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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Marx Sparkling Supersonic Jet Plane - Blue Fuselage

New for '52! The Marx plastic Supersonic Jet Plane first appeared in the Sears Christmas Wishbook for 1952. The plane's fuselage and wings were all plastic with some metal parts. The wings are integral with the fuselage and not removable, making it impossible to service the sparking mechanism. As the plane rolls forward it makes noise and turns the 'motor'. The plane's design is rather generic and doesn't follow any particular prototype, but is an interesting look at toy manufacturer's 'take' on the relatively new world of supersonic flight.  Available in a variety of colors, today's featured airplane has a beautiful Royal Blue fuselage with silver spray painted on the top of the wings and a portion of the fuselage. The ad states the toy is 14 1/2" long but I measured 15" (38.1cm) long with a 10 1/4" (26cm) wingspan. My sample does have a couple of condition issues - the pilot is missing and the tip of the vertical stabilizer is busted off, but the decals are intact. It displays well :-)  As old as these are, one can still find them on eBay for a modest sum. Enjoy!