Today's Toys & Stuff blast from the past is a neat tin-litho jet fighter from the glory days of Japanese tin, the USAF FG-761 Jet Fighter. This is from the Japanese firm of 'M' - sounds rather secretive, but much more than that I couldn't say. I've yet to find a really good reference on Japanese tin in general, and aircraft in particular so until I get more info we'll just have to settle for that.
This is a fairly large airplane measuring 14" (35.6cm) L with a 12 1/2" (31.8cm) wingspan. The toy has outlines very similar to the F-84F Thunderstreak but I'm not willing to commit to that yet. It could be a stylized toy version of the Thunderstreak or another aircraft altogether. The toy sports wing drop tanks, which, on the original, would be jettisoned upon engaging the enemy but are fixed on the toy. The underbelly wheels have a friction motor and the entire wing assembly is a separate piece which simply clips on to the fuselage. This was a common practice and made it easier to place the toy in a smaller box for shipping and displaying. There is no nose cone. It's a really cool toy from an era when Japan tin was abundant - and cheap! Enjoy!
