~ Skybirds (Givejoy Toys) 1:72 Scale Model, Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, in Red LN-HAI Livery, circa 1935 to 1945~
A small 1:72 scale model of a single-engine cabin biplane, made by Skybirds and finished in bright red with cream registration lettering LN-HAI to the upper and lower wings and the fuselage, and a cream cowling rim. The model is constructed mainly from wood with fine wire interplane rigging and a cast metal propeller and engine face, the cockpit glazing painted in. It represents an American Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, the type named for its distinctive negatively staggered biplane wings, the lower wing set forward of the upper.
The registration LN-HAI is a Norwegian civil registration
Historical context
Skybirds 1:72 models were produced by the firm A. J. Holliday, the same company behind the Givjoy range of wooden and cast toys, and the Skybirds series of ship and aircraft models ran from the mid 1930s into the 1940s, being credited with helping to establish 1:72 as the standard constant scale for model aircraft. Skybirds aircraft of this period were sold as kits of wooden and cast components, strung in illustrated boxes, and were assembled and hand painted by the purchaser, which is why individual examples vary in finish and why liveries such as this red LN-HAI scheme were applied by hand. The real subject, the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, was a fast and luxurious American cabin biplane of the 1930s, prized then and now for its performance and its unmistakable back-staggered wings.
~ Dimensions ~
The model has a length of 5 inches and a wingspan of 5 inches.
~ Condition ~
The model is of plastic construction, hand-painted, and nicely detailed.
It is in very good condition commensurate with age.