Storm Hawks Condor
Durability: 4/5
Longevity: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Score: 85%
Conclusion: A very cleverly designed toy – and a great complement to Spin Master’s 4in. Storm Hawks action figures.
The Condor is the aircraft carrier used by the Storm Hawks squadron. This model captures the look of the ship convincingly and is sturdily constructed.
Scaled to fit the 4in. Storm Hawks action figures (sold separately, see our earlier review here), it has a moulded handle and sits in the hands like a toy rifle.
There’s plenty of scope for play here, with the same sort of plastic pegs dotted around the ship that we saw on the Skimmer – these let you pose the 4in. figures for Sky Fu battles without them falling off.
There’s also room for a figure to sit inside the Condor cockpit and the two pontoons open up, which is great for storage of accessories (and they contain a few props as well, including a telescope).
The main feature of this toy, however, is its ability to launch small-scale Skimmers. You get three of these, nicely detailed and made from tough, tear-resistant vinyl, with metal rods to reinforce them.
These little planes fold up very cleverly to fit inside the Condor. All three can be loaded at the same time and the Condor then works with a pump-action launching mechanism. Hold the handle, pull back on the pump-action grip and a Skimmer pops up onto the launch deck and unfolds it wings. Let go of the grip and the little plane flies away.
Repeat the process to launch all three Skimmers in quick succession and kids are instantly demanding to do it again.
This is a really successful feature. It is robust and very effective. Loading the planes takes a bit of practice, but our six-year-old tester got the hang fairly quickly. The planes fly very well and the quick-launch process means you can get the whole squadron in the air in no time at all.
The Skimmers themselves also deserve praise. They are very tough and more than capable of surviving the inevitable impacts with doors and walls.
The result is a distinctive toy that all young boys seem to really enjoy, whether they are familiar with the Storm Hawks programme or not.
Approx. price: £24.99
Age range: 4+
Website: www.spinmastertoys.co.uk
