This product is truly unique in that it is just a cheap little toy from China that could easily get lost in the piles of cheap toys sold around the country in dollar stores, or sold with the over priced junk you see in all too many retail stores these days, yet at the same time it is one of the coolest toys ever, and on a cost to value ratio calculation it is possibly the coolest toy we will ever sell.
The toy is comprised of three very light hollow plastic helicopter blades that connect to a small plastic hub which connects to a plastic tube with a flair on the bottom that allows a balloon to be easily attached to it.
To use the toy you attach one of the two provided balloons, or another balloon of similar size, to the tube with the flair. You blow through the tube to inflate the balloon, and while pinching the balloon to hold it closed, you attach the tub to the hub. Releasing your hold on the balloon allows the air to flow out through the tube, into the hub and out of the hub into the four blades and the whistle on top. The air flowing through the blades and out small holes in the tips cause them to spin, and the blades spinning causes the balloon helicopter to rise into the air. The air flowing out the whistle causes it to make a squeaking noise as the balloon copter rises, which stops when the air is gone, and the helicopter and balloon twist and tumble as they fall gently to the ground.
Younger children have great fun watching the balloon helicopters launch and often chasing after them. Kids that are a little older love being the ones that launch a balloon copter into the air and often take great pride in what a cool thing they can do. Let's not leave out the older kids, even though there isn't any challenge for them in blowing up balloons or launching these flying toys, there certainly is a lot of fun for them. As for the adults, in a group environment, like a birthday party, family barbecue, or other occasion where a combination of adults and kids are present, this toy can often "steal the show" a bit because adults want to play with them and watch them fly almost as much as the kids.
We expect to have the Balloon Helicopters back in stock the end of May 2010.
Five year old Tommy and his adult auntie Lorraine launch their super cool balloon rockets into the air together.
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Two five year old cousins, Tommy and Mila, have a great time launching a couple of balloon helicopters and then chasing after them.
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We tried out some smaller tighter balloons with the balloon helicopters and got a shorter run but seems to go a bit faster.
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Why is this product Super Cool?
Here is at least part of why we decided to rank the Balloon Helicopter Flying Toy With Two 5 Inch Balloons as a Super Cool toy.
Because it flies
Okay, right off the bat things that fly tend to be cool and this is no exception. In our opinion it is all the more cool because what makes it fly is simultaneously so simple and yet so complex. The simple part is the fact that it is just a few bits of plastic and a rubber balloon; no computer chips, no rockets, no chemicals, no electrical anything, and in a practical sense there aren't even any moving parts since the whole balloon and helicopter blades turn together as a single unit. In a literal sense the balloon is contracting thus moving, and the reed of the squeaker whistle thing is vibrating to make the noise. so you have flight, but flight achieved very simply.
On the other hand what is really going on is a quite complicated delicate balance of things, and there is a lot of physics involved. For example if you try and use a larger balloon, say a standard 11 inch latex balloon, instead of getting a higher and longer flight like you might expect, since you would be pushing more air through the helicopter blades, what you actually get is the blades turning a bit from the air pressure but the neck of the balloon collapsing with a twist because the larger mass of the balloon, and the air it contains, won't turn fast enough to keep up, thus the air flow is reduced and the blades slow, then the relaxation cause the air to flow again, etc. resulting in a fitful floppy fruitless failure of a flight and the weights and sizes of everything is very important.
Because it is fun for all ages
A little toddler can't actually be allowed to play with the toy because it has small parts which are a choking hazard, but they still get a huge kick out of watching the toy fly and hearing it squeak and watching it fall to the ground. Also many seem to love to chase after them. Children of all older ages can have a blast with the toys, and adults, both those without kids and parents, grandparents, and older, all seem to get a great kick out of watching the kids play with the toys and surprisingly often, although sometimes a bit shyly, find themselves asking for a turn. That's cool.
It's cheap, and inexpensive
While a super low cost in and of itself is no reason to buy a toy, and often is a strong sign that the toy will be worthless junk, it is always nice if you can get good value for a low price. In this case the toy is a cheaply made toy from China that in some ways shares traits with worthless junk you have probably seen many times. But in this case the fact that it is made of the simple bits of molded plastic not only make the cost low, but in this case are in a sense the basic requirements to make the toy cool. You can't make something like this out of gold, or wood, or aluminum, or even higher quality sturdier plastic, because those things would make the weight go up and thus require much more power than a small balloon can provide and the helicopter would either never fly or end up having to be a monstrously expensive super high tech wonder that would provide no more joy than this toy, and might provide a lot less.
So what about the toy breaking or getting lost in a tree, or on a roof? Well, because the price is so low that isn't a big deal, buy a few extra and replace as needed, or buy five or ten and keep them around to give as rewards, or cheer up gifts, or to hand out to visitors so all the kids can play at the same time. If you are having a birthday party you could buy a dozen, or however many you need, and give one to each guest as a party favor and they will have a blast with them, and maybe get some extras so the adults won't be stealing them from the kids. Or hey, buy a bunch for Halloween and and give balloon helicopters to the trick-or-treaters rather than candy.
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