DynaFlites

[MichaelB]

Well...I've made a discovery in my files. As you all know Mr. Webster has often disparaged my collecting the DynaFlite line of toy metal airplanes. Pieces of "cr*p" he would often say...well...
I have come across the Winter 1991 Plane News and guess what? Mr. Webster calls DynaFlites "..the inexpensive but intriging (sic) DYNA FLITE ZEE (sic)."
Poor grammar aside, I guess time has not served Mr. Webster well as he must now be a crotchety old basterd as his opinion has gone from intriguing to "cr*p" and worse!
All kidding aside, GR! ...gotcha' by your own words!
Michael
KHOU
PS: And here's a promise to bring some DynaFlite goodness to these pages very soon...

[grwebster]

Michael, back in the Winter of 1991, I was also a staunch Republican.... and I couldn't spell then or now...
Bring them on. {the Dynas, that is}

[angelreader]

Dynas seem to be surfacing in unusual packaging that I do not recognise ? I have a Sikorsky S-58 on the way.
Barry.

[MichaelB]

The DynaFlite S-58 was marked as an S-55 and it's line number is A100. It is the "first" in the line, numerically! Since it's orange, we have to assume it's really a USN H04S-1, and as such it's marked as "Navy" on the side.
The early Dyna Helicopters are always hard to find as the plastic used in the rotors was very brittle. ..and of those helos, this piece seems to be especially hard to find. Again, for reasons unknown it didn't continue in the line for very long and was not shown in catalogs by the early '80s.
This piece is very typical of ZEE, as the quality is much better than it needs to be for a "toy" of this kind. The quality of the two piece fuselage is excellent, complete with vents, rivets, and a cast in tail wheel. Typically there are 4-5 stickers, including a tail rotor warning.
Other parts include a clear canopy, two stalky main struts with "dumbell" wheels, a 4 blade chrome tail rotor and a 3 blade chrome main rotor that will fold up for packaging. The canopy is a poor fit to the piece - but what do you expect for .79c? As a side note for the entire line, the "gray" plastic struts do indicate an early issue. Later issues would have a black strut, and finally a cast in metal strut incorporated. I have only seen gray struts on A100.
The tail has this cast in: HONGKONG ZEE DYNAFLITES SIKORSKY S-55 A100
I'm also confident they didn't pay any licensing fees to Sikorsky - or anyone else. Enthusiasm paid their fees!
Enjoy your prize!

[angelreader]

What do you make of this one Michael ? strange packaging and a new decal ?

[MichaelB]

Wow! Right - that's a new one for me! I've got lots of "Super Wings" but not on a card like that! That little oval "A100 etc" makes it authentic to it's time!
When you get the item, could you scan the back for me?
Just as a further note, A100 is shown in the 1974 catalog, but not in the 1979.
Michael

[angelreader]

Yes sure will scan the card for your records,there was a black Bf.109 in the same packaging but I lost that one,the added decal is strange ?
Zylmex I think they are great with so much variation to look out for,you get a buzz when you find something new like this.
Those rotors are a pain,after a while they just fall apart,the plastic looks like reclaimed stuff.
Barry.

[MichaelB]

Perhaps for psychological reasons ZEE issued the 109 and Zero as air racers. That way they aren't "evil" or "bad" airplanes. The "black" 109 was labeled as "Good Goose" in it's air racing scheme. It was only in 1993 that the 109 would appear in warpaint.
For a cheap little line, the issue variations and time frame can be very intriguing! The obviously went early into international distribution as I've seen packaging for every Continent except South America. If their intent was to overthrown Sky Busters, I suppose they were successful, but only because of their very low cost. They did become ubiquitous over time and only in the last decade have the filtered into the "generic" categories.
If they had continued with new pieces of better quality, and tried to penetrate those markets, they might still be around. Their final buyer, Red Box Toys, did that with larger planes and a more limited distribution - and higher prices. I don't think they are out of business, but they certainly maintain a low profile. With the closings of so many hobby and toy stores, and the almost elimination of such items for sale at grocery and drug shoppes, they are finally finding a home as cheap "collectibles" at many aviation related venues.
It's a fun line to collect, and like that A100, the basic cast isn't half bad - I've turned a number into little "models" by redoing the cast, painting and then decalling them.
Michael

[angelreader]

Very well put Michael,I like the phasing out of types with new aircraft taking the former 'A' number,as aircraft became obsolete in service so they brought things up to date with new castings,right from the first day I purchased my first Zylmex I have been filing and re-shapng,filling and contouring to make exceptional examples for my collection,after all they are cheap enough to buy a few and do what takes your fancy,up to now I have reworked a Grumman HU-16 Albatross,Spitfire and the Cessna Skymaster as well as others in the range,plus purchased a reworked Hawker Hunter as well,almost forgot I made a decent Wessex from the S-58 long before Corgi brought an example out of this marque.
How things have changed in the cheap toy world,here to we are lacking in model outlets that used to have them on their racks,the market stalls were my first finds many years ago which together with Cragston they vied for sales,it is all generic if you do find anything these days in the supermarkets.
However there are still plenty of Zylmex finds around to keep us busy collecting them,long may these cheapies be remembered and enjoyed by those who appreciate their simplicity,pity about the props and rotor blades but you cannot have it all ways can you ?
Barry.

[MichaelB]

If trying to rebuild these as models, it's easy enough to make some solid brass or styrene strips into rotors. ZEE would change from plastic to vinyl for their later rotor blades, a good example being the CH-54 SkyCrane - one of their better molds.
If holding them as "collectibles"...well..nothing can be done except not to touch them! I have a number where the plastic "bubble" has gone yellow and crumbly, and as I stated before...I bag the model and card in a zip bag. The ZEE helos didn't last long in the real world!
I'm almost appalled at your "fixing" the Hunter and Hu-16 - those are two of the rarest molds!
Again...for a model costing $1, these are remarkable. I would expect a model costing $40-50-60 to be extraordinary!
Have fun!
Michael