Jump to content

Remco 727-100 conversion


Recommended Posts

Hi all, it has been nearly a year since i have been on here - at that time i was planning to do a 1/32 sr-71 and still plan to but hadn't gotten it very far

before life took over -

have been toy consulting for a slot car company and that and the day job have meant many projects other than airplanes for a bit

at any rate - i have just purchased a remco 727-100 (i think) jetliner

i don't know much at all about these - i think they were offered in the late '60s

i think it is very near to 1/32 scale which is what i model (ranges from 1/28 to 1/32 loosely) - at least i hope it is!!

it has a main door of approx 2", and its length and width seem to suggest it is close

i want to dismantle it, and fill it with a full interior like a cutaway model, and also want to repaint it / restore it

it appears to have an operable left side front door as well as an operable door under tail for the sky stair (i think it was called something like that)

so - are there any other examples of this type of conversion here?? or can anyone tell me more of the remco jet please

its history and operations - what will i find when i try to open its doors or pull it apart?!?!

mine won't arrive for a couple of weeks but am very curious

will also need some references for period interior etc etc

... and then i want to do a dc-9 in 1/32 as well

any help much appreciated

thanks very much

Ron

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

hi all - still know nothing more about the remco 727 - other than that it was possibly available

somehow through United Airlines in 1968

mine arrived and is a real beauty and 'master class' in toy engineering for back in the day

it is huge and i think scales out very close to 1/32

here are a few pics as it arrived (with a 1/32 man and slot car to give a sense of scale).

727-2.jpg

727-3.jpg

I think it is a 727 - 100? because of the oval engine cowl up on tail ?? is that correct

I have dissassembled since these pics, to satisfy my curiosity of how it comes apart and what

is inside :D

and to give it an initial bath in soapy warm water to get a few decades of grime and dust off of it

this plane is very strong - made from great, thick plastic - surprisingly well done

you can see it has discolored, as has the glue -

i plan to restore the sides by replacing the thick card window inserts with new laser cut ones from scans of the originals

i will post some pics of its parts a bit later

i was hoping to be able to put in a full interior from the inside, but now not sure ...

at any rate i will respray it once i decide on a final paint scheme - and scratch a side loading stair

and perhaps detail up the rear stair a bit more as well

just posting these images as i know there is very little info out there (at least none i could find!)

and thought some others might also enjoy a bit on this

cheers, and will post progress as i get to it

727-1.jpg

comments and suggestions welcome

regards, Ron

Edited by manitouguy
Link to post
Share on other sites

Never seen or heard of that one before. It's definitely a -100 though. If it really is that old, it's possible it was created before there *was* a 727-200!

Looks interesting.. Huge, but interesting.

J

Link to post
Share on other sites

thanks for the comments guys

i just bought 11 bucks of batteries, wondering if this thing would fire up ...

and indeed it works just like new - quite entertaining

one motor drives the wheels for taxiing, and front wheels can be turned for varying radius circling, or left straight

other motor drives a tab across a toothed gear at high speed creating a ridiculously loud and very jet like whine ...

actually hard on the ears !!!

neat to clean it up and reawaken it after so many decades

Ron

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

OMG! I have one one of these in my basement! It looks in the same shape as your pics and I know it still works though I have lost the battery cover underneath (probably when we moved here 15 years ago). I've often thought of restoring it but been afraid to touch it and almost threw it out a few times due to my wife and her "clutter" removal fits! Somewhere I have a picture of my father holding it above his head with me standing next to him on XMAS morning probably 1968 or 1969. Will see if I can dig it up.

I hope you don't mind if I ask as I have never seen another one and never seen one on EBAY either, what are these things worth these days???? I also used to have a bunch of tin ones, smaller, that ran around the floor, the coolest thing was some of them the cabin lights would come on and their would be images of passengers and stuff.

Anyway, thanks for sharing - made my day!

Tom :whistle:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Tom - i haven't logged into ARC for a loong time - but thanks for your message and the post here to for the pic

it is a wonderful pic!!!

i haven't come across any more info on the remco planes - and i haven't gotten back to working on mine

i get side tracked easily with plenty of other 1/32 models and converts (just finished a scratchbuilt 1/32 san francisco street car, and planning for a full 1/32 pioneer zephyr train too ... then there is a 1/32 downtown city diorama at approx 16' x 6' ... and on and on)

but when i get back to the plane i will certainly post more

thanks again for the great photo

when i tried mine and it fired up it made me 5 years old again !!

oh, i have seen a few rough ones on ebay for $300 or more

i got mine on ebay as a buy it now for just under (or just over ?) $200 - i can't even remember now maybe it was even less - i will have to go back and check

they certainly seem to be rare birds and are quite wonderful pieces of toy engineering

over and out for now

cheers, Ron

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Ron

Thanks for getting back. I did a search on Remco 727 on google and got a few hits including an auction site that had a pic and sold what looked like a mint one for a little over $100. I have also seen one in National Airlines colors and one in Brannif colors which was the auction one (ugly orange.) On ebay this week someone was selling the battery compartment cover, which I need, for $85. Can you believe it? I almost gagged!

I've always wondered what to do with it. I don't know if it will come clean just cleaning it or if I should airbrush it white and then try to airbrush the decals. Don't know. Had it since I was 6 or 7 and I am 50 now so I guess it can wait a little while.

Also, since I started on this thread, my wife is a little miffed since she thought I was finally getting rid of it now that we are moving west. Guess what :-) It's following me west.

Wish I still had my other planes but they were to used up (enjoyed) and rusty and I tossed them around 15 years ago when we moved here. I had lots to what I guess are called TIN airliners that were smaller than this one but were cool just the same. Had them hanging on my bedroom wall when I went in the Navy and they were still there many years later till I got married and took them with me, where they languished and rusted in the basement. Thats life I guess. Tom

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...

Hey Ron

Thanks for getting back. I did a search on Remco 727 on google and got a few hits including an auction site that had a pic and sold what looked like a mint one for a little over $100. I have also seen one in National Airlines colors and one in Brannif colors which was the auction one (ugly orange.) On ebay this week someone was selling the battery compartment cover, which I need, for $85. Can you believe it? I almost gagged!

I've always wondered what to do with it. I don't know if it will come clean just cleaning it or if I should airbrush it white and then try to airbrush the decals. Don't know. Had it since I was 6 or 7 and I am 50 now so I guess it can wait a little while.

Also, since I started on this thread, my wife is a little miffed since she thought I was finally getting rid of it now that we are moving west. Guess what :-) It's following me west.

Wish I still had my other planes but they were to used up (enjoyed) and rusty and I tossed them around 15 years ago when we moved here. I had lots to what I guess are called TIN airliners that were smaller than this one but were cool just the same. Had them hanging on my bedroom wall when I went in the Navy and they were still there many years later till I got married and took them with me, where they languished and rusted in the basement. Thats life I guess. Tom

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Gent's my name is Glenn and I'm new to this forum and would like to share some photo's of my Remco 727-100 FEDEX conversion but Im unable to upload, and when I put the link to photobucket it only posts part the link. what am I doing wrong. regards Glenn

Edited by lastpacific
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 10 years later...

My parents bought me this fabulous jet plane for a Christmas gift back in 1970. I saw it in Korvettes hobby shop in Staten Island,NY, AND BEGGED THEM FOR IT! It was hanging on a pegboard on the wall of the shop. The sign said $12.00! My parents said they would get it for me on one condition; "You cannot open it until Christmas eve". I remember it was Dec. 2nd.Could I hold out for three weeks? Agreed! Well I slept on the livingroom floor next to the big box holding that dream treasure, every night, poking holes through the box with a pencil to see it. I could'nt see a thing; it was too dark!! CHRISTMAS EVE ARRIVED and I RIPPED the box open. It was finally in my hands!!! I EVENTUALLY broke the nose gear off, and it couldnt taxi anymore. Well I still have the plane up in my garage loft. It is in pretty good condition considering I have had it for over 51 YEARS! plan to restore it to its original condition.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...