A quick look at the Heller brand which has managed to survive since 1957. The song I did not use, but almost did given the Airfix/Heller 'issue": • THE FRENCH BREXIT SONG...
I’m loving these histories you’ve been producing. Yes, I’m a lady modeller, currently obsessed with 1940, and looking at several Heller boxes in the kit stash covering the French air force of the period. Anyway, the Heller Ferguson is a new tooling and nothing to do with Airfix's one. The real Ferguson - known as "the little grey Fergie" to we Brits, and "petit gris" in France - was licence-built in France, so an apt kit for a French kit maker. I’ve built one, and it makes a lovely model, ripe for super-detailing if you want.
Small tractors like the "petit gris" were borrowed from local farmers by the Parachute Infantry and glider units to clear and operate landing zones for re-supply behind enemy lines in the days following D-Day in Normandy. The tractors were used to pull often damaged gliders off the LZ to clear it for the next one. At the height of glider operations about a week into the invasion they could land a CG-4A about every two minutes all day long.
The tractor that (among other things) transformed Sweden. I spent many hours as a kid on my grandfather's TE20. In fact, four generations of my family have driven that little tractor. In Sweden, they are called "Grålle" ("grey one") like you would call a grey draft horse (with the brown ones being "Brunte"). Pardon my self-indulgence, there's just a lot of feelings connected with it.
french guy here . obviously, french is not your first language, but you did not "butchered it" (well, I understood -mostly) thanks and congrats. many memories with this brand !
I built that when it first came out, not a bad model along with some of the figure sets. Nice easy model not like todays. Can't see the small parts anymore. And the arthritis won't let me hold on. Still keep track of modeling .
While Heller didn't participate in the Slot Car Craze of the 1960's, one of their designers did, Philippe de Lespinay. He did most of the design work in the late 1960's and moved to the USA in the early '70 to work with US Companies to develop slot cars. He now is the one overseeing the Los Angeles Slot Car Museum.
I bought Heller kits when on holiday in France as a kid. Because they were the only manufacturer that made 1:35 figures with French Adrian helmets. I needed those for WW1 dioramas. I made copies of those helmets using homemade silicon moulds.
2:10 Canon anti-chars = anti-tank gun. 1/43 is a weird scale for plastic modellers, but it's a common scale for die-cast model cars. I like their kits. A bit basic they might be, but they made loads of cool stuff no-one else did. Thanks for the vids Max, I've been waiting for this one.
Once upon a time building wooden ships with small brass fittings was popular, but plastic models offered so much more. A buddy bought the Heller Soleil Royal. A huge sailing ship with wonderful molding. He spent years drooling over the details and rigging, but passed away before he ever tackled it. The kit was not for the faint of heart. There are some beautiful pictures available online. I am an experienced armour modeller, and I would not attempt it. No photo etch, but serious amounts of string and sails. I'd love to weather it though, as even the wood texture was beautiful duplicated.
Heller have some great kits, I think I am correct in saying that their 24th scale aircraft are the Airfix molds though. One Heller kit I don't like is their 1/72 Spitfire MK1. It's a dog, and an ugly one at that. Their Spitfire MKXVI however is a lovely kit. Great episode Max, nice work.
Great video! I recently reviewed a Heller Peugeot 206 on my channel and I think they are good for the beginner and you can get a lot of fun out of them. I think they still use Humbrol paints in their sets? I'm not sure, but the paint codes are identical to the ones in Airfix sets.
Fun fact: the very first kit I ever built was a group of three German soldiers from Heller when I was like 7 years old. 40 years later, with some help from the internet community, I managed to track down the very same kit and built it as it should be built, ie by someone with 40 years of experience. That said, the kit was strange. It had some goodies, like straps molded to the heads that were surprisingly well sculpted, but the figures lacked equipment, and the two gasmask canisters that were privided were smooth, without the ridges, and the figures were quite short compared to newer figures. I did however find a use for one of the figures, as a young soldier at the end of the war in a diroama, so the money were not wasted. And it was really fun to see what I faced back then.
I don't understand why Heller doesn't just launch a new range of 1:48 french fighters, from the Ouragan to the Rafale and later moving on to helicopters like the Puma and Gazelle
Re: the various scales: Heller originally issued its kits in 'decimal' scales (1/200, 1/100, 1/75, 1/50, 1/40 etc) as opposed to the Anglocentric 'Imperial' scales (1/144, 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, 1/24), however towards the middle of the 1960s they shifted towards Imperial as it proved more popular. However, many of the original kits remained in their catalogue, hence the wide variety of scales used. As to the Ferguson kit: the Heller Ferguson TE20 is a new mould which was issued in 2015 as part of a wave of new kits (it's 1/24 scale, consisting of 128 parts). It is not related to Airfix' 1949 kit (1/20 scale, 50-ish parts), especially as the wereabouts of the Airfix kit's moulds are unknown (last issued 1959 and presumed lost/destroyed).
Thanks again for another informative and entertaining video. But no mention of the Heller/Aurora connection that seemed to start the year Aurora went out of business? It looked like the two companies had an agreement that Heller would add the Aurora name to its kits for coming into the American market. Heller's box art in the 60s and 70s was crazy good, but what should one expect from a country with such a long appreciation of the fine arts? I had only 3 Heller kits. A 1/50 Alouette helicopter was a gift when I was about 10. It was not on my wish list, but it seemed fine. It had vinyl tires. About 15 years ago I bought a 1/72 F4U and a P39. Both were better than older American kits: good fit, right shapes, good detail, nice decals. Thanks again.
I built a Heller Trident. it looked like something out of Thunderbirds. It came with a neat Heller enamel badge but my Mum wouldn't let me wear it because she thought it sounded like a swear word!
Built most of their french wwii bombers: LeO 451, Amiot 143, Bloch MB 200 ... unique kits still no new molds available from other manufacturers. Enjoyed the video, thanks and keep ‘m cumming!
Heller do have the award for the worst tank tracks ever. Their 1/72 AMX-30 tank has rubber band tracks that repel every glue known to modellers. And they did make the unique AMX-13 DCA and AMX-30 DCA in 1/72, but try getting hold of one!
I visited the Heller factory in Trun in 1996, allthough produktion seemed be running, we saw no lonly soul..just some shed full of moulds and mashines...the administration building seemed deserted, exept some glas cabins with built up Heller models, nothing to see...was kind of creepy and in 2004, closed (but i can't remeber the weekday) we were there for the scrapyard full of german WW2 stuff anyway :-)
Since I only build ship models Heller comes in at average. Right now I’m building a 1/400 HMS Illustrious. No one else makes this British carrier in that scale so I bought it. I wish Trumpeter would make it in 1/350. When comparing Hellers ship offerings such as HMS Hood, German battleships Scharnhorst and Bismarck and French capital ships Richelieu and Strasbourg Trumpeter, Hobby Boss and Tamiya developed kits with much better detail for just a little more money. If you’re going to survive in this business you’ve got to retool. If Heller does fold I hope Atlantis purchases their ship molds.
I have built the 1/16 Heller Citroen DS19. It is a lovely kit for detail, but a challenge at final assembly and very very fragile. It looks great, but do not breath to hard close to it, it may blow apart 😅🤣😂. Would like to get more Heller kits, have a 1930's Talbot in 1/24 scale to tackle.
For years Heller was the only source for 1/35 plastic soldiers from France and its N. African colonies in the 1930-40's. They were also the only ones producing non-resin French WWII armor until Bronco, Hobby Boss and Tamiya joined in with better kits years later.
Yes you are right (your alternative but rejected outro music clip). Bit like playing "Rule Britannia" to Donald Trump outside the White House!! (Tell me how that went....)
Was "Ça plane pour moi" the song you said in the credits that might get you in trouble? If not, download a copy, play it over your existing credits, and consider modifying your video. And I DON'T mean the Elton Morrello version. I also liked the Heller 1:43 car series. Hard to find and not cheap, but very well engineered.
I have a Heller Humbrol 1/72 Fieseler Storch that i haven't begun to put together...(someday.) But looking at the parts, I'd say it's a decent kit and should be fun to build.
Two Coléoptères for sale right now on eBay France, for the modest sum of 340 or 400 Euro at least... Not bad for just a plastic model. But will it sell for that price ?
I have some Heller kits... including that A380 kit shown. Some of their kits are quite good, like their 1/100 sailing ships but a lot of their older kits are not all that good.
Many thanks for all yours videos , they are great ! Currently the Heller kits are available on the Revell web store (revell.de) ; for information i am not pay to say that ! .. Haha. I am just a french rookie in this hobby who started with the Revell Easy click kits and i became a fan of this brand. I also discovered the Ukrainian company ICM ( i love some of theirs models). Happy Modelling and All the Best.
I have built one of their jaguar in 1/24 scale and it was a pain in the butt to assemble, their tooling is outdated and many hobby stores in France have a stash of Heller's kits that they can't sold because no one wants them..
I have just discovered Hellers 1/400 scale ships series ( late to the party, I know ). This scale suits me perfectly. It gives me more display room than 1/350 but has enough detail to make a reasonable looking kit right out of the box. Only problem is finding Heller kits here in Australia.
Tres bien encore Max !!! Well done for disentangling that one, as always my experience is mainly of their car models, the first I was aware of was the 1/20th scale Renault 16, I suspect there was manufacturer collaboration here judging by the timing & quality although I've never seen one in the flesh (sorry plastic..), I had but didn't build most of the 1/24th scale racing cars, I remember them as very accurate and well detailed but a very fiddly build, some of these (and the aforementioned R16) reappeared under the Union label (as did some of IMC's cars). The VW Beetle glimpsed in your vid was interesting, I've never seen or heard of that one before, I'm wondering if it was related to the US issued Premier kit ? Re the grey Ferguson I'm 99.9% certain it's not the famous old Airfix model but looks from pictures very impressive in it's own right, must dig out the remains of my old Airfix one..... I was never aware of the Joustra connection either, they produced some fine tinplate and later plastic ready made cars in 1/18th scale long before it became a diecast car standard !
The attraction for me (in the 70s) was the low cost of the kits. I found the quality acceptable although some were very basic (like the Trident research aircraft). Back then modifying kits to make other things was a big part of the hobby (not least thanks to Airfix Magazine, still worth a read 50 years later) and the Cadet Frelon helicopter made a nice basis for my sci-fi transports with a strip over the top rotor hole and a new tail.
I liked Heller for their "own drummer" offerings... the DC6 and Connie families in 1/72 scale were a pleasant surprise... Would have been cool for them to expand that series of '50s-60s prop driven airliners. Plenty of DC3s and AFAIK only the Mach II Convair... Revell Germany finally did their great C54/DC4 some decades later.
I purchased my first Heller kit about 2 years ago. It was a 1/24th scale 1961 Jaguar E-Type convertible. It is a pretty well engineered model kit, except for the rudimentary simulated wire wheels. Nice soft rubber-like tires however. I liked that kit enough that I purchased my second Heller kit...another Series 1 Jauguar E-Type, but the coupe model. The molding in both kits is crisp. The sensuous body of the Jag appears pretty accurate and has a scale thickness. I would try another Heller kit if the automotive subject appealed to me.
I built a Heller Bugatti, in around 68, but I was also making a Monogram Duesenberg. The Monogram was streets ahead, never made Heller again, probably a bit harsh but kids are really judgemental - did buy a fair number of Solido stuff - living in Hong Kong we were close to Vietnam, given that half of my friends were American, many Australian and a few Vietnamese - to model conflict in the area, it had to be France engaged in a Colonial War - approval all round from my crew - using mainly Solido models of French fighting vehicles c 1950s though Airfix HO scale soldiers. These series is brilliant, during all this lockdown stuff being taken back through my life thru the models I have been obsessed and/or besotted with - C'est san pariel, c'est magnifique!!!! PS You're beginning to get me with the music too, this one just made me laff out loud, any chance of any Credence? Stylistically it may not be your choice, but whatever you chose is cool by me, as before, thank you, keep up the brilliant work, big respect for your efforts
Heller? A good model company. I built many of their planes, warships, and sailing ships, and mostly I would say they were pretty good. Vive la France! I am glad they are still around.
Hi max.thanks again for a fine history lesson.about other models.made in different countries.ive never thought about around the countries.hi from Ohio.thanks again max.
Heller kits are quite nostalgic - their ships are mythic. Their kits vary quite a lot in quality through the ages, from excellent to almost crap. But you get the subjects that most others don't do. I don't like very much the heller airplanes but their tanks, cars and ships are very good, generally. I suppose the modern Heller kits are very good, but I have not yet build one.
I still have Heller 1/72 Alphajet "Petruille de France" in box. I don't dare to build it because my skills is nil. I don't want to ruin them. Let it be lie down in box peacefully.
I found their fitment to be problematic. Constantly. Plus, the way the parts are carved up, the assembly is likewise difficult. Heller would make you glue flat to flat for body panels with no lugs and cups to make sure they stayed in place. AND the plastic was often quite thin and of low quality. Heller just didn't make it for me. My last one was a Tracton Avant kit in 2000, when I was 50. I thought they might have worked past those problems, but it was the same as in the 1960s.
Strange that a French company would have a name that starts with a letter or grapheme ( h ) that the French have difficulty with pronouncing on its own?
I had the opportunity to build and paint an English cabbie 1/24 scale and I was surprised at the amount of detail that was put into it like in the engine alone you needed to work out a spark plug wires plan ! The instructions helped ! Turned out to be Really nice ! 🌊🐺
It sure takes me back several decades.. Thanks for your serie, very good endeed. I built several Heller aircrafts in the late 70s, early 80s... It was cheap, but I have to admit that Monogram, Hasegawa or Italieri models were more detailed and more expensive also ( at least in France). Thanks
I build a lot of Heller cars in 1/24 and 1/43 scale. They have wonderful thin body panels and a lot of good detail, but often include one especially bad shape unless it is a model of a French car. Then all is perfect! Also a note to Max about 1/43 scale. It is the European standard for automotive modeling, and traces its history to O gauge model railroading, where the cars work for scenery.
Actually I was expecting Je'regret rien (again appologies for spelling) (I regret mothing) which might be appropriate given the history, but then you'd likely be struck down by TH-cam.
Only one word comes to mind with Heller: meh. Their cars were woefully simple, as well as their aircraft. No concerted effort seems to ever have been made to update or better their product. Yeah, they had a lot of trouble in the past, I get that. But so has Airfix, and you see how they've rebirthed.
When Heller came out with their 1/72 scale Lockheed 0749 Constellation with Air France and TWA decals back in the early 1980s, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as the "Connie" was and still is my favorite aircraft!
@@dalecomer5951 I up loaded on TH-cam 7 years ago this circa 1955 Lockheed promotional film on building the Super Constellation. Maybe you dad's in it: th-cam.com/video/UTmgaaq8sMc/w-d-xo.html
@@WAL_DC-6B Thanks Dan. That film is so "fifties." Didn't see anyone who looked like my dad but given the time frame of the film he certainly would have known most if not all of the workers shown in the final assembly building. In late '55 he was working in Bldg. 82 and at Van Nuys airport on what would later become known as the U-2A but at the time had no type designation. One of the last Super Connies he worked on was the first L-1049G.
@@dalecomer5951 Yes, the Lockheed film is indeed "so fifties." If it's any help to you, according to the book, "Lockheed Constellation" by Curtis K. Stringfellow and Peter M. Bowers, the first Super "G" Constellation (L-1049G) flew on December 7, 1954.
@@WAL_DC-6B I was tempted by the Heller VC-121C kit if only for the boxart. Also the TWA "Super G" for the prospect of a nice large scale model. Bid on a few on eBay with no joy. Had no knowledge of Heller kit quality at the time.
I haven't built any kits from Heller, yet, but I want to thank you for showing me oldmodelkits.com. I just got a kit which is the earliest model I can remember making: Lindberg's F-80C Shooting Star. Man what a trip opening that up after some 55 or so years.
I got my very first model kit from my parents a long, long time ago. It was the Heller X15. I distinctly remember that while my father was struggling with the kit, i was sitting next to him, totally absorbed by a gelatinous green bulb of glue. Long story short: I squeezed it so hard the bulb blew, and spewed glue all over the kit my father was trying to put together. Happy memories. Thanks
Interesting sidenote, the german revell webshop now sells Heller models. ;) Thanks for the links, having a cold war cultures course and I have to look at a topic for a presentation, and yeah since scale modeling is a hobby of mine I'm thinking about it, sadly the sources, you aside, are quite scarce. You're doing good work looking into some of the less known parts of the hobby, like the soviet stuff. Other ideas are motorsports and bits of aviation, or other transports like railways...........sadly I have to jam all of this into a cultural perspective.
If you need any info on kit model companies I am happy to share what I have. BTW, I grew up and served during the cold war so I agree it permeates a person's perspective. I might use you post as a lead in on the cold war perspective in model bnuilding.
@@maxsmodels Thank you for the reply and your of help, it is much appreciate and I will keep this in mind. The problem with the cultural perspective would be to see how the issues in wider societies affected scale modeling overall, like the criticism of most kits in Revell's Porfolio being military set before the Backdrop of the Vietnam War, that you mentioned in the Revell Models story. Or what you mentioned in the Soviet Era, about the youth Organisations liking functional but not display models. Spent today search for sources into that regard, but right now I'm not really finding much. The next problem is getting such a topic past the profs............they tend to regard this as great for a research project but not for coursework. ;) The sources situation for me looks a bit better for Railways and Motorsports right now. But you never know until you've tried. Your sources on the companies are impressive though, especially catalogues or the photgraphs of the aurora Molds. That John Cuomo is not related to the family of politicians though, or is he? (Asking as I recently found out that Artem Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was the brother of Anastas Mikoyan, who was part of the Politburo that "took over" from Stalin and got Beriya executed.) The forced Merger of the Moscow toy makers that screwed over the Young Technicians, really is a good example of soviet industrial philosophy. Are there any sources on scale modeling history that you can recommend? As for Revell, as I'm german, Revell kits are what I was raised on, most of the times the shops used to have just revell, especially if it was not a specialized scale railway and modeling shop, and the last proper one in my city that doesn't do just RC died about ten years back. Maybe you'd occasionaly get some Italeri stuff, but nothing like Eduard or Tamiya. (Funnily enough the main masking tape they stock is Tamiya! ;) Much better value proposition than Revell's masking tape 8 meters (roughly 24 ft*) more and costs half as much. ;) Took a long indadvertent break, started to build a 1/32 Scale FW-190 D-9 (Hasegawa rebox) and time got tight, which meant it went unfinished for years, with me only building intermittedly..........well Corona intervened and I thought to finish it. Still working on it. As for Heller it is interesting, as it has those interesting rare kits, like the Canadair CL-415 or the Jaguar E-Type........really eyeing those for a build..........now if only someone could make some Bentley Continental R Type and Speed 8 kits. Steered a friend from simracing in their direction when he sought some cars to build, and they have an interesting collection. *Thank god for Combat flightsims, which tought me to somewhat think in imperial............though more in knots and nautical than in statute miles.
My first kits were ofc Heller as I grew up in France. I remember they had a very good customer service and would send you replacement parts without any questions asked, it wasn't the most accurate kits when it comes to 1/72 scale tanks but a good way to get started. They made packages with a scale model, a couple brushes and the necessary enamel paint.I have fond memories of their kits and the plastic and molding was of good quality. And yes the kits were affordable.
Great documentary! Thanks for the French Beatles at the end. I've built Heller kits of prewar and WWII French planes for years (plus their US P-47.) Their Amiot and LeO bomber kits and the "eccentrique" Couzinet 10 Arc-en-Ciel are fascinating and fun.
maxsmodels I have been to see it I Reading PA. I’d love the chance just to see it fly. I did get to sit in the only flying XP-82 recently. But the P-61 is tops.
My grandma was French so, of course, toujours vive la France ! 😄 Jokes aside, this firm presented me with hours of fun and very well made kits. I remember with nostalgy the Breguet Atlantic, the Jeanne d'Arc and, most of all, an absolutely beautiful F6F Hellcat and a gorgeous P-51 D-25 Mustang! The kits i can remember were better than Airfix and Revell ones and rivalled with Tamiya's and Hasegawa's.
Very good, thanks. I remember Heller kits being sold at Polk’s Hobby Shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, along with Joeuf trains and lots of other foreign stuff. Didn’t really find them any place else in New York.
Wow... that sucks! I find it kinda funny that Monogram was said to be the better detail wise. For me, as a kid building models from all the different companies from the mid 80s through the late 90s I always thought Revell made the more highly detailed and overall better quality auto based kits. Looking back, I really wish I wouldn't have finished off so many of em via firecracker... like prolly seventy or eighty of the hundred or so I built ended up scattered all over the yard!
I built the Charles De Gaulle at the 1/400, a Lafayette frigate, and a De Grasse cruiser. I was happy to have found a De Grasse, a good quality kit, no longer manufactured, and with PE from L'Arsenal (guardrails, stairs, radars), a bit scratch, this model is just great, and not expansive. I am thinking of buying a an ancient vessel next time, a Superbe for example.
The French are really serious about their liqueurs and alcohol. Unfortunately I have not been able to try real deal absinthe, if it is even still made, in my country. I have to settle for Sambuca to get my liquorice fix 🤨. Try Grand Marnier if you like the orange flavoured stuff.
I'm British, and grew up in the 70s/80s. Of course, this means that the ONLY orange liqueur for me would be Cointreau... ah those TV ads! By the way, I thought that Absinthe was decriminalised/legal nowadays, pretty sure I have seen it for sale in wholesalers.
I have seen some tv programs where they show absinthe being made in France, but I don’t know if it’s being made exactly the same way it used to be. I believe absinthe from Europe has been sold here in Canada but it was not French and probably missing some key ingredients.
Probably the most unusual, yet uniquely cool Heller kit in my stash is the Breitling Orbiter III Balloon, which did the first round the world flight. I really need to build it.
I bought a 1/72 F84G in 1998 produced by Heller because I was enthusustic with Korean war combat aircrafts! I regret I have bought it, it's quality was not worth even cheapest among all the 1/72 aircrafts hobby!
Shortly before I graduated from college in the summer of 1971, the Woolco store in Charlottesville, VA, had three AMT double-kits that were made by Heller. I bought the Ferrari 330 P4 / Porsche 907 kit and the Matra F-2 / Brabham F-3 kits. I regret not buying the Renault Alpine double-kit. The detail on the kits was very good, although AMT included decals on the Ferrari / Porsche kit that were more appropriate to a southern dirt-track junker. And the greenhouse on that 907 long-tail was warped, so I cut it off, truncated the long tail, and built it as a makeshift bergspyder.
I’m loving these histories you’ve been producing. Yes, I’m a lady modeller, currently obsessed with 1940, and looking at several Heller boxes in the kit stash covering the French air force of the period. Anyway, the Heller Ferguson is a new tooling and nothing to do with Airfix's one. The real Ferguson - known as "the little grey Fergie" to we Brits, and "petit gris" in France - was licence-built in France, so an apt kit for a French kit maker. I’ve built one, and it makes a lovely model, ripe for super-detailing if you want.
It looked new but I just couldn't resist 😜
Small tractors like the "petit gris" were borrowed from local farmers by the Parachute Infantry and glider units to clear and operate landing zones for re-supply behind enemy lines in the days following D-Day in Normandy. The tractors were used to pull often damaged gliders off the LZ to clear it for the next one. At the height of glider operations about a week into the invasion they could land a CG-4A about every two minutes all day long.
The tractor that (among other things) transformed Sweden. I spent many hours as a kid on my grandfather's TE20. In fact, four generations of my family have driven that little tractor. In Sweden, they are called "Grålle" ("grey one") like you would call a grey draft horse (with the brown ones being "Brunte"). Pardon my self-indulgence, there's just a lot of feelings connected with it.
@@maxsmodels their fouga magister kit is a great little kit.. I have a few examples of it.
french guy here . obviously, french is not your first language, but you did not "butchered it" (well, I understood -mostly)
thanks and congrats.
many memories with this brand !
Thanks and you are correct, I do not speak French, I can barely speak 'Merican 😜
@@maxsmodels For a 'Mericun you show admirable dedication to get pronunciation right.
I've enjoyed making their kits. The Saab j21 was excellent. They had kits not made by other brands.
Yes, their choise of unusual aiplanes is great! I've built Fouga Magister and Saab Tunnan J-29. Both were great kits.
Canon Anti-Chars 25mm is an anti tank gun not anti-aircraft.
I thought it looked too horizontal. Not sure how I made that error but at least I know the class is paying attention. 😂
I built that when it first came out, not a bad model along with some of the figure sets. Nice easy model not like todays. Can't see the small parts anymore. And the arthritis won't let me hold on. Still keep track of modeling .
Too much French Liqueur, perhaps? :) (grin)
While Heller didn't participate in the Slot Car Craze of the 1960's, one of their designers did, Philippe de Lespinay. He did most of the design work in the late 1960's and moved to the USA in the early '70 to work with US Companies to develop slot cars. He now is the one overseeing the Los Angeles Slot Car Museum.
I bought Heller kits when on holiday in France as a kid.
Because they were the only manufacturer that made 1:35 figures with French Adrian helmets. I needed those for WW1 dioramas. I made copies of those helmets using homemade silicon moulds.
2:10 Canon anti-chars = anti-tank gun. 1/43 is a weird scale for plastic modellers, but it's a common scale for die-cast model cars. I like their kits. A bit basic they might be, but they made loads of cool stuff no-one else did. Thanks for the vids Max, I've been waiting for this one.
1/43,5 is also a common scale for model railroads exp in France Belgium and Louxemburg in the rest of Europe it is 1/45
Once upon a time building wooden ships with small brass fittings was popular, but plastic models offered so much more. A buddy bought the Heller Soleil Royal. A huge sailing ship with wonderful molding. He spent years drooling over the details and rigging, but passed away before he ever tackled it. The kit was not for the faint of heart. There are some beautiful pictures available online. I am an experienced armour modeller, and I would not attempt it. No photo etch, but serious amounts of string and sails. I'd love to weather it though, as even the wood texture was beautiful duplicated.
Heller have some great kits, I think I am correct in saying that their 24th scale aircraft are the Airfix molds though. One Heller kit I don't like is their 1/72 Spitfire MK1. It's a dog, and an ugly one at that. Their Spitfire MKXVI however is a lovely kit.
Great episode Max, nice work.
Great video! I recently reviewed a Heller Peugeot 206 on my channel and I think they are good for the beginner and you can get a lot of fun out of them. I think they still use Humbrol paints in their sets? I'm not sure, but the paint codes are identical to the ones in Airfix sets.
I think Hellers biggest problem is distribution or LACK!!! of it
Fun fact: the very first kit I ever built was a group of three German soldiers from Heller when I was like 7 years old. 40 years later, with some help from the internet community, I managed to track down the very same kit and built it as it should be built, ie by someone with 40 years of experience.
That said, the kit was strange. It had some goodies, like straps molded to the heads that were surprisingly well sculpted, but the figures lacked equipment, and the two gasmask canisters that were privided were smooth, without the ridges, and the figures were quite short compared to newer figures. I did however find a use for one of the figures, as a young soldier at the end of the war in a diroama, so the money were not wasted. And it was really fun to see what I faced back then.
J’ais fait le 1/400 ‘Charles de Gaulle’. C’est magnifique.
I don't understand why Heller doesn't just launch a new range of 1:48 french fighters, from the Ouragan to the Rafale and later moving on to helicopters like the Puma and Gazelle
Yep thé fr chopper ex type super frelon (1.35 no mistake) are prised
Re: the various scales:
Heller originally issued its kits in 'decimal' scales (1/200, 1/100, 1/75, 1/50, 1/40 etc) as opposed to the Anglocentric 'Imperial' scales (1/144, 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, 1/24), however towards the middle of the 1960s they shifted towards Imperial as it proved more popular. However, many of the original kits remained in their catalogue, hence the wide variety of scales used.
As to the Ferguson kit: the Heller Ferguson TE20 is a new mould which was issued in 2015 as part of a wave of new kits (it's 1/24 scale, consisting of 128 parts). It is not related to Airfix' 1949 kit (1/20 scale, 50-ish parts), especially as the wereabouts of the Airfix kit's moulds are unknown (last issued 1959 and presumed lost/destroyed).
Thanks again for another informative and entertaining video. But no mention of the Heller/Aurora connection that seemed to start the year Aurora went out of business? It looked like the two companies had an agreement that Heller would add the Aurora name to its kits for coming into the American market. Heller's box art in the 60s and 70s was crazy good, but what should one expect from a country with such a long appreciation of the fine arts? I had only 3 Heller kits. A 1/50 Alouette helicopter was a gift when I was about 10. It was not on my wish list, but it seemed fine. It had vinyl tires. About 15 years ago I bought a 1/72 F4U and a P39. Both were better than older American kits: good fit, right shapes, good detail, nice decals. Thanks again.
got past me
I built a Heller Trident. it looked like something out of Thunderbirds. It came with a neat Heller enamel badge but my Mum wouldn't let me wear it because she thought it sounded like a swear word!
I hope you still have it.
Merci beaucoup This was awaited! The 1/24 series are reboxed Airfix's I think. I have the P51D Mustang .
It is (re-boxed in 2006).
U da 💣!lmao, honestly, Maximum Max, thanx, many thanx! It's because of Americans like U, We will prevail😵🤔😆😉🦊🇺🇸
Built most of their french wwii bombers: LeO 451, Amiot 143, Bloch MB 200 ... unique kits still no new molds available from other manufacturers. Enjoyed the video, thanks and keep ‘m cumming!
Heller do have the award for the worst tank tracks ever. Their 1/72 AMX-30 tank has rubber band tracks that repel every glue known to modellers.
And they did make the unique AMX-13 DCA and AMX-30 DCA in 1/72, but try getting hold of one!
I visited the Heller factory in Trun in 1996, allthough produktion seemed be running, we saw no lonly soul..just some shed full of moulds and mashines...the administration building seemed deserted, exept some glas cabins with built up Heller models, nothing to see...was kind of creepy and in 2004, closed (but i can't remeber the weekday) we were there for the scrapyard full of german WW2 stuff anyway :-)
Since I only build ship models Heller comes in at average. Right now I’m building a 1/400 HMS Illustrious. No one else makes this British carrier in that scale so I bought it. I wish Trumpeter would make it in 1/350. When comparing Hellers ship offerings such as HMS Hood, German battleships Scharnhorst and Bismarck and French capital ships Richelieu and Strasbourg Trumpeter, Hobby Boss and Tamiya developed kits with much better detail for just a little more money. If you’re going to survive in this business you’ve got to retool. If Heller does fold I hope Atlantis purchases their ship molds.
I have built the 1/16 Heller Citroen DS19. It is a lovely kit for detail, but a challenge at final assembly and very very fragile. It looks great, but do not breath to hard close to it, it may blow apart 😅🤣😂. Would like to get more Heller kits, have a 1930's Talbot in 1/24 scale to tackle.
For years Heller was the only source for 1/35 plastic soldiers from France and its N. African colonies in the 1930-40's. They were also the only ones producing non-resin French WWII armor until Bronco, Hobby Boss and Tamiya joined in with better kits years later.
Yes you are right (your alternative but rejected outro music clip). Bit like playing "Rule Britannia" to Donald Trump outside the White House!! (Tell me how that went....)
Was "Ça plane pour moi" the song you said in the credits that might get you in trouble? If not, download a copy, play it over your existing credits, and consider modifying your video. And I DON'T mean the Elton Morrello version.
I also liked the Heller 1:43 car series. Hard to find and not cheap, but very well engineered.
I have a Heller Humbrol 1/72 Fieseler Storch that i haven't begun to put together...(someday.) But looking at the parts, I'd say it's a decent kit and should be fun to build.
Two Coléoptères for sale right now on eBay France, for the modest sum of 340 or 400 Euro at least... Not bad for just a plastic model. But will it sell for that price ?
I have some Heller kits... including that A380 kit shown. Some of their kits are quite good, like their 1/100 sailing ships but a lot of their older kits are not all that good.
I recall Heller having terrible decals
Tres bien missure monsieur Max! Built there oddly scaled space station 1/125 ...not bad for a subject with limited detail info at the time.
Many thanks for all yours videos , they are great ! Currently the Heller kits are available on the Revell web store (revell.de) ; for information i am not pay to say that ! .. Haha. I am just a french rookie in this hobby who started with the Revell Easy click kits and i became a fan of this brand. I also discovered the Ukrainian company ICM ( i love some of theirs models). Happy Modelling and All the Best.
Heller produce some excellent subjects particularly French aircraft which appear to be largely ignored by other manufacturers.
I have a Heller Curtiss SBC Helldiver in 1/72 in my kit stash. I'll let you know how the build goes
Thx for this! I have a Heller CL415 I am starting to build!
Oui mes amis: Vive la France!!!
I have built one of their jaguar in 1/24 scale and it was a pain in the butt to assemble, their tooling is outdated and many hobby stores in France have a stash of Heller's kits that they can't sold because no one wants them..
i have alwys wanted that Heller Coleoptaire.(sp)
One of my bucket list items was to fly in a B-17. My wife gave that to me 3 years ago. Took men to go up in them things day in and day out.
I have a 1/35 Heller camel and legionnaire lying around somewhere
I have it too .You can make an interesting diorama.
I am building the Bugatti T.50!!!
Heller some really interesting kits , mediumpriced i remember mostly maritime subjects including lots of french foch class ships
You need to the history of IRONSIDE Models
These videos on the history of model kit companies are excellent.👍
No GeeBee and no monster kits means ruin! I've learned that from your videos.
I have just discovered Hellers 1/400 scale ships series ( late to the party, I know ). This scale suits me perfectly. It gives me more display room than 1/350 but has enough detail to make a reasonable looking kit right out of the box. Only problem is finding Heller kits here in Australia.
Tres bien encore Max !!! Well done for disentangling that one, as always my experience is mainly of their car models, the first I was aware of was the 1/20th scale Renault 16, I suspect there was manufacturer collaboration here judging by the timing & quality although I've never seen one in the flesh (sorry plastic..), I had but didn't build most of the 1/24th scale racing cars, I remember them as very accurate and well detailed but a very fiddly build, some of these (and the aforementioned R16) reappeared under the Union label (as did some of IMC's cars). The VW Beetle glimpsed in your vid was interesting, I've never seen or heard of that one before, I'm wondering if it was related to the US issued Premier kit ? Re the grey Ferguson I'm 99.9% certain it's not the famous old Airfix model but looks from pictures very impressive in it's own right, must dig out the remains of my old Airfix one..... I was never aware of the Joustra connection either, they produced some fine tinplate and later plastic ready made cars in 1/18th scale long before it became a diecast car standard !
The attraction for me (in the 70s) was the low cost of the kits. I found the quality acceptable although some were very basic (like the Trident research aircraft). Back then modifying kits to make other things was a big part of the hobby (not least thanks to Airfix Magazine, still worth a read 50 years later) and the Cadet Frelon helicopter made a nice basis for my sci-fi transports with a strip over the top rotor hole and a new tail.
I have the Heller 1/35 Super Frelon helicopter. Great challenging kit if you can find it. Huge when built too. Takes a whole shelf.
I liked Heller for their "own drummer" offerings... the DC6 and Connie families in 1/72 scale were a pleasant surprise... Would have been cool for them to expand that series of '50s-60s prop driven airliners. Plenty of DC3s and AFAIK only the Mach II Convair... Revell Germany finally did their great C54/DC4 some decades later.
nicely said
I purchased my first Heller kit about 2 years ago. It was a 1/24th scale 1961 Jaguar E-Type convertible. It is a pretty well engineered model kit, except for the rudimentary simulated wire wheels. Nice soft rubber-like tires however. I liked that kit enough that I purchased my second Heller kit...another Series 1 Jauguar E-Type, but the coupe model. The molding in both kits is crisp. The sensuous body of the Jag appears pretty accurate and has a scale thickness. I would try another Heller kit if the automotive subject appealed to me.
I build Heller all the time. Their 1/72 DC-6 and Lockheed Connie and others are good kits.
Heller... French for fascinating model range and kits with apalling fit and cruddy plastic... Probably my least favourite manufacturer ever.
Funny... I think Matchbox took the cake for me, but Heller was close
Is storage as important for a kit not to buckle the fitting , i suspect it was , but if a pattern emerges its the molds
I bought a dioarama base on the internet which was a Heller product it said 1/35 scale when in reality it is 1/72 I was not pleased.
❤❤👍👍 BEST. OUTRO. EVER! Non Sexual Bucket List Item (OR is it?): to be able to stumble on a warehouse/storage room stash of OEM Aurora Slot Car Stuff.
good luck
I built a Heller Bugatti, in around 68, but I was also making a Monogram Duesenberg. The Monogram was streets ahead, never made Heller again, probably a bit harsh but kids are really judgemental - did buy a fair number of Solido stuff - living in Hong Kong we were close to Vietnam, given that half of my friends were American, many Australian and a few Vietnamese - to model conflict in the area, it had to be France engaged in a Colonial War - approval all round from my crew - using mainly Solido models of French fighting vehicles c 1950s though Airfix HO scale soldiers. These series is brilliant, during all this lockdown stuff being taken back through my life thru the models I have been obsessed and/or besotted with - C'est san pariel, c'est magnifique!!!! PS You're beginning to get me with the music too, this one just made me laff out loud, any chance of any Credence? Stylistically it may not be your choice, but whatever you chose is cool by me, as before, thank you, keep up the brilliant work, big respect for your efforts
thanks
Going to build the Hawker Tempest with photo-etched details
Heller? A good model company. I built many of their planes, warships, and sailing ships, and mostly I would say they were pretty good. Vive la France! I am glad they are still around.
I built many many Heller sailing ship kits
the heller ship series are nice but dated at this point in time, sadly there seems to be a very limited supply for sailships in plastic
Hi max.thanks again for a fine history lesson.about other models.made in different countries.ive never thought about around the countries.hi from Ohio.thanks again max.
The Heller 1/8th scale motorcycles are truly excellent; and especially the 750 Mach IV H2 Kawasaki triple are commanding high prices.
I am surprised you didn't mention the 1/8 scale Citroen traction Avant --- I got one and took me months to do it really is a wonderful kit
I have one as well, but since I bought it off eBay (where else?), the kit is complete, but no instructions!!
Heller kits are quite nostalgic - their ships are mythic. Their kits vary quite a lot in quality through the ages, from excellent to almost crap. But you get the subjects that most others don't do. I don't like very much the heller airplanes but their tanks, cars and ships are very good, generally. I suppose the modern Heller kits are very good, but I have not yet build one.
Last year I went to France and bought a 1/72 Sherman. I haven't bothered to finish it yet because school, but I am almost done
get to work
I still have Heller 1/72 Alphajet "Petruille de France" in box. I don't dare to build it because my skills is nil. I don't want to ruin them. Let it be lie down in box peacefully.
I remember Heller kits being rather crude and simplistic. Even then, there were better options than Heller IMO.
I found their fitment to be problematic. Constantly. Plus, the way the parts are carved up, the assembly is likewise difficult. Heller would make you glue flat to flat for body panels with no lugs and cups to make sure they stayed in place. AND the plastic was often quite thin and of low quality. Heller just didn't make it for me. My last one was a Tracton Avant kit in 2000, when I was 50. I thought they might have worked past those problems, but it was the same as in the 1960s.
Strange that a French company would have a name that starts with a letter or grapheme ( h ) that the French have difficulty with pronouncing on its own?
I believe it was the founder's middle name
I've made a few Heller kits ans found them good. The one thing that I bought them for was their "unique" aircraft that no one else made.
they have that going for them
I had the opportunity to build and paint an English cabbie 1/24 scale and I was surprised at the amount of detail that was put into it like in the engine alone you needed to work out a spark plug wires plan ! The instructions helped ! Turned out to be Really nice ! 🌊🐺
It sure takes me back several decades.. Thanks for your serie, very good endeed. I built several Heller aircrafts in the late 70s, early 80s... It was cheap, but I have to admit that Monogram, Hasegawa or Italieri models were more detailed and more expensive also ( at least in France). Thanks
I might get around to building the Heller ME-108! The sport plane that was used as a stand in for it's big brother the BF-109 in some war movies!
Not my favorite but built a few love your channel and style have a great day.
How many of those 200+ jumps are actually “jumps,” and not “shoves” from the jumpmaster or the paratroop behind you on the static line wire?
No. I used to skydive
I build a lot of Heller cars in 1/24 and 1/43 scale. They have wonderful thin body panels and a lot of good detail, but often include one especially bad shape unless it is a model of a French car. Then all is perfect! Also a note to Max about 1/43 scale. It is the European standard for automotive modeling, and traces its history to O gauge model railroading, where the cars work for scenery.
Actually I was expecting Je'regret rien (again appologies for spelling) (I regret mothing) which might be appropriate given the history, but then you'd likely be struck down by TH-cam.
Non-sexual bucket list item: Own a Sunbeam Tiger again. Thanks Max!
a neat car
Only one word comes to mind with Heller: meh. Their cars were woefully simple, as well as their aircraft. No concerted effort seems to ever have been made to update or better their product. Yeah, they had a lot of trouble in the past, I get that. But so has Airfix, and you see how they've rebirthed.
When Heller came out with their 1/72 scale Lockheed 0749 Constellation with Air France and TWA decals back in the early 1980s, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as the "Connie" was and still is my favorite aircraft!
My dad worked on the L-1049 final assembly line in Burbank off and on for several years.
@@dalecomer5951 I up loaded on TH-cam 7 years ago this circa 1955 Lockheed promotional film on building the Super Constellation. Maybe you dad's in it: th-cam.com/video/UTmgaaq8sMc/w-d-xo.html
@@WAL_DC-6B Thanks Dan. That film is so "fifties." Didn't see anyone who looked like my dad but given the time frame of the film he certainly would have known most if not all of the workers shown in the final assembly building. In late '55 he was working in Bldg. 82 and at Van Nuys airport on what would later become known as the U-2A but at the time had no type designation. One of the last Super Connies he worked on was the first L-1049G.
@@dalecomer5951 Yes, the Lockheed film is indeed "so fifties." If it's any help to you, according to the book, "Lockheed Constellation" by Curtis K. Stringfellow and Peter M. Bowers, the first Super "G" Constellation (L-1049G) flew on December 7, 1954.
@@WAL_DC-6B I was tempted by the Heller VC-121C kit if only for the boxart. Also the TWA "Super G" for the prospect of a nice large scale model. Bid on a few on eBay with no joy. Had no knowledge of Heller kit quality at the time.
The 1/24th aircraft were not Heller tools but reboxed Airfix.
I caught that after I posted. Began in 2006 I believe.
Once again thank you for informative insight in these model companies it's like King Minos Labyrinth with all its twists and turns👍
I haven't built any kits from Heller, yet, but I want to thank you for showing me oldmodelkits.com. I just got a kit which is the earliest model I can remember making: Lindberg's F-80C Shooting Star. Man what a trip opening that up after some 55 or so years.
Heller's the only company that produced a (near) 1/48th scale of the *Coleoptre!* *_:D_*
I actually couldn't stand the smell of the salons as a kid... specifically the hair dryers... so the answer is NO! LOL!
Thanks very much.
I got my very first model kit from my parents a long, long time ago. It was the Heller X15. I distinctly remember that while my father was struggling with the kit, i was sitting next to him, totally absorbed by a gelatinous green bulb of glue. Long story short: I squeezed it so hard the bulb blew, and spewed glue all over the kit my father was trying to put together. Happy memories. Thanks
Interesting sidenote, the german revell webshop now sells Heller models. ;)
Thanks for the links, having a cold war cultures course and I have to look at a topic for a presentation, and yeah since scale modeling is a hobby of mine I'm thinking about it, sadly the sources, you aside, are quite scarce.
You're doing good work looking into some of the less known parts of the hobby, like the soviet stuff.
Other ideas are motorsports and bits of aviation, or other transports like railways...........sadly I have to jam all of this into a cultural perspective.
If you need any info on kit model companies I am happy to share what I have. BTW, I grew up and served during the cold war so I agree it permeates a person's perspective. I might use you post as a lead in on the cold war perspective in model bnuilding.
@@maxsmodels Thank you for the reply and your of help, it is much appreciate and I will keep this in mind.
The problem with the cultural perspective would be to see how the issues in wider societies affected scale modeling overall, like the criticism of most kits in Revell's Porfolio being military set before the Backdrop of the Vietnam War, that you mentioned in the Revell Models story.
Or what you mentioned in the Soviet Era, about the youth Organisations liking functional but not display models.
Spent today search for sources into that regard, but right now I'm not really finding much.
The next problem is getting such a topic past the profs............they tend to regard this as great for a research project but not for coursework. ;)
The sources situation for me looks a bit better for Railways and Motorsports right now.
But you never know until you've tried.
Your sources on the companies are impressive though, especially catalogues or the photgraphs of the aurora Molds.
That John Cuomo is not related to the family of politicians though, or is he?
(Asking as I recently found out that Artem Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was the brother of Anastas Mikoyan, who was part of the Politburo that "took over" from Stalin and got Beriya executed.)
The forced Merger of the Moscow toy makers that screwed over the Young Technicians, really is a good example of soviet industrial philosophy.
Are there any sources on scale modeling history that you can recommend?
As for Revell, as I'm german, Revell kits are what I was raised on, most of the times the shops used to have just revell, especially if it was not a specialized scale railway and modeling shop, and the last proper one in my city that doesn't do just RC died about ten years back.
Maybe you'd occasionaly get some Italeri stuff, but nothing like Eduard or Tamiya. (Funnily enough the main masking tape they stock is Tamiya! ;) Much better value proposition than Revell's masking tape 8 meters (roughly 24 ft*) more and costs half as much. ;)
Took a long indadvertent break, started to build a 1/32 Scale FW-190 D-9 (Hasegawa rebox) and time got tight, which meant it went unfinished for years, with me only building intermittedly..........well Corona intervened and I thought to finish it. Still working on it.
As for Heller it is interesting, as it has those interesting rare kits, like the Canadair CL-415 or the Jaguar E-Type........really eyeing those for a build..........now if only someone could make some Bentley Continental R Type and Speed 8 kits.
Steered a friend from simracing in their direction when he sought some cars to build, and they have an interesting collection.
*Thank god for Combat flightsims, which tought me to somewhat think in imperial............though more in knots and nautical than in statute miles.
Their Porsche 917 K and McLaren M7B expanded my vocabulary of specific obscenities
My first kits were ofc Heller as I grew up in France. I remember they had a very good customer service and would send you replacement parts without any questions asked, it wasn't the most accurate kits when it comes to 1/72 scale tanks but a good way to get started. They made packages with a scale model, a couple brushes and the necessary enamel paint.I have fond memories of their kits and the plastic and molding was of good quality. And yes the kits were affordable.
Great documentary! Thanks for the French Beatles at the end. I've built Heller kits of prewar and WWII French planes for years (plus their US P-47.) Their Amiot and LeO bomber kits and the "eccentrique" Couzinet 10 Arc-en-Ciel are fascinating and fun.
Oui. Bucket list, Fly P-61 Black Widow. Second choice since first is unavailable, fly P-47.
I saw that someone is rebuilding a P-61 to flying condition
maxsmodels I have been to see it I Reading PA. I’d love the chance just to see it fly. I did get to sit in the only flying XP-82 recently. But the P-61 is tops.
My grandma was French so, of course, toujours vive la France ! 😄 Jokes aside, this firm presented me with hours of fun and very well made kits. I remember with nostalgy the Breguet Atlantic, the Jeanne d'Arc and, most of all, an absolutely beautiful F6F Hellcat and a gorgeous P-51 D-25 Mustang! The kits i can remember were better than Airfix and Revell ones and rivalled with Tamiya's and Hasegawa's.
Very good, thanks. I remember Heller kits being sold at Polk’s Hobby Shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, along with Joeuf trains and lots of other foreign stuff. Didn’t really find them any place else in New York.
Wow... that sucks! I find it kinda funny that Monogram was said to be the better detail wise. For me, as a kid building models from all the different companies from the mid 80s through the late 90s I always thought Revell made the more highly detailed and overall better quality auto based kits. Looking back, I really wish I wouldn't have finished off so many of em via firecracker... like prolly seventy or eighty of the hundred or so I built ended up scattered all over the yard!
I built the Charles De Gaulle at the 1/400, a Lafayette frigate, and a De Grasse cruiser. I was happy to have found a De Grasse, a good quality kit, no longer manufactured, and with PE from L'Arsenal (guardrails, stairs, radars), a bit scratch, this model is just great, and not expansive.
I am thinking of buying a an ancient vessel
next time, a Superbe for example.
The French are really serious about their liqueurs and alcohol. Unfortunately I have not been able to try real deal absinthe, if it is even still made, in my country. I have to settle for Sambuca to get my liquorice fix 🤨. Try Grand Marnier if you like the orange flavoured stuff.
I'm British, and grew up in the 70s/80s. Of course, this means that the ONLY orange liqueur for me would be Cointreau... ah those TV ads! By the way, I thought that Absinthe was decriminalised/legal nowadays, pretty sure I have seen it for sale in wholesalers.
I have seen some tv programs where they show absinthe being made in France, but I don’t know if it’s being made exactly the same way it used to be. I believe absinthe from Europe has been sold here in Canada but it was not French and probably missing some key ingredients.
Probably the most unusual, yet uniquely cool Heller kit in my stash is the Breitling Orbiter III Balloon, which did the first round the world flight. I really need to build it.
Been a while but liked their kits. Last built the Potez 63. Thanks again for another informative and fun history.
I bought a 1/72 F84G in 1998 produced by Heller because I was enthusustic with Korean war combat aircrafts! I regret I have bought it, it's quality was not worth even cheapest among all the 1/72 aircrafts hobby!
Shortly before I graduated from college in the summer of 1971, the Woolco store in Charlottesville, VA, had three AMT double-kits that were made by Heller. I bought the Ferrari 330 P4 / Porsche 907 kit and the Matra F-2 / Brabham F-3 kits. I regret not buying the Renault Alpine double-kit. The detail on the kits was very good, although AMT included decals on the Ferrari / Porsche kit that were more appropriate to a southern dirt-track junker. And the greenhouse on that 907 long-tail was warped, so I cut it off, truncated the long tail, and built it as a makeshift bergspyder.