Lanlan Corner-cutted Helicopter Cube

LanLan Corner-cutted Helicopter Cube

LanLan Corner-cutted Helicopter Cube is a simplified version of the Helicopter Cube. At first glance it looks like a classic Helicopter, but the manufacturer has cut off its corners. In this puzzle the faces don't turn the way they do on a 3x3 cube. Instead, it turns around the edges, and each turn swaps two corners and several triangular pieces from the neighbouring faces. If you only know 3x3 cubes, it usually takes a few minutes to get used to this.

What the cut corners change

On a regular Helicopter Cube, each corner has three colours and has to be placed in the right spot with the correct orientation. Here, the corners are cut off and have no colours, so their position no longer matters. All that's left to solve are the triangular pieces on the faces. Fewer piece types mean fewer cases to work out, which makes this version a good first encounter with the Helicopter.

Simplified doesn't mean easy, though. The mechanism allows jumbling moves, meaning turns after which the puzzle loses its cube shape. After such a move, you have to figure out how to get it back into cube shape. That's where most of the challenge of this puzzle lies.

Who is it for?

It's a great pick if you already solve the 3x3, Skewb or Pyraminx and want something with different mechanics. It will also appeal to collectors of LanLan puzzles and to anyone who wants to get to know the Helicopter before buying the full version or the Curvy Copter. The Helicopter Cube is not a WCA event, so this is more of a puzzle for your collection and for figuring things out than a cube for practising your times. For a child's first cube, a classic 3x3 is a better choice. The Corner-cutted Helicopter makes more sense as a next, more unusual puzzle.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: LanLan
• Type: Helicopter Cube with cut corners (edge-turning)
• Dimensions: approx. 63 x 61.6 x 61 mm
• Weight: approx. 130 g
• Body colour: black