Maircraft Curtiss P-40 - Solid Wood Model Airplane, 1/48, S13
Wood Model Kit, Box Condition: Good++
$25
Maircraft was originally founded in the early or mid 1930s by Gordon Christoph and went by the name Aircraft Model Company. The company produced a typical line of solid 'profile cut' kits that required the usual high talent levels for carving and finishing. A former Comet Model Airplane & Supply Co. salesman, Jack Mair, bought the company in the early 1940s and renamed it Maircraft. This company was one of the handful of solid kit producers who issued models in a consistent 1/48 scale during the 1930s and 1940s (others included Hawk and Dyna-Model). This lead to one of the most desirable and rare model kits ever produced in the USA - the wood/plastic 1/48 United DC-3 model issued immediately after World War 2. Other than the P-61 and a few other Maircraft offerings, most were simple kits that sold for the low price of about 35 cents and gave the owners many hours of pleasurable work. This kit features a full size plan with instructions steps, fuselage that is about 80% cut in the x,y and z axis, profile cut parts, printwood and a small bag of details. The model has not been started. The small parts are still in the factory sealed bag and the larger parts that were never sealed have been inventoried complete with all paperwork. Please note, the insignia for this kit is Chinese markings only.
Life-Like Gloster Gladiator, 1/48, 09607
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
$24
From Ex-Pyro molds. Nicely molded. Includes cockpit, positionable pilot figure and molded in realistic fabric surfaces. Never started. Factory sealed bag or inventoried 100% complete with all parts, decals and instructions.
Revell 1910 Cadillac Limousine Factory Display - Built Up With Base - Highway Pioneers, 1/32
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
$59
This is a Revell-factory built display built for hobby shop promotional use around 1954/55. The intention was simple- if hobby shops would purchase and show these attractively built displays, potential buyers would see them and immediately purchase the kit. This probably worked well; but the hitch was that these displays were expensive for the 1950s, so few hobby shops could afford them. There were other difficulties too. Once in public, there was heavy attrition; parts easily broke, and when the new kits came out next year, they were thrown away to make room for more. Which makes condition of this one even more exceptional. The actual model is very neatly built and Revell factory airbrushed. You can always tell the Revell-built models by the airbrushing and the way the parts were masked. The actual car is complete, nothing is broken and there are no repairs. Even the base is in very good condition; however the clear cover is missing and the car could use a cleaning. Before the 1950s 'model building' never made the top 10 list of boy's activities. Hobbies were nothing new to America in the 1930s/40s, but they were not mainstream. Shortly after the turn of the century, many dedicated modelers built flying or static airplanes, ship, train, automotive or other subjects. Basic kits existed, but the majority of these models were built from scratch, which demanded a high talent level developed from years of experience. That changed in the early 1950s. The phenomenon of the Revell/Gowland & Gowland 'Highway Pioneers' car kits was a significant force in proving that model building as a hobby could have mass appeal, provided that the kits were easy enough to build and finish. These 1/32 scale vehicles could be built in an hour after dinner and looked much like the real car. The Highway Pioneers series lead to the production of other subjects in plastic and the effect was revolutionary. By the early 1960s, model building was the #1 past time of American boys.
Monogram F-15 Eagle, 1/48, 5801
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good
$32
1979 large 1/48 scale issue and a quality Monogram kit with very good detail, fit and finish. Features very highly detailed cockpit, detailed gear wells and engine air inlets, drop tanks, ECM pod, Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles, optional position canopy, speed brake and pilots boarding step, detailed radar and optional position radome and an excellent decal sheet for three aircraft (1st TFW Langley AFB / 33rd TFW Elgin AFB / 32nd TFW The Netherlands). Never started. It has been inventoried complete with all parts and includes decals and instructions.
Ray Hawker Typhoon, 1/43
Wood Model Kit, Box Condition: Good
$26
Rare kit, probably from the late 1940s but the actual date is not known. Large scale model that is solid wood. Features 'Ray-Ring' fuselage, a novel and useful feature to make fuselage finishing easier. Instead of using template to shape the fuselage, the templates have already been used and at those locations the fuselage is already carved to final shape! You simply carve in between the pre-carved section until they match - a very nice idea. Also includes factory cut wings, fully finished wheels, clear vacuform canopy (known as the 'Ray-Closure') in excellent condition and not yellowed, very high quality printwood, full color insignia, very nice full size plans including building instructions. The kit has never been started and is complete. Ray Aircraft Products Co. was located in West Chester Pennsylvania. They mention this is the '5nd of the RAY SOLID MODELS'. The Hellcat was #2. Little else is known.
Revell Martin Mariner PBM-5 - Lodela Issue, 1/118, H175
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Sealed VG+
$48
Still factory sealed. Lodela issue from the same molds as the well-detailed 1950s 'S' kit. Ideal builder. Features rotating turrets, elevating guns, optional position crew doors and rotating props. Although from old molds, this builds into a nice model.
MPC ChopperChopper - Sikorsky Sea King SH-3 Police Rescue Helicopter with Ground Crew - USN or Civil (Police), 1/72, 2-0233
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Sealed NM
$38
Still factory sealed. Nicely detailed kit comes with decals for Police version but also includes all parts for the Navy version and torpedo weapons load. Kit features working main and tail rotors, cockpit and interior detail including cargo deck, opening side doors and more. In 1982, during the Falklands War, H.R.H. The Duke of York flew Sea Kings on 820 NAS, embarked in HMS Invincible, marking one of few occasions in modern history when an English Royal has actually participated in armed conflict.
Verlinden Sherman M4/IC Composite Firefly Turret 17 Pndr., 1/35, 270
Resin Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
$44
Rare and the only kit available to make a IC Firefly. This is a conversion kit and the recommended base kit is the commonly-available Italeri M4A1. Features a complete resin upper hull and turret, many other resin details, numerous photo-etched parts and heavily illustrated instructions. The kit has never been started. The parts that were factory sealed are still in the sealed bags. The few large parts that were not factory sealed have been inventoried complete including instructions.
Tamiya Toyota Celica 2000GTR, 1/24, 2456
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
$32
Very nice model with left or right hand steering column, retractable headlights, detailed underside, excellent suspension and steering linkage, full interior and more. Molded in gloss white, black, clear, chrome plate and with rubber tires. The kit has never been started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes decals and instructions.
Fujimi Grumman E-2CJ Hawkeye - JASDF, 1/72, 7A-35
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good+
$30
Finely molded older kit with recessed panel lines and decals for the Japanese Self Defense Force. Never started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes decals and instructions.
Revell Douglas DC-7C Swissair, 1/122, H267
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: VG
$32
Not the original 'S' issue but the 1997 reissue. Even includes the original clear "Revellving" Swivel Stand that the 1950s early Revell kits were famous for. Ideal builder with very colorful Swissair decals. The kit has never been started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes decals and instructions.
ESCI Bell UH-1D Huey UN Rescue, 1/48, 4037
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Exc
$38
Unusual civil issue with very good detail including full interior with cockpit and stretchers, opening doors, turbine engine and more. The kit has never been started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes decals and instructions.
Pyro Mercedes Benz SSK Sportswagen, 1/32, C348-100
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good+
$42
1966 Pyro issue from original molds. In the early to mid 1960s the Pyro company chose many of their kit subjects based more on historical significance than popularity. Luckily for us, Pyro not only made these kits but did an excellent job for the time. The Pyro car models are based on the actual cars that Pyro engineers and designers had access to. Features detailed chassis, complete motor & interior and a removable hood. Molded in colored plastic and clear with chrome plated parts and rubber tires. Never started. The colored plastic parts are still in the factory sealed bag. The clear, chrome parts and tires were never sealed and have been inventoried complete. Includes instructions.
Airfix DH Comet 4B - BEA, 1/144, SK500
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good-
$49
1960s type 3 logo issue. Nice 1/144 scale kit of the world's first jet airliner. Includes clear windows, full landing gear, display stand, passenger boarding stairs and BEA decals. The kit has never been started. It has been inventoried complete with all parts and includes decals and instructions. The initial Comet Is were in operation long before the 707, which gave the British an incredible post-war lead in the expanding civil aviation market. Just as the Comet was flying high and orders were pouring in from around the world, Comets began to mysteriously fall out of the sky. Everything from lightning to terrorist bombs were blamed. For months the root cause went undiscovered. Then, in a landmark investigation that is considered the first modern post-crash autopsy, it was discovered that the stresses around a small ADF window on the top of the fuselage were causing metal fatigue failure when the fuselage was pressurized. To confirm this, a Comet I was placed in a water tank and subjected to pressurization stresses. After some time, a dramatic failure occurred. Then parts of a crashed Comet were pulled from underwater proving once and for all that this was the root cause.
Comet Grumman F6F Hellcat - 24 Inch Wingspan - Coca-Cola Bottle Issue, Y4-129
Wood Model Kit, Box Condition: Good+
$44
Part of the deluxe, high-cost Comet "Y" kit line from the 1950s. Note the box showing a bottle of Coke next to the young builder's snack tray and a finished aircraft. For rubber flight or easily converted to RC using today's tiny and light servos and receivers. Kit features traditional wood/tissue construction, very high quality printwood, stripwood and spars, other balsa stock as required, scale wood prop, completely preformed wood wheels, additional sheet with cut-out canopy frames, air intake and instrument panel, metal prop shaft, fully formed thrust button, covering tissue and superb full size plans with instructions. The model has not been started. There has been no assembly, but NOTE: about 15 parts were cut out to 'professional' quality. One cut out part, F7, is missing a thin part of balsa (about 3mm wide) from the center but is otherwise complete and easy to reproduce. Inventoried complete with all parts. Comet was a famous manufacturer of stick and tissue flying and static models. In the 1930s Great Depression, they lead the low-priced kit revolution with the "Dime Scale" kits and famous advertisements in Model Airplane News magazine and others. Comet reached it's peak in the 1930s when they acquired the services of Carl Goldberg. Goldberg was a highly accomplished modeler with articles in Model Airplane News and famous designs that won him several National level competitions in the 1930s and beyond. (Carl Goldberg went on to found his own company and produced well designed and popular free-flight and RC aircraft). Comet survived the post World War economic slump and continued kit production until they were bought out by long-time competitor Guillow's in 1998.
Hasegawa Boeing 737-400 JTA - Japan TransOcean Air, 1/200, LL17
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Sealed Exc+
$22
Still factory sealed. High quality Hasegawa molds from 1996. Features extensive decals, optional position landing gear and display stand.
Verlinden Ram II M4 Sherman Conversion - SuperTech Issue, 1/35, 792
Resin Model Kit, Box Condition: Sealed NM
$49
Still factory sealed. Rare and the only kit available to make this tank. This is a conversion kit and the recommended base kit is the commonly-available Tamiya 35039 M3 Lee. In 1941 the Brits and American disagreed on some future tank configurations. As a result, the Brits developed a version of the Lee with their own 57mm six-pounder gun. A total of 1,899 vehicles were produced before 1943. They did see action, although clearly it was an improvement over the Lee tank. However, the Canadian and British forces used them for training exercises. Additionally it was used as a basis for several self-propelled guns and special-purpose vehicles.
DML He-219 A-0 Uhu - Owl Night Figher, 1/72, 5005
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good++
$29
Very well detailed kit with 121 parts and some in PE. Never started. The parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags and includes decals and instructions.
Sterling United States Lines American Scout C-2 Cargo Ship With Optional Fittings Set B-18F, 1/96, B-18M
Wood Model Kit, Box Condition: VG
$595
Very rare and the Flagship of Sterling's popular civilian ship line. Includes the even rarer optional metal fitting set B-18F. This highly detailed, large-scale model measuring 50 inches long and is designed for R/C operation or static display. The kit has never been started. The parts that Sterling factory sealed are still in sealed bags. The parts that were never sealed have all been inventoried complete. Includes instructions book, full size plans, decals and all other paperwork. This kit must be shipped insured.
Western Aircraft Mfg Co Dragon-Fly Miniature Airplane - 14 Inch Wingspan Prefabricated Flying Model
Wood Model Kit, Box Condition: VG
$249
Very rare. 1932 early RTF stick-and-tissue model from Western Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles California. The box and kit are both in investment-grade 'near mint' condition. I had seen these in 1930s magazines but did not know if any were left. All of the pieces of this aircraft have been factory assembled and simply need to be put together with the supplied rubber bands. The fuselage/rubber stick is cut, finished & painted and has both metal rubber motor clips installed. The wing, vertical and horizontal stabilizers are fully assembled of light-weight wood with the tissue applied. The horizontal stabilizer and wing have the correct airfoil camber built in, and the wing has the USA national insignia applied. There is a perfectly carved wooden propeller, metal rubber hook/propeller shaft, two fully finished wheels, other wood parts cut to size and ready to install. Even the original rubber bands used for installing sub-assembles together are present and still intact on the motor stick. The rubber band motor is present but very brittle and broken into many sections. There is an excellent set of front and back illustrated instructions that cover assembly, how to fly and adjust the aircraft and how to maintain it. Please note, this model must be shipped insured.