T is for Toy Fair 2020 Reports - Toyway - General

There wasn't much of any substance on the Toyway stand, but there was enough for three posts, so that's today's endeavour and we'll start with the bits and bobs and then look at a couple of things they are distributing for other people within the UK.

Divorced from Minicraft (who may have gone the way of all flesh?), Academy are still out there somewhere (Korea?) and producing the eclectic range of kits they were always partly known for, and it doesn't come more eclectic than a range of box-scale kits of Leonardo (he's not a real turtle Mr. President!) da Vinci's 'inventions'.

I use inverted-commas as some of these were only ever drawings, and where models exist, they tend to be either incomplete or disproving of the theory behind the original idea. That armoured car must be in someone's preferred scale . . . 54mm?

While half-out of shot you can see AFV and aircraft kits, a steam-pumping engine (I think?) and tools - under another brand - off to the right.

A rival range of die-cast aircraft in 1:72 scale from Aviation 72 are designed to give Corgi a run for their money. The Gazelle was always a favourite of mine; only went in one once, but you could (still can occasionally) tell them from kilometers away due to their high-pitched turbine whiney-whistling-wooshing! Sea Hawk above.

Tucano huh? One minute you're blowing them away, next minute you've got so many you may as well start using them. Don't cry for us Argentina 'cos we've got all your T1's! I know it's not that simple, but it's still funny! Folland Ger'nat for a Ger'nome!

De Havilland Tiger Moth, my father actually had one, although it was sold a while ago and spent most of the last forty-odd years in a yellow and blue stripy-number, but it looked like this when it was sold-off by the MOD in my childhood, I sat in it a few times, but never flew in it . . . sniff!

But these! These are branded to Toyway themselves and must be about 1:8th or 1:9th? They're Chopper's, Raleigh Chopper's; I would have stolen one if they weren't in a sealed Plexiglas case (they knew I was coming!), just too cool for the swing-park!

If you remember trying to change gear, finding you couldn't shift the 'shift-stick' looking down and then crashing into something you know what I'm talking about! Go [over the handlebars] Chopper!