When I was young, all we could afford was the washer and a piece of string. Neither glides very well and hurt like he!! when my sister took it from me and hit me me with it.
Long ago I had a toy helicopter similar to a vertibird but a bit more elaborate. It was made by Marx or Hasbro. It was tethered by a counter balanced rod. The Pilot controlled its up, down, forward, or reverse motion by two control sticks (collective & cyclic). It even had an operable hoist for those emergency rescues.
I have never seen one since except the cheaper Vertibird. I believe this toy caused my interest in flying which led me to control line, Hueys in the Army, and now back to control line.
Thomas