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UH-1C Helicopter

21st Century has expanded their eXtreme Detail, 1:18 scale (3 3/4") figures to the Vietnam War era.  Along with the plethora of figures, there are several vehicles, but none quite as cool as the UH-1C Helicopter.

With Jakks buying up 21st earlier this year, who knows just what will happen with this line.  Recent sales at Toys R Us (exclusive distributor of this line) indicates that sales aren't what they'd hoped.  But if this scale is your thing, along with the military theme, then don't pass these up.

I've seen quite a few of the World War II vehicles down to $15 - $20 each, but the Vietnam stuff is fairly new on the shelf, and is still running $30 for the vehicles.

Packaging - **1/2
The boxes are fairly well designed, since you can actually remove the vehicle with very little damage.  You can see the vehicle well, along with the figure, and you can get a good idea of what detail there is.

Unfortunately, there is no picture on the box of the complete vehicle or anything else in the line.  There's no text, and the graphics are fairly plain.

Sculpt (Details) - ****
The sculpting on the included figure is fairly nice, particularly the helmet.  It's not removable, but the detail is excellent, and the figure is fairly nice overall.  They also seem to have corrected the earlier 'size' problem - this figure is about the same size as the carded figures, unlike earlier figures that came with the vehicles.

The detail on the copter is fantastic!  The interior has tons of dials and controls, with excellent attention paid, particularly for this scale.

All four doors open and close smoothly, both the front and back rotors turn easily but not loosely, and the turret gun in front moves up and down.

The glass is clean of glue and scratches, and looks terrific.  Overall, the detail on this chopper is marvelous.

Figure Articulation - ***
I'm not a big fan of these angle cut joints, but they do serve their purpose.  He can stand on his own, and can sit in the vehicle, although it's a bit tough getting him in and out.

Accessories - ***
There isn't much in terms of accessories, unless you include the figure as one.  That's what I've done here, since he's not really what you're buying this for, but is an extra.

As I said above, his sculpt is fairly decent, and although I'm not thrilled with this style of joints, at least he can stand and sit on his own.

He also comes with a small stand, but he doesn't really need it.  A couple small accessories for him would have been nice, but considering how much you're getting with the great detail on the copter, I can't complain.

There is also a base for the helicopter itself, which uses two screws to hold it in place.  It looks good, and although it's not necessary, works well for display.

Paint - ****
Great paint ops!  The lines, decals, and designs on the chopper are all clean and straight.  The detail painting, like the dials and seat belt buckles looks great, and even the paint work on the figure is well done.

Quality - ****
One thing that is often lacking in a vehicle like this is sturdy construction.  Not so here - both the top and rear blades are thick and sturdy, with solid posts holding them in place.  The doors work smoothly, and it would take some real effort to break something.  Sure, it's possible if you drop it, but simply putting this together and normal use aren't going to cause it to fall apart.

Value - ***
At $30, you're paying a fair price for this quality of vehicle and a figure.  If you are interested in this line, I'd grab the WWII vehicles as soon as you can, because at the reduced prices they won't last long.

Overall - ***1/2
I don't collect these, but I have friends that do.  They are SOOOOO tempting though - it's taken all my will power to avoid buying the vehicles that are on sale.

The one thing that stops me - space.  When you get these out for display, they take up a lot of room.  The span on this helicopter is at least a couple feet, and if you do plan on starting on this line, leave lots of room for them.

Where to Buy - 
Toys R Us is the place!  They are the exclusive distributors for the eXtreme Detail line, but you can also grab them on-line at their web site run by Amazon.  Just search for 21st Century, or eXtreme Detail.


Figure from the collection of James DeYonke

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