Recreating Mattel’s Iconic Vertibird Toy Helicopter

In the early 1970s, radio-controlled (RC) vehicles were still very much in their infancy. While it was certainly possible to build an RC helicopter similar to what we know today — and some kits would start hitting the market around that time — they were far too advanced and expensive to be considered “toys.” But there was clear potential there, so Mattel did what it does best: it created a helicopter toy that took advantage of clever tricks in order to bring the price down to something manageable. That toy was the Vertibird and Gord Payne recreated it with some modern advancements.

The Vertibird first graced toy store shelves in 1971 and several different styles (with different terrain sets) came out over the years. But they all worked in the same way, with a tethered system. That is the key to keeping the cost and complexity down. The helicopter itself didn’t contain any electronic components or even a motor. Those were all in the controller, which transferred motion to the helicopter’s rotors through a flex shaft. Another cable linkage allowed for pitch control. The user could adjust those with a pair of levers to control lift and pitch. Roll was unnecessary and the “yaw” was fixed, since the helicopter was tethered. So it would just fly in circles around the controller.

That was a really ingenious way to give kids the ability to fly at an affordable price. A hook on the bottom of the helicopter turned that into a game, challenging children to hone their flight skills to pick up objects.

Payne’s VoytiBoyd works in exactly the same way, but with modern electronics. A Microchip ATtiny85 microcontroller oversees everything. It controls the DC motor that provides lift, as well as the servo motor that adjusts pitch. The control inputs are simple potentiometers linked to the controller’s levers.

Almost all of the parts for this project were 3D-printed, using 3D models designed by Luke J Barker. The exceptions are parts like bearings, fasteners, and the helicopter’s rotors. Payne even 3D-printed a little guy for the helicopter to rescue from precarious positions. The result in a faithful Vertibird experience that should bring back many fond memories for those that had the original Mattel toy as kids.