Tail Winds

[MichaelB]

This concerns the continuing series of planes from Maisto...
Their last iteration was as a "house" brand at WalMart, and there always seemed to be a good stock that was rotated on a timely basis. It was still hard to find the newer issues. In many ways this line came to replace DynaFlites as the "generic" small, cheap diecast airplane in many retail outlets. With a broad line, interesting subjects and a well executed product, it has been a long lived line.
Alas, the news I bring is that they were NOT in any of the WalMarts I visited recently! All I could find were the typical Matchbox Sky Busters; no Tail Winds, no 21st Century 1/144 scale planes - no other airplanes at all! (Actually, I think the 21st Century planes are old hat...been gone since they cleared the shelves after last holiday season...too bad too). As a history note...2008 - 21st Century ....2007 Corgi....seems that WalMart buys in quantity and gooses the season.
So...have Maisto and TailWinds finally met their demise? Final price was 2.49 which is well above the historic DynaFlite price of .99c (sometimes discounted to .79c!).
Are we now left with the not-so-nice but just as expensive In-Air line? ...but not in WalMart...
Let's hope not...this was an excellent line...
Michael
Houston

[Tone]

Michael

The WalMart where I live carries Maisto Tailwinds. The models I remember having seen are the B1, F16, P-38, and F-117. None of the more unusual planes have shown up.

The 21st Century WWII plastic planes, large and small, are gone.

There is a large scale Wilderness Adventure series with a single-engine high wing monoplane that is made for action dolls.

I remember the Tailwinds ancestors beginning in 1997. They were similar to the Road Champs Flyers planes, that started out using Lintoy dies. Just when the Tailwinds series began, the Road Champs line began to fade.

N.B.: I think one of the "rarest" of the line is the Zeke in green with meatballs on the wing. That one was in the shops for a short time only.

[MichaelB]

I show a "first find" date of May, 1997 in my notes. Yes, they used knock-offs of the Lintoy molds, just like Road Champs did. They also had some "common" molds with RC, like the B25. None of these early pieces are as nice as the current efforts...but...then there's that B-17...(sigh).
ToysRUs also carried "Fast Lane Tailwinds" as a house brand for a few years.
Let us hope that them missing in the stores here is just a passing notion and that they will return soon.

10-4 on that Green Zero with the honumaru....the more common white one is lacking them...who knows why??? As part of an explanation for the white one...immediately after the surrender the only Japanese aircraft allowed in the sky had to be white, but with black crosses as markings (IIRC). That would still leave the white Zero a bit off register. The green one would have been more appropos. However, the yellow Sun Racing Zero from DynaFlites was also their most common issue. It wasn't until the WWII series of 1995 that they issued them in grey and green versions.
Once upon a time Maisto had also begun an "Air Force" set of issues with each plane in it's own box. I'm not sure they all got issued. Something makes me think that the new molds for the P-51 went on to RC, but that's just speculation on my part.
The very earliest note I have are for the "MegaMasters" issues from KMart in 1996. Maisto is credited and the usual early molds are issued, except for the two airliners which are not mentioned in the release lists.
Maisto, the MC Toy and May Tat Toy Products Factory also issued a number of airliners under their Airlines brand. I picked up a lot of these at the NASM in 1995 and they are quite nice for what they are.
Anyway...quite a history and let's hope that WalMart contract holds up!
Michael Bludworth

[Tone]

I remember your comment on the KMart series with the grey camouflage P-47 with Luftwaffe markings, that the real ones were even more colorful than the toy, and "This will be the choice collector's piece I am sure."

[MichaelB]

You have quite a good memory, Tony! And it has become quite a collectors piece indeed! I'll be glad to sell you mine for $5 - if you hurry I can ship it before Christmas!

[Tone]

Here is the short-lived green Zero



Also one of my jet airliners, an American Airlines A300. These showed up in a chain toy store in a nearby mall one evening in the 1990s. When I asked the sales person if she could get me an Alitalia version she told me no, and that the store only received the ones on the pegs by mistake. Good thing I picked one of each, two of the United 747s.

[MichaelB]

I found both the AA airliners in KMart on "Mega Masters" cards. Try as I might, I never found any more like that. However, they were staples in the Maisto "Air Line" series which came in those nice little boxes with a world map background. I think I might have sent you the Alitalia version a long time ago. Among other places, the boxed pieces were on sale at the NASM.
Nice enough for a toy, but they didn't compare with Herpa and similar.
What card Is that AA A300 on? The airliners also came on cards. My notes say 1997.
Michael

[Tone]

Here it is !