rotor speed. Full power it go right over the top and slap the top of the rotor flat on the floor. But with a soft touch could still hover and rescue the little guy holding the holahoop over his head. Man, what great memories!

I went through many a D Cell with that!
Even took them out of the Hot Wheels power houses. . .

Don

I always wanted one, but never lucked out!

Excellent! Spent many hours with several of those. I had to keep getting new ones when I would break them or just wear them out.

Thanks,
Phil

I actuslly bought a Russian built version at a flea market overseas some years back. IIRC, the helo resembled an Mi-2. Wish I knew where that thing got to ....

Yeah, that's a true classic.... when I saw your post, I could still hear my Mom saying; "Be careful, that thing could put an eye out!"

Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Take care,
Frank

No problem.....The subject came up at work yesterday so I was wondering how many helo nuts here remember it or had one or two or three

Oooooooh yeah! I loved that thing!
I had two: the regular one, and the Coast Guard "VertiBird Rescue Ship" version:



That thing was coooool!

I didn't have one, but my boys did. Although, I'm pretty sure I played with it more then they did.....

In fact, I think it's still under the stairs in the basement. As they are 19 and 16 now, it doesn't get drug out too often. Bet if I did though, they'd be playing it!

Great toy!

Wow...talk about memories. I had one of these in the early 70s as a kid...mine was wired to a train transformer as well...that was a favorite toy, along with a board game called 'Chopper Strike'. Does anyone remember that board game??

Jeff

The one I had was a hand held unit with a flashlight -like power pack. My younger brother had the kind pictured above. The blades would get your attention if they hit you which made it a great kid weapon.

Ha Ha Ha hahaha
That's awesome!! I knew a friend who had one!!

Chopper Command by, uh, darn, can't remember the name of the toy company that did it. An old friend of mine who works for Tower Hobbies used to do replacement Vertibird parts as a side project (stereo lithography, etc), and he got a wild hair about doing a more modern version. Poof! Out popped Chopper Command. :)

I got my at Target about 3 years ago for $15. My 3 1/2 year old son loves the thing. LOVES it. I am going thru D-size batteries like crazy.

Darin

Wow,talk about time warp,I remember this toy very well as I had about 3.I still carry the mental scars from the spanking I got when I ambushed my child-hating aunts legs with the copter,it ripped her panty hose to shreds!,at 41 I know I shouldn't be laughing my butt off,but it was worth the spanking!Thanks for the memories.I told my wife the story as she was wondering why I was sitting at the P.C.roaring with laughter,she laughed so hard she almost peed her pants! Thanks again.

I had one somewhere around 1960. Don't remember it having lasted all that long, but the comment on the hula hoop guy struck a chord. Maybe the play value dropped off too quickly for a 10 or 11 year old.

Wow! Thanks for the memories, I had one of those, played with it for hours. It was so cool.
Lee

man... just one more thing my cousins got that I didn't.... of course I did get the Guns of Navarone mountain play set with the gun turrets and landing craft one year...

ahh memories.. I might have to buy me one now to make up for not getting me one as a kid...

DO IT MAN!

You only live once!