MAC Forum

The B-58 is one of the most fascinating airplanes of the 50's and 60's, hence it is pretty unfortunate, that so few die cast toy models were made of that alu-flash.
The Politoys B-58 is well known, but pretty small. After some continous search over the years I was finally able to find the bigger Mandarin. It is pictured here. It has a span of 6,5 cm, which ends in scale 266, so just a little smaller than the 250 scaled SIKU plastic version (which I don't like that much...).

Anyone knows other die cast toys of the B-58?

Meanwhile Small World from UK makes it in 1/200, but it's an expensive collector's model and not a former toy. The Marx tin version from Japan is a great one. Fell free to post it here and make me jealous...

I have that plane in green, on the card ... "Happi Mates" was the distributor brand name, but the toy is the same casting.

fliegerii wrote: The Marx tin version from Japan is a great one. Fell free to post it here and make me jealous...

Was that your Hungarian Il-14 Crate (without the titles, "Magyar Legikozlekedesi Vallalat") on a German auction site?

The Processed Plastic B-58, which is very nice.
The Sky Champs issue, which is the Mandarin reissued.
The tiny MPC Planes Of All Nations included a B-58.

This one is not a toy, but a U.S. Government issued identification/recognition model. One of the finest in the post war series. Hard to find, easily broken.
It is dated 11 59
Scale is 1/72

It is odd that the B-58 is so overlooked in the toy world; I suppose it just came a bit late and left early. They were only in service for about 10 years. They generated a huge number of plastic model kits - more than any other subject until recently.
Here's the Polistil..
And the one from the Monogram Air Power model kit, PA56, 1959.

Thanks for all the pictures and remarks!!

Tony: Yes it was me selling the Hungarian IL-14 on German Ebay, at least if you mean the mint one. I am actually thinning out my collection and get rid of some unremarkable specimen. I am always in lack of space...
Instead of it, I was looking out for two Marx B-58 this week. But both turned out to be beyond my price idea: A good one without box went for 555,- USD (+ Shipping + Custom = 700,-) and another one without box and missing pod was for 216,- GBP

Michael: I did not realise, that you posted the Mandarin B-58 already in an earlier thread. I appreciate the information, that it was reissued as "Sky Champs". That knowledge increases my chance to get once a boxed one.

GR: Just saw that B-58 ID model on Ebay. It was missing the pod and two engines. The seller was offering it as a "Cruiver"/ something

For me the B-58 is one of the most impressive jet planes. I put it in a row together with F-4, F-104 and ME-262. These are all icons of industrial design!

Cruver was a Chicago, IL, USA firm that specialized in Identification models from the first ones in blackened celluloid acetate in the early 1940s right though to the end in the 1960s. All their models had the name 'Cruver' along with the copyright symbol, the date the tooling was made, and the name of the aircraft. Some also had Property of the US Government.

NB: the Sky Champs is the same as the "Happi-Mates" I have, the latter name appears in fine print!

While not intended as "toys" several diecast makers are either making or planning B-58s in various small scales. One of these is Sky Defenders which is putting out a 1:250th scale rendition that is listed on the Flying Mule website, along with a picture. Dragon is also planning a 1:200th scale version. I expect to see this plane pop up in several more of the mass produced publisher funded diecast bomber lines shortly, as well.