The Dora Collection

Vintage Airline Display Models

Douglas DC-6 Swiss Air Lines HB-IBI in delivery colors c. 1952, by Raise Up Models, in metal 1/36 scale cut-away.

I created this web site to share my interest in airline display models from years past.  Referred by collectors as “travel agency airplane models,” these models often graced the windows of travel agencies and airline ticket offices back in the days when air travel was still a novelty.

The models themselves were often made by the manufacturers themselves, usually in cast or sheet metal.  The metal bodies were then painted and decaled in the colors of airline customers. 

These models were created for the purpose of marketing the aircraft and the concept of airline travel.  They were never meant to be collectibles and were produced in relatively small numbers.  Many were destroyed or discarded after the useful life of the actual aircraft and are now quite rare and highly desired as collectibles. 

Today’s ubiquitous counterparts are mass produced in resin, plastic, or wood and are widely available at airports, hobby shops and thousands of outlets on-line.  But they lack the charm, detail and above all rarity of the vintage originals, which can sell for thousands of dollars to collectors.