At-a-glance information:

In the early 60s, Ideal designed what is now one of the most collectible of the 'big plastic' battery operated toys. This is the Ideal Electronic Fighter Jet.

This is a large console toy. As in the Astro Base, it is finely made of high quality plastic, and has some fantastic engineering contained within.

The premise here is that you are flying a new fighter jet, and must stay on course, as well as shoot down enemy planes. Both these activities are conducted with this toy.

The large joystick is utilized to keep the plane on track. The lighted radar scope will help the pilot do that, and if he should go off course, a red Off Course Warning light will turn on.

By pressing the top button on the joystick, a machine gun noise can be heard.

But the biggest thing this toy has going for it is contained within.

When the target beam is turned on, the Fighter Jet will illuminate a silouette of an enemy aircraft and project it across the wall. You can track the lighted shape and then fire one of four missile darts at it. When you fire, the motor in the machine stops, the silhouette stays in the position it was when you fired, and you can see if your dart hit it or not! Very ingenious. You can even select from a series of planes and rockets!

	This shot reveals more details on the on/off/throttle handle, and the joystick. Joystick moves in all directions, and controls the vertical sight within the round 'Radar Scope'. Red button on top of joystick fires simulated rocket fire, similar sounding to the "Rocket Fire" sound on Ideal's Astro Base.
	Here is a close up of the throttle and information label.
	When the selector is on radar scope, the pilot's function is to try to keep the red vertical indicator in the approriate range of the target. When he is out of range, the OFF COURSE light, seen to the left of the pilot's hand, glows.
	Here is what the light looks like. Notice that the Off Course Indicator switch is on, as is the Radar Scope Switch. The Air Speed indicator automatically moves around the dial by itself.
	As long as you stay on course, the Radar Scope illuminates. The light holder moves back and forth, sweep style, by itself, and the pilot must keep the indictor on the light, or his Off Course indicator will light up, as shown above.
	The Bank and Turn indicator moves with the movement of the joystick. All instruments, whether functional or manually set, are of nice quality, and typically function very well, a testiment to how well this toy was made. This toy is 40 years old, and looks like new.
	If you move the switch shown above to Target Beam, the toy projects a silhouette of the enemy planes on the wall!!! Here is a fuzzy picture of one.
	The magic of this toy continues. The silhouette shown above moves across the wall! Your objective is to shoot it. This image is projected out the back of the unit, from the port shown. Above, the pilot is loading rubber tipped "missiles" into the launcher. The launcher holds 4 darts, and has a pop-up site.
	Here is the Rocket Fire Panel. Each red switch fires a rocket dart. You site, wait for one of the moving targets, and fire! When you do, the silhouette stops on the wall, and you can see if your dart (hopefully stuck to the wall!) hit it!!!! Press here to hear the phony announcer.
	Box art.

Other interesting notes:

These run a crazy price range from $75 to over $300. Most of these have held up very well. The suction tips on the rocket darts typically have dried and cracked, but could easily be replaced with other dart suction cups.

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