Heco Tinplate Models (2 Viewers)

[saxon lions]

I am not sure it is HECO as the pilot and general style does not look quite right but nice all the same.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I just agreed to purchase this Heco Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacement with a AAA Gun different from the two other Heco AAA Guns in my collection. Proper photos will be taken by my son Alec upon receipt.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The Heco Gun Emplacement I purchased from our good friend Joe Saine arrived safely and is on display with my WWI Heco Pusher Plane airfield, along with a different Heco anti-aircraft gun, a search light, several pusher planes and one of my Motor Mechanic Sheds, all by Heco:

 

[saxon lions]

New HECO Sopwith Camel on Ebay

For anyone with plenty of money (and no common sense) a HECO Sopwith Camel has appeared on Ebay for $2500.00. I believe it is the only Heco model ever made of solid gold. If not then my collection has just increased in value ten fold.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Thanks to a heads up from our good friend Mark (Saxon Lions), I picked up a second Heco Whippet Tank.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The second Heco Whippet Tank arrived and is on display on my Trophy/Heco/Obee WWI Diorama. This Whippet is early production, and is quite fascinating as it is the only Heco tank I have ever encountered where the tracks are cast white metal, while the rest of the tank is tinplate. All of my other Heco tanks have tinplate tracks as well.

 

[jcarleton]

Wow, you are a fantastic painter & historian. Love your conversion and would really like to see more of your Heco models. Thanks, Jack

 

[saxon lions]

Bristol F2b Fighter 'Brisfit' - Karl Trieber - Jasta 5

Sometime ago I was defeated in an auction for a HECO Bristol F2b Fighter 'Brisfit' with the model going for in excess of $400 which with associated costs could have cost me over £500. Although I was somewhat disappointed at the time and instead with info kindly provided by Louis made a reasonable copy of a HECO 'Brisfit' (post 1494). However in hindsight the result proved rather fortuitous as recently I was lucky enough to spot on Ebay a similar model on a buy it now tag for a fraction of the cost of my own rendition let alone the auction lot.

I could not get my offer in fast enough and I am now the proud owner of this model that has now replaced my own rendition in the collection. The plane is in the marking of captured 'Brisfit, A7231 that served as a 'squadron hack' with Jasta 5, and on occasion may have been flown by the Saxon ace Karl Trieber. The writing roughly translates to 'Don't shoot good fellows'.




Trieber scored seven victories during WWI and in 1936 joined the newly formed Luftwaffe being was assigned to a staff commend role with JG 52 in 1939. Yearning to return to flying duties on 26/09/40 he took part in a raid during the Battle of Britain over Kent flying Messerschmitt Me 109E ‘Black 8’, getting attacked and shot up by Hurricanes of 46 Sqn force-landing at Hollingbourne near Maidstone. He suffered severe injuries to both legs and in 1943 he was part of the repatriation program of severely injured prisoners. He returned to his desk duties with JG 52.being captured again in 1945.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Great conversion and nice pick-up Mark! :salute:: Glad you were able to get one for a reasonable price!

 

[Louis Badolato]

Our generous and talented friend Mark (Saxon Lions) found two Heco tinplate models for sale, one of which he wanted, and one of which (the Gloster Gladiator depicted below) he offered to bid on for me. When we won the auctions for both, he declined to accept my payment, and instead gave the Gladiator to me as a birthday gift. All I can say is I am humbly grateful for your generosity, my friend!

 

[saxon lions]

Hi Louis

I only hope we were both right in identifying it as a HECO, although the bids from our competitor seem to confirm that it truly is an example of Tony Williams' work at its best.

Happy (belated) Birthday

Mark

 

[Louis Badolato]

Hi Louis

I only hope we were both right in identifying it as a HECO, although the bids from our competitor seem to confirm that it truly is an example of Tony Williams' work at its best.

Happy (belated) Birthday

Mark

Mark, your wonderful gift arrived safely, and is on display with two other competition-quality Heco warbirds, a Hawker Hurricane and a De Haviland Tiger Moth, on an aircraft blast pen diorama made by Dave of TM Terrain:

 

[saxon lions]

Very nice it looks too - lucky for you the Germans did not use them in WWI

 

[saxon lions]

My Lucky HECO Find

I have just been lucky enough to discover by accident this Blechflugzeug militärischer Doppeldecker Rot from Germany on E-bay. Having shown the pictures to Louis we believe it appears to be a beautiful (very?) early HECO model of a German WWI biplane based somewhat on HECO's original HO 1. The Standard Seat Biplane. On the strength of this I placed a bid and was amazed to win the item for less than £25.00 including postage and tax. How it came to be in Germany is anyone's guess but it will pose me a dilemma as usually I modify or at least repaint my HECO models but this appears to be a piece of genuine HECO history and as such deserves to remain as it is.



Hope you like it.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Re: My Lucky HECO Find

I have just been lucky enough to discover by accident this Blechflugzeug militärischer Doppeldecker Rot from Germany on E-bay. Having shown the pictures to Louis we believe it appears to be a beautiful (very?) early HECO model of a German WWI biplane based somewhat on HECO's original HO 1. The Standard Seat Biplane. On the strength of this I placed a bid and was amazed to win the item for less than £25.00 including postage and tax. How it came to be in Germany is anyone's guess but it will pose me a dilemma as usually I modify or at least repaint my HECO models but this appears to be a piece of genuine HECO history and as such deserves to remain as it is.

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Hope you like it.

Mark,

Excellent acquisition at an excellent price!:salute:: It couldn't happen to a nicer guy!!

 

[saxon lions]

My Lucky HECO Find ?

It would appear that my 'lucky' find was not so lucky as it would appear the model is not HECO but probably by Dorset Soldiers or even a creation by a collector.

On receipt it was clear that both the propeller and wheels were Dorset castings which I recognised from purchases made in my past. The rotary engine whilst apparently cast from a HECO example was made of resin and the casting actually included all of the cowling that makes up all of the rounded nose section, worse this had not been drilled through to allow for a propeller spigot so the casting of the propeller had just been glued on and fell off when I attempted to turn it hence the discovery of the resin. I believe the pilot whilst again to the same design as HECO is just a head probably also of resin which plugs into the fuselage, whilst the wings lack ribs and the markings are stickers (like mine) mot transfers like HECO.

It should be born in mind that Tony Williams and Giles Brown (the original owner of Dorset Soldiers) were great friends having worked together in the police and started up in the hobby around the same time so probably shared information, ideas and parts. A look through an old 1990s Dorset Soldiers catalogue shows Giles made a number of archetypal WWI planes including a German plane which could be purchased as a biplane or monoplane both in red.

Still at £25 it was still value for money even if not what I had hoped.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Sorry Mark! I was 100% fooled and thought it was early Heco for sure.:redface2:

 

[saxon lions]

My Lucky HECO Find ?

We were both fooled as I too believed it to be HECO, but at least at £25 it was not an expensive learning process and it will provide spare parts.

 

[Louis Badolato]

For the first time since March I was able to find a Heco item on eBay, a nice Bristol Brisfit 2-seater. Mark was kind enough to give me a heads up, and I was the only bidder, and got it for less than 5 British Pounds!

 

[saxon lions]

What a great bargain just goes to show that HECO models can still be bought at basement prices. I really do like the HECO 'Brisfit' and this is a real beaut in interwar silver.