My son has begun to show an interest in all things fast and loud (muscle cars, jet fighters, helicopters) and I thought I would start looking for something similar to a toy I had as a kid thirty years ago. However, I can't seem to find a modern equivalent to them. They were diecast aircraft and four or five inches in length with fixed metal landing gear and were sold for only a few dollars each and about the detail and quality level of a Matchbox car.

I had a number of different aircraft including Tomcats, a Falcon in Thunderbolt livery, an X-29, a Prowler, and (I think) an Ardvark. Later, in college, I found a Typhoon during a late night trip to Wal-Mart but this was a different brand and more detailed with a display stand but still not terribly expensive.

Is anyone aware of a line of diecast toy aircraft running around ten to fifteen dollars? I came across a brand called Daron but they are running around thirty dollars each and seems more like a collectible and less like a toy.

https://www.amazon.com/InAir-W...id=1603576409&sr=8-1

Is this what you had in mind?

The ones I had were all like 3 1/2" long or so, were one color, had no other parts on them that weren't part of the die cast. Except the primitive giant wheels that snapped onto extremely simple, absolutely not detailed, giant 'landing gear'. I think I still have a couple somewhere. An F-4 and an F5. They are in no way scaled (both these are the same basic length even though the real Phantom is way larger).

The underside of the fuselages are hollow. I remember I sawed the undercarriages off them, filled the voids with squadron putty and painted them up a little on some boredom filled day long ago.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 83v45magna,

As a kid, 61, 62, my friend had a Dauntless dive Bomber. About 6" long, wings folded up. What a cool toy.

Google "Motormax Diecast Toy Planes"

quote:

Originally posted by rtquig:
As a kid, 61, 62, my friend had a Dauntless dive Bomber. About 6" long, wings folded up. What a cool toy.

It can be yours for $90 on eBay. I bought one about 10 years ago for grandson and don't know what happened to it.

search price low to high

https://www.3000toys.com/catal...=AIRCRAFT&Q=M&setup=

I collect Die Cast airplanes, but they are detailed models. Aikens Airplanes and Flying Mule are good sites.

You may be looking for less expensive - Postage Stamp airplanes? Look here https://www.flyingmule.com/ran...ostage-stamp-planes/

I like 1/72 scale and if your looking for bang for buck try MRC Easy Models, they are not as expensive as diecast but for a younger person who might play with them and break it they wont kill the bank account, they have a good selection of ww2 and modern fighters. They come with stands or use the landing gear. https://www.modelrectifier.com...-easymodel-s/188.htm

I collected them when I was a kid.

~$1.29 back then.

The brand I collected the most of was by Zee Toys "Dyna-flites".

My dad has some he collected. Been awhile ago he was talking about sell them.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox still make some, you may have to do some EBay or goog!e searching. The WW2 set someone posted is a good set for what your looking for, my son has it.

Thank you, everyone, for the suggestions. I think the InAir and Motormax brands are what I am looking for. I must have been using the wrong keywords because when I searched Amazon or the big box store websites I kept coming up with more expensive collectibles and not these toys.

I really like the Postage Stamp line but they seem less like toys and more like collectibles. I think we will eventually end up picking up some but he'll need to be older first. Hopefully by then I'll be able to track down some of the classic airframes like the Corsair II and (especially) the Crusader.

Wife & I collect Hallmark ornaments. Try Hallmark.com and search for aircraft -- maybe, just maybe.

Tinyman