Aliens Mini Dropship

 Not quite the Dropship from Aliens

So one of the most iconic vehicles from Aliens was the Dropship. It's introduction was fantastic; dropping from the Sulaco into orbit of LV-426, deploying it's missile pods and circling the complex, dropping the APC, and even it's fantastic escape from the atmospheric processor explosion. A fantastic vehicle design. 

Kenner came close to giving us that vehicle as a toy, but it was ultimately cancelled (more on that topic another time). It looked amazing. Dang!

(Kenner 1993 NY Toy Fair From YouTube)

But Kenner did give us something like it...sort of...kinda: the Mini Dropship, with drop-and-lock wings! It's a mini version of the Dropship (not really). Slated for 1993, it was seen in cross sells on many late Series 2 Aliens & early Predator figures. 

Kenner never released this vehicle for the Aliens line. It made it as far as box samples (more than 1 is a guess), with stickers and packaging and all. It was nixed. The toy itself was eventually released under Kenner's VR Troopers toy line in 1994/95. Despite rumors, it was never released at retail under the Aliens line. A boxed specimen DID pop on eBay around 2005. I remember that auction. I did not win. Not even close...

Many people customize the VR Troopers version to make their own Aliens Mini DropShip. The VR Troopers version isn't particularly expensive or hard to come by. 

This would've been a neat little vehicle. And since it was small, it would've had a low price-point at retail. But by '93 Kenner shifted focus on just the creatures so any humans & vehicles were ditched for more monsters. Oh well.

Thank you for reading.

**Check out another write up on the topic from collector Phil Wlodarczyk;

 https://www.hideousplastic.com/?page_id=10941