Spanish "RATA"

[solumis]

Any idea who made this model? It is a 1€ ebay find. No makers name on it and the gear is working. Its a nice small model.
I just found a matching prop.

[grwebster]

That is one from a very nice series made by the Spanish firm Play Me. There were some unusual aircraft presented.

They all were was originally sold in clear plastic topped 'diamond boxes similar to toys of the same period by Lintoy/Corgi, Edison and Cox/AHM aircraft.

Yours is the first version with folding landing gear, the latter ones had fixed posts with 'barbell' landing gear.
Here are some in the range








They are not easy to find today and I don't think they were very widely distributed. I have never seen one in the USA except from major collections. I was able to find a few for sale in retails stores in France in the early 1980s

[grwebster]

Just found another photo of another tray with more of them

[Tone]

Though some of the Play-Me planes are the same as 1968 Cragstan Wild Wings, the Rata was not included in the Wild Wings series.

[grwebster]

Tone, are you sure about that? Never heard that and some of the toys are similar.
I am not the expert on either maker but here is a comparison between two similar aircraft the F-111, one by Play Me and the other by Cragstan. The Cragstan is on the bottom.
Close but not the same- Awaiting Michael's input.







The F-86 from both firms are very close {Cragstan's canopy is much better} and could be from the same tooling but as I am using photos I took a long while ago and the toys in my collection are all sold so I can't provide a closer comparison.
here is the Play Me


and here is the Cragstan


and here are some other Cragstans

[Tone]

Wow - I am not so sure now ! But ... what is that neat red Hi-wing Monoplane with the roundels on the wings?

[lycan]

New member, chiming in late. PlayMe as pointed out was basically a lesser form of Cragstan. They made basically the same airframes just of lesser quality. Although the names are similar, PlayMe & Playart are not the same as several over the years have thought (in my experience with some collectors). I've collected these since the early 70's and have dozens of them mostly still new in their diamond cases. Modern collectors shun these as junk, but, back then this kind of stuff was the only game in town! Interestingly I've sold some of these for alot more than alot of current manufactured diecast bring so 'junk' is at best, an incorrect term. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

[AntonioMartin]

I c an airliner in the collection too..perhaps an Iberia 747 model????

[grwebster]

Welcome to the MAC web forum
There were Play Me civilian airliners, but I was only interested in the military or small private and transport aircraft. Sorry I can't show any photos.

[24C]

The "Rata" is a Polikarpov I-16, is it not?