The jet age arrived in the early 1950s with Britain's Comet.  Its four Ghost jet engines were encased in fairings between the wings and fuselage.  Unfortunately, this dramatic aircraft developed structural problems and its few operators removed all examples from service.  Nevertheless, toy makers offered brightly colored friction motor Comets equipped with sparking flints.

Above left, center, and right: Tomiyama, Masudaya Modern Toys, and Mitsuhashi Comets.  The Mitsuhashi's pale green color is highly unusual.  Wingspans are 10 1/2, 12 1/2 and 10 1/2 inches respectively.

The improved Comet 4 inaugurated transatlantic service in 1958.  Look for Wells-Brimtoy's and Tomiyama's beautifully detailed and elegant Comet 4 toys.  Other Comet 4s are smaller, more stylized and therefore less realistic.

Above left and right: NGS Toys and YoneYa made these Comet 4 friction toys.  Their wingspans are 10 and 8 1/2 inches.

In 1959 the Caravelle appeared, a new jetliner with twin engines positioned near the tail, providing a quieter passenger cabin.  The Caravelle found favor with operators worldwide.  Japanese makers issued Caravelles in appropriate liveries for export to North America, while French and German makers preferred European airlines.

Caravelles modelled by Mitsuhashi and Tomiyama.  Note that the Tomiyama has lighted engines.  Their wingspans are 12 1/2 and 14 3/4 inches.

Inspired by Caravelle's success, other aircraft designers developed successful competing designs with rear engines.  Among these, the 727, with three jets, and the DC-9, with two, both had high tails shaped like the letter T when viewed head on.  They became familiar sights as the 1960s advanced.

Above left: NGS Toys' lever action 727 rises forward on its wheeled friction base.  It has a 16 inch span and lacks a central engine exhaust.  Center and right: Masudaya's fine 727, with 10 1/4 inch span, and Nikko Gangu Kogyo's DC-9 in prototype colors, with 14 inch span, are battery toys with lighted engines. The DC-9 has an opening door with stairway and flight attendant, but it incorporates plastic undersides and horizontal tail stabilizers.

The above samples are just some of the many toy jet designs, with quality and detail ranging from somewhat crude to exquisite, that tin toy firms created in the 1950s through the early 1970s.  Originally sold at small independent toy stores and gift shops, these toy jetliners remain available from toy shows and auctions, generally at reasonable prices.

All photographs are items in my personal collection.