QUIZ #4 A Caravelle with a unique distinction.

[grwebster]

Another clue can be found by looking at the landing gear.

[Tomtom]

The rear stairs on this model pull down,pure genius the Tekno models-wish they made more!!
Tom

[fliegerii]

Tekno inspired Aero Mini.

In fact this pictured Tekno stand is very similar to the ones used by Aero Mini. I have some Teknos and even some of these hard plastic boxes, but no stand so far.

I like Tekno planes very much, but the decal peeling is terrible. Even many mint and unplayed specimen do have this problem.

[grwebster]

Chris, right you are, but that's a pretty obscure relationship and I am surprised anyone would know that. I interviewed Robert Metchick for TPN many years ago and he explained that as he was leaving military service { US NAVY, Aviator. Flew F-4 Phantoms} he tried to find good, accurate, metal aircraft toys to give to his two boys. He found a Tekno Caravelle and later the Tekno DC-7C. He decided that he would create a new line of high quality metal aircraft toys, and based quite a lot of his designs on those Teknos.
Look at the clip supporting the model, the landing gears and spring gear door closures. Just like Tekno's.



Unfortunately, he got hit by a lot of issues; airline royalties, bad shipping from Japan resulting in high damage rates, poor retail packaging design in the early days {with those slant top thin cardboard boxes}, and finally Japanese partners who were dishonest, used his molds for their own distribution among other issues. He went into personal bankruptcy.
Incidentally some of those unusual Aero Mini's like the Spirit of 76, the KC-135, and others in non airline finishes, USAF 747, used castings that suffered damaged paint finishes in bulk shipping from Japan. {The individual packaging was done in his wharehouse in the USA.} These aircraft were produced in much smaller quantity as he and a colleague painted them themselves, by hand.