1955 Exhibit Supply Co. : Jet Planes



The Jet Planes card series was released in 1955 by The Exhibit Supply Co. (ESCO) in Chicago. The American Card Catalog reference is W452-1. The series is also known as Aircraft or simply Planes. The 64-card series was dispensed from ESCO vending machines for a penny per card. Each card measures approximately 3.375 x 5.375 inches, smaller than a standard postcard.

1955 Exhibit Supply Co : Jet Planes #26 - Navy's Viking No 11

The Jet Planes series includes a launch photograph of the Viking #11 sounding rocket. The Martin RTV-N-12a rocket was fired into sub-orbital space from White Sands LC33 on May 24, 1954, reaching a record apogee of 158 miles (254 km). The experiment package measured nose cone heat during reentry and returned photos of the Earth from low-orbit.

Identical photos were used in the Missile and Jet Plane Trading Cards series from Nesbitt's, Record Holders of the World from Cadet Sweets, Aircraft & Missile Trading Cards from Sicle, and Histoire de L'Aviation from Mills cigarettes.

The series was distributed by ESCO with blank backs. Various printings were branded by distributors that include Mutoscope, Nu-Card Sales, and Long Island Lighting Co. The Exhibit Supply Co. released an 18-card Missiles (W452-4) expansion in 1958.


1 LOCKHEED F-94C STARFIRE USAF Jet Interceptor
2 DOUGLAS A4D SKYHAWK U.S. NAVY Smallest and Lightest Jet Combat Airplane
3 CONVAIR'S CONVAIR-LINER 340 44-Passenger 300 MPH Transport Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
4 PIASECKI H-25 Tandem Helicopter U.S. ARMY
5 REPUBLIC RF-84F THUNDERFLASH Ultra Modern USAF Photo-Fighter
6 DOUGLAS F4D SKYRAY U.S. NAVY Bat-Winged Supersonic Interceptor
7 CONVAIR XF2Y-1 SEA-DART Navy Jet Seaplane Fighter with Hydro-Skis Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
8 PIASECKI H-21 Tandem Helicopter
9 REPUBLIC F-84F THUNDERSTREAK USAF New Fighter-Bomber Packs Heavyweight Wallop
10 LOCKHEED SUPER CONSTELLATION
11 DOUGLAS XF4D-1 U.S. NAVY
12 NORTHROP FLYING WING YB-49
13 REPUBLIC F-84F THUNDERSTREAK USAF New Fighter-Bomber Packs Heavyweight Wallop
14 LOCKHEED R7V-2 U.S. NAVY Will carry 106 Passages or 36,000 lbs. of Cargo
15 DOUGLAS A3D SKYWARRIOR U.S. NAVY Navy's Most Powerful Carrier-Based Bomber
16 U.S. ARMY L-23B BEECH AIRCRAFT CORP.
17 FAIRCHILD C-119 FLYING BOXCAR USAF and USN
18 BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESS USAF
19 CHANCE VOUGHT F7U-3P CUTLASS PHOTO PLANE U.S. NAVY
20 GRUMMAN PANTHER U.S. NAVY FIGHTER
21 BELL X-1 First Aircraft to Attain Supersonic Speeds BELL AIRCRAFT CORP.
22 BOEING B-52A STRATOFORTRESS USAF
23 CHANCE VOUGHT F7U-3 CUTLASSES U.S. NAVY
24 U.S. MARINES FJ-2 FURY NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
25 BELL X-5 First Airplane with Movable Wings
26 NAVY'S VIKING No.11 built by GLENN L. MARTIN CO. Climbed 158 miles and attained a speed of 4,300 MPH
27 BOEING RB-47E STRATOJET USAF World's Fastest Day-or-Night Long-Range Photo Ship
28 U.S.A.F. F-86H SABRE JET NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
29 ROCKET POWERED BELL X-1B
30 USAF B-61 MARTIN MATADOR Pilotless Bomber Roars Away from its Launcher
31 BOEING RB-47E STRATOJET USAF World's Fastest Day-or-Night Long-Range Photo Ship and B-47E Medium Bomber in Background
32 U.S.A.F. F-100 SUPER SABRE NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
33 U.S.A.F. F-86F SABRE JET NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
34 BOEING BG-47B
35 MARTIN B-57B LIGHT BOMBER USAF
36 BELL X-1A World's Fastest and Highest Flying Airplane Speed 1650 MPH, Ceiling 90,000 Feet
37 U.S. NAVY T-28B TRAINER NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
38 REGULUS GUIDED MISSILE Built by CHANCE VOUGHT AIRCRAFT
39 MARTIN B-57B LIGHT BOMBER USAF
40 BELL X-1A IS LAUNCHED FROM B-29 "MOTHER" SHIP
41 U.S. NAVY FJ-3 NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
42 CHANCE VOUGHT F7U CUTLASS U.S. NAVY FIGHTER
43 BOEING 707 Cruises over snow-capped Mt. Rainier America's First Jet Transport Plane
44 FAIRCHILD C-123 AVITRUC ASSAULT TRANSPORT USAF
45 U.S. MARINES FJ-2 FURY NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
46 U.S.A.F. F-86D SABRE JET NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
47 BOEING KC-97G STRATOFREIGHTER USAF
48 MARTIN P5M-2 NEW ANTI-SUBMARINE SEAPLANE USN
49 CONVAIR GRB-36D FICON OPERATION USAF Bomber as Carrier for Republic RF-84F Fighter developed jointly by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp., and REPUBLIC AVIATION CORP.
50 CONVAIR F-102 USAF Supersonic All-Weather Interceptor Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
51 LOCKHEED YC-130 USAF Turbo-Prop Cargo-Personnel Carrier
52 REPUBLIC RF-84F THUNDERFLASH Ultra Modern USAF Photo-Fighter
53 USAF T-34A Two-Place Multi-purpose Trainer BEECH AIRCRAFT CORP.
54 CONVAIR XFY-1 POGO Navy Turboprop Vertical Takeoff Fighter Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
55 LOCKHEED WV-2 U.S. NAVY The Flying Radar Stations
56 REPUBLIC RF-84F THUNDERFLASH Ultra Modern USAF Photo-Fighter
57 PIASECKI H-16 Tandem Helicopter USAF
58 CONVAIR T-29 FLYING CLASSROOM USAF Navigator-Bombardier Trainer Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
59 McDONNELL F-101 VOODOO USAF Supersonic Long-Range Fighter
60 LOCKHEED T-33 USAF TRAINER Student Pilots get feel of 600 MPH Flight
61 PIASECKI HUP-1 Tandem Helicopter U.S. NAVY
62 CONVAIR R3Y-1 TRADEWIND Navy Turboprop Seaplane Transport Built by CONVAIR, a Division of General Dynamics Corp.
63 McDONNELL F3H-1N DEMON U.S. NAVY Carrier-based Fighter
64 LOCKHEED P2V-7 NEPTUNE U.S. NAVY