Category:Dinky Boats

Toy Brands and Manufacturers
Dinky Boats
1970s -

As far as weare aware, the new range of Dinky Toys boats that appeared in the mid-1970s consisted of just five models. The design philosophy and the look and feel of these model boats seemed to mesh with the 1970s range of Dinky model aircraft: these were large, chunky, robust, diecast-metal-and-plastic toys vehicles that all had extra play value thanks to their ability to fire plastic projectiles (rockets in the case of 671, 972, 974 and 975, and depth charges in the case of 673). All had hidden "Speedwheels" except 674, whose wheels were deliberately visible.

Range

671 – MkI Corvette
672 – Osa Missile Boat
673 – Submarine Chaser – generic design
674 – Coastguard Amphibious Missile Launch
675 - Motor Patrol Boat

Notes:

Model 672 is of the Soviet Navy's Project 205 Moskit (Mosquito) class of missile boat (400 built between built 1960-1973), codenamed Osa by NATO, after the Russian word for "Wasp" (presumably the word "mosquito" was already taken).

Model 674 looks rather puzzling – why would a coastguard boat include a hidden missile launcher? And have wheels??? Like model 602 This model is supposed to have been designed as a tie-in for a Gerry Anderson series, in this case, "The Investigator", that was never shown. Just to make things even more confusing, the number 674 was previously used for the Dinky model of an army Austin "Champ".

Review descriptions (from Meccano Magazine)

January 1974:

No. 675 Motor Patrol Boat,

produced to a scale of 1:180. Features include an intricately detailed casting, realistic representations of a life raft, a radar scanner, a mast, davits and supplementary fuel tanks. Action features include swivelling guns, a twin-missile firing mechanism and Speedwheels. Overall finish is in grey with yellow decks, black guns and fuel tanks, and orange ancillaries.

January 1976

No. 671 Mk.1. Corvette,
measuring no less than 260mm in length! Features include a 3-barrel anti-submarine mortar which, when tilted, fires three plastic mortar charges, in sequence, over the bows. In addition, it sports two rotatable deck guns, two moulded lifeboats on davits, and a mast. Mounted on four concealed Speedwheels, the corvette is finished overall in grey with a light brown deck, black camouflaging and an identification label on either side of the bow.

No.672 O.S.A. Missile Launcher,
produced to 1/200th scale and measuring 206mm in length. It features four, independently operating missile launchers, a rotatable gun representation, a rotatable searchlight and a mast/radar-scanner unit. Mounted on four Speedwheels, the O.S.A.2. is finished overall in deep grey with a light grey deck, white superstructure and black ancillaries.

October 1976

No. 674 Coastguard Amphibious Missile Launch.
Features include a robust body casting, a representation of a twin jet unit surmounted by a crosstreed mast, a detailed interior moulding complete with high-back seats and driver figure, a wrap-around windscreen and a searchlight. Of special interest is a spring-loaded hatch in the foredeck which rotates through 180° to reveal a working missile launcher that fires harmless plastic ammunition. Measuring 155mm in length, the model is finished overall in white with blue ancillaries and a red interior.

April 1977

USS Hercules PHM-2 (WikiMedia Commons) [image info]

No. 673 SUBMARINE CHASER
Although not modelled on a true-life original, this excellent model is highly representative of the type of purpose-built vessel likely to be involved in the hazardous business of anti-submarine warfare.
As to be expected from Dinky, casting detail is of the highest order, highlighting such features as bollards, winches, doors, grilles, and even lifebelts.In addition, the toy also sports moulded representations of of a rotating forward gun, a radar dome, a radio aerial and a crosstreed mast. Of special interest is a spring-loaded depth-charge launcher situated on the after deck which, when a knurled wheel is turned, ejects a depth-charge over the stern in an extremely realistic manner.
Continuous fire is facilitated by the inclusion of a sloping ammunition deck which holds six charges; when a charge is fired, the next charge automatically drops into position, ready for firing.
Being die-cast in metal, the Chaser will not, of course, float, but mobility is made possible by three miniature wheels which are cleverly concealed beneath the hull, so as not to spoil the model's clean lines. Measuring 195mm in length, the submarine Chaser is finished overall in blue-grey with a grey deck, a light grey superstructure and black ancillaries.

Maurizio Pregazzi points out that, regardless of the Meccano Magazine description, the hull and distinctive superstructure of the 673 Submarine Chaser is actually quite closely modelled on a real-life marine craft, right down to the number 2 on the hull: the USS Hercules (PHM-2). The Hercules apparently didn't enter service until 1982, but it was (commissioned? ordered?) in 1977. However, the Hercules is a hydrofoil rather than a conventional boat.