MAC Forum

Can anyone help me identify this very cool "Pelikaan" diecast airplane toy?

My understanding is that "Pelikaan" is Dutch for "pelican." In German, "pelican" is spelled with only one "a" and would be "Pelikan."

So, I'm assuming this was made for a Dutch audience.

I recently acquired the toy in a lot of pre-war Dinky (England) aeroplanes.

It is very heavy diecast with a large-scale tin 3-bladed propeller. It has a fuselage length of nearly 9.5 cm and a wingspan of 10 cm.

The right wing shows the residue of a transfer or decal. Otherwise it is in excellent condition.

A photo is below:



I was unable to find this toy in Sue Richardson's Diecast Toy Aircraft book...

Any help?

I know this model and have seen others similar to it. Look underneath and you will find a mounting support cast-in. The large propeller is original to the model. I believe it was made in England as they are big bicycle users and the others I have seen {which include a DC-1/2} were all found in London.
Why mention bicycles?
Because this airplane model was made to be mounted on the handlebars of a boy's bike! The propeller would turn when ridden. Add a playing card attached to the wheel frame with a clothes pin to make a motor-like noise when it was struck by the moving wire spokes, and PRESTO!
You have your own fighter plane.
Some of these used a lead alloy so be sure to clean your hands of any white dust present when you handle it- its lead oxide.

You are spot on about the cast-in mounting support, GR! It looks to have broken off at some point. I assumed it was caused by the mold being removed.

Your explanation was unexpected and makes for a great story - I never would have guessed it!

What would you estimate the age to be?

Also, it looks like some sort of racing airplane. Do you recognize the make/model?

Just a WAG but i would say 1936/7 or so based on the open cockpit, fixed gear, and before the Hurricane and the later Spitfire came into wide service.

As for a specific type, I would say its generic but one aircraft that looks like a rather likely candidate is the Dewoitine D 510, which is a French plane but was considered one of the first of a new generation of non-strut, all metal monoplanes and received lots of newspaper coverage at the time


Mark, while I know you are pilot and a helicopter one too, I am always surprised when you show parts of your extensive helicopter toy collection that has the odd ball, fixed wing toy items like this one. My tastes were quite similar.

I can't thank you enough for the info, GR!

I found a photo of this plane in W Tom Miller's book. The toy model does not have the "PELIKAAN" name on the side, but otherwise it is identical - it has the same oversize prop, flat areas on the wings for the insignia, rivet detail, and cast oleo legs. Top of Page 146.

Tone, that reminds me. I knew Tom and I have a copy of that book somewhere in the US. I recall several negative comments about it being focused only on his collection inaccurate, incomplete, etc but at least he tried to do something. I visited him several times during the 1990s but haven't heard anything in many years. He was getting on in age back then so perhaps he is no longer with us.
Did he describe it for what it was?

Good Catch Tone. GR, Not much description. Just calls it a "Racer". No manufacturing data.

I saw a photo of a real 1:1 single-prop plane, like this, that was named Pelikaan.

OK, I give up, where?