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| Flying Gliders |
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| Flying Gliders |
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Flying Gliders - Introduction
These gliders are simply described as "Flying Gliders. There are 6 in this set, as shown. I purchased 4 of them from an estate sale. They are really colorful and nice looking gliders, but they are really fragile. I haven't tried to fly these because I don't want them to break. If anyone who reads this blog knows how to get hold of the Junkers Ju88, or the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk from this set, I would love to complete my set.
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Hi. I've been enjoying looking through your blog.
ReplyDeleteI first discovered Power Props while on a camping vacation in 1976. They were for sale at the campground store. I picked up a Hellcat and Zero; these were from the original series with the blue and red packaging, made in Japan and imported by Imperial Toys. They were the thinnest yet strongest, most accurate, and best-flying of all the PPs. I never found another place to get them at retail. I had such a great time flying them that I wrote to the importer to ask where they were sold. He wrote back that he couldn't help me, but was "cleaning out his desk" and sent me a whole box full of PPs, both American and foreign issues, some already assembled, others still in the packs. It included the Japan-only issue of the set you have posted above; I had the entire set, the TBM, Ki-61, Cessna, "Ju 88" (really Ju 87), P-40 and Raiden. They were great flyers. Not quite as accurate in outline as the red/blue issue but with more generous wing and tail area so they floated a bit more. There were also some from series you don't have here, including an Aichi D3A. The colors were beautiful. That guy will never know how much fun I got out of his desk cleaning. I flew them for years, experimented with dihedral, cut out ailerons and flaps and repositioned them, taught myself a lot of basic aerodynamics. Good times.
Later PPs were red/blue issues but made in Taiwan, with thinner, weaker foam and inferior printing. That was the start of their long slide down to the junk party favors that sell under the PP name today. A few years ago I started patrolling ebay and picked up a few unopened cartons of the original Japanese issue; also a few examples of the Japan-only set above. So you can get them, just be patient.
I passed some of the red/blue originals to my son, to get him hooked.
Recently I've unpacked the PPs from the attic because I think that micro radio control gear has finally got to the point where you could have an RC Power Prop. Can you imagine having that when we were young? I'm going to start with some of the Taiwanese issues so as not to cut up my collectible ones until I'm sure this will work. I imagine those biplanes would fly well and may try a few of them.
Good luck with your collecting and thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
August
Wow! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and post your comment. I'd love to see some pictures of the planes in your collection, especially the ones I don't have. I'd also love to see if you are successful at attaching the micro RC gear to some gliders. That would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteJust had a look at these and looks like I'll be getting a complete box of these, 36 models in all, so I'll be getting the Ju-88 that you're after, I think there are still some on Ebay, but 12 units so you'll be able to get the 88 if you're still interested in it.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised they called it a Ju-88 when it in fact is the Ju-87 Stuka...but oh well, it's like on their Bomber gliders, they call them ''Heavy Bumbers''....
Maybe we can work out a trade where I get a set of 6 from you and you get a set of something from me? :)
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