browse vehicles medium
join our collectors community
Advertisement

Tyco Taiyo Collectors is a resource for enthusiasts of 80s, 90s, and 00s toys produced by Tyco®, Taiyo (Japan), Metro RC, Dickie Toys, and others, and is not affiliated with any toy company.

Join our new facebook group tyco collectors

BUYING

Deal Finder Graphic Promo Buy Tyco RC Taiyo RC CarsBRINGING TYCO BOX ART

Share on Social

Members

Visit Forum

Tyco Internet Forum

Latest Reviews

  • 16065 Nikko Big Brutus Box Front
    The Nikko Big Brutus 4WDS is a 1/16 scale radio controlled monster truck manufactured by NIKKO R/C, and released into…
  • 2353 49 Tyco Jet Hopper Wild Thing Box Front
    The Tyco Jet Hopper Wild Thing was a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), released into the US, UK,…
  • 2331 27 Aero Jet Hopper Box Front
    The 1992 Aero Jet Hopper is a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and released into the US, UK,…
  • 9224 Taiyo Rockie Ace Box Front 1
    The 1992 Taiyo Rockie Ace is a 1/14 scale radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan). Very little is known…
  • 8360 Taiyo 4WD Ford Ranger Car perspective with winch
    This Taiyo Toyota Hilux 4WD is the Japanese version of the 4WD Winch Super Roader. As one of Taiyo's first…

Latest Articles

2004 Taiyo Gyro Hawk

BRANDYEARMODELPOWERSPEEDDRIVEAVAILABLEMINT VALUE*RATINGCOMMENT
taiyo logo very small2004A4036xAA Vsml 0km/h
0mph
N/A
Used:
Rare

NIB:
Ultra Rare
value25 50
3.3 out of 5
Ahead of its time, and one of the final products ever produced by Taiyo, though today it would appear fairly underwhelming.
Rating
3.3
out of 5
Review CommentAhead of its time, and one of the final products ever produced by Taiyo, though today it would appear fairly underwhelming.

Running this archive costs alot of money. To help pay these bills, I use the eBay Partner Network to earn a small commission on any sale, at no cost to you. 

SPECIFICATIONS

ScaleDiff.Made inMotor
TBANoneChinaUnknown
SteeringSuspensionControllerFreq.
UnknownNone TBAWhite/Blue

Found a mistake or inaccuracy? This site is a labor of love by one person in my spare time. I do my best, but I need your help! Contact Me for Feedback or Corrections.

MODEL REVIEW

The Taiyo Gyro Hawk 7.2V was an RC Helicopter released by Taiyo in 2004.

Our commentary on the Gyro Hawk will be via comparison with the hyper-successful Picoo Z which was released two years later and became a worldwide phenomenon.

In the mid 2000s there was a boom of small toy helicopters, thanks to a leap in battery technology (lithium) and micro electric motors. Easily the most memorable, and which many readers may have owned themselves was the 2006 Picoo Z (photo below).

 

 

The 2006 Picoo Z, manufactured by Silverlit, took the world by storm thanks to it being so small, cheap, and eventually cloned and mass manufactured by China (such that you’d never really know if you had a genuine one or not). It entered the Guiness World Record Book as the smallest full function helicopter ever sold. They were truly everwhere, and almost everyone it seemed would have one, break it somehow, buy another, again and again until they were tired of the concept. At just $13 it was’nt hard to justify another one, especially since they flew so well (for the first 5 minutes!).

Two years before this craze, Taiyo released their own mini helicopter with mostly the same features, but in a larger package and with one key weakness.

Above: Notice the large ‘flaps’ both sides of the cockpit, for countering the main rotor torque / spin.

The 7.2V Gyro Hawk was Taiyo’s first foray into helicopters, built at their China facility. Unlike the Picoo Z it was powered by NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydrate) batteries which added significant weight, requiring more power, which then would require two large ‘flaps’ that connected to either side of the cabin to prevent the whole unit from torque spinning out of control. For this reason customers may not have seen it as a ‘real’ helicopter.

Two years later the Picoo Z would solve this problem by using a tiny lithium polymer battery, allowing the whole helicopter to be a fraction of the size of the Gyro Hawk, needing only a small counter-balance rotor on top of the main rotor to keep it stable in flight, and the power of a rear micro motor to keep the torque spin under control.

And so the 7.2V power of the Gyro Hawk was its eventual failure. Had Taiyo been able to focus more on R&D, had they kept their talented Japanese engineers and designers instead of selling out to SEGA who outsourced so much to 3rd parties in China, then they would have been well placed to jump on the 3.2v lithium polymer batteries that Silverlit took advantage of, and perhaps, just maybe, produced a product that was so successful it would save them from liquidation by the fools at SEGA just a few short years later…

    Like it? Then you might also like...

    VALUE / PRICE HISTORY

    Sorry, we don't yet have data for this model. If you think this is incorrect, or would like to help or ask a question please leave a comment below, Contact Us, or post in our forum.

    DISCUSSION

    Subscribe
    Notify of
    Oldest
    Newest Most Voted
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments