B is for Airfix!

I said Bachmann were next, and this is next, so Bachmann it is, except it's really Airfix! In fact, let's get that out of the way first, I have read, several times, that these figures are "Airfix copies" or "copies of Airfix".

 

But in point of fact, Airfix during its heyday, had irons in many fires, including a foam-fabricator in Potter's Bar, and among its properties was the German Plasty outfit, who had got close by importing Airfix in the early 1960's, so it's no surprise that as part of the general toy range, we find Airfix imported the Bachmann Mini-Planes and joint-branded them Plasty Airfix.

This (left-hand images) is the 1969 announcement flyer/leaflet, and they would continue on in the toy catalogues for a while, while on the right is the Bachmann booklet from late 1971 (an earlier issue had announced the Spring '71 new releases), these aircraft - which my brother and I had about four of, and really enjoyed, even though they were very delicate - ran through both makers catalogues, at the same time as Bachmann's listing of the Airfix Figures.

The figures therefore were almost certainly either licenced, or more likely from tool cavities supplied by Airfix under a share-deal; "We won't re-export yours back to your territory, if you don't re-export ours to here" type thing. The heavy, glossy paint on PVC makes the Bachman versions resemble the PZG output (which were piracies) from Poland, and I've seen them confused in that manner, but the bases are the thinner Airfix originals, not the thick ones from the East.

 

Packaged in three's and singly in true rack-toy style hanging-cards, this is not the same as the previous post's image, but it might as well be, not many ways to photograph something like this while avoiding reflections!

The full range, as seen in Bachmann's 1974 catalogue, 24 figures, with the 'British Infantry' being taken from the 2nd version Paratroops, as the lack of actual British Infantry was a bone of contention back in the old country, at the time!

 

These vac-forms however, were all Bachmann, if they existed? It states they were sold unpainted, and I don't think I've ever seen one, but they run through the catalogues, so I guess they must have been, I've seen something similar to the machine-gun nest, but Atlantic and Dulcop both produced similar stuff in approximately 1:32nd, so it could have been either of them?!

The two on the left are actually 1:76th, and I was going to leave them out, but what the heck, the only thing of note is that Eidai, Nitto or Fujimi (?) copied the strangely two-dimensional dragon's teeth, as polystyrene solids a few years later!

The 1976 catalogue crams them all on to one page, which suggests they were winding down the line, but it's a smaller pocket leaflet/flyer than the A4 magazine catalogue of '74. I also have half an idea that they were sold briefly in full sixes, but that may be a false memory, and I'd have to check the other files!