In WW2 “Gibson Girl” was a given nickname to an emergency radio transmitter carried in RAF aircraft and lifeboats. It needed a kite to get it high enough in the air, and this piece here is one of those kites.

It comes in two sections, that you’d have to assemble yourself. Included on the holding tube, are some instructions and a diagram, listing the parts and also how to assemble. The kite itself is one of the metal versions (ones were made with wooden struts too) which makes this a late WW2 piece. Oddly, the late war ones like this one are rarer than the wooden version – we believe simply because more wooden versions were made which gives this piece a certain quirkiness to it. The body of the kite is a simple yellow/ orange fabric. Interestingly, the body also has some instructions on it.

Amazingly, the tube is in very good condition. Made from sheet metal, one would expect it to be dented heavily, but there are only a couple of this one. It comes with original screw top lid as well which works flawlessly. This is quite a rare and very quirky piece of history and fills a late war position nicely. When fully assembled, the kite is 37” x 17” x 17”. The tube it comes in is 22” x 3”.