Auction 61 Highlights

Welcome to Sale 61.

In this sale there are almost 100 lots of collectables connected to Australia’s National Carrier QANTAS. This iconic airline was established in 1920 in outback Queensland and trivia specialists especially cinephiles will recall that ‘Raymond’ in the 1989 film ‘Rainman’ preferred to fly QANTAS because of its perfect safety record which still stands today 99 years on - touch wood.

There is everything from an Airport Lounge Ashtray, early Model Planes some of which were not publicly available, complimentary Cigarette Lighters, Shavers, Keyrings and Cufflinks, Playing Cards and First-day Stamp Covers.

Two aircraft models of note that are on offer are the original ‘Pacific Miniature’ chrome models of the ‘Boeing 733’ Supersonic Sweep-wing Plane which never made it into production. There wasn’t just a call to action by President Kennedy to land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s but also a challenge to American industry to come up with a rival for the proposed Anglo-French Concorde and the Russian Tu-144 Supersonic Jet. Boeing won the Government tender to develop a supersonic passenger aircraft but, it all came to naught and the project was abandoned in 1971. All that remains of this folly are these superb table models that were commissioned by Boeing in very small numbers. A must for an aviation collector to put alongside their model of the ‘Millennium Falcon.’

There is also a group of Aviation trophies Dating from 1930 to 1955 most awarded by the Aero Club of New South Wales.

For Military enthusiasts there is an interesting selection of US Army uniforms from the First World War as well as a 1918 Trench Cap for the Royal Irish Regiment, a Russian 'Bubenovka' Winter Cap stamped 1939 and a North Vietnamese Peaked Cap from the Vietnam War.

A very interesting Sale.

Smalls Auctions