Radio Flyer’s Luke Skywalker Landspeeder Is the Star Wars Toy You Always Dreamed Of
Oh to be a kid again in this day and age of advanced technology. While we had Big Wheels and Power Wheels growing up, today's kids have things like Mercedes cars and BMWs to drive around the playground. Those are cool and all, and they made me mildly jealous, but not nearly as much as learning Radio Flyer is releasing a battery-driven Landspeeder from Star Wars in a few months. I haven’t wanted to be a kid again so much in my life.
Coming this September, just around the time all of Lucasfilm’s licensing partners will be dropping new The Last Jedi hotness, Radio Flyer is looking backwards for its newest product. Despite the company’s pedigree for red pull wagons, Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder is not the company's first battery-driven vehicle. Radio Flyer does make those kiddie Teslas. After 100 years in the wagon game though, it seems only fitting to offer the Landspeeder in conjunction with Star Wars: A New Hope’s 40th anniversary this year.
Sadly though, it’s only rated for weight up to 130 lbs., which means any human adult above 5’ tall is unlikely to be able to get behind the wheel of this toy. Don’t think for one second I haven’t already theorized about what my body would look like if I suddenly dropped 65 lbs. just to be able to meet the weight limit on this thing. I’d still never fit inside the cockpit though. And even if I could, you can believe that this thing would be impossible to drive.
The Landspeeder isn’t just a shell over a stock chassis. Inside the cockpit, you’ll find a dashboard that mimics the actual interior as best as a miniaturized version can. It also comes with lights and sounds from the film, like the engine running or R2-D2 complaining about the lack of legroom in the back seat. The exterior has been lovingly touched up to look like a child version of the real deal, complete with damage and some exposed machinery. The three-speed engine should give it just enough boost in second gear (5MPH) to move as quickly as its cinematic counterpart too.
The Radio Flyer Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder is available for pre-order now in the US at Toys ‘R Us for $499.99. It's due to start shipping on September 5, 2017.