Victor Stanzel ElectroMic "Copter" Tethered Helicopter
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.
I also ran across this 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. I might have also had
the airplane, but definitely not the flying saucer.
Stanzel ElectroMic "Copter" Plastic Astronauts are missing from my model
(photo from an eBay listing)