TERRY SMITH indulges his love of RAF vehicles.
Over the years, collecting diecast military vehicles has not only been popular but is often seen as a cast iron future investment, seeing how important militaria is perceived. By far the most covered force by diecast model manufacturers is the British Army and the range available is so huge, it would need a complete book to cover such a vast subject.
While Oxford Diecast have themselves released many models based around Army vehicles and even some used by the Royal Navy, it is the Airforce vehicles that have attracted my eye as a collectable sub-genre of militaria. There is also an extra side to RAF vehicles; they can be used in aircraft-based dioramas, and the range of diverse vehicles offered by Oxford cover every era from WW2 up to the present day.
I am a particularly interested in the Cold War era and there are many vehicles available, but I am also into WW2 RAF models too with only the modern day stuff being of not much interest to me. Oxford Diecast have offered us everything from the diminutive motorcycle and sidecar up to the massive Bedford Queen Mary transporter in RAF livery and virtually everything in between, including Tillys, Staff cars, Refuellers and a variety of different trucks. I think that these would make a wonderful themed collection and great to display with 1/72nd scale model aircraft from the same period.
I first fell in love with RAF vehicles when I saw this Corgi model of a Vanguard Phase III in a toyshop window back in the 1960s.
My love of RAF Blue coloured models goes back to seeing a Corgi Standard Vanguard Staff car in a toy shop window while on holiday in Wales back in the 1960s. My mum saw how taken I was with the diecast and decided it would be a good idea to enter the store. Oh dear! You know the saying like a kid in a toyshop? I ended up with a toy plastic motorboat, oh how I wish I had stuck to the Corgi RAF Standard!
This David Brown tractor, or Tug as the RAF called it, served in WW2 moving Bombers on airfields. Produced in different colours by Oxford Diecast, they were used way into the Cold War era.
Austin Tillys often ferried crews to their aircraft during WW2 and into the 1950s.
RAF airfields would have had their own fire engines - this is the Bedford ATV dating from WW2 onwards.
This is a Ford-based Crash Tender and would be at home on a WW2 diorama.
The Queen Mary Transporter was used to move wings and other large spare parts across or to airfields. The tractor unit was built by Bedford and Oxford Diecast have replicated this impressive unit.
Oxford Diecast have brought out their own version of the Post-War Vanguard Staff Car, albeit the earlier Standard saloon known as a Phase 1.
Who had this as an Airfix kit when they were younger? The RAF Land Rover and Bloodhound Missile - very relevant in protecting Britain during the Cold War. Another great release from Oxford Diecast.