The Metro Aero Jet Hopper MKII was a radio control toy manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and sold in Australia and New Zealand by Playcorp trading as Metro RC in 1988.
In the 80s, Aerodynamics were cool
As one of several successors to the original Metro Jet Hopper in 1986 the Aero Jet Hopper 2 was a result of a resurgence in the popularity of aerodynamic vehicle design in the 1980s thanks to the fuel crisis and government regulations which demanded greater fuel efficiency. To meet these demands, new cars were constructed in CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs instead of pen and pencil.
This allowed concept artists and engineers to attempt more daring, dramatic, and windswept designs incorporating more curves and sleaker looks in passenger cars, eventually finding its way into radio controlled cars and toys.
Features and Performance
Underneath that Aero body was the new Jet Hopper II chassis, arguably the best 'original' Jet Hopper / Turbo Hopper ever to be designed, featuring...
- New Larger 1:14 Scale (previous 1:16)
- Wider air-filled front tires made of higher quality materials
- Air-filled rear tires with improved tread pattern
- Heat Sink added to the Mabuchi 280 motor
- Pistol Grip Controller
- And all the other features of the previous MK3, such as 9.6V Turbo Power, Top Speed of 27km/h, Rear Differential, and all-round shock absorbers
Note: We have confirmed that while the original series Jet Hoppers were 1:16 scale, all the Jet Hopper 2 based chassis cars were 1:14 scale, so slightly larger.
The Rare Australian
Metro was the brand in Australia used by Australian company GTI/Playcorp for marketing and distribution of these cars manufactured by Taiyo (Japan) and customised to their requirements, similar to Tyco (USA) and Dickie Toys (Germany).
Availability and Collectability
It's a tough market for an Aussie (Australian) looking for an Metro Aero Jet Hopper MKII in decent condition, especially one with a box. Australia is a much smaller market, so they just don't come up on eBay as often as their equivalents might in Japan or America.
Heck, even finding a good condition Metro of any type is becoming rare on eBay, with most opportunities now directly with other collectors via Facebook. There are some that appear on eBay Australia, however they're often people asking absurd (United States driven) prices which just don't make sense in the Australian market.
What to do if you must find one for your collection?
Set an eBay Search and be prepared to wait. Of course, you can always widen your search by looking for the Taiyo version. Alternatively, you may find someone ready to sell in our forum, simply post a message and you'll have an audience of collectors, many of whom live in Australia too!
