Postwar US Recognition ID Training Models
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 4:44 amHi Y'all -
I thought everyone might appreciate a brief note about postwar US ID training models, particularly after seeing the response to GR's SA-16 in black. Some of you old-time members to the erstwhile "Plane News" will remember Andy Harris. Andy (and Steve Remington) helped me get started collecting about 1993, and I still have a few hundred models that I bought from/through Andy back when he was getting divorced and abandoning this hobby. Anyway, Andy told me at some point that he had interviewed the Chief Procurement Officer for the entire postwar ID training model effort. The result of this interview was the information that the postwar black and navy blue models were each produced in a single production run of only 100 models. The subsequent gray models were produced as needed. That means that postwar models in black and navy blue are indeed incredibly rare.
However, lest your enthusiasm for one of these carries you away in your bidding, you should know that many of the wartime models are much rarer. The postwar models, as a rule, don't tend to deteriorate over time, while the wartime models disappear at the historic rate of ~2% per year. After 65+ years, many wartime models are no longer available in any condition. Just think about the power of compound interest! It works in reverse, too!
So ........, if you find a chance to buy a postwar US-made model in either navy blue or black, you should consider picking it up, just for its rarity and conversation value!
I thought everyone might appreciate a brief note about postwar US ID training models, particularly after seeing the response to GR's SA-16 in black. Some of you old-time members to the erstwhile "Plane News" will remember Andy Harris. Andy (and Steve Remington) helped me get started collecting about 1993, and I still have a few hundred models that I bought from/through Andy back when he was getting divorced and abandoning this hobby. Anyway, Andy told me at some point that he had interviewed the Chief Procurement Officer for the entire postwar ID training model effort. The result of this interview was the information that the postwar black and navy blue models were each produced in a single production run of only 100 models. The subsequent gray models were produced as needed. That means that postwar models in black and navy blue are indeed incredibly rare.
However, lest your enthusiasm for one of these carries you away in your bidding, you should know that many of the wartime models are much rarer. The postwar models, as a rule, don't tend to deteriorate over time, while the wartime models disappear at the historic rate of ~2% per year. After 65+ years, many wartime models are no longer available in any condition. Just think about the power of compound interest! It works in reverse, too!
So ........, if you find a chance to buy a postwar US-made model in either navy blue or black, you should consider picking it up, just for its rarity and conversation value!