Checking my old email archive I came across a nugget of insight from blog friend Paul Vreede regrading my Spanish toy aircraft carrier.
Paul V says that looking at the pics there, he noticed a couple of Hawker Harriers hovering in the box top illustration. So he looked those up on wikipedia, curious to know when those first flew.
Where it turns out the Spanish navy also operated Sea Harriers (they called them Matadors) off their carrier called the Dédalo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Thanks Paul!
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) jet. It also served with the US Marine Corps, under the designation AV-8, meaning VTOL-capable Attack class aircraft. Spain operated versions of the AV-8A, and TAV-8A two-seat trainer, as the Matador. These were not Sea Harriers even if they did fly off an aircraft carrier. The Sea Harrier was a navalised version of the Harrier developed for the Royal Navy, and also used by India. The Sea Harrier had a re-shaped nose, containing a radar, which was not carried by the basic Harrier. The Americans later developed the AV-8B, with a larger wing and other changes, this was also used by Spain.
ReplyDeleteThe AV-8A was used by Spain from the latter half of the 1970s, and the AV-8B from 1987. The carrier Dedalo was a former US Navy independence class light carrier, and served with Spain from 1967 to 1989. It was replaced by the Principe de Asturias, 1988-2013. The current Spanish carrier is the Juan Carlos I, which has been in service since 2010. This may be of some help in dating, but should not be relied on too much as toy makers may just pick a well known name, current or not.
I am a bit confused by the reference to a box top illustration. The carrier on MC is blister packed on a large card. There are a couple of jets in the upper right corner, but to me these look more like F-4 Phantoms than Harriers - the wing is set far to low to be a Harrier. Spain did have Phantoms, but these were flown by the Air Force, not the Navy, and could not have been used aboard such a small carrier as the Dedalo anyway.
Hi Paul A & Paul W,
ReplyDeletePaul V here :)
Nice to see my meanderings are sometimes useful and thanks to Paul A for that exhausive roundup - I'm impressed!
I've been quoted slightly out of context. The box top is what I started my message with, and is the one shown here:
https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2017/11/rob-cs-super-fantastic-japanese.html
The rader dish array on that vehicle looked very familiar, as I ended up explaining here:
http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAorig/ApTr_OrF/ApTr_OrP.html
It's on that box that I noticed the Harriers and wondered when they first flew. Consulted wikipedia, found the Spanish operated them too and from there found the Dédalo which -did- actually carry them). I'd noticed the name on the cardboard rider of Paul's bagged toy but now discovered why it has that name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_aircraft_carrier_D%C3%A9dalo
Hope you're all doing well!
--
Paul
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHaving just had a look at that beautiful Space Invader box top, those certainly look like Harriers. Turns out I was looking at the wrong packaging, which is why I was confused. Thank you for the chance to see the Space Invader box top - you have a great site.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is everyone who contributes to MC named Paul ?
... just reread that and indeed, the Dédalo had no Phantoms on board for reasons stated by Paul A. :)
ReplyDeleteThe aircraft on the carrier in the Bullycan illustration are in fact copies of the Spacex Hawk. See:
http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAderv/BLCN/BlcnCarr/BlcnCarr.html
(Apparently one can't edit a comment on Blogger. So between deleting the previous and posting this amended text, Paul A posted his reply above)
Thanks for the compliment on my website Paul A, that's appreciated. :)
The confusion is understandable, because my original message to Paul W has been described without specifying the box top in question, as I had done in that message.
Afaik there's just the three of us named Paul. Good thing too, or else we'd soon run out of distinguishing last-name initials! :°)
Best -- Paul V
Woodsy here. Any confusion I may have caused, apologies. Thanks both Pauls for great info.
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