One of the most coveted Hot Wheels sets is the Sky Show set from 1969. It's difficult to find the cars and really difficult to find the planes! In my years of collecting, I've found one car and a box. That's it. So, in 1995, when Playing Mantis came out with their own version of the Sky Show set, a lot of people scooped them up, me included.
Let's take a look, shall we?
This is the Johnny Lightning Sky Show! It comes with an El Camino launch car, three planes, and track.
Here is what's inside the box. When I opened this up, I realized that I've never actually opened it before. Not because I was afraid to reduce the value, but because I just stuck it on a shelf and let it sit. Let's unpack a bit more, shall we?
I didn't take the car out, but you can see it well enough. The planes are the most interesting thing to me. They are extremely thin blow molded plastic and have a hook to latch onto the rubber band launcher. I didn't try to throw them, but I may later.
I AM curious how far the planes 'fly' once they get launched. If it's more than 8 ft. or so, you'd have to set up the track outside or in a large empty room, like a school gymnasium. Otherwise yer gonna knock Mom's favorite figurine off the shelf!
ReplyDeleteBefore I saw the photo of you handling the planes, I thought they were bigger than that; maybe twice that size. I can't help but think that this is one of those toys that, after playing with it for an hour or so, it would get stuck in a closet; never to see the light of day again. Unless you could figure out some new uses for it; like torturing the family dog or cat. ;-)
Thanks, Stu.
Well, your comment got me wondering and so I drug the kit off of the top shelf yet again to performance test the planes. I thought about opening up the car, but that would involve tearing the clear blister off, and I chickened out.
DeleteSo, I hand tossed the planes. The results were...disappointing.
Then I got a rubber band and tried flicking them with that. It was worse.
To sum up- hand tossed they "flew" like darts, straight, but with no real lift. About four feet.
Band launched, they just did cartwheels.
So, back they went to the top shelf. And we are all wiser somehow...
I had the Sky Show, and the planes are long-gone, but I still have one of the cars that held the planes. Unfortunately, I was a destructive kid and basically destroyed the plastic thing that you mounted the planes to. If only I had known, but with that logic, I would have never played with my Corgi Batmobile or Yellow Submarine either!
ReplyDeleteDid the planes fly decent on your set? I ask because I'm thinking the original set may have been better.
DeleteHang onto that car! You can get re-pop plastic thingies!