The Glider Launcher with the orange, purple, & black Gliders
Aero Gliders are a type of cancelled Nerf Ammunition included only with the Glider Launcher. They are just like Missiles in length, but are greatly modified in design.
Details:[]
Despite them looking similar to Missiles, they are built very differently, with a plastic weight in the tip and the fins being shaped differently, and arranged in a configuration similar to that of a plane's. However, the large fins(or more accurately wings) are easy to damage and bend, despite being much sturdier than normal Nerf fins. Articles state they "were like bricks" or like "throwing a woolen shirt into the air"[citation needed], so they were likely the largest failure of a product besides the 1994 Switchfire.
They are one of the rarest ammunition types, but despite that have four different color schemes.
The yellow & black variant comes with the unpainted version of the Glider Launcher, and is the earliest known version.
The red & black version of the Glider comes with the first painted version of the Glider Launcher.
The orange, purple, & black and orange & black versions come with the second painted version of the Glider Launcher(two purple and one orange glider come with this version).
History[]
The Aero Glider was initially concieved in 1996(or possibly late 1995), and has at least three different variations. Despite the gliders being improved between versions, they overall still vastly underperformed and were eventually cancelled entirely in favor of the throwable gliders. Interestingly, the Daily press article "TOY STORY: NASA MEETS NERF" only ever refers to them as prototypes, and never a released product. Atop this, it makes several direct references to the gliders and their patron blaster being cancelled entirely in favor of the aforementioned throwable gliders.
This makes all units of Glider Launcher gliders technically prototypes, which is evident by the clear evolution in design between the three versions and the throwable gliders. However, some Glider Launcher and glider ammunition was manufactured en masse, making them abundant for a prototype.
Evolution(known):[]
The very first version of the gliders is comparatively primitive, being the yellow & black glider ammo. These gliders had several problems, and very rarely performed as advertised. These gliders were too light, had a flush plastic head, and has flimsy fins. In addition, the flaps were set too far out, which caused a thin spot in the fins that could easily bend.
The second version of the gliders is the red and black gliders, and is much more evolved than the first, though it has some major flaws. It improved on the durability and usability, featuring indentions to make folding of the flaps easier and much stiffer foam wings. It also inset the plastic head so that foam would strike a surface, rather than the head. However, the foam was too dense, and made the glider far too heavy to actually glide. Sometimes this can cause the fins to detach from their own weight.
The third version and second revision is the purple, black, and orange & purple and orange gliders, grouped together. This version kept most of the same design, but greatly reduced the weight of the fins, taking away the main problem with the previous version of the gliders. These performed the best out of the aero gliders, but still fell greatly short of actual glider performance.
The final version is the throwable gliders, which were directly derived from the launchable gliders. However, unlike the original glider ammo, it was split into two different versions, one for flying far(the Super Soaring Glider), and the other for doing stunts(the Ultra Stunt Glider), rather than the original ammo gliders that attempted to do both at once.
Trivia[]
- The Glider is the most different variant of ammo from its original version of any ammunition type. Only the Gear Tooth Arrow and Sonic Jet are comparable.
- The Aero Glider is the most abundant prototype Nerf ammunition to date.
- There is a fifth version of the glider that has a simple yellow body and black fins/wings, but a strange large red head. It was never released to the public and was only advertised in a single page of a Nerf catalog alongside a dark blue version of the Glider Launcher.
- The Aero Glider is the only type of ammunition to have a direct product evolution and revisions.
- They are the only type of ammunition(and product, in their patron blaster) to have ever had a theoretical public test market, which is indirectly referenced in an old NASA article.
- They are the type of ammo with the longest period of cancellation, as after the gliders were perfected and still vastly underperformed, which led to them being dropped and the two throwable gliders being developed.
- The second version(red and black) gliders feature the densest fin foam of any ammo, rivaling the Elite Missile.
Compatible Blasters[]
- Glider Launcher
- NB-1 Missile Blaster
- Missilestorm(only two)
- Double Crossbow
- Arrow Strike(two)
- Switchfire (1994)(partially)