40 Years of modelling memories.....

[JJC]

well i've only had 7 years of modelling......................

my first kit was an airfix P-38 'lightning' that my dad basically built but i painted it ( i was only 4) we didn't paint any of the inside, but i still have that model hanging from the ceiling and often look at, as being brilliant, even though in reality it is a little rubbish.......

i've only been painting pilots for 5 years and started putting on cockpit decals for the first  time on a 1/72 concorde then moved on and painted my first model inside ( an airfix 'Halifax') the rest is i suppose a very short history........

[JayBee]

OK, I have now been modelling for 53 years, 2months and 44 days.
At least that is the time from when I got my first model.
It was the Airfix S55 helicopter (later released as the Westland Whirlwind).
I had seen Airfix kits in my local Woolworths a few months before, and I really wanted the Gloster Gladiator, in it's light blue plastic, but my mother said it would be too difficult for me so it was not to be! (Anyone who has built that early kit would most probably agree that she was right!).
However come Christmas day 1956, I got a present from the German lady who lived in the flat next door, yes the Airfix S-55. So I really can tell you the date that it all started.
My Dad helped me build it. Sorry, I will rephrase that. My Dad built it for me, and I loved it.
There were no transparencies, just great gaping holes, the two crew were shapeless blobs that only existed from about mid-chest up, and were joined by a bar that fitted in to a slot in what served as the cockpit floor.
The transfer sheet gave markings for a civil machine operated by BEA (British European Airlines).

I was lucky in that my Dad loved aeroplanes, which for an ex-sailor was slightly strange, but during his career he had served on three aircraft carriers in very different times.
HMS Hermes - 1935/36 Far East cruise.
HMS Ark Royal - WW2, yes he was on her when she was sunk.
HMS Theseus - Korean war.

More models followed over the years, and apart from a gap of some years( girls, marriage, baby) I have never really left the hobby.

So what were the highlights for me over the years in the modelling world.

Airfix - bringing out the first practical kits.
Frog – their first range of polystyrene kits. I still love the Meteor 8 as an aircraft because of their kit.
Airfix – series 2 kits, AH! the Mosquito.
Airfix – 1/76 scale AFV kits. I think the first was the Panther followed by the Sherman.
Airfix – "The Heavies Are Coming", the Lancaster. Despite what I replied to the Grumpy Old Modeller in a recent issue of a certain magazine, he was right it cost (in old money) 7/6 and not 9/6 as I said.
For those of you of more tender years that is 37 1/2p as opposed to 47 1/2p.
Gosh how kit prices have gone up, just a little bit.

Revel, with their "scaled to fit the box" kits, but what do you expect, they are American!

Monogram, with their "American" scale (1/48) kits.

Then the first Japanese kits started to appear.

Matchbox, arrived as a shocker with plastic kits. A real change from their diecast ranges.

Modeldecal, who were I think the first to produce what we now call "after market" transfer sheets.

Humbrol, with their range of "Authentic" paints.

197*  I was training as a controller at Glasgow Airport, and one of the Controllers mentoring me (Nick Smith) was a member of IPMS(UK), I joined, and am still a member to this day.

Shortly after that, I was training at Northern Radar (RAF Lindholme) and attended the nearsest IPMS branch (Sheffield). It was here that I met two lifelong friends, Niel Robinson and Kit Spakman (AKA PR-19 Kit).

These are not necessarily in correct chronological order, but they are just some of my memories of all the years that I have been enjoying this wonderful hobby.

[Joe C-P]

Oy vey, some memories are being revived.
I don't remember my first models back in the 70's, but I know I went through various phases - ships (barely painted), planes (hung from the ceiling, of course), custom vans, including interiors, and finally armor in my early teens, by which time I was pretty good if I say so myself.  Then I stopped, though I don't remember why. I sometimes suspect the missing memories may be due to the glue and paints, as you all have discussed. That and the beer. And a goalpost to the head.
I started modeling again my last year of college, and have been since then. What really got going, though, was joining the Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society, for whom I ramped up my game to museum quality.
And then I happened upon you nuts, who helped me remember that modeling should be fun, and that every kit didn't need the full-up museum quality treatment.   

My parents saved a few of my models, mostly the late armor kits, and I've been having fun reworking some of them whif-style.

Oh yeah, I joined the Revell Model Club way back when! I got the newsletters and the free models. In fact, one of the free models - a Kingfisher seaplane - I built ultra-detailed and donated to the Battleship Society.

And I did blow up some models with firecrackers, including some models I now rather wish I hadn't. 

I had a letter published in one of the scale modeler magazines, asking about the YB-40 and P-38M. I did receive some great references, which I still have, and I still have the Revell 1/32 P-38L I intended to convert. (And by golly I will someday.)

[Dork the kit slayer]

lHowever, sometime in early '53 my LHS broadened its view and got some Lindberg kits, including a MONSTER B-17. Well, it was 1/64 scale so it was a monster compared to everything else I'd seen, and it was moulded in silver plastic! Woweee, the BUSINESS! 

Of course I had to have one, and saved and saved until I could carry it home one Saturday on the bus, showing the monster box to anyone who'd look, and anyone who wouldn't either!  Amazingly I took some care building it, and as it had an almost complete interior, cockpit, gun turrets, waist gunners and all, I painted the interior as well. I'm not sure what paints were around then, maybe it was Humbrol, but Gloy springs to mind too. After that it all went pear shaped of course and I ended up with ZILLIONS of plastic kits of all types but very soon I standardised on 1/72 scale for my main interest of RAF and USAF 'present day' aircraft. I did get the Frog 1/96 scale V bombers but I couldn't live with the wrong scale look alongside my Meteors, Venoms and stuff. I think I gave the Victor and Vulcan away!!!

My long departed Grandmother bought me the Lindberg B-17 one Christmas(long long ago) You are so right,it was the star of any boys collection in those days.
About ten /fifteen years ago I found one going for (what I considered) a fair price at the Nationals at Donnington and has pride of place in my stash.  I will,no really,I will build it one day.

[PR19_Kit]

My long departed Grandmother bought me the Lindberg B-17 one Christmas(long long ago) You are so right,it was the star of any boys collection in those days.
About ten /fifteen years ago I found one going for (what I considered) a fair price at the Nationals at Donnington and has pride of place in my stash.  I will,no really,I will build it one day.

That's the one!   

Amazing, I can play a mental video tape of me wrestling the box out through the LHS door way even now. 

I'd love to see piccies of that built when you've done it, it was an amazing kit for its time.

[Tojo633]

All
Let see I have been glueing plastic together since before I went to school, it was a way for wee ad to be kept busy while his Gran made the soup and dinner. First kit I built? no idea for certain but as my Dad usually painted and glued them I suspect some of the early ones were 1/144 scale fighters Crown or Revell, I can recall a painted P-47 I am sure with Normandy stripes and maybe a mustang.
Airfix - The Dogfight doubles come to mind Mirage3 and Mig15, Beaufighter and Me109G, there was something about the smell of the polystyrene in the box in those days. Airfix blister pack M3 half track, Spitfire 9 and my all time favourite the Series 3 Mosquito, stocked by the local toyshop 8 miles from our village.
Can anyone remember a toyshop with a horizontal rotating lit display that showed off the toy cars???
Matchbox kits - first one was the Lysander stocked by the village Newagent who carried I think the whole range, I recall just before one Xmas going in with my younger bother I bought the Spitfire 9 and he bought the Hanomag but we didn't have enough for the glue, so we got that either for nothing or for whatever change we had.
First Novo kit I came across was a bagged Fairey Barracuda, can't be sure when that was but I seem to recall getting an Airfix Model T ford about the same time.
Revell was another range stocked by John Menzies Newsagents North of the border, the Douglas X-3 Stiletto is one I can recall building, this company were good at getting deals on Airfix kits usually during school holidays (late 70s early 80s) although not always the mainstream choices it may have been whatever the reps could offer the company as a deal; but one summer the Airfix 1/35 military vehicles were on offer at £1 a piece.
As one grew older mail became the must to get model bargains if possible, which has now moved onto the site we all love and spend days perusing Evilbay.
Cheers
Sandy

[Tojo633]

and some more

[SPINNERS]

I wrote this a few years ago but can't remember what site it was for. Anyway, this is my start to modelling...

I started modelling in 1973. My first kit was a Frog Spitfire (almost certainly a Mk.1) and although I can't remember much about the build I can clearly remember being less than amused when the mast aerial immediately behind the canopy disappeared into the oversized hole and my friend laughing his socks off. I think this masterpiece went unpainted. Late in 1973 we moved to an area where there were loads of corner shops selling Airfix kits including the newsagents and, rather bizarrely, a sports shop that also sold Airfix kits and bicycles (cycling later became a big hobby of mine).

Moving onto 1974 I can remember Series 1 kits being 19p and Series 2 kits being a massive 25p! The Blenheim was my first Airfix kit and I do remember it being very hard to make and not quite being able to understand the French markings and wonky nose glazing. I don't like asymmetric aircraft and my Frog Canberra and Sea Vixen are still unbuilt. From my limited pocket money I could only afford Series 1 and Series 2 aircraft and got stuck into the Airfix classics including the Spitfire IX JE-J. My first IX was overall black and I also remember clipping the wings of another IX and painting that gloss red and also learning the importance of undercoating. The Spitfire Vb was newly released at about this time and mine was quite a faithful rendition. This is a nice kit and I have at least four stashed away. The Series 2 Hurricane was marvellous with its many underwing stores and those 40mm cannon saw action on several different aircraft. I really loved the Series 1 Mustang which was so simple to make and looked great without the fin fillet. At a later date, I can remember putting wing tip-tanks on mine although I can't remember the donor kit. The Mosquito was another popular kit with me, especially the Series 3 (35p) with all the options including the cool blue/white Aussie decals.

At this time I could only afford the larger kits when flush with cash at Christmas or Birthdays. The Lancaster was a joy and mine was a day bomber with grey undersides and green/brown top surfaces and 'B' type roundels all over. My Wellington was built and painted as accurately as possible except for the 'Mild and Bitter' decal taken from my Marauder kit. The Marauder was superb and went together in one day including a thick coat of Humbrol silver. My Marauder later had a MLU (mid-life update) with a radar nose from a Phantom, wing tip-tanks and pusher propellers! My Short Stirling went together well although it remained unpainted. Sadly my Halifax was unfinished I can't remember why it was either too hard or my WW2 interest had ebbed.

I can't remember why I switched to jet aircraft but the Airfix Phantom was my first jet and I later built several of these wonderful kits. Back in late 1974 I built my first one in the grey/white US Navy scheme with the big red flash on the back but also built an all white RAF one with the longer nose of the F-4E but without the cannon fairing. This just looked so right and I'm amazed that McDonnell Douglas never followed suit. I always went for the six sparrows and three fuel tanks option for my F-4's and I've still yet to see a Phantom with underwing gun pods to this day. The Lightning F.1a came next and this was a straightforward build but later exported to Israel with the decals scraped off and Grey uppersurfaces and the original silver undersides. The newsagents had all the new releases and the Thunderstreak was a lovely kit and I also picked up a P-80 Shooting Star at about this time.

For me, the best looking of all the Airfix jets was the Vigilante and my first one didn't need painting as overall white was pretty cool. At this time I hadn't heard of TSR2 and for me the Phantom and Vigilante were the ultimate aircraft and I really wanted the Vigilante to be a fighter so I fiited semi-recessed sparrows to it. My interest in aircraft modelling had given me a thirst for reading books on aircraft and one day in 1975 I walked into my local library and came out with 'Attack Aircraft of the West' by Bill Gunston and things were never quite the same!

[Nick]

Can anyone remember a toyshop with a horizontal rotating lit display that showed off the toy cars???

There was one of these at a Toys of Yesteryear museum/shop in the Peak Village shopping centre in Rowsley. You pressed a button and the display rotated. They relocated to Barton Marina on the A38, according to their website.

[philp]

I can't remember why I switched to jet aircraft but the Airfix Phantom was my first jet and I later built several of these wonderful kits. Back in late 1974 I built my first one in the grey/white US Navy scheme with the big red flash on the back but also built an all white RAF one with the longer nose of the F-4E but without the cannon fairing. This just looked so right and I'm amazed that McDonnell Douglas never followed suit. I always went for the six sparrows and three fuel tanks option for my F-4's and I've still yet to see a Phantom with underwing gun pods to this day.

Just for you.
http://www.ozarkairfieldartworks.com/chicothegunfighter.html

[Tojo633]

Can anyone remember a toyshop with a horizontal rotating lit display that showed off the toy cars???

There was one of these at a Toys of Yesteryear museum/shop in the Peak Village shopping centre in Rowsley. You pressed a button and the display rotated. They relocated to Barton Marina on the A38, according to their website.

Nick
You could be right with this, all I can recall was a glass box type display with small narrow troughs along the length which rotated horizontlly to reveal the cars on display. I was under the impression it may have been on all the time, but a push button seems more practical; memories.....
Cheers
Sandy