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I've started selling some of my toys & collectibles.As both an eBay Partner and Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. | |
Vertibird by Mattel was, without question, THE COOLEST TOY EVER MADE!!!! Idid not have one as a kid and was very lucky to get this original Rescue Ship model fora reasonable price. I purchased it without a rotor with the hopes that I couldget/make one and found the pure black replacement on eBay in 2002 or so. For your enjoyment here is myoriginal Vertibird and bunch of Vertibird knock-offs, including some Jasman/Kool Toyz Chopper Command Setsreleased in the 2000s. The latest versions of the Jasman Chopper Patrol is a well done clone (last oneson the page).
While not a toy exactly, Bob B. and I dropped many dimes in the Midway Whirly Birdarcade game at Grant's Department Store in our youth.
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| An original Coast Guard Rescue Ship Vertibirdwith its box. The rotor is a new replacement purchased off ofeBay. It works pretty well, a bit of shimmy at low speeds butquite smooth at higher RPMs. My toy is missing all of theaccessories. Item number 8243 dated 1973. Interestingly, theVertibird will work on either two or four D cells. | ||
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| Remco's futile attempt at a Vertibird clone is called the CSF- Controlled Space Flight and features the U.S.S. Enterprise fromStar Trek. Unlike the Vertibird that is run via a cable from astationary motor, this bugger has an electric motor in the saucersection of the ship. To make it fly there was a counterweight onthe far side of the ship rods (mine was missing so I fabricatedone out of wood and a couple dozen washers). So does it fly?Kinda. This one flies straight up and down quite well but doesnot go around in a circle. Oh well. Interestingly, theaccessories including the often missing hook and radar dish arestill sealed in the bag, but the box itself is in poor shape. Gofigure. Item number 602 dated 1976. | ||
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| Another CSF vehicle from Remco this is the Spider-Man Copter.My version is incomplete, missing its tail which does not stopit from flying very well. I purchased this copter on eBay froma seller in Italy. Item number 614 dated 1978. | ||
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| Available through the 1998 J.C. Penney Christmascatalog, the Micro Machines Skyhawk Rescue Copter by Galoob is anexcellent Vertibird clone. Substantially smaller than theoriginal bird, it operates on two D cells and flies exceptionallywell. Galoob missed the boat by packaging the copter in a plainwhite box instead of a fine litho box as in the past -- what's upwith that? I have not opened the instruction/stickers bag nor thebag of accessories which include a Micro Machine vehicle and acopter hook. Item number 70034 dated 1994 (on instructions,re-released in 1998). | ||
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| The Batman battery operated remote control Batwing from Blue Box Toys, itemnumber 34031, dated 1989. Like the Remco CSV, this bird has an electricmotor in the vehicle itself and a counterweight to make it fly. In an ingeniousdesign, the counterweight is just a plastic holder into which you placeyour own Alkaline D-cell. Also ingenious, is that the power is transmitted tothe motor in the wing via the two metal rods in the maneuver arm.The electrical contact is not as good as if the bars were hard-wired so themotor cuts out occasionally. The wing does not fly very well at all though witha little more trial and error in getting the counterweight properly balancedI hope that it might. Cool looking toy anyway. Alas, mine came without the box. | ||
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| Available through Target Stores (and K-B Toys I've heard)starting in August, 2000, the Kool Toyz Chopper CommandHelicopter Set is an excellent Vertibird clone. Incredibly, thetoy sells for $15.00, about three dollars more than the originalVertibird from Mattel cost in 1971. When these showed up inTarget stores people immediately bought them out and startedselling them on eBay--the first one sold for over $200.00. Thetoy is manufactured by Jasman (who plans to make four more birds,including the Military set below), has a light-up controlpanel, and flies exceptionally well. Mine came without the hookand due to clean living or some other act of God, a friend'schopper came with two hooks and he gave me one! It appears thatthe bird doesn't have enough power to lift and fly with theheavier objects (the cars and motorcycle). Or perhaps I have justworn the batteries down by flying the copter for so many hours.The rotor is a yellow-tipped clone of the original Vertibirdrotor and looks like it should fit on the older birds though I ama little afraid to pull mine off the new bird to try it. A greattoy and an extraordinary value. Item number 087 07 1039 dated2000. | ||
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| Available starting in November, 2000, the Jasman Military Chopper CommandHelicopter Set is so cool. Complete with a 48" playmat, it has a light-up controlpanel, a flashing strobe light, and makes a helicopter sound while flying.The toy has three cardboard military buildings and military skyhook accessories such as a plane,tent, jeep-like vehicle, radar dish, and two soldiers. Item number 16812 dated 2000. | ||
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| Jasman more recently released the Command Force Micro Series clones. Shown here arethe AH-1 Super Cobra (top) and the AH-6 Little Bird micro helicopters. Each is abouta foot long and came blister-packed with batteries included so you could try the copterbefore buying. A great idea. The back of the package shows an AH-64 Apache Helicopterand I own this one as well but it is not really a Vertibird clone as it doesn't fly ina circle around a center stand. No dates on the package but I want to say 2003-2004. | ||
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| Jasman's latest clones are the nearly Vertibird sized Command Force Series.A very well done set of birds, this one is the AH-1 Super Cobra which comeswith a nice set of accessories to pick up. | ||
| Name: | Vertibird |
| Manufacturers: | Mattel, Remco, Blue Box Toys, Galoob, Jasman |
| Vintage: | Early 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s |
| Obtained: |
eBay (#Ad) |
| Other Links: |
Vertibird Simulator - cool game for your PC Chopper Patrol  toys for sale on Amazon.com |
| Look for it: |
Search for Vertibird (and its clones) on eBay (#Ad) Search for Vertibird (and its clones) on Amazon (#Ad) |
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Contact me: Sam Cancilla, sam@samstoybox.com.
Last Modified: June 9, 2008
Copyright © 1999-2024 Sam Cancilla.All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
