The 1992 Aero Jet Hopper is a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and released into the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1992.
Smaller, Cheaper, Popular
Six years after the 1986 Tyco Turbo Hopper / 1986 Taiyo Jet Hopper was released into western markets, forever changing the expectations around what a Toy R/C car could provide, Taiyo and Tyco found themselves battling to maintain the interest of children who were more and more focused on video games.
While competing with Nintendo, Sega, and others, Taiyo / Tyco would also be faced with reduced spending on toys globally.
Parents were far more price conscious in the early 90s than they had been just a few years prior, thanks to the 1990-1991 Global Recession and its effects still being felt. Affordability was important, and discretionary good such as expensive toys would have been the first to go.
of 1990-1991, impacting toy sales.
For these reasons and more, Taiyo / Tyco began to focus on more modern, aerodynamic, and colorful designs that would gain the attention of kids, while still being fast and fun to drive, and yet easier on the budget than a full size R/C vehicle. And so the 6 x AA models were released, a half-way point between the smaller slower 4xAA, and the 'full size' 9.6V Turbo cars which were the most expensive.
Features and Performance
So a 6 x AA battery model is effectively a 7.2V car, however without the larger Sub-C batteries that a Hobby Grade 7.2V pack provides, there's significantly less amps and capacity to draw upon, so it does end up being noticeably less dynamic than an 8xAA / 9.6V Turbo pack. That said, this is a fun car that's a leap ahead over any 4 x AA model.
With Shocks on all sides, decent grippy rubber tires, and a fat, blocky motor and gearbox hanging out the back, it's easy to mistake this chassis for the even more peppy one on the 4WD Turbo-4 which can appear similar, though upon close inspection they are quite different. It does however share a chassis with the 1992
- 6 x AA Batteries for up to 7.2V Power
- Shocks All Around
- Two Speed Gearbox (Fast/Slow)
- Stylish aerodynamic design with front and side bumper
- Rear Wing
- Large Off-Road Air Filled Rubber Tires
- Available in Black (27Mhz) and Red (49Mhz) for two player racing action!
- Typical high quality build from Taiyo continues to last
Availability and Collectability
These buggies don't appear on my radar very often, not like the usual Turbo Hopper, Rebound, Bandit, etc. and so it had taken some time for me to identify these, and add them to my database.
Whether you want one or not will depend on whether you owned one as a child, or if you're simply looking for another cool 90s Tyco to add to your collection. There are no inherent problems with these models that I've seen, no problems with tires or frequent broken bumpers like the more popular models, and so when you do find one it's more likely to be in decent shape, and be operating well.
