Is a die-cast airplane a model or a toy? It all depends upon the person holding it.
One thing – it will never be a flying model – die-cast metal is not aerodynamic no matter how hard you throw it. It will sit on a stand or on its wheels and please the eye, but it will not do a barrel roll. Its first flight will be its last.
What does it do, then? It forms part of a collection – if it is single, a collection of one. The hobbyists I know never have a collection of one, to the vast relief of the retail hobby trade.
It is a representation, in 3D form, to a standard and to a price, of an aircraft. It is there to please the eye. It often costs more than a similar scale model kit, may not have quite the minute detail of the plastic kit, but often powers ahead in the aesthetic race by having a superior finish. And it is all there, right now, ready to be admired. Some die-cast makers leave the wheels and armament to be fastened by the collector, but that job is quickly done.
Is it a toy? Well, play with it, and it is. Is it a model? Well, shelve it and it is. In both cases there is a compromise, but that is what makes a great deal of the world delightful.
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