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1980s Hercules (Flying Fish/KOFA) Flying Fish PS Serial # PS708783 1980s Hercules (Flying Fish/KOFA) Flying Fish PS typewriter, Serial # PS708783 Gerard Shen's 1980s Hercules (Flying Fish/KOFA) Flying Fish PS typewriter. 2020-08-02 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of Gerard Shen: 1980s Hercules (Flying Fish/KOFA) Flying Fish PS Serial # PS708783 Pictured here is a Flying Fish Model PS14 typewriter, manufactured in late 1970s to early 1980s in Shanghai , China. Dimension is 62cmx38.5cmx22.5cm. According to very limited record on Chinese typewriters, this model was developed in mid- l960s, very likely in 1967, but it wasn't mass produced until l970s, To be more precise, only 32 of them were produced in one year.

A local typewriter repairman, who is now 88 years old, told me 5 years ago that this model is the second-generation Flying Fish, the first-generation has turquoise-colored finger-shaped keytops, pretty much like the keytops of Underwood Touchmaster. The third-generation Flying Fish doesn't have touch control margins but just the regular press-button ontop design. Another distinctive features of earlier models is that they are light grey while the later models are metal green and plastic white.

I have two of these. This one has PICA typeface. Based on my observation, these Flying Fish PS borrow designs from Underwood Touchmaster for its "body" and later model Remington its carriage. The bilingual label on the back shows this batch is for export so the manufacturer " Shanghai Typewriter Factory" attaches greater importance to quality. I won't say that they are the best typewriters, but they are fairy good, but alignment is not desirable as with most Chinese typewriters.

1980s Hercules (Flying Fish/KOFA) Flying Fish PS #PS708783

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Gerard Shen (machopolitan)
Created: 08-02-2020 at 04:54PM
Last Edit: 08-02-2020 at 04:59PM


Description:

Pictured here is a Flying Fish Model PS14 typewriter, manufactured in late 1970s to early 1980s in Shanghai , China. Dimension is 62cmx38.5cmx22.5cm. According to very limited record on Chinese typewriters, this model was developed in mid- l960s, very likely in 1967, but it wasn't mass produced until l970s, To be more precise, only 32 of them were produced in one year.

A local typewriter repairman, who is now 88 years old, told me 5 years ago that this model is the second-generation Flying Fish, the first-generation has turquoise-colored finger-shaped keytops, pretty much like the keytops of Underwood Touchmaster. The third-generation Flying Fish doesn't have touch control margins but just the regular press-button ontop design. Another distinctive features of earlier models is that they are light grey while the later models are metal green and plastic white.

I have two of these. This one has PICA typeface. Based on my observation, these Flying Fish PS borrow designs from Underwood Touchmaster for its "body" and later model Remington its carriage. The bilingual label on the back shows this batch is for export so the manufacturer " Shanghai Typewriter Factory" attaches greater importance to quality. I won't say that they are the best typewriters, but they are fairy good, but alignment is not desirable as with most Chinese typewriters.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:







Hunter: Gerard Shen (machopolitan)

Gerard Shen's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 111

Hi, I'm a typewriter enthusiast from Shanghai, China. In a period of 20 years, I have collected more than 100 machines. My interest in typewriter started when I was 11 years old (1989) when China started to deepen its opening-up to the outside world. Hence local stationary started to sell manual typewriters



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