Launcher toy fun for boys

Air Hawk Missile Launcher

Boys love missiles. Boys love guns. Combine the two, and you have the Air Hawk Missile Launcher. The toy is recommended for ages six and up. My 9- and 4-year-old boys were excited and wanted to play with the toy immediately. It has a warning that it is a choking hazard for children three and younger, so they need to watch out for their 10-month–old sister.  

The Air Hawk consists of two soft–foam missile bodies with three foam tail fins and a holding ring on each one. The gun is a long, thin plastic gun with a catch and a spring. You easily load the missile on to the gun and pull it until the catch on the gun clips onto the holding ring. You pull the trigger, and the missile is released and launched for extra-long distance flight. I found it does travel a good distance, but it does not shoot straight the whole way. I expected it to travel further and remain straight for a longer distance.

Warnings: (1.) Don’t point toward people or animals or fragile objects. Even though the missile is made of soft foam, it has a little sting to it if you shoot someone within close distance. (2.) The missile is not durable at all. Granted, I let my 4-year old play with the missile. He easily ripped the fins off of one of the missiles, which were simply glued on. As for the second missile, it did not fare well, although I am not sure which boy destroyed it. It was easily ripped in half. Luckily, the toy retails for only $4, so the fact that it is not durable is not that much of a surprise, and you can easily afford to replace missiles. 

All ratings on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high).

Meet the Reviewer!

Rose Murphy-Hamlet is a former New York litigation attorney.  She is now a stay-at-home mother to two boys (8 and 4 years) and a daughter (9 months). Rose lives in Fairfax with her children and husband, but is originally from the Bronx.