The Metro Hurricane is a radio controlled hovercraft manufactured by Taiyo of Japan, and released into the Australian and New Zealand markets in 1990 (estimated).
The Metro Hurricane is the local Australian version of the original Taiyo Mini Typhoon and Tyco Mini Typhoon.
Cool Story Bro
Christmas morning 1990, and the young Admin of TycoCollectors.com has just opened the present he was hoping for - a Metro R/C Hurricane! YES!
Opening the box and plugging in the batteries, and GO! It lifts off ZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! And it flies across the room! ZOOOOOOMM. Quick! Turn before you hit the sofa! Turn! Turn! A young me yanks the sticks to the left, and to the right, but the vehicle just spins on its axis aimlessly while sliding quickly towards a certain collision. Zzzt! Zzzt! I try to regain control, but it makes no sense! BOOM! It smacks into a wall.
At that moment I learned the difference between advertisement and reality.
The Hurricane, otherwise known as the Typhoon Hovercraft, is remembered both fondly for its revolutionary design and for its barely controllable real-life performance. Like trying to choreograph a toddler wearing ice skates, it's both scary and exciting, and it always ends in tears.
Difference to full size Typhoon
There are a couple of small differences with the Mini versions that you may not notice immediately.
- 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.
- 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.
Does this make a big difference? If you’re a casual driver like myself you may not notice, but others may find it important.
Features and Performance
As with real hovercrafts, there is no physical connection to the ground, no resistance, no friction, meaning there's no natural brakes - only momentum. Lots and lots of momentum, which you fight against by blowing air in the opposite direction to where you want to go.
Changing course takes some effort and careful planning, the exact opposite of what a child might want to do, or be capable of, which is what makes the whole concept utterly hilarious, yet brilliant at the same time. You just know whatever evil b@stard unleashed this upon Christmas was giving one of those deep heartfelt MUH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAARRR as he signed the contract with Kmart.
Despite this, the Hurricane still manages to be an utterly cool toy, and really truly an actual hovercraft that balances on a thin sheet of air, and is capable of crossing both water and land.
Collectability and Availability
Perhaps it's just the passage of time sugar-coating those memories of Christmas morning, but the Typhoon / Hurricane is one of the most popular 80s/90s radio control models across the whole product range of Taiyo / Tyco / Metro RC.
Usually people pick it up because seeing it brings a whole wave of nostalgia, while others want to share the experience with their own son or daughter in a time when radio control isn't as commonplace as it used to be.
But are they available? Well sadly these Metro Hurricane models are extremely uncommon, I've only seen photos of a couple during the past few years, and never seen one listed. However the Tyco and Taiyo versions (see my Guide to the Tyco Typhoon) are widely available and easy to pick up, often in good condition. Just ensure you buy one with an air curtain / rubber skirt in good condition, as replacing those is near impossible (the spare parts are even less common than the vehicles themselves).
If you are having difficulty coming across a decent quality Typhoon, let us know in the forum and we'll point you in the right direction.
