December 2008 New Specialty Toys — Aircraft

This light, Styrofoam airplane is simple enough for easy flight and durable enough for an eventual nosedive. It has the distinctive double wings of biplanes, and a bright red color detailed with checkered stripes on the wings and tail. Charging off its launcher in less than a minute, the plane is just a trigger-pull away from flight. The charger-controller requires six AA batteries.
— “[It's] Kid Galaxy by far. The Backyard Flyer,” said Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys & Books Store in Scottsdale, Ariz., when asked about best-selling flying toys in October 2008.
— “The Red Biplane is actually our best seller,” Ava Allen, owner of Be Beep a Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly.
— About 25 percent of 68 retailers named the Backyard Flyer from Kid Galaxy as a top-selling toy.

It's a bird... It's a plane...no, it's AirShark, the glider with attitude. Soft and safe, with rubber-band propulsion it flies over 50 feet. "It is a simple glider with attitude.
Any one can make it fly," said Laura T. Brewer, VP of marketing, Play Visions. Launch date: July 28, 2008.

This easy-to-build plane is made of pre-cut pieces of balsa wood. The double-wing design is stenciled with dramatic details for an authentic World War I look, with the spacing of the structure maintained by light plastic pieces to keep everything in place.  
— “Balsa wood planes, by Guillow,” said Joel Hardy of Magpie Toys in Red Lodge, Mont., of the store’s best-selling flying toys.
— Eight percent of 68 retailers reported Guillow’s balsa flyers as top sellers among aircraft in October 2008.

Recommended for outdoor use only, this lightweight glider comes with a launcher and is available in different styles. It is easy to assemble and fly, and can soar up to 50’. The safe, soft flyer has a wingspan of 9” and comes with instructions.