MBX SkyBusters: The Bat!

10.18.2013 – The Bat is a new type of Bat Plane or some people still consider the Batwing which has numerous reiterations as Batman’s flying vehicle aside from the Batcopter that has been appearing comics and animation series that came before. In the Dark Knight Rises where The Bat was introduced to Bruce Wayne which was designed by Lucius Fox under the Applied Sciences division which has still been kept secret internally at Wayne Enterprises. It’s the latest flying vehicle that’s entirely new introduced in the last installment of the Dark Knight Trilogy.

The Bat was originally intended for close-quarters urban military operations but instead becomes Batman's new primary vehicle. It is an unconventional, lightweight volantor-like craft with a ventrally mounted rotor.

In reality, Nathan Crowley designed the fictional vehicle which he approached it as if it were an actual military project, emphasizing the need for it to "fit into the same family" as the Tumbler and the Batpod. The final version of the Bat takes its design cues from the Harrier Jump Jet, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, and the Boeing AH-64 Apache.

Chris Corbould, Special Effects Supervisor for the film described the Bat's size and shape as presenting a major challenge for filming given Christopher Nolan's emphasis on practical effects over computer-generated imagery. In order to make the Bat "fly", it was variously supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.









It has its first toy model released in 2012 for the Hot Wheels series and it was limited but not entirely as close to its movie counterpart having a very narrow appearance.

Then there was the large scale version that was released by Hot Toys who produced life like action figures for the 1/6 scale series a well detailed version that was also on display during STGCC 2012 (Singapore Toy, Games and Comic Convention).

There were some other versions of the Bat in the regular toy line by Mattel but the smaller models of the flying vehicle have a better design that takes inspiration from its film counterpart that makes it appealing. If you’re not into the full-scale high-end collectible that Hot Toys have released there are small versions but they are not easy to find.





Just like the above mentioned Hot Wheels version, there was also the one Matchbox released in their Skybusters line of diecast aircraft that have helicopters and planes.

The first release came in the same year the Hot Wheels version was sold having a yellow stripe card on the right side of the car then there’s the second version known as the MBX Undercover that has a dark blue stripe on the card.

Matchbox the former rival of Hot Wheels which is also owned the rights by Mattel, has made collecting the Bat a challenging one for those into diecast models.



The Skybusters series is a separate line of diecast vehicles focused on aircraft ranging from helicopters to planes which not entirely a huge interest compared to the cars that Matchbox produces every year.

This probably is one of the rare licensed vehicles to be released under Skybusters series which you won’t even bother looking at unless related to popular culture like the Bat from the Dark knight Rises film. Prior to the release of the Bat, they have Hal Jordan’s fighter plane which came out to promote the 2011 film.

But knowing this is Batman’s ride makes the Bat even more popular than the Emerald Warrior’s fighter plane.



The Bat is not entirely made of diecast but the details are closely based on its film counterpart which includes the pilot seat. But they left to produce the rotor blades that make this machine fly. It’s one of the sought after collectibles that was released for Matchbox Skybusters that rarely gets any attention.

There are no moving parts but definitely a great piece to add to your growing bat vehicles that the Dark Knight use to fight crime.

Overall Matchbox Skybusters the Bat is one unique find that you’ll add to your Batman vehicle collection manufactured by Mattel and distributed in the Philippines by Richwell Prime and it’s retailed at PhP 249.75 pesos ($5.79 US Dollars).

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