A Christmas Story

[Stephen Ruble]

Can anyone help me to identify the model planes at the start of the movie A Christmas Story?
Thanks, Steve

 

[urumomo]

Welcome to SMA !

Been far too long ago seeing that film , you have any pics or a link to the scenes you're speaking of ?
If not , I'm guessing someone else here probably knows what you're asking

 

[the Baron]

I'd have to go back and watch it again, but I think one is a Britains tinplate airplane. Britain made a high-wing monoplane and sold it in both RAF and USAAC markings. Some of the toy soldiers are either Barclay or Manoil, as well as some Britains toy soldiers. The Manoil and Barclay toy soldiers were uniquely American among toy soldiers. They were larger than classic toy soldiers, and the were sold at the five-and-dime stores of the day. So they came to be called dimestore toy soldiers.
Yeah, I definitely have to watch the opening scene again to refresh my memory.

 

[Eagle-1]

Can anyone help me to identify the model planes at the start of the movie A Christmas Story?
Thanks, Steve

I'm certain you figured out the Fokker D-VII?

Here's the actual model from the film. It had been provided by a member of the crew.



I had to reduce the size of these pictures by 50% so that the forum would accept them, but can send the 100% in a PM if you need, but these 50% ones are pretty good.

Rob.

 

[Pantherman]

Can anyone help me to identify the model planes at the start of the movie A Christmas Story?
Thanks, Steve

Hi and welcome to the forum. Pantherman

 

[Pantherman]

I'm certain you figured out the Fokker D-VII?

Here's the actual model from the film. It had been provided by a member of the crew.

View attachment 121288View attachment 121289View attachment 121290View attachment 121291View attachment 121292View attachment 121293View attachment 121294View attachment 121295View attachment 121296View attachment 121297

I had to reduce the size of these pictures by 50% so that the forum would accept them, but can send the 100% in a PM if you need, but these 50% ones are pretty good.

Rob.

Top research. PM

 

[Eagle-1]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Pantherman

Missed that! Yes, y'all come on in.

Rob.

 

[Stephen Ruble]

Yes, I am familiar with the Fokker D-VII. That one is a custom plane with a 30" wingspan and was sold last year at auction. (There are no kits online with a 30" wingspan).
The yellow-blue biplane looks like a Stearman PT-17 or maybe a Dumas JH-4 Jenny? It appears to have about a 24" wingspan but I can't find any kit that matches it, especially one with swept wings.
The red-white biplane looks similar in design but is a German biplane with balkenkreuz crosses. Again, I cannot find a kit that matches it.
Finally there is a blue single-wing plane.
Any help at identifying the type of plane and if there are kits out there that would match these.
Thanks!!

 

[Eagle-1]

Sounds like you're fairly familiar with this already.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Rob.

 

[Stephen Ruble]

A little, but I know nothing about model airplanes. Are these recognizable vintage kits or are they custom-built? Are the bodies/fuselages solid wood, hollow, plastic, etc.? Where would I go to find the kits, parts, etc. in order to build them? It's that expertise from the model plane community that I wanted to tap into.
Thanks everybody!

 

[the Baron]

I'm certain you figured out the Fokker D-VII?

Here's the actual model from the film. It had been provided by a member of the crew.

View attachment 121288View attachment 121289View attachment 121290View attachment 121291View attachment 121292View attachment 121293View attachment 121294View attachment 121295View attachment 121296View attachment 121297

I had to reduce the size of these pictures by 50% so that the forum would accept them, but can send the 100% in a PM if you need, but these 50% ones are pretty good.

Rob.

OK, that'll be out of my ken. It's a flying model, not a static model (like a scale model). Very interesting to see close-ups of it. My experience with powered models only covers the old Cox control line flying models. You'd fire 'em up, then spin around in a circle till the fuel ran out, the plane crashed, and you collapsed, as dizzy as all get-out. A neat model, though!

 

[the Baron]

The drummers are mechanical toys, stamped and lithographed tin with a clockwork mechanism. I think at least one of my toy soldier references shows one. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[Edbert]

OK, that'll be out of my ken. It's a flying model, not a static model (like a scale model). Very interesting to see close-ups of it. My experience with powered models only covers the old Cox control line flying models. You'd fire 'em up, then spin around in a circle till the fuel ran out, the plane crashed, and you collapsed, as dizzy as all get-out. A neat model, though!

This one is also fly-by-wire, but not in the modern sense, the spinning around bit that you describe. Looks like it is from the late 40s though, which fits the movie but predates my old ass by quite a bit.

I had several of those as a kid, the cost was about 2 lawn-mowings worth. Later (still a kid) I did have an advanced one back n the day, It had a hard plastic body like the rest, but HUGE foam wings and could do a loop! I was able to do Immelmann loops (half-loop) but smashed it up trying a full loop.

Figured out at a young age that just because something could do something, didn't mean I could do that something with the thing.