saxon lions
Private 2
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2010
- Messages
- 129
Some time ago I started a thread Not HECO but Blatch to find out more more information on the origins of a tinplate Albatros I had purchased hoping it was HECO but found out it was made by an Alf Blatch. A brief visit to the thread will reveal that the model has now been fully integrated into my collection of tinplate models (mainly HECO) depicting the planes of the Saxon Aces of WWI.
I am now looking for information on another manufacturer of German tinplate WWI planes following the recent purchase of a tinplate Fokker DVII that I discovered on E-Bay nineteen minutes before the end of the auction. At first sight it looked very similar to HECO and it was only £20.00. Recently I discovered a picture believed to be of the Saxon ace Karl Schlegel with his DVII and had been agonizing on whether to add a second DVII to the collection. Thus I decided I had nothing to lose by placing a bid and twenty minutes later I was the owner of £20.00 tinplate Fokker.
I now had more time to peruse my winnings and quickly realized it was not the HECO model I was hoping for but had a few tell tale signs of a model from a manufacturer whose planes from previous experiences are familiar to me but whose name remains elusive. Previously I acquired two of these models the first a Fokker Eindecker I bought cheaply at militaria fair initially believing it to be HECO. I then identified an Albatros DIII by the same maker on E-Bay and paid over the odds for a poor model that was massive in comparison to my HECO models and I have also seen a Fokker Triplane and Pfalz DXII which appear to be from the same manufacturer.
L-R Fokker Eindecker, Albatros DIII, Fokker DVII and Pfalz DXII
The planes appear quite old (1980s, 90s?) and have wings crafted in the same style as HECO but are larger appearing to be to 1/30 scale (HECO generally are slightly smaller than 1/32), although the Albatros appeared to be 1/24. Apart from the size the other main trait of them is pop riveting in places and the bizarre use of twisted wire for some or all the bracing wires similar to that originally used by Britains for their gun teams.
At least one of the models was described as by Tin Toys but some time ago I had heard from a now unknown source that there was a maker of tinplate models of WWI planes based in Germany and the vendor of my new DVII said he thought it was from Germany. So Tin Toys seems unlikely but does anyone know anymore about these planes and their manufacturer.
This story does have a happy ending as with the arrival of the DVII I liked a number of aspects of the model and decided to it could to be possible reduce it in size to fit in with collection whist keeping as much of the model as possible. The result finished as a late version DVIIF is very pleasing and once the painting is complete will take its place along side my HECO model now a DVII (OAW). On the back of this success I am looking at reinstating the Eindecker into the collection, but alas the Albatros some time ago rightly become a source of spare parts.
I am now looking for information on another manufacturer of German tinplate WWI planes following the recent purchase of a tinplate Fokker DVII that I discovered on E-Bay nineteen minutes before the end of the auction. At first sight it looked very similar to HECO and it was only £20.00. Recently I discovered a picture believed to be of the Saxon ace Karl Schlegel with his DVII and had been agonizing on whether to add a second DVII to the collection. Thus I decided I had nothing to lose by placing a bid and twenty minutes later I was the owner of £20.00 tinplate Fokker.
I now had more time to peruse my winnings and quickly realized it was not the HECO model I was hoping for but had a few tell tale signs of a model from a manufacturer whose planes from previous experiences are familiar to me but whose name remains elusive. Previously I acquired two of these models the first a Fokker Eindecker I bought cheaply at militaria fair initially believing it to be HECO. I then identified an Albatros DIII by the same maker on E-Bay and paid over the odds for a poor model that was massive in comparison to my HECO models and I have also seen a Fokker Triplane and Pfalz DXII which appear to be from the same manufacturer.
L-R Fokker Eindecker, Albatros DIII, Fokker DVII and Pfalz DXII
The planes appear quite old (1980s, 90s?) and have wings crafted in the same style as HECO but are larger appearing to be to 1/30 scale (HECO generally are slightly smaller than 1/32), although the Albatros appeared to be 1/24. Apart from the size the other main trait of them is pop riveting in places and the bizarre use of twisted wire for some or all the bracing wires similar to that originally used by Britains for their gun teams.
At least one of the models was described as by Tin Toys but some time ago I had heard from a now unknown source that there was a maker of tinplate models of WWI planes based in Germany and the vendor of my new DVII said he thought it was from Germany. So Tin Toys seems unlikely but does anyone know anymore about these planes and their manufacturer.
This story does have a happy ending as with the arrival of the DVII I liked a number of aspects of the model and decided to it could to be possible reduce it in size to fit in with collection whist keeping as much of the model as possible. The result finished as a late version DVIIF is very pleasing and once the painting is complete will take its place along side my HECO model now a DVII (OAW). On the back of this success I am looking at reinstating the Eindecker into the collection, but alas the Albatros some time ago rightly become a source of spare parts.
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