R is for Rack-Toy Gliders

Quick apology to Mr. B - our support in New York; he sent a set of the Superhero gliders we looked at last time to the blog for closer inspection, but I've misplaced them in the attic somewhere so they aren't here. What we do have are some more of the 'traditional' or bog-standard, pocket-money ones in envelopes and a 'pack of three'!

These are in the local pop-up discount store, and you get three colourful jets, two with vaguely Asian or Asian-reminiscent markings (South Vietnam (orange) and China/North Korea/North Vietnam (blue) ?), the other even more generic in yellow and all three the same die-cut design. Red Deer - it's the fourth or fifth item from them, found by Peter Evans or myself in the last couple of years, so some importer's nom de jour!

I shelfied these awhile ago, but they still have them and I may purchase one (for the life-changing amount of a whole quid!) for next time, as when I was putting everything away in the garage a year ago I found the storage lot and - as I mused before - there is a four-prop Lancaster! . . .  and several older promotional/advertising freebies/giveaways in balsa, so another post due on these in a year or so  . . . got to top-up the tag occasionally!

I was so intrigued by the FW Trainer on the pack-back listings last-time, when I saw them together somewhere, I bought both to compare, as with the others (about five brandings now, these are Rex - London (Rex - International)) the printing as been allowed to deteriorate with age and the change in material they are printed on - they used to be balsa but have been expanded-polystyrene sheet for a couple of decades, or more now.

You can see where the original German crossed have been Photoshop'ped out (although that probably happened before 'Photoshop' ever existed) which is odd as it's the swastika that has the cultural-association problems attached; not the cross?

The 'A-4' looks like a Focke Wolf, I fear the 'TA 152H' trainer (an Eocke Wolf!) is using the same dies as the Japanese Zero!