Aero Mini

[grwebster]

the full aircraft catalog is here
http://www.vectis.co.uk/Page/ViewAuctio ... 6236&Sub=0

[richardstarr]

WOW!!! These are certainly beautiful colour AERO MINI LOCKHEED F104G STARFIGHTER and MCDONNELL
DOUGLAS PHANTOM F4E. These are the best photos I have seen.

I also like the AERO MINI DOUGLAS DC8. Regards, Richard

[grwebster]

there lots more for sale at Vectis soon 2 pges of rather hard to find airraft toys
http://www.vectis.co.uk/Page/ViewAuctio ... 6653&Sub=0

[Flyingtiger10]

Here's a photo of a chromed American Airlines B-747 from Ebay.

[grwebster]

Jose, that is certainly one of the rarest. Great buy. I was looking for years and only found one, but it was sold before I could get it. They were not popular in the USA and production was very limited. There were also some AA pen sets with this model on them offered by AA in their catalog but that too was not successful

Does it have made in Japan or Made in USA under the fuselage. It should probably have Japan, as it was presumably sold well before USA production was implimented.

The reason it is chromed, as I recall Mr. Robert Metchick (the founder of Aero Mini) recounting at the 1990s TPN dinner in NJ when he was the guest speaker, is that a shipment of 747s arrived with serious paint finish damage and they could not be sold as it- some 707s were also damaged. So he and one of his workers stripped then and thought up new 747 variants they could make locally with some new transfer decal and different paint; the hard to find: Spirit of 76, Boeing747 with in-house colors, and the only chromed Aero Mini - the AA 747 {that was his personal favorite and was his wife's idea}.

I believe I recall that the white USAF E4A {747} was done at the request of the USAF and the models were used mainly for promotional gifts for lobbying. The 'KC-135' 707 variant was one of these homemade variants based on unacceptable Pan Am rejected variants that could not be sold, and that is why there are several different ways the black paint was applied to the front and nose of the cockpit {some didn't have any at all}.

Many Aero Minis were also made using USA production after around 1975/6 so look under your models and see where yours were made.

While I was actively collectingby the 1970s I never saw one for sale in a retail outlet, though. I think most of the sales were through Airline gift catalogs. Later on a major hobby shop distributor picked up the range and sold them to small independent shops in the US. Finally JC Penny signed on to be the first huge US retailer to offer them around 1977/8 but it didn't happen. Aero Mini was basically out of business by mid 1976 with no money and no credit and was eventually forced formal bankruptcy in 1979. The sale proceeds were $19,000!

For the new forum members and collectors who were not around in the 1970/80s, the Aero Mini series was highly sought after. Distribution was always spotty but after they ceased business and went into bankruptcy in 1979, it dried up all togethter. Prices were twice what they are today, when the hardest to find military ones like the Zero, F-104, F-4 were going for $290+++ in the box. BTW, there was a Japan military F-4 variant sold only in Japan and a US Marine one for the USAF. I have never seen either.

Of course the DC-8s were and are still today also very hard to find, along with the unauthorized Japanese production and local distribution of the JAL variants and the VC-10. These are still getting top dollar.

But the common 707s, 727s, 737s, and 747s are all very reasonable

I published, starting in 1989, a series of articles by Hans Nesbitt on Aero Minis-and another one I wrote based on recordings of Robert Metchik's TPN dinner presentation {1995} - all worth while looking at again. Lots more detail.

Aero Mini was only around and active for about 9 years {1967-1976- but legally shut down by 1979}, produced about 100,000 castings of each variant except the 747 nbd VC-10, and left behind a lot of passionate fans.

[Flyingtiger10]

Unfortunately, GR, I do not own this magnificent model!
I just had it in my model photo archive...
I wish I had it.
BTW, there is a British dealer on Ebay that is selling unusual Mini-Air models,
similar to Aero Minis, at the same scale(1/240) and some rare registration schemes.
The store is called: The Engine Shed. The link to a rare UK BA Concorde and others is:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180654560635?ss ... 1423.l2649

[Flyingtiger10]

Greetings to all:

Here's a Japanese Aeromini Catalog, probably from 1976 showing the last production before
its demise, that included the Lockheed L-1011 in Air Nippon livery.
Added three views, and will continue in a second message. FYI.

[Flyingtiger10]

Continuing with the Aeromini Japanese catalog, here are the next 3 views.

[Flyingtiger10]

The final views of the rare Japanese Aeromini Catalog, in full color.
Unfortunately, it is all written in Japanese, and I cannot read it.
But the pictures tell it all. Enjoy!