The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Monday, February 6, 2012

High End Rubber Band Airplane

According to the February 1930 issue of Modern Mechanics, posted on Modern Mechanix, this toy airplane had a "steering wheel, gauges, levers, in fact about everything that is found on a regular machine. The windows are of celluloid and the passenger department is luxuriously upholstered."  The rubber band-powered airplanes that I enjoyed as a kid were never so fancy, nor did they have 150 rubber band power, which I suppose is for the best; since mine always ended up in splinters on the pavement or in a nearby tree.  On that note, how did one keep this large and luxurious toy aircraft in one piece?

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