Victor Stanzel ElectroMic "Copter" Tethered Helicopter
Advertisement in the 1969 edition of Montgomery Ward's Christmas
catalog. It has not just the helicopter, but also the airplane and Lunar Bug versions.
Stanzel ElectroMic "Copter" Plastic Astronauts are missing from
my model (photo from an eBay listing)
For most people my age (born in 1958), the
first experience with a "real" flying model helicopter was this ElectroMic "Copter"
by Stanzel. I finally acquired one via eBay for a fair price. The "Copter" uses
two D-cell batteries in the plastic handle to power a motor, also in the handle,
which in turn drives the center wire of a coaxial cable that connects to the helicopter
rotor. Flying the Copter is a matter of pressing the power button and then manipulating
the handle to direct the model in flight. With fully charged batteries, the helicopter
generates a lot of lift and requires angling the control cable downward to prevent
the thing from performing the equivalent of a wingover. Forward and reverse flight
involve angling the controller left and right. After a few moments of practice,
precise control is fairly easy.
