TSR2 models - a round up

[DamienB]

Stuck this up a few days ago...

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/tsr2/models.php

Comments welcome! Missed any? Talking complete balls?

[markmarples]

looks good to me mate

[Thorvic]

Yeap looks good to me, btw Pit-road are doing the Meteor Sweeper as well in 1/144 !

[PR19_Kit]

I like it, TRS2 kit reviews that aren't viewed through rose tinted spectacles. Well done. 

[thomasweir]

A comprehensive listing. Looks and sounds good to me 

[The Wooksta!]

Good, but not as comprehensive as it could be!  You missed out the ARBA resin kit, released about 1989ish.  I'm also convinced that there were two Contrail 72nd kits as I've seen two separate versions.  I've suspicions that it was based on the Marx toy from the 60s as there are quite a few similarities.


The Resitech one.  Long and torturous history, the timeline being thus:

1994 - Resitech kit released to rave reviews.  I have the model from the Scale Models review, having bought it from the guy who did said review.

1995 - Resitech go bust (my solicitors advise me not to go into details).  This also drags down Toad Resins who have some tie up.

1996 - Toad Resins resurfaces.  They now have the Resitech TSR2 master and release a simplified version of the Resitch kit (brass either stuck to master and recast or included as resin. 

1997 - Toad Resins closes.  Some masters sold to Dennis Ives of Flying High infamy.  Remaining Toad TSR2 kits now being sold by Maintrack (I bought one from them at Donnington that year).

1998 - Justin Gorka of Swan Model Engineering acquires all of the other Toad masters, plus the rights to use the Toad name.  Some Toad TSR2 are sold by him at the Birmingham show that year.  Swan Model Engineering change the name to Cloud 9.

1999 - Cloud 9 vanish.

1999 - Aardvark release the TSR2 kit.  However, this is NOT from the original master, but one cloned from a Resitech kit.

2002? - Aardvark change their name to Heritage.

[JayBee]

Gosh, a site that remembers the Star Minatures 1/144 TSR-2.
Mine was SO badly moulded that I binned it in the end.

[The Wooksta!]

There was also a 350th white metal one, although it was one piece and solid.  Gary bought a pair and opened the cockpits up.

[DamienB]

If you would like to do a brief review of the Arba kit I'll add it to the page... I've only ever seen a single photo of a build-up example, and coudn't justify writing anything on that basis...

[The Wooksta!]

I don't have one.  I've seen a couple of them for sale but never bought them - Collectakit had both the ARBA and Resitech TSR2s for sale at Telford 2011. Price a bit too steep for me and I already have two Resitech ones anyway.  

I do know Martin has built one. Mike McEvoy reviewed it for SAM in 1989.

[DamienB]

To be honest I think it's so rare nowadays there's no loss in not mentioning it...

I see one of the Starr Miniatures kits has popped up on ebay - first one I've ever seen on there. Item 200704916477.

[kitbasher]

Can't follow the linky, so don't know the contents.  Seem to recall Merlin ( - wash my mouth out) did a 1/72 TSR2.

[Martin H]

I do know Martin has built one.

Not quite built, I acquired mine 2nd hand from a club stand at a Cosford show many moons ago. It was about 75% built. I only finished it......................in full SAAF cammo.

I also have the bulk of the resin parts for a 2nd example that TSRjoe handed to me one year at the Glasgow show.

[PR19_Kit]

Can't follow the linky, so don't know the contents.  Seem to recall Merlin ( - wash my mouth out) did a 1/72 TSR2.

With soap? More like Red Fuming Nitric Acid!  

The Merlin 'TSR2' had about as much relationship with a TRS2 as my big toe does with a nuclear reactor! Almost NOTHING in that 'kit' (the word 'kit' is used here in its widest possible terms....) had any connection with a TSR2 apart from the fact that it had two smallish delta wings and a long(ish) nose.

I got so dis-enamoured with mine that I grafted the back of a Vigilante onto it, added a third engine and painted it up in an FAA scheme. See my gallery here for pics.

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=2277

[rickshaw]

My, what an interesting beast that is, Kit.