Remember Benny and the Jets? Well make way for Tarheel and the Helicopters! Loving all toys Tarheel I acquired this gorgeous orange plastic Tarheel Rescue Helicopter this summer, which I posted on the blogster at the time. What I hadn't realised then was that in typically incestuous fashion, other toy companies have produced the same or similar toys as well. Sound familiar!
First up is this Tarheel clone (or vice versa?) below , the fabulously titled Chop Chop Helicopter 'with whirling lighted blades', which can found for sale on a number of sites. Examples I have spotted online have been dated 1966 right up to 1975. It measures approximately 18 inches long.
Below you can see how the Tarheel and Marx toys are exactly the same shape and style, but which was first?
Even closer in appearance and size is this orange Air sea Rescue helicopter by Marx pictured below. Like the Tarheel 'copter it's plastic, battery-operated with those rotating lighted blades, engine sound and drives forward having an adjustable steering front wheel. The lights on the rotor are red and green.The model is just under 12 inches in length, the radius of the the rotors being about 11 inches.
Below is the more unusual Super Copter, possibly by the even more unusual "Johnny Tarheel" toy company of Japan, though I'm not sure (see more on this further down).
The Super Copter, spotted online, is from the late 1960s or early 1970s. Actions included bump-n-go movement, makes tight and full circle turns and the trademark lighted twirling blades. The most unusual features are the opening front doors, through which lighted shooting machine guns pop out with realistic gun and engine sounds!
Even more Marx Helicopters courtesy of Vectis! Besides the Chop Chop battery operated Helicopter (this one pictured above is blue with RAF roundels, has 2 figures inside a clear plastic cock-pit and white rotor blades and model No.6039) we have two smaller ones - a yellow version (model no. 6039) with red rotors, RAF roundels, and a remote control cable and a blue friction drive version with white rotors, RAF roundels and model No.6247.
Above is a Bell Iroquis Helicopter by Marx Clifford Toys from the 1960s. Battery-operated with opening doors,working winch and two crew members.
Above is the rare MASH 4077th 1:8 Scale (meant for 8" size action figures) Bell Medical Helicopter with 8" Hawkeye figure (played in the series by the legendary Allen Alda) from the 1976, Empire Toy Company (nee Tarheel!). The bottom of the helicopter is marked Empire Tarboro N.C. 1976 Carolina Enterprises Inc. "Made In The USA".
The Super Brite Helicopter above was made by Asahi toys ( Japan ) and again features the opening gun doors.
Above and below are two versions of the Super Copter, this time by Johnny Tarheel Toys of Japan. Did this company have links with the US Tarheel Industries in Tarboro? A question that needs answering.
Below is a Rescue helicopter from Italy in the Woodsy collection.
And finally and the least similar but equally fascinating is this effort by the very uncommon HOOVER toys. You'll remember that HOOVER made an incredibly unusual Probe Force 3 knock-off posted earlier in the year. There is also a Police version of this helicopter too.
So Tarheel and the Helicopters! Its thrown up possible links with Marx similar to the story of Century 21. And even murkier is the Johnny Tarheel toy company of Japan. Just where do they fit in I wonder
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