Old Model Kits Blog

by Fred Boucher

Introduction

As the Cold War deepened, aerospace companies developed delivery systems for nukes that lessened hazards to pilots.  Cruise missiles and “stand off” weapons were developed and deployed and model companies developed and delivered kits of them almost as fast as the military received the real things – or sooner, as in the case of the Bell GAM-63 Rascal!

Rascal on the transporter 

Monogram Models, Inc created this amazing 1/48 model of the Bell GAM-63 Rascal.  It was released in 1958, with the kit number PD42-98; “-98” was the recommended retail price of a whopping 98¢!  More than just a model attack missile, this kit included a tractor with a transporter loader, and a trio of figures.  It also boasted “action” features such as folding missile fins and a positionable loader.  Like many of the vintage missile models reviewed, this model was a surprise to me.

PD-42-98 Rascal GAM-63 Missile by Monogram 

As amazing as this model is, it was only released by Monogram for a short time, perhaps because Strategic Air Command did not field the weapon. But more likely it was because model missile sales, after great initial success, completely stalled.  This lead to very short issues of one to three years on average.  This has made them very popular among collectors today.

Continue reading “Monogram’s Bell GAM-63 Rascal Missile – Kit Review”

By Fred Boucher

with kit release history by Alan Bussie 

Introduction

Your humble reviewer has been planning to present this model for years as the Cheyenne has always intrigued me.  The AH-56 was an aesthetically odd helicopter designed in the aerodynamic transient era of rounded and squared contours.  It had an airplane propeller for thrust and a great looking airframe behind a goofy looking canopy and nose that resembled a cartoon AV8 Harrier!  Yet the machine was so fast that during test flights nobody had a helicopter that could keep up with it.  Army aviation had to procure some refurbished WWII P-51 Mustangs to chase this raging rotorwing across the sky!  The AH-56 was able to perform aerobatics and there are many minutes of AH-56 video available on the internet.

The AH-56 Cheyenne Story

AH-56 was designed to fit the requirements of the US Army’s Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program (1964-71).  The helicopter won the competition and the first prototype flew (unofficially) in September 1966.  AH-56 was expected to enter service in 1968, but the program was terminated and the helicopter never advanced beyond prototype stage.

While the AAFSS was won by the Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne, Bell had entered a scaled-down version of its Iroquois Warrior and the other competitor was the Sikorsky (S-66) (1964) which looked similar to the AH-56A Cheyenne, but had a Rotorprop tail rotor which could rotate on it’s axis through 90 degrees to act both as an anti-torque rotor or as a pusher, thereby transforming the S-66 into a compound aircraft in cruising flight.

Continue reading “Aurora’s Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne – Kit Review”

By Fred Boucher

Introduction

In a golden age of aviation tarnished by the Cold War, many new aircraft were produced, including what became known as cruise missiles.   One was the mach 2 Chance Vought SSM-N-9 Regulus II.   Aurora was always quick to machine molds for injection molded kits of warfare’s latest & greatest technical achievements, and the Regulus II supersonic cruise missile was no exception.  Issued in 1958 as kit 132-129, it scales to 1/48.  The “129” was Aurora’s MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price $1.29), a part of the box despised by retailers since they often wanted to set their own price by demand.  Aurora also issued a kit of the missile with a ground launcher, kit 378-249.

Kit #132-129, still in the factory seal

Most of these kits came out before I was born so perhaps it is not so strange that I never saw them at my childhood hobby outlets:  City Cycle Hobby Shop, Bell or Davis Drug Stores, Value Village, Kresge, Woolworths, Sears, or JC Pennys.  In fact,  I never even knew most such kits existed until the advent of online sites!

Continue reading “Aurora’s Chance Vought Regulus II Guided Missile Kit Review”

By Dennis Sparks 

Long range commercial aviation was dominated in the early 1950s by aircraft like the Douglas DC-6 and DC-7, Lockheed’s L-749 and L-1069 Constellation and Boeing’s Model 377 Stratocruiser.  But the sound of the future could already be heard in the whine of the turbojet engine, which was soon to be powering aircraft such as the deHavilland Comet, Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.

    

Early reciprocating and jet aircraft kits (click any to enlarge) 

But for a time at least, it seemed that there was yet another type of engine that would be suitable for commercial aircraft, one that would bridge the gulf between the traditional reciprocating engines and the new turbojets.

Turboprops

Introduced in 1953, the Vickers Viscount became the world’s first airliner to be powered by turboprop engines.  Both Capitol and Continental Airlines operated the Viscount in the US, but with an initial capacity of around 50 passengers, it was seen as a bit too small for some routes.  Therefore, American Airlines had asked Lockheed for a similar aircraft that could instead seat 75 100 and their response was their Model L188.  Lockheed chose to revive the name Electra for the new airliner from their 1930’s vintage Model 10.   The most famous Model 10 was the one flown by Amelia Earhart.

Continue reading “Vintage Plastic Modeling – Revell’s Lockheed L188 Electra”

By Fred Boucher

Introduction

During a golden age of aviation tarnished by the Cold War, many new aircraft were produced, including what became known as cruise missiles.  One was the Martin TM-76 Mace.  Aurora was always quick to cut tooling for models of contemporary subjects, and in 1958 issued their kit MACE – TM -76 GUIDED MISSILE.  Once again, Aurora had the weapon on the shelf before it was actually deployed.  TM-76 was first flown in in 1956 but was not active until 1959.  The kit number is 130-.79.  The “.79” was Aurora’s MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price), a part of the box despised by retailers.  Aurora also scaled it to 1/48.

Aurora’s one-and-only issue of this missile 

I do not recall Aurora rocket and missile kits vying for shelf space at my town model outlets: City Cycle Hobby Shop, Bell or Davis Drug Stores, Value Village; nor at Kresge, Woolworths, Sears, or JC Pennys.  Perhaps my modeling interests made space and missile subjects invisible to me at that time, or perhaps Aurora had already discontinued the kits!

Box side (click to enlarge)

Continue reading “Aurora Mace TM-76 Guided Missile Kit Review”

By Fred Boucher

Introduction

In 1958 Aurora released a Thor rocket but the model did not sell well.  To get more use from the mold, they added a galactic instrument payload intended for moon exploration.  This was released in 1959 as the U.S.A.F. 4-Stage Rocket Lunar Probe with Launching Pad and Servicing Tower.  The kit number on the box is 385 – 2.49, with “2.49” being the retail price of $2.49, or approximately $25.00 in today’s dollars.  Compared to model prices today that was an exceptional value for a multi-stage rocket and payload, with launch facility and figures!

    

The Lunar Probe #385–2.49 (left) and the earlier Thor IRBM #380-198

I do not recall Aurora rocket and missile kits vying for shelf space at my town model outlets: City Cycle Hobby Shop, Bell or Davis Drug Stores, Value Village; nor at Kresge, Woolworths, Sears, or JC Pennys.  Perhaps my modeling interests made space and missile subjects invisible to me at that time, or perhaps Aurora had already discontinued the kits!

Continue reading “Aurora’s U.S.A.F. 4-Stage Rocket Lunar Probe with Launching Pad and Servicing Tower – Kit Review”

By Dennis Sparks 

Another top-quality build Dennis!  Thank you so much for the article -AB 

Beginning  in 1909, almost all of the first aeroplanes that had been acquired by the US Army Signal Corps were either Wright or Curtiss “pusher” designs, with engines that were situated behind the pilot. As might be expected with this new technology, during the first five years of flight operations crashes were both frequent and too often fatal. Realizing that the location of the engine was a factor in some of the fatalities, on 25 February 1914 the Army grounded all of their remaining “pusher” aircraft, leaving them with almost no aircraft to fly.

 

Curtiss Model D Pusher (courtesy Wikipedia)

Seeking to purchase safer aircraft, both Martin and Curtiss responded to the Army request with designs for two-seat biplane trainers with the engine and a “tractor” propeller mounted in the front of the aircraft. The Army bought three Martin Model T aircraft, which curiously enough were specified to be delivered without engines, as for reasons of economy, they wanted to re-use some of the engines that had been salvaged from crashed aircraft. Later the Army purchased an additional fourteen Martins which were to be delivered with a variety of new-built engines. And while both the Army and the Navy also later acquired a few examples of the Martin Model S floatplane which shared a common heritage with the Model T, the type has largely faded into obscurity.

  

 Martin Model T (from the movie A Girl Of Yesterday) and Model S – click to enlarge (courtesy Wikipedia) 

Continue reading “A “Classic Build” of a 1/48th Lindberg Curtiss JN-4 Jenny”

By Dennis Sparks

Dennis is an active and talented IPMS modeler in and around Kentucky.  I saw his superb build of the classic Pyro/Life-Like kit at the Cinicinatti IPMS show and he was kind enough to let me place his article on the website – AB

 

A relatively brief history of Armand Deperdussin and his aircraft…

Armand Deperdussin (pronounced as “depper-DUE-sin”) was born c.1860-1870 (accounts vary) in or near Liege, Belgium (or possibly in or near Paris, as again, accounts vary). He held a number of jobs a young man, including working in a pharmacy and as a traveling sales representative for a Belgian chocolate firm, and still later was a singer in a Brussels night club. In Paris in 1902, he decided to venture into business on his own; borrowing enough money to begin buying imported silk in large quantities and then re-selling it in smaller portions to Parisian dress shops at a handsome profit. Possibly aided by the threat of the loss of the silk trade from the Far East during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05, he quickly both amassed a fortune and simultaneously developed a real flair for extravagant spending.

 

Armand Deperdussin (courtesy Wikipedia) and the Pyro issue of his aircraft, kit number P603-100

Continue reading “A “Classic Build” of a 1911 Deperdussin Type A Monoplane”