“Fly ‘em high! Fly ‘em far!”
Released in 1976, Mattel’s Flying Aces line of toy airplanes were made of TUFLITE — a lightweight, flexible, quasi-foam/plastic material that allowed them to glide through the air.
The Flying Aces squadron comprised a variety of military aircraft, including:
- #9312 – Freedom Fighter F-5 USAF
- #9313 – Freedom Fighter F-5 RCAF
- #9314 – Corsair F4U USN
- #9315 – Corsair F4U USMC
- #9316 – MIG-21 Red China
- #9317 – Fishbed MIG-21 USSR
- #9604 – Mustang P-51 USAAF
- #9605 – Mustang P-51 US Volunteer Force
Individual planes were packaged with a Sky Shooter, a handheld device with a rubber band used to launch the airplane into the air.
FOUR PLAYSETS
Mattel released a series of coordinated playsets to complement the line, including an Attack Carrier, Flight Deck, Squadron Command, and Advanced Island Base Set.
The Flight Deck came with two Flying Aces, a plastic launch platform, and a pistol grip that gave junior pilots control over launch trajectory. Squadron Command was a variant on the same theme, allowing Flying Aces to be launched from behind a facsimile cockpit.
At 3-feet long, the Attack Carrier was the largest playset and came with a pair of WWII Corsairs. Planes could be launched from a built-in catapult or via a remote-control lever located in the rear of the carrier. Although its design resembled its larger sea-faring naval counterpart, the polystyrene foam Attack Carrier did not float in water.
The Advanced Island Base Set provided a 13-inch x 22-inch tabletop play area with an airstrip launch ramp and embedded trigger launcher, hanger, control tower, and operation HQ building.
