The Taiyo Mini Typhoon was a radio control hovercraft released in Japan in 1989, and later sold in various other countries under Tyco, Metro, and Dickie Toys brands.
Performance
Despite the smaller size, it still packs the full 9.6V punch, and comparable 14km/h top speed (regular Typhoon 15km/h).
Also like the full size models, it continues that lovely feeling of flying sideways towards some object at speed, frantically flicking all the sticks and switches, realising that hovercrafts have no brakes, and maybe that's why we're not all driving hovercrafts around town in the 2020s!
Better than the originals?
Personally I like these Mini versions better than the original size. Why? Well, they both look and perform similar to the full size models, but in a more compact form, use less batteries (so you can play longer)... what's not to like? Well there's a couple of differences.
- Controller does not have a switch for the main fan, so as soon as you turn the vehicle on, it will start blowing its skirt and hovering. Personally I don’t find this to be a big deal, though others may.
- You can’t control one fan while leaving the other stopped. Instead, it will automatically blow the other fan in the opposite direction, to increase the turning effect. Personally I find this to be beneficial, however others looking for more delicate control prefer the full size version for this reason. Thanks to @casethecorvetteman for pointing this out.
- Smaller lift motor. As a smaller model, the lift motor is also smaller which can be an issue in some conditions. Indoors? Maybe not so much. On water? Definitely.
Other variants
The Typhoon came in many shapes and sizes, here are others you may enjoy reading about.
Availability and Collectability
The Taiyo Mini Typhoon is fairly common to find on Japanese auction sites, though as with all Taiyo / Tyco models it is becoming less common as more collectors buy and keep them locked up.
As for whether or not they're collectable... Toy of the Year 1988? Of course it is! Okay that was the full size version, but for me, same same.
