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My
Favorite
Toy If
asked, “what was your favorite childhood toy”, what would be your reply? Obviously, the responses you would receive when posing this question would vary uniquely from individual to individual, and generation to generation. The odds of finding someone with the same exact answer might at first seem astronomical, until you start doing a little research. Ask around, it’s a FUN question and a great topic for conversation.
For
me, the favorite toy I played with as a kid was called “Johnny Astro”.
And
in 1967 as the packaging states, “The Most Unbelievable Toy Ever”,
and I would have to agree. Believe
it or not … I’m not alone in this opinion. Apparently, anyone who has ever
played with this one-of-a-kind toy has fond personal memories associated with
it, which explains why it has become a sought-after collectable. Basically, this unique toy allowed you to fly a balloon around the room by using "wind power" generated by the special control center base unit.
These beach ball
displays were real-kid magnets and could mesmerize a child much longer than
the parents would want to stick around the store. Johnny
Astro created this same child-like fascination and excitement regarding the way
things work in our little corner of the universe. Cleverly concealed within this
incredibly FUN toy was a healthy dose of education. The Physics, Laws of Motion,
and Thermal Dynamics of the toy may not be of importance to a child at first,
but hopefully these questions will need to be answered someday by inquisitive
and inspired minds. The desire for learning can be just as important as the
information that is taught.
Over
the years I often recalled my Johnny Astro whenever I saw some new high-tech toy
created for kids of this 21st century. I honestly can’t say I’ve
seen any modern children’s toy on television that I’d rather play with than
an old Johnny Astro. As
I outgrew my childhood toys, I later discovered the Video Arcade! Actually
I spent my teenage years during the time when video games were just being
developed. Star Trek Mainframe, Pong, Asteroids, and Pac Man where all the state-of-the-art
in computer entertainment. As computers and games developed further, along came
another compelling game called “The Lunar Lander”.
I’ve
seen people with Slot Machines, Pinball Games, Jukeboxes, even Asteroid and
Defender arcade games in the homes, but alas, I’ve never seen someone with an
old Lunar Lander. Fortunately,
there are many software knock-offs of this compelling video game that can easily
be located and downloaded from the Internet. A PC version of this game sure takes up a lot less space than a large arcade game would require in your home. (grin)
Although this blimp had the same attributes associated with indoor balloon flight, at 4 to 5 feet in length they seem rather LARGE and awkward to navigate safely around someone’s living room. These
types of blimps also seem to require a rather expensive 3-volt lithium battery,
not available just anywhere to make things even worse. These
large blimps are a novelty item usually flown at concerts or sporting events.
Unfortunately, it usually takes an auditorium-size room to really appreciate
flying these types of Airships.
For
me the compelling item was some techno-gadget type of magazine. While thumbing
through the pages I happened across an ad for some type of remote-controlled
balloon that handles like a spacecraft. (sound familiar yet?) Further
investigation led me to uncover the holy grail of indoor balloon flight. A
modern day Johnny Astro type toy was actually being produced after all these
years. Unfortunately,
many moons have passed since I wanted to play with a kid’s toy, but the
prospect of possibly re-creating a pleasant childlike experience again got the
better of me so I placed an order.
Although
Johnny Astro was FUN, it unfortunately had a very limited flight zone of
only a few feet away from the fan unit that provided the wind-power. This unique Airship is more like a self-contained Johnny Astro “on steroids”. The
3-fan propulsion system is housed aboard a small lightweight craft that attaches
to the bottom of a helium-filled balloon. The craft is an amazing piece of
modern technology and looks like something right out of the Star Trek universe. This
R/C allows you to easily control your Airship several yards away
from your favorite Lazy Boy recliner. Now you can easily navigate within 3-dimensional space with only one hand.
That
right folks … this is a true R/C Balloon Airship that is more FUN than a
”Barrel of Monkeys”.
This
is definitely something you can’t do with a gas-powered airplane or
helicopter. The flight dynamics of these Airships are as graceful as a hummingbird, and just as exciting to watch. After
gaining flight experience and familiarity of the craft itself, you begin to
realize this toy is a very sophisticated piece of technology.
A
modern lightweight plastic design allows for increased performance and stability
while performing complex maneuvers during rescue missions, or simply navigating
throughout the house. The
smaller 17-inch balloon size of this unique Airship is a vast improvement over
larger 5-foot blimps primarily used for indoor entertainment only. I
can’t wait until my next party, so I can bring out my new Airship and allow my
guests to fly it around the room. And, the next time my nephew comes for a
visit, he will now have something very entertaining to help keep his hands busy
and mind occupied. I
am so impressed with this Airship that I actually decided to carry it within my
own product line. A remote-controlled aircraft, for the reasonable cost of only
$99.95, I knew this product was well worth the minor investment. An investment I
knew my customers would appreciate once they had received their Airship and had
a chance to experience the thrill of flying this one-of-a-kind craft around
their home. Oddly
enough, this Airship seems to appeal not only to the kids, but to older
generations as well, plus, the fascination and excitement of controlling an
Airship seem to be appreciated by both males and females. Johnny Astro or Lunar
Lander fans should love this state-of-the-art vehicle. If you are familiar with how a Johnny Astro operates, and its flight and range limitations, you may wish to view our own unique Airship Videos to see for yourself how vastly superior our innovative design truly is. For more information, or directions on placing a mail order, contact: RJTaylor Enterprises You can also order online using our secure PayPal shopping cart system:
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Many
years later I discovered a remote controlled blimp at a local hobby shop. 
