S.E.P.E.C.A.T Jaguar
DTCA Chairman, Michael Driver, gets his wings.
As a collector of Dinky Toys in particular, most models in my collection are vehicles. However, I do have some Dinky Toys aircraft, including the Four-Engined Liner (No 62r), the Avro York Air Liner (70a and 704) and the Airspeed Envoy (60k), which were my particular favourites. But the problem with the aircraft is that the scale was no good in relation to the lorries or cars of my collection. All this changed when the aircraft scales increased in the later Dinky Toys aircraft models. These aircraft then incorporated many extra features to add play value just as many other later Dinky Toys had additional features.
One of these larger aircraft was the Dinky Toys S.E.P.E.C.A.T Jaguar (No 731) that landed in October 1973. It was shown in the Meccano Magazine that month, and is described as a “1/80th scale model based on the brand new Anglo-French strike aircraft. Features include a clean, crisp, superbly-detailed casting, a retractable tricycle undercarriage and a “working” pilot-ejector mechanism.”
The plane is in metallic light blue and the upper surfaces have green camoufl age markings. There are RAF roundels on top of and under the wings, and either side of the nose section, plus there are tail fl ashes. The undercarriage can be deployed by lifting the panels for the rear wheels, and a similar panel for the front one.
A sheet of waterslide transfers is included with aircraft markings to be applied by the owner.This has the number XW514, Jaguar, RESCUE, and red symbols. An orange plastic pilot could be ejected, once the canopy was opened, by pressing the silver button on the top of the fuselage. A spare pilot is provided due to possible losses after ejection – how many were lost under sofas and chairs is anybody's guess!
The model was sold in a blister pack with an extra moulding for the two pilots. The usual blue card base has the transfers taped to the underside. The instructions for their position and the operating instructions for the plane are also printed on the underside. It is illustrated in the 1973 Dinky Toys Catalogue and is on the front cover of the 1974 edition. Flying ceased in 1976 but during 1974 the S.E.P.E.C.A.T Jaguar was available as a Dinky Kit, as No 1043. It is illustrated in the Dinky Toys Catalogue of 1974 as one of “22 Fabulous Kits”. It was deleted in 1975.
The real S.E.P.E.C.A.T Jaguar was a joint British and French development for a jet aircraft, initially as a trainer. This was soon upgraded to supersonic performance and given a nuclear strike role. The first prototype flew in 1968 and the aircraft is a single-seat twin-engined jet, with sweptback wings. In 1969 it flew at the Paris Air Show and later saw service in the Gulf War and other war zones, and was in service with the French Air Force until 2005 and the RAF until 2007.