Twelve years ago, I blogged about a couple of small inexpensive toy planes I had got when I was about 7, which had been appened to my Spacex fleet backnin the day, due to their suze and the fact that one was an X-15 Rocket Plane. I recall distinctly getting them from a little seaside shop in Gronant, North Wales. I know this for a fact as we never really went anywhere else for the main annual holiday and it was a lovely little holiday camp on the coasr near Prestatyn and Rhyl.
https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2010/08/x-factored.html?m=1
Since that time, way back in 1969, I have found another loose X-15 and an orange Viggen, which surprised me as I don't recall it at all. Both the fighters have Royal Canadian Airforce livery and the Viggen retains the Swedish aurforce badge on the nose too.
Just this week, I was amazed to see a whole counterbox of planes on ebay, which I bought. The toys are called 'Sky Slashers' and aside from 'Empire Made' on the bix and 'Hong Kong' on the die cast bases, theres no distinguishing marks. Its clearly old stock, as the top of the box has been opened, but none of the planes were sold. The box says 'low friction wheels to fit all standard tracks' so they were clearly aimed at Hot Wheels and Matchbox collectors.
Oooh nice! I think a full box invokes that "I'm in a toy shop and I only have a few coins in my pocket" memory -but this time I win!
ReplyDeleteThe white aircraft first shown looks like a take on my favourite 1950's aircraft, the SR53.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great purchase evoking many memories of toyshops past.
The Saunders Roe rocket assisted fighter?
DeleteThat's the one. The remaining example is at RAF Cosford. Too bad this intercepter was replaced by guided missiles and so never went beyond prototypes. It always looked like the inspiration for the Captain Scarlet Angels Intercepter.
Deleteits one of the first Airfix kits my dad got me, after the Hurricane. Always sticks in my mind as he never painted it and it was always bone white apart from the red missiles.
DeleteIt does have a SR53 vibe to it but with the wing tip pods and where the intakes are, I get a much heavier F-104 vibe from it.
DeleteYep, that is a nice display piece that.
ReplyDeleteA really nice collection of models. The white aircraft is certainly a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Airfix did a 1/72nd scale kit of the Saunders-Roe S-R 53. According to Scalemates, this dates back to 1958, and was still in the catalogue in the early 1970s.
ReplyDeleteThe orange and purple jets are not the Saab 37 Viggen, but the earlier Saab 35 Draken. This was only flown by Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, so the Canadian markings are a bit of artistic licence.
well I never knew there were two Draaken versions, would have been nice to have the Viggen in there too!
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