SengSo 3x3 Helicopter Icosahedron

SengSo 3x3 Helicopter Icosahedron

The SengSo 3x3 Helicopter Icosahedron is a ShengShou puzzle shaped like an icosahedron. It works much like the Helicopter Cube: instead of turning whole layers, as on a regular 3x3 cube or a Megaminx, you rotate pieces around the edges and corners. Turning one point also moves the neighbouring pieces, so the methods you know from layer-based cubes won't help you much here.

Design and look

The puzzle has 20 triangular faces, each divided into 7 pieces. The Stickerless Bright version has no stickers. The colours are in the plastic itself, and every face has its own bright colour. With 20 faces this really matters, because it makes it easier to track where each piece should go. The frosted (matte) surface gives a good grip and doesn't pick up fingerprints as easily as glossy plastic. The pieces have slightly contoured, concave surfaces that help you grip them more securely.

Mechanism and adjustment

The puzzle is made of ABS plastic and has no magnets. It has tension adjustment, so you can set it up for looser, freer turning or for a tighter, more controlled feel. With such an unusual shape this is useful, because during your first solves it's worth working calmly without the risk of popping.

Who is it for?

This is not a speedsolving puzzle, nor a good choice for your first puzzle. It will be most fun for people who have already solved standard cubes, the Pyraminx, Skewb or Megaminx and are looking for something that requires a different way of thinking. For collectors of shape mods and Helicopter-type puzzles, it's an interesting addition from the ShengShou range. Many moves affect several pieces at once, so solving it takes patience and your own analysis.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: ShengShou (SengSo)
• Type: Helicopter, icosahedron
• Number of faces: 20, each divided into 7 pieces
• Size: 74.5 mm
• Product dimensions: 7.2 x 7.2 x 7.2 cm
• Colour version: Stickerless Bright
• Finish: frosted, no UV
• Magnets: none
• Tension adjustment: yes
• Material: ABS