Models were my babysitter in the 60s and 70s and the box art and the catalogs bring back so many good memories of sitting alone at the kitchen table fiddling with cowlings and props and landing gear. Thanks.
The actor Peter Cushing was also an avid model builder and from what I heard, he built them all the way until shortly before he died in 1994. Age is just a number my friend, keep on modeling! 👍🙂
Again WOW...all those memory cells revived 60+ years on! I think the first aircraft model I had was the Monogram B 66 with the dropping bomb but I have to admit, built by my father. As someone else says...MODEL ON!
Hey; MIKE! --- Just like you back in the late 1950's our gang down here in the major military port of San Diego were visiting the hobby stores at least once a week. One modeling-effects technique we developed was to carefully saw off the bottoms of our Revell ship models; fill the insides with a ballast such as modeling clay; finish the new flat bottom with sheet plastic or balsa wood; and finally paint the entire ship dark WWII Navy gray. The result looks much like the waterline die-cast ship models of that same era.
Building plastic model kits, mostly aircraft, was the absolute highlight of my youth…and was the spark to becoming a corporate and airline pilot. And speaking of kit collecting, I now have over 300 (about 200 are vintage 50’s Revell, Aurora, Renwal, Hawk and Monogram kits), since I don’t have as much time to build them , I’ll collect them! The Revell S kits are by far my favorite, because of the box art.
This was my second viewing of this video. I watch every piece you present as soon as it pops up on TH-cam. Throughout the year your previous videos are provided as an encore performance. The second time around, your Celebration of Aviation series videos are even more enjoyable! I love the way you took your childhood passion for aviation into a glorious career. You managed to actually live out a great many of the aerial fantasies that young American males of our generation grew up with. The vintage model kit box art brings so many great memories! Thank you Mike!
I have viewed this s video several times. Each time I am reminded of the models and their backgrounds x art I see here. I learned which companies anise had the best fidelity in their models (accuracy of the model to represent the real aircraft, and then the artwork). And much of the box art you show are from models I built and artwork I remembered. Thanks
The B17 was the first bomber I build and the image was exactly the reason why I bought it. The Revell Skyrocket was the first model I really took care of painting because I gave it to my grand father on his 60th birthday. ^^
Do I remember my first model build?...sure do! It was the Aurora C-119 Flying Boxcar, followed soon after by Revell's USS Forrestal. Got both as presents for my 10th birthday. Been building kits ever since.
@@omerashraf9357 Thanks for the question, and yes, I've spoken with Fighter Aces from World War II in P-38 Lightnings, P-47 Thunderbolts, and P-51 Mustangs. Korea was F-86 pilot John Glenn (Marine assigned to the Air Force) and F-82 Twin Mustang pilots. Vietnam was F-4 Phantom pilot Steve Ritchie and a Navy F-8E Crusader pilot.
My first kit was an Airfix 1/72nd Spitfire MkIX around 1959 in England but later we did get a lot of Revell and Monogram with a few other manufacturers. I built the X-15, Skyrocket and X-3 Stiletto and later some of the Monogram 1/48 WW2 fighters. Fantastic days!
Wonderful memories. In my mid 50's and I still occasionally build a scale model. Relaxing, interesting hobby. But alas, that USA is gone, likely never to return. We were a proud, confident engineering/manufacturing powerhouse then, today it's nothing but "social media" and self-loathing. Thanks for these videos. 👍
Most people forget that during the Vietnam War, many sons of Hollywood stars, Politicians, wealthy businessmen got out serving their Country Jimmy Stewart son did the opposite and volunteered to serve his Country to follow in his fathers proud tradition. His son died in 1968 while serving in Vietnam as part of the Marine Corps. A forgotten hero, like tens of thousands of others.
The Aurora SNJ was my first kit. A dad and son bonding, we sat at the kitchen table, dad was reading the instructions and I glued it all together before he finished. He was a little sad at the time. That was 53 years ago, I remind him that he instilled a great way to relieve stress and have fun! As the oldest of 7, he's got lots of stuff to decorate his office at home, the replica of his cousins F5-E is at the front. I'm currently doing Monogram's SNJ, as a vignette in honor of him giving me a life long hobby and sparking my love of history. Thanks for the vid!
My first model kits were cars but I really got into building WW2 airplanes with my junior high friend Tony John. Dont know where you are today Tony but I still have fond memories of our model building and comic book collecting days. I remember shopping at Kmart. Models, paint, and supplies occupied both sides of an isle and half of another!!!! Our preferences were Revell and Monogram. Lindberg was ok but the plastic was brittle, thin and lots of flash!!! Aurora was clunky and lacked detail. Hawk, Strombecker, Renwal, MPC, AMT, etc were rare or didnt make airplane models. We heard stories of kit companies named Airfix, Frog, Hasagawa, and Tamiya but never actually found any. None of us were able to build a kit that turned out anywhere near the beauty of the box art.
Oh yes the sixty's when modeling took a back seat to girls and cars or maybe cars and girls, wasn't until the late 70's until I got back into modeling, still build models today, a great hobby.
The first model kit I built was the Aurora Grumman F9F-6 Cougar for 49 cents. Next came an Aurora F-107 for the same price. That's all my meager allowance would cover at the time. As I got better and earned a little more, I bought Revell "S" kits like the Lockheed Neptune, Douglas Skywarrior and Lockheed Warning Star Constellation. I still love vintage models to this day and have many of them in my collection of built-ups and kits. Thank you Mike for stirring up wonderful memories. Look forward to more videos in this series.
Great video! My first kit, when I was 7 or 8 was a P-51D. I had gone on a Cub Scout hike. Our leader offered to buy each of us a drink at the end, but I saw the model, and asked for that instead. There are so many favorites in your list. I always liked the Aero Commander. But, of course, the military kits kept me busy, even after I went into the Air Force. Thanks for the trips down memory lane!
God I built so many model kits as a teenager over the years I forgot all the stuff I built since we moved a lot the model kits of long since been lost so one of the things I like to do is I'm putting together a model kit diary or catalog of all the model kits I built the first couple were pretty easy those were pretty memorable but one of the things I do to jog my memory is when I go to a model contest or events or show I always go to all the vendors tables selling all the old vintage used model kits and I just rummage through them and it amazes me how many times I pick up an old bottle kit and I look at the box art and I realize oh I built this kid I built this when I was 15 etc etc etc and so that's helped me to reconstruct my model building diary now when it's complete what I'm going to do is I'm then going to go out and I'm going to find and buy every one of those kits that I built as a teenager and put them in my collection
I must have had at least 3 dozen model kits put together by the time I left for Vietnam in 1968. When I got back home I discovered, to my horror, that my mother destroyed them all, claiming that she got tired of dusting them. I have started to buy a few kits, most recent was the Stiletto X-3. I have the biggest plastic model kit ever made, the Monogram 1:72 B-36.
Being British, mine were mainly Airfix. My first one was a Spitfire (what a surprise!) in late 1950's. Over the years, built many more, until I went off to University. Lancaster, Sunderland, Halifax - list goes on. And I've still got the box pictures! But I did do the Boeing Bomarc missile by Revell
When I was a young kid, my brothers shared a bedroom that had many of your featured models hanging from their ceiling. I was fascinated! I would put a chair atop a bed, stand on the chair, and take airplanes down to play with. Mysteriously, the models became broken. My model-building addiction started back then, and never ended.
That's some great stuff! I'd love to see a well documented build process of one of these old kits. But then, most current collectors would probably prefer to preserve these rare items boxed and unbuilt ...
The first kit my parents let me put together by myself was a Revell KC-135 in 1968. I was five years old and I think I got it together in about 30 minutes. I put it together outside under a tree in the front yard, and my little mind decided it needed camouflage so I stuck grass on it with the glue. I'm sure it didn't look great but it was the best airplane in the world to me.
Really takes me back. Thanks for resurrecting those memories. I remember well the Carrier models. Hardest parts was painting the tiny airplanes. We had a Ben Franklin five and dime in town with a small selection of kits and a "discount" store called Auction Outlet also with a small selection. Most of my kits were from Korvettes (a discount department store) or "Shoppers Paradise" a northern Jersey fore runner for K-Mart/Wall Mart. They sold food and liquor along with just about anything else. Both had way more kits, particularly AMT car kits.
Yes, I still remember when my dad bought me a biplane, very probably the Boeing Model 15 made by Frog late 1956 when I was 4 years old! I was very fascinated seeing my father gluing together this model and I remember very well that I liked it so much that I putted it under my pillow, (don't ask me why..?) and of course I woke up with a flat biplane but from then on I built many models. I really enjoyed so much spending time with my models 💕 💓 😍
Heck yeah, I just love the cockpit on the Rainbow. I watched The Whirlybirds and Sky King every time it came on one of my three channels off of the antenna. LOL I actually got to meet Sky King and get his autograph when I was a little guy. He made a special guest appearance at a little traveling circus that came to my town in East Texas. 🤗 🛩️
Mike your channel and videos have brought back countless and vivid memories of when I started model building in the early 60s. Revell aircraft kits were my go to models. I actually still have some of my original model boxes I’ve saved over the years. Thank you for bringing back the memories of early plastic modeling.
I have a couple of original John Steele paintings, a multiple view of four stack destroyers and one that shows a V-2 rocket being prepped for launch. The V-2 painting looks very similar to the actual box art.
My first model was a WWI Sopwith Camel (1/32 scale). I was maybe 10 years old (early 1970s). Can't remember whether it was Revell, Monogram, or Aurora ... but I'm sure it was one of those. My next one was a B-24 liberator (1/72 scale). Building plastic airplane models became an absorbing hobby for me for the next few years. I had a room full of planes and a few army tanks, plus a couple ships, along with a Saturn V rocket with lunar module and an Atlas Mercury rocket with the launch tower and launch building complex. I can't remember exactly when I tapered off . . . sometime in high school.
My mom mostly built my first one while i watched. I was 4 or so. It was the revell Neptune with arctic markings..she painted the tail orange and the pilot's helmets white. The first one i remember building myself was the Hawk atomic bomber.. i loved the orange flames coming out of the wingtip engines. Thank you again, Mike. Nice trip down the lane of memories..lol
Thanks again Mike...this feels kind of like the support group meeting I need...as I have had the vintage kit collector affliction for decades. I do have nearly all of the Revell S Kit aircraft kits you showed, but the first kit I recall building was the Aurora F-107. Thanks for your focus on this great collector hobby and affliction!
I once answered an ad in our local paper about 15 years ago, 70 models for $70. When I got there I was floored. Every model kit was from the 1950s-1960s. Monogram, Aurora, Revell, Lindberg and some I had never heard of. The main kit that I ended up selling was the U.S.S. Olympia-Revell(real early, had the Medallion!). It was an complete kit but one hull half had a two inch split perpendicular to the keel. That kit paid for all the rest and then some. Never have found a buy that good again so this was a once in a lifetime I guess. But they're still out there...you just have to stick to it, be vigilant in your search.
I flew some of those. The Revell F89 and Constellation, I drilled a hole in the left wing tip for a fishing line, and flew them around on 20 ft of line with a fly rod. They were very fast. The F89 needed a .303 bullet for nose weight and whistled loudly in flight.
Mike, you really take me back to the 1950's. I was more into the flying models. I can remember mowing lawns to earn enough to buy the kit and a tube of glue. I remember them well made by Comet, Jigtime, or Guillow. Spend the morning making them and flying them in the afternoon.
Another great video, but what I find interesting is the color on the box tops back in the day were so vivid and colorful. Today’s box tops seem to me not as interesting.
Ever since the model companies decided to have internationally acceptable box art, the artwork has become so bland as to be unattractive to almost anyone. You can't show an air-to-air battle with guns firing; you can't show a missile firing at another aircraft or ground target; you can't show any gunfire directed at any human target; you can't show swastikas (red meatballs and stars are OK!); you can't show any aggressive act on the box top. You can't even show an airshow aircraft flying close to a pylon or a WW1 aircraft flying under a bridge. So our big problem was the rules of the EU.
You know Mike that not everyone had a hobby shop in there home town but we did have G.C. Murphy that sold Revell and Ben Franklin's that sold Aurora. These department stores were side by side and as kids we would check out one than run next door to see what the other store had.
First three kits: Revell Luftwaffe Condor, SR-71, and Aurora X-15 purchased at K-Mart. My aunt assembled them and I had no choice but to look at them as they sat atop the fridge like hanger queens. I grew up in the Sixties, and was frustrated and jealous that the kids in the Fifties seemed to have had so many more unique choices in plastic. It seemed that everything I could find was either WWII or Vietnam-era. I can't complain though since I had all the wonderful sci-fi kits produced as TV and movie tie-ins. Occasionally a vintage Hawk kit like the Vanguard satellite or Atlas MOL would find its way into my hands. The father of a friend had a stash of over fifty kits! I asked him, "Why don't you build any of them?" I didn't know what it was like to have responsibilities like a job and mortgage. He told me he'd build them when he retired. I swore I'd never let that happen to me. Now, I have the stash and my house is my hobby. Loved all the Lindberg kits, and still cherish the smell of an Aurora cardboard box. Monogram had great operating features: landing gear, flaps, etc. Oddly, Revell was at the bottom of the list because they weren't as "playable" as the others. Kids! When I was about five, I had built the Revell B-52 with X-15. An older kid approached me as I was outside playing with it. He asked if he could borrow the X-15 for a science project. I said sure, and he and the tiny research plane never returned. Fifty-years later, I eagerly purchased the Atlantis re-issue. :)
So far, so good. I look forward to seeing more. Model building has been a rewarding part of my life. Two friends and I would each build our own together on weekends in the 60s ages 8 to 12. I got Revell's 1/72 B-24 and was surprised at the tubby hull. Then I got the B-17, and was surprised at the tapered fuselage and massive wings. Leynwood's art was exciting, but did not reveal the actual shape of the plane. Working on a 60s Airfix Me-262 this week. Thanks for the video.
Thanks, Mike! I really enjoy your model videos. I used to collect, buy/sell kits about 20 years ago, but now I'm building everything. It's neat to build the kit and display it with its original box and box art. Looking forward to more on this subject!
I was Regional Aviation Coordinator for NYSDOT Region 10 (Long Island) and I performed the safety examinations for all the LI airports...including Zahns. For myself, I can state that in my years in Poughkeepsie NY and Harrisburg PA I never saw nor knew of the Gift Sets until I was in my 50s. Even if I had, us kids had trouble getting the 98 cents together (or, gasp! $1.49!) for a model. I can tell you though that my Dad, who was an IBM man and traveled often bought me models when he traveled: Renwal Atomic Cannon and M109 Howitzer (but I wanted the Skysweeper..) , Lindberg Remote Control B-58, and that fantastic Revell F-102 which is still my all-time favorite....
Perhaps you should talk about Mr. John Burns of Kit Collectors Clearing house fame and also the values of the kits particularly the space kits which have become very collectable. Great presentation as always really enjoy your videos.
I was a subscriber to KCC back in the 1970s and 80s. Before the internet, it was a great way to buy and sell those rare kits and also meet fellow kit collectors. I still have John W. Burns' "The 1987-1988 Collectors Value Guide for Scale Model Plastic Kits" and his value guide for Plastic Airliner Kits.
Great video! I have several of those items shown. I have collected since the early days of youth! I hope to see more of these videos indeed! Thanks again Mike!
I much prefer the old box-art of model kits to the renders of nowadays, much more exciting scenes usually, especially the old airfix box art of Roy Cross. Unfortunately I don't have any really old models in my collection, mainly because I intend on building them and I couldn't bring myself to opening a vintage box. My oldest model is airfix's 1998 1:72 MiG-15 but as far as I know the "box art" and tooling (originally a poly bag!) dates back to 1967! It is very pretty with a pair of MiG-15s practice intercepting some kind of Russian bomber formation. My actual first model however was either airfix's 1:72 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB or their 1:76 Cromwell tank.
1981, I was 9, my first kit was a Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV (can't remember exactly), an Airfix kit (or Matchbox maybe? XD). Thank you very much for sharing this!
My first model built was the Lindberg Models Comet Jet Liner. Age 6 if I recall correctly. Of course I did a horrible job of it! I painted the fuselage red and the wings blue! All gloss paint of course 😊. Great video as always Mike.
My first model was a Piper Cub I think. I was only 5 or 6 and we were on vacation. My parents drove at night so they needed something to keep me occupied during the day while they slept in the Motel. Fond memories.
Great nostalgic video. I look forward to the series. I remember a lot of those kits you showed. I always loved that box art of the Neptune. Still do today. My first model kit was not an aircraft but the Lindberg U.S.S. Rudderow with a factory built electric motor. My parents got it for me. My first aircraft kit was the Avro CF-100 from Aurora Canada. I saved my money and paid $ 1.29 CAD for it.
Ah ha, had the USS Rudderow and the CF 100 too. Growing up we had a naval reserve ship in the East River in the next town, USS Harris DE447, which was a full size Rudderow! Aboard her many times.
I am a Revell and Monogram models fan since 1955; I have a collection of pretty all olds models Revell and a lot of Monogram’s. My problem is what end will do this kits when I will pass away? I am 72 years old but stil happy to enjoy my collection.
the first model i built as a kid was an Aurora avro cf 100 in 1959. the first model given tro me though was a Lindbergh Line messerschmitt 109F in 1958. i remember all these kit box art...when i could by airfix ww1 fighters like the fokker triplane and albatros DIII for 30 cents apiece. and the aurora tank models like the panther, the japanese tank, thje centurion, the swedish S rtank and the M26 pershing for 99 cents a piece (no tax) and the monogram hell dive for $1.25....and they should still be these prices. hell i'm still kicking myself when i remember that i had the first x-men comic.
My first model was an F-101 Voodoo in 1/72 scale. I believe it was 29 cents. My career Navy father would have preferred I build an F-4 Phantom II. Going to have to build an A-4 Skyhawk someday. I call them Scooters. The Blue Angels flew them. When they retired them, one, after repaint, went to my squadron, VFC-13.
...1st kit- Revell American Airlines livery 727, bought for me by my grandfather at the Glendale, CA Safeway, 1961. Modeling is my primary hobby, at a professional level (...though, the high heels kill me... :^Y ).
Hi Mike, Fun video; man do I remember those box tops and more. I am 67 and still am building models and I WISH that the current kit manufacturers would have box art like these created again to inspire a person to buy and build. Personally I am very glad that you have this series since I have learned a few things and it brings back some memories and enjoyment too. I really enjoy your discussions of your art creation process.I am going to share this video with a few Facebook sites and friends of mine too as I know that everyone will appreciate this. Regarding your previous video on the Concorde: I had something to do with that aircraft also. When I worked for a German Medical Instruments company Richard Wolf of Knittlingen Germany, the North American Division located here in Illinois, buy O'Hare Airport, we not only manufactured medical endoscopes, but also industrial borescopes for performing inspections for many items in heavy industry. At the time I was employed there I was the Technical Writer and Illustrator for all of our maintenance and instruction manuals and instructional videos for our products. General Electric purchased many of our borescopes to include with the jet engines that they sold as the means to inspect all fan and turbine blades in areas of the engine that were not easily accessible. When GE purchased these borescopes they asked if there was a way to insure that the borescopes were properly aligned and in focus to view all parts to be inspected clearly. As part of the engineering department I was tasked with developing the procedure and creating and illustrating the instruction manual. GE was so impressed with it that they bought the rights to the procedure. SNECMA was provided a copy of this and also was very impressed with it and bought it also, along with the borescopes too. All GE engines from that point forward had this procedure included in the maintenance manuals for each jet engine. SNECMA included it in all new engines going forward and as a supplement/update to all manuals of current engines used, including those on the Concord. I didn't get rich from this since it was considered the "Intellectual property of Richard Wolf" legally I was paid $1.00. However, at the end of the year the President paid me a bonus out of his own private funds which was very nice of him. I saw the Concord at Oshlkosh in 1994 when it was there. It was extremely cool to walk under and around this aircraft and a real kick knowing that I had something to do with maintaining its flight worthyness. Thanks again, and keep the videos coming. Steve
Yes I remember my first kit.a 1/72 scale P51D...but don't recall if it was Revell or Aurora...cost .29 cents....had to wait till the next weekend to get a tube of Testors plastic cement because I only got .30 cents weekly allowance (I was six years old) Then I was hooked! Does anyone remember the Lindberg Line kits that came with a small dc electric motor kit you also had to assemble? The motor mounted in the nose and was used to spin the prop...the stand held the batteries and the on/off switch ....those were great..think they were either 1/32 or 1/24 scale . sizeable models..I particularly liked the F-4u Corsair and the P47D kits....ahhh that takes me back...
I'd love to collect the old models just for teh art work on the box, but alas I don't have teh room to place the 100's of boxes I'd eventually end up with. lol
I have built a couple of the greats. But I have unbuilts as well, particularly the Bob Hoover Mustang from Revell and the Comet 707 (actually a very accurate kit of the Dash 80 company test bed aircraft). Great stuff all around. You also need to do some coverage of the great box art on vintage Airfix kits, and perhaps sub-sets such as the early Space Program (starting with John Glenn's "Everything is Go" Atlas.
Millions of youngsters used to build plastic models and balsa kits. It was a hobby that most ordinary kids could afford. It was also valuable in that it taught the basics of mechanical, ship and aviation engineering to young people. You learned how a front suspension on a car operated and how an aircraft frame is designed. Unfortunately over the last 30 years, the price of scale modeling has become un-affordable for most youngsters and adults. Model building has become a rich man's hobby. With that came the end of many of the best model companies. What a shame when corporate greed takes over.
It was always the beautiful artwork on the boxes that captured my imagination. Thanks for posting this.
Models were my babysitter in the 60s and 70s and the box art and the catalogs bring back so many good memories of sitting alone at the kitchen table fiddling with cowlings and props and landing gear. Thanks.
65 years old and I still like to put models together. When I can find them.
The actor Peter Cushing was also an avid model builder and from what I heard, he built them all the way until shortly before he died in 1994. Age is just a number my friend, keep on modeling! 👍🙂
Ah, my ill-spent youth. Thanks Mike for the guilty pleasure.
Again WOW...all those memory cells revived 60+ years on! I think the first aircraft model I had was the Monogram B 66 with the dropping bomb but I have to admit, built by my father. As someone else says...MODEL ON!
Great comment thanks (and a salute to MAX)!
Hey; MIKE! --- Just like you back in the late 1950's our gang down here in the major military port of San Diego were visiting the hobby stores at least once a week. One modeling-effects technique we developed was to carefully saw off the bottoms of our Revell ship models; fill the insides with a ballast such as modeling clay; finish the new flat bottom with sheet plastic or balsa wood; and finally paint the entire ship dark WWII Navy gray. The result looks much like the waterline die-cast ship models of that same era.
Building plastic model kits, mostly aircraft, was the absolute highlight of my youth…and was the spark to becoming a corporate and airline pilot. And speaking of kit collecting, I now have over 300 (about 200 are vintage 50’s Revell, Aurora, Renwal, Hawk and Monogram kits), since I don’t have as much time to build them , I’ll collect them! The Revell S kits are by far my favorite, because of the box art.
Wonderful comment, thanks!
Thank you for posting.
Looking at those great boxes, I want to build every single one of these kits.
Atlantis models now has some of the olde Revell tooling like the B-52/X-15 combo as well as a another one I saw in this video.
This video brings back a lot of memories. I remember when seeing a flying p2v was a common sight.
This was my second viewing of this video. I watch every piece you present as soon as it pops up on TH-cam. Throughout the year your previous videos are provided as an encore performance. The second time around, your Celebration of Aviation series videos are even more enjoyable! I love the way you took your childhood passion for aviation into a glorious career. You managed to actually live out a great many of the aerial fantasies that young American males of our generation grew up with. The vintage model kit box art brings so many great memories! Thank you Mike!
I have viewed this s video several times. Each time I am reminded of the models and their backgrounds x art I see here. I learned which companies anise had the best fidelity in their models (accuracy of the model to represent the real aircraft, and then the artwork). And much of the box art you show are from models I built and artwork I remembered. Thanks
The B17 was the first bomber I build and the image was exactly the reason why I bought it.
The Revell Skyrocket was the first model I really took care of painting because I gave it to my grand father on his 60th birthday. ^^
Do I remember my first model build?...sure do! It was the Aurora C-119 Flying Boxcar, followed soon after by Revell's USS Forrestal. Got both as presents for my 10th birthday. Been building kits ever since.
Love it!
@@omerashraf9357 Thanks for the question, and yes, I've spoken with Fighter Aces from World War II in P-38 Lightnings, P-47 Thunderbolts, and P-51 Mustangs. Korea was F-86 pilot John Glenn (Marine assigned to the Air Force) and F-82 Twin Mustang pilots. Vietnam was F-4 Phantom pilot Steve Ritchie and a Navy F-8E Crusader pilot.
My first kit was an Airfix 1/72nd Spitfire MkIX around 1959 in England but later we did get a lot of Revell and Monogram with a few other manufacturers. I built the X-15, Skyrocket and X-3 Stiletto and later some of the Monogram 1/48 WW2 fighters. Fantastic days!
Wonderful memories. In my mid 50's and I still occasionally build a scale model. Relaxing, interesting hobby. But alas, that USA is gone, likely never to return.
We were a proud, confident engineering/manufacturing powerhouse then, today it's nothing but "social media" and self-loathing.
Thanks for these videos. 👍
Great comment, thanks!
Great video, especially with Jimmy Stewart😊👍
Most people forget that during the Vietnam War, many sons of Hollywood stars, Politicians, wealthy businessmen got out serving their Country
Jimmy Stewart son did the opposite and volunteered to serve his Country to follow in his fathers proud tradition.
His son died in 1968 while serving in Vietnam as part of the Marine Corps.
A forgotten hero, like tens of thousands of others.
Stig Svanberg: My first model was Lockheed Starfighter F 104. Christmas present sometime in the sixties. Too advanced but I had fun building it.
The Aurora SNJ was my first kit. A dad and son bonding, we sat at the kitchen table, dad was reading the instructions and I glued it all together before he finished. He was a little sad at the time.
That was 53 years ago, I remind him that he instilled a great way to relieve stress and have fun!
As the oldest of 7, he's got lots of stuff to decorate his office at home, the replica of his cousins F5-E is at the front. I'm currently doing Monogram's SNJ, as a vignette in honor of him giving me a life long hobby and sparking my love of history.
Thanks for the vid!
Wonderful comment, thanks!
My first model kits were cars but I really got into building WW2 airplanes with my junior high friend Tony John. Dont know where you are today Tony but I still have fond memories of our model building and comic book collecting days.
I remember shopping at Kmart. Models, paint, and supplies occupied both sides of an isle and half of another!!!! Our preferences were Revell and Monogram. Lindberg was ok but the plastic was brittle, thin and lots of flash!!! Aurora was clunky and lacked detail. Hawk, Strombecker, Renwal, MPC, AMT, etc were rare or didnt make airplane models. We heard stories of kit companies named Airfix, Frog, Hasagawa, and Tamiya but never actually found any.
None of us were able to build a kit that turned out anywhere near the beauty of the box art.
Really interesting and well produced. Looking forward to checking the rest of the series out. Have a great day.
Oh yes the sixty's when modeling took a back seat to girls and cars or maybe cars and girls, wasn't until the late 70's until I got back into modeling, still build models today, a great hobby.
My first model was Bell X-5 from Revell Brazil branch ....never forget it
I really love that old box art. Thank you for sharing.
Love it.
You inspired me to dig out my childhood planes.
The first model kit I built was the Aurora Grumman F9F-6 Cougar for 49 cents. Next came an Aurora F-107 for the same price. That's all my meager allowance would cover at the time. As I got better and earned a little more, I bought Revell "S" kits like the Lockheed Neptune, Douglas Skywarrior and Lockheed Warning Star Constellation. I still love vintage models to this day and have many of them in my collection of built-ups and kits. Thank you Mike for stirring up wonderful memories. Look forward to more videos in this series.
Wonderful comment, thanks Glenn!
Great video! My first kit, when I was 7 or 8 was a P-51D. I had gone on a Cub Scout hike. Our leader offered to buy each of us a drink at the end, but I saw the model, and asked for that instead.
There are so many favorites in your list. I always liked the Aero Commander. But, of course, the military kits kept me busy, even after I went into the Air Force. Thanks for the trips down memory lane!
Appreciate the comment and glad you enjoyed the video!
God I built so many model kits as a teenager over the years I forgot all the stuff I built since we moved a lot the model kits of long since been lost so one of the things I like to do is I'm putting together a model kit diary or catalog of all the model kits I built the first couple were pretty easy those were pretty memorable but one of the things I do to jog my memory is when I go to a model contest or events or show I always go to all the vendors tables selling all the old vintage used model kits and I just rummage through them and it amazes me how many times I pick up an old bottle kit and I look at the box art and I realize oh I built this kid I built this when I was 15 etc etc etc and so that's helped me to reconstruct my model building diary now when it's complete what I'm going to do is I'm then going to go out and I'm going to find and buy every one of those kits that I built as a teenager and put them in my collection
Models started my lifelong affair with aviation, thanks for the trip in the Wayback Machine.
I still have ALL those kits, AND respective boxes today.!!!
The only one I don't have, from this list, is the Ryan X-13 Vertijet. ( I'm not sure.!!)
I must have had at least 3 dozen model kits put together by the time I left for Vietnam in 1968. When I got back home I discovered, to my horror, that my mother destroyed them all, claiming that she got tired of dusting them. I have started to buy a few kits, most recent was the Stiletto X-3. I have the biggest plastic model kit ever made, the Monogram 1:72 B-36.
@@dalecomer5951 I tell ya we got no respect at all.
@@i.r.wayright1457 Similar story when I got back from my USAF years in Japan. We just keep on building!
Being British, mine were mainly Airfix. My first one was a Spitfire (what a surprise!) in late 1950's. Over the years, built many more, until I went off to University. Lancaster, Sunderland, Halifax - list goes on. And I've still got the box pictures! But I did do the Boeing Bomarc missile by Revell
Same here, first kit 1/72nd Airfix Spit.
When I was a young kid, my brothers shared a bedroom that had many of your featured models hanging from their ceiling. I was fascinated! I would put a chair atop a bed, stand on the chair, and take airplanes down to play with. Mysteriously, the models became broken. My model-building addiction started back then, and never ended.
That's some great stuff! I'd love to see a well documented build process of one of these old kits. But then, most current collectors would probably prefer to preserve these rare items boxed and unbuilt ...
The first kit my parents let me put together by myself was a Revell KC-135 in 1968. I was five years old and I think I got it together in about 30 minutes. I put it together outside under a tree in the front yard, and my little mind decided it needed camouflage so I stuck grass on it with the glue. I'm sure it didn't look great but it was the best airplane in the world to me.
Really takes me back. Thanks for resurrecting those memories.
I remember well the Carrier models. Hardest parts was painting the tiny airplanes.
We had a Ben Franklin five and dime in town with a small selection of kits and a "discount" store called Auction Outlet also with a small selection. Most of my kits were from Korvettes (a discount department store) or "Shoppers Paradise" a northern Jersey fore runner for K-Mart/Wall Mart. They sold food and liquor along with just about anything else. Both had way more kits, particularly AMT car kits.
Very nice video. Interesting models to see and learn from. Looking forward for more videos. Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks!
I like mike. Love your work. My favorite box art is Lindberg's box art of the Erocoupe. Thys is my dad flying that bird to Boulder.
Yes, I still remember when my dad bought me a biplane, very probably the Boeing Model 15 made by Frog late 1956 when I was 4 years old! I was very fascinated seeing my father gluing together this model and I remember very well that I liked it so much that I putted it under my pillow, (don't ask me why..?) and of course I woke up with a flat biplane but from then on I built many models. I really enjoyed so much spending time with my models 💕 💓 😍
Heck yeah, I just love the cockpit on the Rainbow.
I watched The Whirlybirds and Sky King every time it came on one of my three channels off of the antenna. LOL
I actually got to meet Sky King and get his autograph when I was a little guy. He made a special guest appearance at a little traveling circus that came to my town in East Texas.
🤗 🛩️
How cool that you actually met Sky King! Thanks for watching.
Mike your channel and videos have brought back countless and vivid memories of when I started model building in the early 60s. Revell aircraft kits were my go to models. I actually still have some of my original model boxes I’ve saved over the years. Thank you for bringing back the memories of early plastic modeling.
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
First model I ever had was a Junkers JU88 from Revell.
I have a couple of original John Steele paintings, a multiple view of four stack destroyers and one that shows a V-2 rocket being prepped for launch. The V-2 painting looks very similar to the actual box art.
Back when just about every town used to have a hobby shop and you could get a model for under 50 cents. It really was the good old days.
My first model was a WWI Sopwith Camel (1/32 scale). I was maybe 10 years old (early 1970s). Can't remember whether it was Revell, Monogram, or Aurora ... but I'm sure it was one of those. My next one was a B-24 liberator (1/72 scale). Building plastic airplane models became an absorbing hobby for me for the next few years. I had a room full of planes and a few army tanks, plus a couple ships, along with a Saturn V rocket with lunar module and an Atlas Mercury rocket with the launch tower and launch building complex. I can't remember exactly when I tapered off . . . sometime in high school.
My mom mostly built my first one while i watched. I was 4 or so. It was the revell Neptune with arctic markings..she painted the tail orange and the pilot's helmets white. The first one i remember building myself was the Hawk atomic bomber.. i loved the orange flames coming out of the wingtip engines.
Thank you again, Mike.
Nice trip down the lane of memories..lol
Thanks again Mike...this feels kind of like the support group meeting I need...as I have had the vintage kit collector affliction for decades. I do have nearly all of the Revell S Kit aircraft kits you showed, but the first kit I recall building was the Aurora F-107. Thanks for your focus on this great collector hobby and affliction!
I once answered an ad in our local paper about 15 years ago, 70 models for $70. When I got there I was floored. Every model kit was from the 1950s-1960s. Monogram, Aurora, Revell, Lindberg and some I had never heard of. The main kit that I ended up selling was the U.S.S. Olympia-Revell(real early, had the Medallion!). It was an complete kit but one hull half had a two inch split perpendicular to the keel. That kit paid for all the rest and then some. Never have found a buy that good again so this was a once in a lifetime I guess. But they're still out there...you just have to stick to it, be vigilant in your search.
Nice score! We used to calll that U.S.S. Missouri packaging the "spaghetti box." Great comment, thanks!
I flew some of those. The Revell F89 and Constellation, I drilled a hole in the left wing tip for a fishing line,
and flew them around on 20 ft of line with a fly rod. They were very fast. The F89 needed a .303 bullet for nose weight and whistled loudly in flight.
Neat comment, thanks!
Mike, you really take me back to the 1950's. I was more into the flying models. I can remember mowing lawns to earn enough to buy the kit and a tube of glue. I remember them well made by Comet, Jigtime, or Guillow. Spend the morning making them and flying them in the afternoon.
Great comment George, thanks, and look where those model led you in your career path!
My first model was a Matchbox . And the plane was a F4U Corsair. It was like magic...
Another great video, but what I find interesting is the color on the box tops back in the day were so vivid and colorful. Today’s box tops seem to me not as interesting.
Ever since the model companies decided to have internationally acceptable box art, the artwork has become so bland as to be unattractive to almost anyone. You can't show an air-to-air battle with guns firing; you can't show a missile firing at another aircraft or ground target; you can't show any gunfire directed at any human target; you can't show swastikas (red meatballs and stars are OK!); you can't show any aggressive act on the box top. You can't even show an airshow aircraft flying close to a pylon or a WW1 aircraft flying under a bridge. So our big problem was the rules of the EU.
You know Mike that not everyone had a hobby shop in there home town but we did have G.C. Murphy that sold Revell and Ben Franklin's that sold Aurora. These department stores were side by side and as kids we would check out one than run next door to see what the other store had.
First three kits: Revell Luftwaffe Condor, SR-71, and Aurora X-15 purchased at K-Mart. My aunt assembled them and I had no choice but to look at them as they sat atop the fridge like hanger queens.
I grew up in the Sixties, and was frustrated and jealous that the kids in the Fifties seemed to have had so many more unique choices in plastic. It seemed that everything I could find was either WWII or Vietnam-era. I can't complain though since I had all the wonderful sci-fi kits produced as TV and movie tie-ins. Occasionally a vintage Hawk kit like the Vanguard satellite or Atlas MOL would find its way into my hands.
The father of a friend had a stash of over fifty kits! I asked him, "Why don't you build any of them?" I didn't know what it was like to have responsibilities like a job and mortgage. He told me he'd build them when he retired. I swore I'd never let that happen to me. Now, I have the stash and my house is my hobby.
Loved all the Lindberg kits, and still cherish the smell of an Aurora cardboard box. Monogram had great operating features: landing gear, flaps, etc. Oddly, Revell was at the bottom of the list because they weren't as "playable" as the others. Kids!
When I was about five, I had built the Revell B-52 with X-15. An older kid approached me as I was outside playing with it. He asked if he could borrow the X-15 for a science project. I said sure, and he and the tiny research plane never returned. Fifty-years later, I eagerly purchased the Atlantis re-issue. :)
Great comment, thanks!
So far, so good. I look forward to seeing more. Model building has been a rewarding part of my life. Two friends and I would each build our own together on weekends in the 60s ages 8 to 12. I got Revell's 1/72 B-24 and was surprised at the tubby hull. Then I got the B-17, and was surprised at the tapered fuselage and massive wings. Leynwood's art was exciting, but did not reveal the actual shape of the plane. Working on a 60s Airfix Me-262 this week. Thanks for the video.
I had this one 3:13 ! My Corsair! Loved that 1/32.
Thanks, Mike! I really enjoy your model videos. I used to collect, buy/sell kits about 20 years ago, but now I'm building everything. It's neat to build the kit and display it with its original box and box art. Looking forward to more on this subject!
I was Regional Aviation Coordinator for NYSDOT Region 10 (Long Island) and I performed the safety examinations for all the LI airports...including Zahns. For myself, I can state that in my years in Poughkeepsie NY and Harrisburg PA I never saw nor knew of the Gift Sets until I was in my 50s. Even if I had, us kids had trouble getting the 98 cents together (or, gasp! $1.49!) for a model. I can tell you though that my Dad, who was an IBM man and traveled often bought me models when he traveled: Renwal Atomic Cannon and M109 Howitzer (but I wanted the Skysweeper..) , Lindberg Remote Control B-58, and that fantastic Revell F-102 which is still my all-time favorite....
Mike, love your channel and love your work!!! You are an aviation treasure for all of us that love models and love to fly!!!!
Appreciate the nice comment, thanks!
For some reason I especially like box art depicting aircraft on the platform after it has rained (the wet, clouded 'european' look)
Me too!
Perhaps you should talk about Mr. John Burns of Kit Collectors Clearing house fame and also the values of the kits particularly the space kits which have become very collectable. Great presentation as always really enjoy your videos.
I was a subscriber to KCC back in the 1970s and 80s. Before the internet, it was a great way to buy and sell those rare kits and also meet fellow kit collectors. I still have John W. Burns' "The 1987-1988 Collectors Value Guide for Scale Model Plastic Kits" and his value guide for Plastic Airliner Kits.
Yes, the "Burns Guide" was indeed the Bible for collectors back in the day!
Reminds me one of the weirdest models I built. The F19 stealth fighter. It existed as a model and as an old PC flying simulator
Great video! I have several of those items shown. I have collected since the early days of youth! I hope to see more of these videos indeed! Thanks again Mike!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
I much prefer the old box-art of model kits to the renders of nowadays, much more exciting scenes usually, especially the old airfix box art of Roy Cross. Unfortunately I don't have any really old models in my collection, mainly because I intend on building them and I couldn't bring myself to opening a vintage box. My oldest model is airfix's 1998 1:72 MiG-15 but as far as I know the "box art" and tooling (originally a poly bag!) dates back to 1967! It is very pretty with a pair of MiG-15s practice intercepting some kind of Russian bomber formation.
My actual first model however was either airfix's 1:72 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB or their 1:76 Cromwell tank.
Great comment, thanks!
I remember building many of these back in the day
Great video! Thank you sir.
What fun, thanks for the nostalgia.
My first plastic model kit was an Airfix BTK Spitfire (bag kit) about 1967!
With apologies from Mike, the merch mentioned in this video is no longer being sold.
1981, I was 9, my first kit was a Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV (can't remember exactly), an Airfix kit (or Matchbox maybe? XD). Thank you very much for sharing this!
The Messerschmitt 109 you showed in this video was the kit I built as a kid
New subscriber here. I really enjoy the trip down model memory lane. Thank you!
Great to have you aboard!
If I'm not mistaken, a Bell 47G showed up in one of my favorite 1950's B sci-fi flicks: "Kronos" (starring Jeff Morrow and Barbara Lawerence)
My first model built was the Lindberg Models Comet Jet Liner. Age 6 if I recall correctly. Of course I did a horrible job of it! I painted the fuselage red and the wings blue! All gloss paint of course 😊. Great video as always Mike.
I built most of these, even the Ryan Vertijet!
I had a U_2, F-104, X-15, F-11Tiger(Blue Angle), Mits-ZERO, Bell Helicopter (WhirlyBird TV series), F4U Corsair
Great video!!!!
Zahn's airport. Precious memories -- as a youngster in CAP, circa 1963, that's where the aircraft were based.
I remember that Squadron!
Best regards from Costa Rica , your videos are unique . !!!
Many thanks!
My first model kit I built was the albatross d-3 by aroura. It had glue smudges on it but I build it !
My first model was a Piper Cub I think. I was only 5 or 6 and we were on vacation. My parents drove at night so they needed something to keep me occupied during the day while they slept in the Motel. Fond memories.
Thank you so much!!
Great nostalgic video. I look forward to the series. I remember a lot of those kits you showed. I always loved that box art of the Neptune. Still do today. My first model kit was not an aircraft but the Lindberg U.S.S. Rudderow with a factory built electric motor. My parents got it for me. My first aircraft kit was the Avro CF-100 from Aurora Canada. I saved my money and paid $ 1.29 CAD for it.
Ah ha, had the USS Rudderow and the CF 100 too. Growing up we had a naval reserve ship in the East River in the next town, USS Harris DE447, which was a full size Rudderow! Aboard her many times.
I am a Revell and Monogram models fan since 1955; I have a collection of pretty all olds models Revell and a lot of Monogram’s. My problem is what end will do this kits when I will pass away? I am 72 years old but stil happy to enjoy my collection.
My first model build was a Tyrannosaurus Rex Pyro kit. That I still have.
the first model i built as a kid was an Aurora avro cf 100 in 1959. the first model given tro me though was a Lindbergh Line messerschmitt 109F in 1958. i remember all these kit box art...when i could by airfix ww1 fighters like the fokker triplane and albatros DIII for 30 cents apiece. and the aurora tank models like the panther, the japanese tank, thje centurion, the swedish S rtank and the M26 pershing for 99 cents a piece (no tax) and the monogram hell dive for $1.25....and they should still be these prices. hell i'm still kicking myself when i remember that i had the first x-men comic.
Those were the days 🤔😁💟✌️
Thanks for your like I used to love building Kit's as a kid and treasure the memories of so long ago....
My first model was an F-101 Voodoo in 1/72 scale. I believe it was 29 cents. My career Navy father would have preferred I build an F-4 Phantom II. Going to have to build an A-4 Skyhawk someday. I call them Scooters. The Blue Angels flew them. When they retired them, one, after repaint, went to my squadron, VFC-13.
...1st kit- Revell American Airlines livery 727, bought for me by my grandfather at the Glendale, CA Safeway, 1961. Modeling is my primary hobby, at a professional level (...though, the high heels kill me... :^Y ).
Hi Mike,
Fun video; man do I remember those box tops and more. I am 67 and still am building models and I WISH that the current kit manufacturers would have box art like these created again to inspire a person to buy and build. Personally I am very glad that you have this series since I have learned a few things and it brings back some memories and enjoyment too. I really enjoy your discussions of your art creation process.I am going to share this video with a few Facebook sites and friends of mine too as I know that everyone will appreciate this.
Regarding your previous video on the Concorde: I had something to do with that aircraft also. When I worked for a German Medical Instruments company Richard Wolf of Knittlingen Germany, the North American Division located here in Illinois, buy O'Hare Airport, we not only manufactured medical endoscopes, but also industrial borescopes for performing inspections for many items in heavy industry. At the time I was employed there I was the Technical Writer and Illustrator for all of our maintenance and instruction manuals and instructional videos for our products. General Electric purchased many of our borescopes to include with the jet engines that they sold as the means to inspect all fan and turbine blades in areas of the engine that were not easily accessible. When GE purchased these borescopes they asked if there was a way to insure that the borescopes were properly aligned and in focus to view all parts to be inspected clearly. As part of the engineering department I was tasked with developing the procedure and creating and illustrating the instruction manual. GE was so impressed with it that they bought the rights to the procedure. SNECMA was provided a copy of this and also was very impressed with it and bought it also, along with the borescopes too. All GE engines from that point forward had this procedure included in the maintenance manuals for each jet engine. SNECMA included it in all new engines going forward and as a supplement/update to all manuals of current engines used, including those on the Concord. I didn't get rich from this since it was considered the "Intellectual property of Richard Wolf" legally I was paid $1.00. However, at the end of the year the President paid me a bonus out of his own private funds which was very nice of him. I saw the Concord at Oshlkosh in 1994 when it was there. It was extremely cool to walk under and around this aircraft and a real kick knowing that I had something to do with maintaining its flight worthyness.
Thanks again, and keep the videos coming.
Steve
Awesome comment, thanks!
Max's Models booted my tail end in your direction....watched liked and subscribed! 🤜🏻🤛🏻🍻
Many thanks, and great to have you aboard!
Yes I remember my first kit.a 1/72 scale P51D...but don't recall if it was Revell or Aurora...cost .29 cents....had to wait till the next weekend to get a tube of Testors plastic cement because I only got .30 cents weekly allowance (I was six years old)
Then I was hooked! Does anyone remember the Lindberg Line kits that came with a small dc electric motor kit you also had to assemble? The motor mounted in the nose and was used to spin the prop...the stand held the batteries and the on/off switch ....those were great..think they were either 1/32 or 1/24 scale . sizeable models..I particularly liked the F-4u Corsair and the P47D kits....ahhh that takes me back...
Wonderful comment, thanks! If that P-51 cost 29 cents back then, you were a proud owner of the Aurora Mustang kit!
Those Century series fighter were so cool looking.
The F 35,not so much.
Jack Leynnwood's CRAM THE BOX philososhy sold a lot of models....many of them to me!
Makes two of us Max!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 BTW, I'm giving this episode a shout-out and a link tonight as it is right up 'our' alley! Compiling it now.
@@maxsmodels Awesome, and many thanks! Saturday will be our first 'live' IN-STUDIO episode featuring plastic also.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Wonderful. I will be at work but I will watch as soon as I can.
GREAT, thanks !!!
I'd love to collect the old models just for teh art work on the box, but alas I don't have teh room to place the 100's of boxes I'd eventually end up with. lol
I have built a couple of the greats. But I have unbuilts as well, particularly the Bob Hoover Mustang from Revell and the Comet 707 (actually a very accurate kit of the Dash 80 company test bed aircraft). Great stuff all around.
You also need to do some coverage of the great box art on vintage Airfix kits, and perhaps sub-sets such as the early Space Program (starting with John Glenn's "Everything is Go" Atlas.
Very good video!
Many thanks!
All that classic plastic just waiting to get built.
Millions of youngsters used to build plastic models and balsa kits. It was a hobby that most ordinary kids could afford. It was also valuable in that it taught the basics of mechanical, ship and aviation engineering to young people. You learned how a front suspension on a car operated and how an aircraft frame is designed. Unfortunately over the last 30 years, the price of scale modeling has become un-affordable for most youngsters and adults. Model building has become a rich man's hobby. With that came the end of many of the best model companies. What a shame when corporate greed takes over.
Agreed, and great comment, thanks!
Yes, it was a McDonnell F2H Banshee in the mid 60's
It was a F-104 and I painted it silver canopy included. I believe I was 6 years old.
All this nostalgia, Mike...
I'm still looking for the FIREBALL XL5 in scale.
(Marionette scale?)
Love it!