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T R A V E L A I R 4 0 0 0  Originally issued in 1974 as an promotional item for the motion picture, "Nothing By Chance." The movie never went past test screenings in a few cities — sadly, too, for it was a charming and visually stimulating semi-documentary about a small group of present-day barnstormers traveling the Midwest in their restored biplanes for a few weeks, living like gypsy pilots of the '20s did, selling rides from farmers' fields and sleeping under their wings. Flyers loved the movie, but apparently the general audiences craved more violence and a more profound story. This Travel Air is a quarter-scale version of one of those planes, and was sold instead through magazine ads, quite successfully, in 1974, mostly to kit collectors, but  some* were built by those who remembered the good old days of pre-plastic models. This kit is a replica of those of the 1930s, even down to a lead engine and prop cast from the original molds of the Comet and Maircraft kits!
Recently a small supply of the kits was discovered in storage. Fortunately it was in a dry location, for they look just like they did 30 years ago. These kits were in a carton marked "Rejects." Faulty wood? Broken pieces? No, they were missing two 6" strips of hardwood for the struts, and a 1" square piece of plastic from which the windshields were made. Otherwise they are complete with: I opened each box and took inventory to make sure all parts were there, and raided a hobby shop for some hardwood strips to add along with some scrap clear plastic.  Collector value is obvious — there were less than 1,000 of these kits sold originally. Once in a great while one might appear in "Toy Box" or a collectors' newsletter at a ridiculous price. So while they last, and first-come first-served, $16.00 and postage. * The plane in the illustration shows what a great miniature can look like when constructed by someone who remembers how to work with balsa wood.
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