Airmodel Vac-forms

[JayBee]

Can anybody tell me when the Airmodel vac-form kit, 1/72 (naturally), of the Blohm und Voss BV40 glider fighter, was first produced ?

[kitnut617]

According to the PAK-20 book, that kit is numbered 014. As Air Model was formed in 1969 I would say sometime around there. The original owner died in 1980, and the moulds were acquired by Frank Modellbau (owner Richard Frank) until 2002 when Simon Modellbau acquired the complete range.

[JayBee]

Many thanks Robert,

that is just the info I was needing.

Jim

[The Wooksta!]

I doubt the Bv 40 was quite as old as 1970 - I had that kit in the mid 90s and it was a great deal better than the older Airmodel stuff - Hans Scheadler's stuff had a different style to the Frank Modelbau kits.  And I'll lay money on the Frank modelbau kits being moulded by MPM.

I'd hazard a good guess at the Bv 40 being an 80s kit.

[JayBee]

Could well be Lee.
I just can not remember when I built mine. I did build the T-28 which was a very basic moulding and the BV-40 was certainly a bit more refined in terms of detail.
The main point here is that it was a fair time ago that I built my BV-40, and that is all I was looking for.

Cheers.

[kitnut617]

The PAK-20 book shows all Frank kits after the Air Model purchase with an 'F' in brackets (F), the Bv.40 wasn't one of them. However, there's another kit numbered 014, a Heinkel He-280 V-1/V-5 which does have a (F). Looking under the Frank Modellbau listing pre-purchase of Air Model, there's not any Blohm und Voss kits.

[The Wooksta!]

IIRC I got the Airmodel Bv 40 in either 1993 or 1994.

[kitnut617]

IIRC I got the Airmodel Bv 40 in either 1993 or 1994.

I got curious and carried on looking through the entire listing, I found another listing for a Bv.40 V1 kit #329. This one has a (C) after it, and looking to see what this means reveals that Combat Models (USA) reissued a number of ex-Air Model kits with improvements and corrections. This was done in the mid to late 80's so maybe that's what you got.

[The Wooksta!]

No, definitely Airmodel and I got it from IW Models - he had a MASSIVE listing of Airmodel stuff in a late 1993 issue of Scale Aircraft modelling and that's when I ordered it.

IIRC, I still have the instructions *somewhere* in the Loft at me Mam's but thanks to China, it's doubtful when I'd be able to get there to dig them out.

[kitnut617]

No, definitely Airmodel and I got it from IW Models - he had a MASSIVE listing of Airmodel stuff in a late 1993 issue of Scale Aircraft modelling and that's when I ordered it.

IIRC, I still have the instructions *somewhere* in the Loft at me Mam's but thanks to China, it's doubtful when I'd be able to get there to dig them out.

What I meant was it's in the Air Model listing, it just says Combat Models improved on it.

[The Wooksta!]

Found this link whilst looking for something else:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-72-Scale-Vacuform-Airmodel-Blohm-undt-Voss-BV-40-unbuilt-kit-329-open-bag/392755791268?hash=item5b7211c5a4:g:QCgAAOSwNaBdj9lV

Now, my memory isn't what it was and I'm going back 25 years but I'm now not entirely convinced that the Bv 40 kit I had was indeed Airmodel.  Didn't someone els do one in 72nd vacform?  The one I had wasn't as crude as this and for some reason I'm thinking VP?

I definitely had an Airmodel kit or three from IW Models in 1993 or 1994 and I've a feeling I may have got the Bv 40 mixed up with an Airmodel He P.1077 Julia/Romeo.

[kitnut617]

That eBay kit is one of the 'Improved' kits which Combat Models did for the Airmodel kit, the listing says it's #329

[JayBee]

That image looks like the one I had, although I can deffinately say that mine was Airmodel, and the canopy was dreadful. I had to scratch build one to replace it.

[kitnut617]

Now, my memory isn't what it was and I'm going back 25 years but I'm now not entirely convinced that the Bv 40 kit I had was indeed Airmodel.  Didn't someone els do one in 72nd vacform?  The one I had wasn't as crude as this and for some reason I'm thinking VP?

Well, the Bv-40 was/is a well covered subject in model form, at least 14 manufacturers made a kit of it (1/72 & 1/48), and only three of those reboxed someone else's. I'll list the 1/72 kits that are shown, AirModel (Combat), Czechmasters, KPM (Victoria Products), Mareska, Panda Models, Warlord (WK Models). The companies in brackets reboxed/issued.

The kit you have Lee could very well be the VP kit which was a KPM/Kosice ('76-mid 80's) kit.

[The Wooksta!]

It's long gone - I passed it to someone else to finish it a good twenty years back.  If I get another, it'll be the Brengun kit.