grwebster wrote:That Solido box was a trade distribution one. Back 25 years ago in France at least no one valued them and they were given to you if you asked, otherwise they were thrown away.
I have never seen an individual box for the H-19 and must assume they were only sold in trade boxes. BTW There was on French ebay last year a Solido H-19 in army olive drab with wheels that the seller claimed was original. It was not original, but still sold for big money. You could see the additions/modifications in the photos.
Here is a better photo of the H-19s
Here is the other Solido helicopter, the H-21. Note casting marked Piaseki and it had three windows and a door.
it came in olive green also, same casting as above. I don't think there was a white red cross variant, at least I never heard of one.
The H-21, however did come in its own box. Count the windows. there are now five, and the casting now says Vertol. Hard to find, all versions, even the first ones.
I have heard rumors that there were variants of both the H-19 and H-21 in Air Force blue, but have never seen one.
Here is the only Mercury {Italy} Helicopter and its trade box.
Both Solido and Mercury made VTOL diecasts, but this falls outside your forum, I suspect.
Some where I have a whole display board with the very nice die cast Pilen [Spain} helicopters, I'll get a photo up when I get back to the USA
Of course Solido in the 1980s started making helicopters again, but my collecting focus stops at mid 1970s so I didn't track them all down at the time. I recall this one was supposedly the rarest of the bunch, a gunship in camouflage, but I have no idea if it so or not.