Dyna-Flytes

Dyna-Flites – note correct spelling and use of the hyphen – was a brand of die-cast toy model airplanes sold in the 1970s, '80s and '90s by Zee Toys of California. The line was part of a series of Dyna die-cast products that included toy cars, construction vehicles, bikes and tanks. The Dyna-Flites range included 79 aircraft with over 206 color and marking variations released until production ceased in 1996.

ZEE Toys of Hong Kong produced the line, and the US distribution was picked up by Intex in 1981. Intex would remain the US distributor until 1992, when ZEE would assume direct US distribution. The toys themselves were manufactured in Hong Kong. Although generally released as Dyna-Flites, their branding was changed to suit some international markets. Modern Toys of Japan distributed them as "Hot Wings"; "Superwings" in the United Kingdom and in Australia; "Vento Caldo" in Italy and "Hot Wings" elsewhere. These early "Hot Wings" issues must not be confused with the current "Hot Wings" line from another vendor although it does include some ZEE moulds. The Dyna-Flite line consisted of a variety of subjects, including many WWII airplanes (including a "WWII Historical Series" in 1996 with new colors), modern jets both from the US, Europe and the Soviet Union, a biplane and a number of helicopters.

The quality of the toys was variable, although the moulds were generally of better quality than required for a small diecast toy. Most models featured raised rivets or moulded-in lines and relatively robust 'dumbbell-type' metal wheels. Unfortunately, the rotors and clear parts of earlier helicopters (especially the Bell 47) were made from very brittle plastic that broke easily during play. Zee took action to fix this with later releases (e.g. the Kaman Seasprite) by changing the rotors to flexible vinyl.

Dyna-Flites reached their peak in the late 1980s, with most mass retailers carrying the line (including Target, Woolworths/Woolco,WalMart and ToysRUs in the United States, and K-Mart, Toy World and Franklins in Australia). They were often available for purchase for $1 or less each, a feature that often saw them marketed as an impulse purchase line at checkouts and newsagents. Dyna-Flites were also sold in at least two dedicated aircraft giftsets, as well as other giftsets with various themes (e.g. the Emergency and Police Giftsets included H-19 and the Bell-47 or Cayuse helicopters, respectively). Notably, the Dyna-Flites Bell 47 and Chinook helicopters were released in a variety of forms under a media tie-in with the M*A*S*H franchise.

Dyna-Flites has been credited with being the first brand that had commercial airlines license them to produce die-cast models for them.(This statement needs verification). Among the airlines that had models released by Dyna-Flites included FedEx, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Pan Am, TWA and Braniff. Additional airlines in the Dyna-Flite range included Austrian, Hawaiian, ANA, Japan Airlines, BOAC, United Airlines CP Airlines, Western Airlines, KLM, British Airways and more. Most of the airline issues date from a time when licensing from the airline for use of their name was usually an overlooked matter! However, ZEE did issue an authorized gift set for United Air Lines in 1993.

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