I was in HS today and saw the Tamiya bubbletop and did a double take, the box art was different and…it had a motorised prop and ball bearings in the gear, apparently you flick the prop and this thing starts taxiing around the floor! It looked like the nose came apart at the cowl so one could strap fresh batteries in it. Anybody heard of these models?
Steve
Not familiar with the bubble top but the zero has been around a while. It doesnt really taxi anywhere… unless you Tim Allened it and upp the juice I guess. The sound comes form a chip in the provided base and the plane “hooks” into it and flick the switch the prop starts and sounds are a going. Also the light on the model light o\up… at least on the zero.
Yes! Tamiya does have a bubble-top jug with a spinning prop. I personally don’t get it,but never the less there she is. Maybe you could use it to blow paint over-spray into your model case.
not too funny,
dragonfly
Yeah this thing is some kind of toy! I mean new bubbletop tooling with this motor thingy in it! and to add insult to injury, they advertise on the box top (showing a cutaway) the main gear on “ball bearings” which will make your $50.00 (retail) model shoot across the floor at full throttle even faster. Tamiya has lost it - “there’s your sign”
Steve
Tamiya has issued several kits with the prop action feature. Unless you like gimmicks, & enjoy paying a premium, avoid them.
Regards, Rick
The bubbletop P-47 is the only such “taxiing” model. It’s been out for a couple of years, too. The other prop-action kits are all on bases or stands.
I don’t see any problem with it…it’s the same great model, but it taxis! How is that an insult to anybody?? You don’t dig the gimmick, you don’t buy the kit.
It doesn’t particularly float my boat either, but I’m sure somebody’ll get a kick out of it!
for the type of money the Prop action series costs they should be able to turn the prop,taxi around then take off do a few circuits around the field and then land. Maybe even shoot down the Tamiya A6M zero while its at it.
nice… I thought that was one of the base ones too… it taxxi’s huh… intersting.
I think Tamiya should come out with a kit that builds itself ;-).
Dan
PS-Tamiya’s kits are great but they seem to be getting quite pricey.
Brian,
what i was getting at is that someone would actually want to put thier work in jeopardy by having it careening around the floor uncontrolled. I’m sure it would be a great toy for a kid…for as long as it lasted. The whole premise just seems kind of dumb to me. I mean I’m cool with the whole thing and to each his own, but it just struck me as being a dopey marketing move.
Steve
My wife bought me the prop action Lanc a few years back, but I can’t bring myself to finish it yet. I started it but I got too afraid to finish it because of the price she paid!
Maybe this thread is a sign…
Oh, I’m with ya all the way! Sorry if I sounded defensive.
I guess it’s kinda like using the full Aber detail set on the 1/16 full option Tiger…too dangerous!
As far as pricing goes, it’s not exactly cheap even here in Japan…about $35 USD. But most “toys” are about that price too, so if the kids want one, it’s not out of reach.
But think about it for a second though…it’d be kinda sorta cool to see your li’l Jug putt-putting around the floor or tabletop, wouldn’t it?
No?
Aw, you guys just ain’t no fun at all! [;)][;)][:D]
Is it OSHA and ANSI and NRC approved? That thingy sounds like something where some kid would stick his finger or nose into the spinning prop and then, “Let the lawsuits begin!”
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
The price on the kit was $55.00 USD, taxi away Tamiya-san!