Although drones have become commonplace and taken over as a favorite modern flying toy on kids’ Christmas wish lists, I’m guessing that most adolescents in past decades would have been thrilled to find something unusual under the tree that can become airborne right in their own backyard. While socks and belts might serve as more practical gifts, I’d still be pretty excited to unwrap a mini helicopter, even at my advanced age! Even though it hasn’t flown since the seventies, this vintage Cox Sky Copter here on Facebook Marketplace can be yours today for only $129, should you happen to be anywhere near Green Bay, Wisconsin. The seller isn’t sure if it still functions, but for just a little over a C-Note, this could be a fun father-and-son or daddy-daughter adventure to try and get this one back up in the sky.
We’d like to thank Barn Finds reader Lothar… of the Hill People for thinking creatively and sending us this unconventional tip! A couple of things hit me right off the bat that help make this one interesting, including that it appears to emulate the Bell 47-G, a real-life helicopter unit sometimes seen in the T.V. show M.A.S.H. Second, the design detail is fairly thorough for a child’s toy from this era, right out of the box. Unfortunately, the cardboard box this one came in was tossed out with the Christmas wrapping paper, and this would undoubtedly add to its value if included.
The seller says this has been stored since the seventies, but it’s reported to have been a working flyer at one time, as evidenced by a small scratch on the plastic cockpit window and a blunder on one of the blade stickers. Otherwise, this chopper seems to be in fine condition overall and doesn’t appear to have seen excessive airtime. Adding a considerable amount to the cool factor here is the engine: a nitro-fuel-powered Cox .020 unit, activated with a glow plug. Once started, you just perform a gentle rotor twirl, and up she goes.
If there’s one thing to criticize, it’s that Cox chose not to incorporate a pilot inside the cockpit. I could have envisioned a seventies phenomenon here where most came with the standard captain, but a few had a surprise limited-edition aviator to make them more desirable. Other than that, just about everything else seems to have been well thought out by the design department. This seems like an enjoyable and potentially bonding acquisition if you’re a parent, and maybe even a precursor project for a youngster to get them prepared to take on an automobile restoration in the future. What are your thoughts on this toy helicopter?
That comment “nitro fueled” needs to be talked about. Cox small engine fuel was/is 40% nitromethane, the rest castor oil and methanol. Why didn’t we dump some of that in our vehicles? Because nitromethane would blow the heads off, so not advised. To be honest, just about everybody here has experimented with these small engines in model planes, boats and cars, and I don’t ever recall them running right. E-drones have taken over the skies, and for good reason, they rarely crash. I’d update this to an LS .049,, :) Cool find.
So what you’re saying Howard is drop in a SSBC (Super Small Block Chevy). 👍🏻
I think Howard may be on the right track here!
I had Cox engines in a Flying Saucer,Air Planes and Mustang car.Crashed all of them.