The B-36D version, the subject of this model, was powered by six R-4360-41 engines and had four J47-GE-19 turbojets added in wing pods - the B-36D entered service in 1950. All B-36s were manufactured by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas. The last B-36 was retired in February, 1959.

The B-36 was the mainstay of SAC for many years and the subject of a very bitter and acrimonious inter-service rivalry leading to a Congressional investigation in 1949. Yet the B-36 has been the subject of very few models, either display or kits, and only a handful of paintings and prints. The print, shown below, by Raymond Moats, Another Nineteen Hours - RB-36E, depicts a RB-36E (coverted to E from the B-36A) flying out of Travis AFB. I have one of these prints available at $138.00.

The P5M (P-5) Marlin had its genesis in 1944 as the Martin company began design studies for a successor to the PBM Mariner with the company designation of "Model 237", leading to award of a Navy contract for a prototype, the "XP5M-1", on 26 June 1946. The prototype "Marlin" performed its initial flight on 4 May 1948. It was was heavily based on the Mariner, and in fact was modified on the production line from the last, unfinished PBM-5 Mariner. The Marlin, with the same wing but an extensively modified fuselage, stretched 3.35 meters (11 feet) and with a hull that extended the full length of the aircraft. It also featured a single very tall tailfin instead of the twin tall tailfins of the Mariner, with the horizontal tailplane featuring a strong dihedral. The new hull was much more seaworthy, and featured "hydroflaps" near the end that were used as waterbrakes on landing and were operated by the pilot's rudder pedals. The Marlin was a pure flying boat, incapable of landing on a runway as were all of the PBM except the dash 5 version.

The Navy ordered the Marlin into production as the "P5M-1 / Model 237A", with numerous changes from the prototype. The Marlin was powered by two Wright R-3350-30WA Turbo-Compound radial engines with 2,425 kW (3,250 HP) each and fitted in long nacelles. As in the Mariner, the nacelles included weapons bays that could each accommodate two torpedoes or two 900 kilogram (2,000 pound) bombs. Up to eight 450 kilogram (1,000 pound) bombs or other stores could be carried on underwing pylons. In practice, the primary underwing store would be the 76.2 millimeter (5 inch) HVAR rockets, to be used against surface submarines. Normal crew consisted of eight. Initial service deliveries of the P5M-1 began in December 1951, with Navy patrol squadron VP-44 as the first operator. A total of 160 P5M-1s were delivered by 1954.

"Guerilla Operation. Using present-day P5M Martin Marlin patrol seaplanes and the submarine-oiler, USS Guavina, the Navy, with the close cooperation of the Martin Company, is developing handling apparatus and refueling techniques to be ready for the P6M upon its delivery to fleet service. Operations have been carried out in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and in the waters off the coast of Florida." From Martin Plane Facts, brochure, circa 1955.

Martin began a major redesign of the Marlin in 1951, producing the "P5M-2 / Model 237B", which first flew on29 April 1954. The P5M-2 had a distinctive tee tail, with a MAD boom often fitted at the junction of the tailplanes. It also had much greater fuel capacity, which increased gross weight by over 5,500 kilograms (12,000 pounds), and uprated Wright R-3350-32WA Turbo-Compound engines with 2,760 kW (3,700 HP) each to handle the greater weight. The bow chine was lowered to reduce spray, and the crew accommodations were also improved. Over a hundred P5M-2's were built. Martin-Baltimore did a modernization program on the Marlins in 1958-1961.

The U.S. Navy operated the P5M-2 (SP-5B) Martin "Marlins" in support of the Vietnam effort between 1965 and 1967 as part of "Operation Market Time." Nevertheless, they were mostly out of service by 1965. The very last formal U.S. Navy flying boat flight, with a Marlin, was in 1967 (VP-40 from Cam Ranh Bay on April 11, 1967). The Aeronavale operated their Marlins until 1974. France withdrew from NATO and returned the flying boats to the US Navy. The Marlin was Martin's last full-production flying boat, and the last flying boat in operational service with any NATO nation. I have been told that the U.S. Navy Marlins in Vietnam were flown to Japan for scrapping - what an ignominious ending!

On July 8, 1968, the Navy's last seaplane, VP-40 QE-10, BuNo 135533, was restored for a commemorative flight from San Diego to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, where it was officially turned over to the Smithsonian Institution. This historic aircraft is now on permanent display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida, and is the only surviving example of this aircraft type.

This Topping model of the Martin P5M-1 "Marlin" is a superb example of the display models created by that Akron/Elyria, Ohio firm. It is in 1:100 scale with a wingspan of 14 1/2-inches. These classy models were used by the aircraft manufacturers to promote their products to the military officials and operational officers associated with the particular type. Though a very nice Topping-style base, I don't believe that this is the original base but is of aftermarket manufacture.

Complete and in perfect condition, this P5M-1 model looks the same as the day it left Elyria in the early 1950s. A hard-to-find, half-century old dash-one version of the U.S. Navy's last operational flyingboat, you can display this exciting model for $700.00.

A factory photo of the beautiful P5M-1. More information on the P5M, and all other Martin aircraft, can be obtained at the website for the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum by clicking Here.

Colonel Jack Broughton, USAF, authored the famous book, Thud Ridge, which describes in breathtaking detail the low level combat action in a F-105 over North Vietnam and some of the mismanagement of the air campaign by Washington. First printed in 1969, it is reported that President Johnson had the first hard-cover run of the book bought up and destroyed by the Pentagon but I believe that this is an "urban legend" in that inexpensive copies of the hardback can be purchased on the internet. A paperback version accompanies this model.

The first Hellcat prototype was designated as the XF6F-3; this new fighter first flew from the Bethpage, Long Island Grumman plant on June 26, 1942, piloted by Selden A. Converse. Deliveries of the production F6F-3 began in early 1943 and the first combat action was with VF-5 from the USS Yorktown against Marcus Island on August 31, 1943. The Hellcat, in various versions, went on to account for 75% of all Navy air-to-air victories in WWII - an amazing record for this outstanding fighter which combined ruggedness with performance. Not a "pretty" airplane, the Hellcat has taken a historical backseat to the handsome P-51, P-38, P-47, and Corsair, yet the Hellcat is arguably the most effective fighter produced by the U.S. in WWII. Production of the Hellcat totalled 12,275 until stopped in 1945. The fighter was used by reserve units and served as drones; I recall seeing many orange, drone Hellcats at Pensacola in 1951, having been converted at that facility.

This Topping model appears to be the F6F-3 and is in a large 1:40 scale. The stand shown is a replica of the original. I am assuming that Topping only made the F6F in the 1940s, and maybe none following WWII. The decals all show some signs of chipping as you can see in the pictures below. A Topping collection should include the airplane that kicked-off the Topping line; this Hellcat is available for $450.00.

The C-141 Starlifter incorporated ideas from Lockheed's earlier C-130 Hercules cargolifter, including a high wing; a loading ramp under the high tail; clamshell rear doors that could be opened in flight for airdrops; and main landing gear that retracted into fairings alongside the fuselage to ensure an unobstructed cargo hold. The Starlifter differed from the Hercules in having wings with a sweepback of 25 degrees and a tee tail, rather than straight wings and a conventional tail; and four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7 turbofans mounted in pods on underwing pylons, instead of turboprops mounted on the wing. There were five flight crew, including pilot, copilot, navigator, and two loadmasters. Initial flight of the Starlifter was on December 17,1963. The first C-141A, delivered to Tinker AFB, Okla., in October 1964, began squadron operations in April 1965. The C-141 was the first jet transport from which U.S. Army paratroopers jumped, and the first to land in the Antarctic. The first C-141B was received by the Air Force in December 1979. Conversion from A to B models was completed in 1982. Conversion to the C-models began in 1997 and was completed in 2001. The last active-duty C-141B retired Sept. 16, 2004, at McGuire AFB, N.J. AMC began transferring C-141s to the Air Reserve and Air National Guard forces in July 1986. There are 20 Reserve C-141C's are stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and March Air Reserve Base, Calif.

This interesting training aid has been restored with some new paint to match the original scheme and repair where necessary. These models would have been of very limited production; this C-141B model came from a West Coast AF base.

You can practice being a C-141B loadmaster for only $145.00.

The Allyn Sales Co., Los Angeles 1, California, made a series of plastic model kits in the 1950s. The brochure shown above is on the back side of the Convair XF-92A kit instructions. Note that six of the aircraft were Douglas, one Convair and three Boeing. The models were rather basic with no panel lines, no landing gear, no pilot, and very little detail. Most of the single engine were in a large scale around 1:48. The models were cast in colored plastic (similar to many of the Topping models) requiring no painting. While these aircraft, in plastic, show up occasionally being touted as finished manufacturer's display models, I believe that they were sold by Allyn only as kits. It is very likely that the manufacturers bought these kits for promotional purposes and perhaps paid for their molds; Allyn sold these kits to the retail market and they were advertised in aviation and model publications.

Some of the Allyn metal "ashtray" models were duplicated in plastic kits. For example, the Boeing models shown as plastic kits were also available finished in chromed pot metal on both ashtray stands and metal stands which duplicated the plastic stands seen above. The metal models were also sold retail but were definitely used by the companies as promotional items, employee rewards, etc. Note the Convair B-36 shown elsewhere on this page.

An Allyn duo of a B-47 metal and a B-47 plastic kit is offered on the Display Model Annex 3 page which can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

The first fifteen minutes or so of the remake of the movie "The Flight of the Phoenix" has absolutely stunning aerial photos of the C-119 flying over the desert - I doubt that there has ever been such a handsome cinematic display of the C-119 presented in any venue. The airplane used is a late version, either an "F" or a "G" although don't understand the 3-blade propeller used on the "Phoenix".

The Fairchild C-119 first flew in 1947 as a growth version of the C-82A "Packet". Production versions covered the "B", "C", "F", and "G" to the "L". Some of the C's were built by Kaiser-Frazer during the Korean War. The different models, each with different engine/propeller combinations, can be identified most readily by their tail assembly. The addition of long dorsal fins, the elimination of the tailplane sections outboard of the booms, and the addition of ventral fins are features which identify the different models. Some of the C-119Fs and all of the C-119Gs had the ventral fin which is a feature of this Topping model. The C-119 was in production into the mid-1950s. A larger "H" version never went into production and the last version was the "L".

The Fairchild Aircraft Division ran the advertisement, shown below, in the March 14, 1955 edition of Aviation Week.

When Boeing developed the B-29 Stratofortress during WW II, it was soon realized that it was the beginning of a new plateau of aircraft technology. The USAAF and Boeing soon realized that an impressive transport aircraft could be developed from the bomber, and the Model 367 (C-97) was flying by the end of the war. The B-29's wings, engines, and tail were mated with a completely new fuselage, whose dimensions at that time looked fantastic. The front looked bluff and unstreamlined, but the maximum speed was calculated to be as high as the bomber's. The plane was tailored to the military's needs, but as the war was winding down, the aircraft manufacturer began to think of ways this new technology could be translated into an airliner derivative.

Pan American was very interested in the plane, but thought that it would be even better equipped with the new Wasp Major engine, then in development for the B-29's successor, the B-50. With the promise of an order from Pan Am, Boeing had refined the Model 377 with the new engines by 1946, with all the latest refinements, including full anti-icing, light alloy structure, and foldable tail. The interior would feature a two-deck arrangement, with luxurious furnishings and a spiral staircase to a downstairs bar/lounge.

In June 1946 Pan American cancelled it's DC-7 order (an earlier model quite different from the eventual DC-7) and ordered 20 377's, now named the Stratocruiser. Further orders came from Northwest, American Overseas, SAS, BOAC, and United. The Northwest and United examples were built slightly differently, the most obvious change being the square passenger windows (note that this Bronzeart model has the early round passenger windows). However, total production of the Stratocruiser only came to 56, with most airlines shying away from the complex Wasp Major engines with their twin General Electric turbos and Hamilton Standard hollow-steel square-tipped props. There were indeed many problems with the "Strat" as it was placed into service, but the competing Connies and DC-6's also had problems that even lead to their temporary grounding. SAS never actually took delivery, their four planes being added to the BOAC order.

The Stratocruiser was typically used in first class transatlantic service (except for the United and Northwest planes), and other international routes. However, they were rapidly replaced by other more economical aircraft in the late 50's and by jets in the early 60's, and were sold to other operators. Many of these were converted to cargo operations, and several were used in the "Guppy" rebuildings. During the early 1960s, Aero Space Lines ballooned the Stratocruiser’s fuselage into a whale-like shape to carry spacecraft sections. Nine of the variants were assembled. The first was called the "Pregnant Guppy," followed by five larger "Superguppies" and three smaller "Miniguppies." Much of this work was accomplished in Santa Barbara.

As a result, this all-metal display model has been completely restored to better than new condition and appearance. The weak-link, fuselage-to-stand attachment area has been structurally beefed up to provide a secure internal thread for the attaching bolt, guaranteed to be breakout proof. The model has been professionally repainted with a dead-on color match automobile paint. It took two months to pin down the color mix. The stand has not been resprayed and the original "Boeing Stratocruiser" decal is intact. An original, round, gold Bronzeart sticker is on the underside of the base. Some details of the model are shown below.

Variants of the Lockheed Constellation served as airborne early-warning aircraft with the U.S. Navy. The WV-1 was based on the Model 749 and two of these were built as test vehicles in 1949. The WV-2, or Warning Star, was a modified Super Constellation, Model L-1049, with first deliveries in 1954. 142 WV-2s were delivered; the U.S. Air Force also received the C-121 in many versions from transport to radar equipped. The WV-2 designation was changed to EC-121K in 1962.

This Lockheed factory display model is in 1:144 scale on its original Lockheed stand. The model appears to be resin. This model came from the estate of a gentlemen who was in Navy procurement for 40 years. It is an authentic early model of Lockheed's magnificent Super Connie as converted for the U.S. Navy. The WV-2/EC-121K served many roles and missions in naval service for many years. The EP-3E started replacing the EC-121K in the early 1970s. The last operational mission of a C-121 was with VAQ-33 on June 11, 1982 and the last military Connie was retired from the U.S. Navy on June 25, 1982.

The Air Force EC-121 radar aircraft were used extensively for perimeter defense of the U.S. in the late 1950s and 1960s. The Early warning Line (DEW) above the Arctic Circle and the Pinetree Line at the Canadian border provided radar coverage along with the Texas Tower radar platforms off the Atlantic coast in the same Cold War time frame. The Lockheed Warning Star radar equipped airplane filled the gaps in radar defense protective coverage of the U.S. Most of the EC-121s flew either from McClellan AFB near Sacramento (for the west coast) or Otis AFB at Cape Cod.for the east coast. The EC-121s became "well used" and by 1965 the H models were flying with heavier loads because of additional electronic equipment. Perhaps because of the heavily worked, "tired" aircraft, along with other maintenance factors affecting the aging airplanes, three Air Force EC-121s were lost between July 11, 1965 and April 25, 1967 with the loss of 50 lives. The fleet was temporarily grounded and eventually the Air Force deactivated their fleet by the end of 1969 with some airplanes entering Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve service..

The Grumman AF-2W Guardian submarine hunter and the AF-2S Guardian submarine killer were an evolutionary replacement for the famous TBF Avenger. The AF-2 first flew in 1949 and entered the fleet in October 1950 with the last deliveries in 1953; the AF-2 served for several more years before being replaced by the Grumman S2F (models also offered on this website).

The search and early warning radar-equipped AF-2W carried a four-man crew (two in the fuselage to operate the detection gear) and the AF-2S had a three-man crew. The AF-2S weapons bay could carry torpedoes, depth charges or bombs. The large aircraft had a 60-foot 8-inch wingspan and was powered by a P&W R-2800-48W. The two aircraft worked together to collaborate in anti-submarine warfare. The AF-2 served during the Korean War.

A Topping model of the Grumman AF-2 that can be converted from the -2S to the -2W. The same as the models shown above but this model comes with both inserts; a Hunter-Killer Team in one. Own this fine, large scale Grumman model for $375.00.