Vindex Fokker Trimotor or Arcade F-10A Cast Iron, which is it?

By Ed Sandford | January 5, 2017 |

What is old knowledge can now be scrutinized with fresh catalog data and a century of new data. My objective this last week was to ID a Fokker Trimotor cast iron and confirm its maker.

O’Brien’s Toy guide states it was made by Arcade. Right now I can’t find any Arcade catalogs or ads to support this.

Vindex, based on purely catalog pictures, would be a logical parent. So what who made this airplane, and is it possible Illinois Arcade and Vindex manufactures used the same plant, the same designer, or same job shop; or is there a back-story we have lost with time?

Current research data to consider:

Vindex was the main licensee of Fokker Products. This toy is a Fokker Trimotor F-10A or similar model.
O’Brien’s Toy guide states this is Arcade.
Arcade used the same steel props on their Boeing twin motor plane.
Arcade and Vindex are both located in Illinois. National Sewing Machine Co’s toy lineup, called “Vindex”, was made in Belvidere, Ill. Arcade was located in Freeport, Illinois (USA). They are 51 minutes away from each other!
Vindex has a large and medium model of this same toy with a very small front window and rectangular side windows. It is like a scaled up version of the toy pictured.
The tail sculpt is a dead ringer for a Vindex product.
The Arcade encyclopedia by Al Aune does not mention this toy.
AntiqueToys has holes in the catalog collection; drop me a line, as I’d like to fill in missing dates. This toy could have slipped in.
Vindex used this exact, and odd, rivet on their Fokker cast iron planes.
The number stamped on the bottom is 362.
I’ve noted wheels are in both steel for some of these toys and this rubber with hub. Vindex used this same scalloped “rim” on their Fokkers.