Marx Jetport Playset Boeing 707 - Silver HP

For the past several months I've been rummaging around The Cave and taking photos of toys that have been sitting around here for ages. No serious organized campaign, just a hit-or-miss, helter-skelter approach is all. 

Throughout the course of the blog I have posted some of the components of Marx's awesome Jetport playset, again, in a helter-skelter fashion. Here's another one of those random posts: the Boeing 707 in a beautiful silver hard plastic. It's a gorgeous airliner and a sign that aviation was changing back in the late '50s/early '60s. Propellor planes were still being used but they were giving way to the more modern jets and the Boeing 707 airliner was a landmark aircraft and is credited with beginning the jet age. It entered service with PanAm in 1958. In January of 1959 American Airlines began flying its own 707 jets and in 1960 Marx included the 707 as part of its American Airlines themed playset.

One of the positives that came about as I was rummaging through The Cave was finding bits-&-pieces of the Jetport playset in various boxes and finally consolidating them into one box for eventual posting as a complete set at some point in the future. These two 707's were a part of my Cave finds. The plane measures 12.25" (31,11cm) L x 11" (27,94cm) wingspan x 3.5" (8.89cm) H.

Ed

Of the two 707's I have, one has the partial American Airlines decals from the original playset.

Lucky Shot

I just had to share this. Bettina got this airliner passing across the Moon just two days ago! Way cool Schatzie! Enjoy! opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

China - #ME-087 Tin-Litho Batt-Op Jet Airliner

It's not often I post  a toy on or close to the same day the photos were taken but yesterday was a good opportunity to take pics of this beautiful big bird. This jetliner was made in China but I don't know who the manufacturer is or when exactly it was made. As most industry in China is state-run or controlled I can only assume at present the toy was made by a state industry vs. private enterprise. As to the year of manufacture I can only guess as 1980's or '90s. Speculation sucks but that's all I have to go by right now.

The toy itself is one of the biggest tin-litho airplanes in my collection at 19" (48.26cm) L x 17 3/4" (45.08cm) wingspan x 7 1/8" (18.09) H and unlike most of my battery operated vintage toys actually works! It takes three 1.5V (D-cell) batteries and the nose lights up, the engine nacelles light up, it makes a jet engine whine, and then starts rolling across the floor. The front wheel is permanently turned towards the right as are many batt-op airliners, which forces it into running in a big circle. The nose is odd-shaped giving it a 'porpoise' nose outline. This was necessitated by the frosted white plastic nose piece under which is a light. Construction is pretty much on a par with the vintage Japanese toys we collectors are familiar with. The fit between the wing and fuselage assemblies is a tad off though and so tight that the wing doesn't slide all the way forward.

I ended up taking two sets of photos after noticing that one of the engine nacelle wing mounts wasn't attached to the wing very well. After correcting the problem the photos were retaken against a black background. This really is a nice toy and I've noticed more and more vintage Chinese toys coming up for sale. They generally tend to be pricey but every so often a bargain comes along (which is why I snapped this one up). Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

This shot is clearer

Marx De Havilland DH 106 Comet 1 - Olive Drab HP

Marx liked to make toys based on the latest technology of the day, whether it be concept cars or developmental aircraft, or simply the most updated tech. The De Havilland DH 106 Comet fit the bill nicely. It was the first production jet airliner in the world making its debut in 1952 and Marx introduced their version in 1953 in their #3832 Airport Set. You'll notice in the photos that the plane has rather squared-off windows. Those windows would give the Comet grief in the mid-'50s with a series of highly publicized crashes. It was determined the squared-off corners were causing metal fatigue allowing cracks to appear on the fuselage skin causing the plane to break up in mid-flight. De Havilland's Comet sales never fully recovered from the disasters but the redesigned Comet 2 and 3 versions ended up serving more than 30 years.

BOAC Comet 1 at Entebbe Airport, Uganda in 1952

Courtesy Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet

One unusual feature is the ring at the tail of the plane. Marx put these rings on a number of toy airplanes. Some speculate they were to be use as Christmas tree ornaments??? Personally I don't buy that theory. I think it was just a means for a youngster to hang his collection of toy airplanes from the ceiling  or wherever. 

Another unusual feature of the toy is the Air Force Star-&-Bar insignia on the wings. The Comet never entered into United States military service! Were there perhaps rumblings in the aeronautics industry back in the day leading the people at Marx to believe the Comet's would be purchased for Air Force use? We may never know. The plane measures 4 7/8" (12.38cm) L x 6" (15.24cm) wingspan x 1 3/8" (3.49cm) H

Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina