The Mad Hornet Airplane features two modes: pre-flight check mode and taxi mode. Insert the special key into the stopper slot, then give up to 21 pulls on the winding string. Place the aircraft on a flat surface, remove the key and watch as your Mad Hornet comes to life. In check mode the propeller spins while the wing flaps and tail rudder wiggle, before the aircraft switches automatically to taxi across the airfield to the runway for takeoff. In taxi mode your aircraft starts taxiing immediately, traveling up to 2.5 metres!
The 1920's and 30's were the "Golden Age of Flight." Aircraft design evolved from cloth and wooden biplanes to metal monoplanes, and ever more powerful aircraft engines opened up new possibilities for military and civilian use. Air racing, as depicted in the popular "Rocketeer" comic books, became a spectator sport. The Gee Bee R-1 won the Thompson Trophy (one of the most prestigious U.S. air races) in 1932, piloted by Jimmy Doolittle, who would go on to win the Medal of Honor for leading a daring bombing raid on Japan after Pearl Harbor. With a maximum speed of 294 mph, the R-1 lapped all but one of its competitors in the 1932 race because it was able to stay high on the course owing to its excellent maneuverability at high speeds. In Doolittle's words, "she is the sweetest ship I've ever flown."