for basic flight, but precision flying will require some patience and time on the controls as in a real helicopter. As noted there is a spring assist to lift the VertiBird. However, in actual operation the assist is not enough to lift the VertiBird off the ground. Most of the lift comes the spinning rotor itself. Subsequently, dropping heavy items during flight will result in a very rapid ascension of the VertiBird unless the pilot has good flight skills. Mattel designed the set with the young flyer in mind. The VertiBird can take quite a beating during crashes and toybox storage. This design has resulted in a toy that has survived over 38 years and remains as fun today as it was when VertiBird first came on the market back in 1971. The one exception to the required VertiBird flight skills was the introduction of the Space: 1999 themed playset, which did not feature the "VertiBird" branding on its packaging elements. The Space: 1999 version was the one playset which (more or less) abandoned the VertiBird concept in favor of a look and feel to match television series. The set had controls were radically different from the standard VertiBird controls. The Eagle (helicopter) was fully supported by controls. The set used only two C-cell sized batteries. The throttle provided nothing more than a switch to spin the rotor. Effectively there was no lift provided by the rotor and instead all lifting is performed with the controls using hand strength. This set would not be a good version for the first time VertiBird pilot wanting to have a true VertiBird experience. Considered notable only for its Space: 1999 theme tie in and high collector value. But otherwise a poorly performing VertiBird set. The later Battlestar Galactica playset successfully blended the VertiBird concept with a science fiction space theme and uses the actual power of the thrust from the rotor to lift other playset objects. Popularity The average retail price for most VertiBirds back during the 1970s was between $8.00 and $20.00(USD). Today, with more and more people collecting and restoring them, collectors are willing to pay over $400 for a working Vertibird. On July 31, 2006, a "mint in box" Vertibird sold for $500 on eBay, with 4 individual bidders bidding at least $400. Earlier eBay sales were also noted for final sale prices in excess of $1200.00 for the extremely