Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is the 18th vehicle in the Matchbox TV Show/Movie series brand Star Car Collection. It was part of the second release in 1998. It's not a bad vehicle and is a lot closer looking to the one in the film than most of Matchbox's other Star Cars are. Like all Star Car vehicles it does have the movie name on the body of the plane (in fact it uses the Top Gun logo) and that is on the right wing. Writing the name of the movie on the vehicles is one of the things many people don't like about this series but you've got to remember Matchbox cars unlike say Johnny Lightning and the brands designed primarily for collectors are usually not kept in the blister pack packaging and are first and foremost kids toys so I guess that's why they do it. Would I have preferred they didn't write the movie name on the plane. Sure I would, but I understand why it's there.
Also on the grey plane (which is an aircraft carrier Swing-Wing Jet, just in case your wondering) are the words "Maverick" and "Goose" just underneath the glass canopy on both sides of the nose of the plane. What does let the plane's appearance down and the reason I rate this only four stars is the landing gear (wheels). They just look cheap and utilitarian and do not resemble actual plane landing gears. They are obvious like this to be more durable in some little kids rough landings and stuff but yeah they don't look great, especially the back wheels which look like a bench-press bar with weights on each end. The plane is positioned in the blister pack so you can't see them anyway if it's sitting on a shelf or something, unless you pick it up and rotate it. If you do take it out of the packaging the wings also move.
Packaging wise, it's very good. A lot better than your typical Matchbox car (which is why you don't find many Matchbox cars still in their blister packs). Like with what Johnny Lightning do, Matchbox have designed these things so the cardboard on the back enhances the display of the vehicle if kept in the pack. And since the plane like all Matchbox cars a lot more durable than Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning etc, if you want to take it out you've got the best of both worlds. The card above and behind the clear blister has an image of five planes on the carrier deck, some pilots walking on the deck, old style film bordering those planes and the top Gun logo. Above that you've got a yellow star with special edition and the number of the vehicle in the series (18), the words Ages 8 and Up and the Matchbox and Star Car Collection logos. I know a few collectors who cut the top part off and it's designed pretty well to do that and just keep the film photos part. On the back of the star cars there's also three trivia questions from the shows/movie in this series, including the answers.
Also inside the blister you get a little cardboard box with the Top Gun and Matchbox Star Car logos to put the plane in or to sit it on top for display if you have chosen to open the blister.
Amazon doesn't seem to sell all the Star Car Collection but the others in the series are Grease, Taxi, The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, M*A*S*H, Mission Impossible, Magnum P I, Miami Vice, Jaws (this is the most expensive one to track down), Animal house, Adam-12, Smokey and the Bandit (also fairly pricey), Mork & Mindy, Laverne and Shirley, The Untouchables (I've reviewed that too) and American Graffiti.
Unlike most other Matchbox cars there is a big difference in price of these vehicles loose to inside their blister packs. Since they appeal to a lot of movie car collectors there are a lot still available in their packaging. You shouldn't be paying more than $10-12 with postage for this one. Any Top Gun fan or die-cast vehicle movie collector will be pleased with this.
The Matchbox plane is the same size as your normal 1/64 scale sized Matchbox car although obviously since planes are a lot bigger in real life, it's not the same scale.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Matchbox Star Car Collection(1998) Limited Edition Top Gun Swing Wing Jet(#18 in Series)
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