Marx 45mm Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines: Putting Them To Use On The Flightline

 Okay, honestly, this guy really needs to be up on a tower, signaling incoming aircraft, except...

...I don't have a tower! This'll do for now until I figure something out.

Ed

Japan - Unk Mfr AF-6866 Tin Air Force Staff Car

Here's the companion piece to yesterday's Army staff car by an unknown Japanese manufacturer. While marked "U.S. Air Force" on the roof of the car, the insignia is clearly a fantasy image and not the one used by the Air Force (or any other service for that matter). Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Hong Kong - Everlast Toys No. 501 Air Force Wind-up Helicopter

Well, I did it again. This makes like the sixth time this year I got on fleaBay, saw something I liked, was okay with the price and the shipping and bought it. Then I waited. And waited. Then I think, "Where the heck is this thing coming from? Why is it taking so long?" I look at the listing - Jeruselem! hahahaha alrighty then, that explains it :-) Yup. Just recently got toys from Israel, the Czech Republic, England, the Ukraine, Argentina, Russia. Truly toy collecting has become international. 

What attracted me to this toy was it was a blue Air Force helicopter - simple. It resembles the much larger Marx Huey but is a bit more of a caricature in its form - more Huey-ish than straight up Huey. The blades, which detach from the rotor hub, are kind of a funky color but when they're spinning it's quite a nice effect. The wind-up key is integral to the body and cannot be removed. One side of the key is just a tad longer so that as the plane rolls along on the ground as the longer edge of the key comes in contact with the surface it lifts the copter just ever so slightly causing it to make a 90 degree turn. In so doing the copter will continue to traverse a square pattern as it rolls around. Nice! The fuselage measures  7" (17.78cm) L x 1 3/4" (4.44cm) W. It is 3" (7.62cm) High to the top of the rotor and the rotor span is 5" (12.7cm). Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

PUSHING TIN: Japan Tin-lItho Air Force One - Unk Mfr

Derived from the Boeing 707 which was produced from 1954 - 1965, the C-137 Stratoliner was made for VIP transport. The Air Force bought two VC-137C variants specifically designed and specially configured for use as presidential transport with call signs SAM26000 and SAM27000. SAM26000 entered service in 1962 during JFK's administration and was kept in service until 1972 after which it was retained as a back-up.

Courtesy Wikipedia

I meant to post this earlier but you know, with today being the inauguration of a new President it's probably more appropriate to do it today. I do not know who made this tin-litho version of SAM26000 because there are no maker's marks anywhere on it that I can discern but it is a beautifully rendered piece. Measuring 19" (48.26cm) L x 17 1/4" (43.81cm) wingspan x 7 1/4" (18.41cm) H it takes two 'D' cell batteries to operate its features which include engine roar, blinking lights, operating landing gear and runway taxiing! Impressive. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

If anyone out there knows for sure who made this please let us know - Many Thanx!

This extract from the 1969 Sears Christmas Catalog (Wishbook) dates the plane to at least that year. I could find no earlier reference to it. The ad  took up a good amount of space on the page so I believe that's when the toy plane debuted

Here we have SAM26000 posed alongside TN of Japan's version of Air Force One which is about half the size