Aviation Gifts

Incredibly detailed authentic vintage model airplanes make wonderful gifts for the aviation enthusiast who has everything!

As the wife (and co-pilot) to my flying husband I constantly find myself trying to find gifts for those special occasions in his life. After over 20 years of marriage I can tell you that it gets harder and harder to find that special gift that is sure to please him. So finding that special gift has become a real challenge for me.

Anyone who has an aviation enthusiast in their lives knows that they are interested in all kinds of aircraft, but what will always make them stop, pull over to the side of the road and watch is a vintage aircraft like a Sopwith Camel, Spad or even the Ford Trimotor.

While the smell of jet fuel turns the new generation of pilots on, the taste of oil dripping from an old OX-5 engine and the fabric covering a vintage aircraft can intrigue the more seasoned aficionados for hours on end. If you don’t believe me, just go along with one while they explore an aviation museum. Before you know it the guards will be escorting you out of the building at the end of the exhibit day!

Well, I have a suggestion for you.

I have discovered a wonderful web site which has just the right gift, and these gifts are incredible authentic reproductions of those magnificent aircraft from days gone by. One I discovered was a hand made, Ford Trimotor.

This wonderful aircraft was manufactured right here in Michigan in the Ford Motor Company factory. These aircraft were the backbone of Transworld Airlines fleet servicing the San Diego to New York route.

Over the years my husband has made a lot of friends, and among them is an unusual character by the name of Maurice Hovious. They met when my husband needed help with a cantankerous Aero Commander 680 that leaked Skydrol at a moments notice.

It turns out the Maurice has a talent for making problems with airplanes go away. Among his talents is the unique ability to repair damaged aircraft, and to rebuild aircraft from scratch. One of the things Maurice specializes in is the Ford Trimotor aircraft, and he has built a number of them over the years.

But there is even more! Among the aviation community some of the most famous airplanes are from the First World War. Who among us hasn’t seen the cartoon of Snoopy flying his doghouse doing battle against the Red Baron in his famous Fokker Triplane? Well, guess what .. you can get a fantastic model of that aircraft as well!

The Red Baron, or Manfred von Richthofen, had 86 aerial victories in this unique aircraft during the First World War. Painted in red and white livery, the arrival of this aircraft to any dogfight caused fear in allied pilots.
Who doesn’t remember Snoopy flying his doghouse off for another battle with the infamous Red Baron? Whenever that three winged aircraft arrived on the scene the Allied pilots feared for their lives. With some 86 victories under his belt, Richthofen was a force to be reckoned with.

With the aircraft’s three wings it could maneuver better than any other contemporary aircraft, and with its large engine could achieve speeds in excess of 100 mph. Doesn’t sound like much now, but back then this was a significant achievement, to say the least.

Or, how about the famous Sopwith Camel that pursued the Red Baron and other enemy fighters over Europe during the Great War. The Camel, while a superb fighter, gave pilots all they could handle. The engine, pilot, guns and fuel tank were all located at the front of the aircraft – in fact within the first seven feet of the aircraft – and coupled with a rotary engine presented a gyroscopic challenge for the best of pilots.

Nonetheless, it was responsible for downing more enemy aircraft during World War I than any other, and its maneuverability could not be matched by enemy fighter aircraft. During that war it bested an incredible 1,294 enemy aircraft while at the same time it could turn and bite you big time if you weren’t attentive.
An Australian pilot, Arthur Cobby, said of this airplane that “A great number of trainee pilots had been killed learning to fly this machine, as its tricks took some learning, although they were really simple to overcome. Its main trouble was that owing to its very small wingspan, and its purposely unstable characteristics, coupled with the gyroscopic effect of a rotating engine and propeller, it flipped into a spin very easily at low speeds. Consequently, in landing and taking off, a tremendous number of fatal accidents occurred, and a general felling of dislike for the machine was prevalent. It really had people frightened.”

Yet it was considered one of the most successful fighter planes available to the Allied Forces in the Great War. You will marvel at the incredible design of this old fighter plane. The lightweight wooden frame is covered by transparent fabric so that you can see all of the detailed construction inside. This aircraft was responsible for more aerial victories than any other Allied plane during the war, and this single seat biplane was credited with almost 400 deaths from non-combat related injuries due to its handling characteristics. Called the “camel” because of the humped fairing over the twin machine guns, pilots had to master flying this difficult airplane in order to utilize its agility and accuracy. While one of the most famous planes used in WWI, the Sopwith camel was a great example of innovative craftsmanship that you will come to appreciate in this authentic replica.

Another great fighter from that era was the Spad XIII. This was a French bi-plane which was well known for its speed, strength and ruggedness of construction. On the other hand, it did not maneuver well, mostly at low speeds, but it had incredible strength during dives. With its steep landing angle and crisp stall characteristics it was a difficult airplane for new pilots to safely land.
This aircraft was favored by many famous pilots, including Eddie Rickenbacker, the American Ace. The aircraft was built in large numbers it quickly became a favorite of seasoned pilots because of its speed and armament. At the same time, novice pilots tended to kill themselves before mastering this aircraft.

In addition to my flying husband, we have a son who is an aviation mechanic who flys on Douglas DC-8 and Boeing 767 aircraft. He is what is known in the industry as a “roadie”, and he travels all over the globe, much to the dismay of his mother.

Take a stroll into his home and you will find the walls adorned with framed prints of the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds and World War II aircraft. He shares the love of aviation history with the rest of us, and his room at home has a cabinet filled with aircraft models of his own.

The aircraft that intrigues him the most is the Spirit of St. Louis. Imagine, Charles Lindbergh departs New York and navigates across the mighty Atlantic Ocean with simple instruments and a lot of guts.
Unable to see over the engine, Lindbergh had to lean out the side of the aircraft during takeoff and landing, hoping to not run into any unexpected objects before he left the ground. Some 33 ½ hours later he lands at Paris’s Le Bourget aerodrome in France, making history once again for aviation.

So, if you have an aviation buff in your family, you have come to the right place. Here you will find unusual, unique and wonderful gifts sure to please the pilot in every man.

Remember, if you are looking for truly unique and wonderful gifts for the aviation fan in your life, then you need to take the time to explore the possibilities with these incredible and beautiful Authentic Model Planes.