Maker record
Graupner
Graupner was a German model-making company founded by Johannes Graupner in 1930. It made flying, ship and vehicle models, along with radio-control and drive equipment. Its early work included wooden fret-saw goods and model gliders; later products covered aircraft, helicopters, boats and cars. A 1935 patent for a glider model and a 1960 electric free-flight model kit mark two documented stages in its development. The company was based in Kirchheim unter Teck and its products were exported internationally.
- Founded
- 1930
- Countries
- Germany
- Locations
- Stuttgart, Germany · 1930
The story of Graupner
Johannes Graupner founded his company in 1930, beginning with fret-saw goods such as small wooden articles and toys. The business developed into model making, including aircraft and ship models. A 1935 patent for a glider model marked an early product milestone. Graupner later offered a broad range of functional models and associated radio-control and drive equipment.
By the late 2000s, the Kirchheim unter Teck company offered aircraft, helicopter, ship and car models, with products made from wood and plastics and distributed internationally. The company’s documented milestones included an electric free-flight model kit in 1960 and, later, model aircraft engines and a turbine-powered model helicopter. In 2019, Graupner/SJ GmbH entered insolvency proceedings and began selling off its stock. That event concerns the German company and does not by itself establish when the Graupner name or production ended.
Collectors’ Corner
Posts about this maker
No posts about this maker yet. Do you own one, or know its story? Share your photos or ask fellow collectors.
