List your childhood model collection
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At the tender age of nine years I recall building a balsa wood somethingoranother that was powered by one of those Jetex engines. After three months of my mother complaining about wood shavings, dust, and the smell of shellac... it flew for the first and only time. It was a fantastic flight, but the whole thing went up in flames. The engine was still burning (and thrusting) after it departed the aeroplane. Forty six years later, and retired from flying the real thing, I'm considering trying it all again.
PS: I still have the scar on my hand from where I was burned by trying to handle the Jetex carcass shortly after an engine test burn... the engine being held in the jaws of a pair of pliers! I somehow doubt that kids of today would be allowed to purchase anything even remotely similar to Jetex pellets!
TCF
PS: I still have the scar on my hand from where I was burned by trying to handle the Jetex carcass shortly after an engine test burn... the engine being held in the jaws of a pair of pliers! I somehow doubt that kids of today would be allowed to purchase anything even remotely similar to Jetex pellets!
TCF
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TheChitterneFlyer
That does seem a little incompatible with modern health and safety thinking. And I happen to know that real ICI manufactured Jetex manufacture ceased about 50 years ago, although there have been various relaunch (in the marketing sense) attempts.
Today the closest you'll get to an authentic Jetex experience is via the Czech made Rapier units. These and suitable kits can be sourced from
SAMS Models Section F. Motors. Rubber, Co2, Electric
Scroll down the page and you'll see something called Jet-X, avoid.
Scroll past it to Rapier...
See elsewhere on the site for various stick and tissue types, including
Then a trip to Cosford, or the Deutsche Museum in Munich to view the fullsize, just to get the details right, doncha know...
PS: I still have the scar on my hand from where I was burned by trying to handle the Jetex carcass shortly after an engine test burn... the engine being held in the jaws of a pair of pliers! I somehow doubt that kids of today would be allowed to purchase anything even remotely similar to Jetex pellets!
Today the closest you'll get to an authentic Jetex experience is via the Czech made Rapier units. These and suitable kits can be sourced from
SAMS Models Section F. Motors. Rubber, Co2, Electric
Scroll down the page and you'll see something called Jet-X, avoid.
Scroll past it to Rapier...
See elsewhere on the site for various stick and tissue types, including
Then a trip to Cosford, or the Deutsche Museum in Munich to view the fullsize, just to get the details right, doncha know...
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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Many memories there, TheChitterneFlyer! . Having bought many KeilKraft kits, at around two shillings and sixpence and discovered that they never included sufficient balsa cement in that tiny yellow tube, that there was no where near enough tissue paper provided or rubber elastic and no rubber lubrication, that no tissue paste was provided , nor dope, either clear or coloured, I became determined to do it properly, full on, for once. I worked weekends on a local farm and earned one shilling and three pence an hour so, in no time at all, I had the funds to go flat out and build a proper flying model with everything it said on the plan.
I bought the Gloster Javelin and spent hours making it, used both clear and coloured dope, as recommended! I now had a Jetex 50 and fuel and fuse!!! Came the great day I fired up and launched from my parents bedroom window, it went straight up into a stall and started falling, about now the protective paper used above the engine burst into flame, (Asbestos paper, as recommended, simply not obtainable). Shortly after that the whole thing went down in a ball but the engine survived.
I worked it out later that I had lost seven shillings and sixpence, which in 1955 was a lot of money!
I bought the Gloster Javelin and spent hours making it, used both clear and coloured dope, as recommended! I now had a Jetex 50 and fuel and fuse!!! Came the great day I fired up and launched from my parents bedroom window, it went straight up into a stall and started falling, about now the protective paper used above the engine burst into flame, (Asbestos paper, as recommended, simply not obtainable). Shortly after that the whole thing went down in a ball but the engine survived.
I worked it out later that I had lost seven shillings and sixpence, which in 1955 was a lot of money!
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Happy daze...
Remember the ear-wax coloured capsule of glue that came with those early Airfix kits?
And the smell of that bottled paint. Lovely.
No wonder I was a "happy" child. al.
And the smell of that bottled paint. Lovely.
No wonder I was a "happy" child. al.
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denis555 - amazing. Thx for that posting.
That trip brought back further memories of models that I had collected but forgot about eg the Stalin tank. Amazing. Also interesting to look through the Heller and Frog lists. I recall a lovely Heller 1/72nd Vampire I had - very detailed with French Navy markings.
Is there a similar list for the Matchbox series that you are aware of ?
That trip brought back further memories of models that I had collected but forgot about eg the Stalin tank. Amazing. Also interesting to look through the Heller and Frog lists. I recall a lovely Heller 1/72nd Vampire I had - very detailed with French Navy markings.
Is there a similar list for the Matchbox series that you are aware of ?
Likewise many thanks for that link dennis555, brought back many memories.
Something those box lids and header cards you could almost feel yourself behind the controls.
Used to love the old tubes of Airfix glue, cut the top off and then find a pin to stop it running everywhere and hopefully next time you wanted to use the glue it hadn't dried up. Anyone remember that lemon scented glue that became available in the mid 70's, to be family friendly to the other people living in the household.
We bought a young friend a model kit for Christmas several years back, but his mother told us that she didn't approve of her 10 year old son, using dangerous things such as glue, paint or a knife so they hid it from the kid!
Something those box lids and header cards you could almost feel yourself behind the controls.
Used to love the old tubes of Airfix glue, cut the top off and then find a pin to stop it running everywhere and hopefully next time you wanted to use the glue it hadn't dried up. Anyone remember that lemon scented glue that became available in the mid 70's, to be family friendly to the other people living in the household.
We bought a young friend a model kit for Christmas several years back, but his mother told us that she didn't approve of her 10 year old son, using dangerous things such as glue, paint or a knife so they hid it from the kid!
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Is there a similar list for the Matchbox series that you are aware of ?
The glue stories got my mind racing - did anyone else get a kit and feverishly hunted for the glue finding that it had dried up - then tried to cut the tube in half desperatley trying to extract something in order to quickly get the kit built?
That was me all over - rush, rush rush
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his mother told us that she didn't approve of her 10 year old son, using dangerous things such as glue, paint or a knife so they hid it from the kid!
Seriously, glue, paint and scissors/knives were a staple part of my childhood from about primary school onwards and I've no recollection of any of my classmates inflicting serious damage to themselves or each other. Pairs of dividers in maths, now that's different - and drawing pins, carefully left on Titt Minor's chair... I've carved myself regularly with a Stanley knife doing DIY but I don't think I ever did using a craft knife when I was knee high to a Dagling Primary. I believe the Humbrol style enamel paints are considerably cleaned up compared with thirty years ago and there's always acrylic.
Good on yer Stationair 8, I think it's great to give kids models to build rather than DVD games and all that nonsense and I wish I'd done that for my nephews at Christmas. Tell her she is stifling his creative instincts and ability to learn life skills! (Can you tell I haven't got kids!)
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What a great thread!
Yes, like bobward my loft is full of kits, some still shrink wrapped. I cannot go past Dominoes toy + hobby shop in Leicester without having a look. When you see a kit on sale that you made at the age of 8 it brings the memories flooding back (I'm now 43).
Now entering my 4th childhood, my attention has now turned to a 1950's railway layout. Will I ever want to grow up! - NO.
Yes, like bobward my loft is full of kits, some still shrink wrapped. I cannot go past Dominoes toy + hobby shop in Leicester without having a look. When you see a kit on sale that you made at the age of 8 it brings the memories flooding back (I'm now 43).
Now entering my 4th childhood, my attention has now turned to a 1950's railway layout. Will I ever want to grow up! - NO.
Yes, I had a little chuckle to myself about mother being overprotective of her beloved GenerationY.
Nothing like having ones fingers covered in Airfix glue, razor nicks or Humbrol paint.
Gees couldn't a little tin of Humbrol paint go along away especially if you hadn't changed out of your Sunday best, like mum said to do before painting that model. New pair of pyjamas(Coles of course)on for a spot of modelling before bed, Airfix Scottish Bulldog and a tin of Red Humbrol paint and a slip of the finger's and oh dear we dropped the newly painted model on the new pyjamas and their was red paint from head to toe, no modelling privileges for a while!
Nothing like having ones fingers covered in Airfix glue, razor nicks or Humbrol paint.
Gees couldn't a little tin of Humbrol paint go along away especially if you hadn't changed out of your Sunday best, like mum said to do before painting that model. New pair of pyjamas(Coles of course)on for a spot of modelling before bed, Airfix Scottish Bulldog and a tin of Red Humbrol paint and a slip of the finger's and oh dear we dropped the newly painted model on the new pyjamas and their was red paint from head to toe, no modelling privileges for a while!
Gosh, this brings back lots of memories, or it would do if the material holding the brain cells hadn't turned porous and let them all leak away! Solid balsa models of the Gloster Javelin, T33, and SNCASE Baroudeur complete with launching trolley. I seem to remember that I gave up with the wing of the Javelin after wearing my fingers down to the bone trying to sand it to the right aerofoil section - well, it looked OK suspended from the bedroom ceiling! Flying models of the DeH Comet (24 inch wingspan) and Canberra (21 inch) never got further than gliding flight out of my bedroom window - I didn't have a Jetex 100 motor and the Jetex 50 was woefully underpowered for the job. Mind you, the amount of paint I used, especially on the Comet to get the right BOAC paint scheme, and the amount of ballast needed to trim them both for flight probably ensured that the Jetex 100 wouldn't have been much better!
Blimey, I've found the photos, taken on my trusty Brownie 127 and home processed! Date - mid-fifties, I think.
Needless to say, both models finally succumbed to the breaker's match; being large they produced quite a good blaze.
I had the Frog Mark 5 fighter as well, I seem to remember it flew quite well
for a while
I've still got models of HMS Victory and HMS Ark Royal, both with hulls carved from solid. They're displayed in the corner cabinet in the sitting room (wife must have been impressed with the standard of work!) It took me three years to get up the courage to do the Victory - the rigging diagram was a nightmare for a young lad!
A few months ago I found a box of old models and decided that they were beyond economic repair so with considerable regret I chucked them. They included the Airfix Concorde (Air France colours) and an Aer Lingus F27.
I think I'll get myself one of those Space Models Concordes (keep Brian Pugsley comfortable in his retirement); I've got some birthday money kept hidden from my wife's shopping fund!
Nown where's that Revell JF90/EFA kit gone?
Blimey, I've found the photos, taken on my trusty Brownie 127 and home processed! Date - mid-fifties, I think.
Needless to say, both models finally succumbed to the breaker's match; being large they produced quite a good blaze.
I had the Frog Mark 5 fighter as well, I seem to remember it flew quite well
for a while
I've still got models of HMS Victory and HMS Ark Royal, both with hulls carved from solid. They're displayed in the corner cabinet in the sitting room (wife must have been impressed with the standard of work!) It took me three years to get up the courage to do the Victory - the rigging diagram was a nightmare for a young lad!
A few months ago I found a box of old models and decided that they were beyond economic repair so with considerable regret I chucked them. They included the Airfix Concorde (Air France colours) and an Aer Lingus F27.
I think I'll get myself one of those Space Models Concordes (keep Brian Pugsley comfortable in his retirement); I've got some birthday money kept hidden from my wife's shopping fund!
Nown where's that Revell JF90/EFA kit gone?
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Wow, alot of very nice & interesting posts here 
I used to make alot of model aircraft when I was younger, I used to buy all sorts, but not just model aircraft, I had tanks, ships, formual 1 cars, Le man racing cars, touringcars....Just about everything & anything I fancied.
My first model, not a kit, but a 'Matchbox' model....Well a toy, it was a little Harrier, I think a GR1? I got that for my 4th or 5th birthday, that was my pride & joy, took it everywhere with me....Until I lost it, oooooo how I cried. Then later in life, I started saving up my pocket money & started buying cheap airfix kits, then when I got my first job, started getting even more kits, but only for a couple of year, I got fed up with buying them. I used to buy, say for example, a few Harriers at a time & paint them in different colours, squadron markings etc. I done that with every RAF aircraft, so you can imagine how many I had, it got to a point where I had no where else to put them, so, end result, giving them away....Which hurt a bit.
One of the last model kits I bought was the 1/48 scale single seat Eurofighter Typhoon by Revell. A very nice kit, great attention to detail, made it look all used & worn in RAF markings, (like real RAFaircraft, I always think they look dirty, well used, which just gives them character, I think). But I always thought, on that kit, that the canopy looked too big, too tall on the aircraft......Maybe it was just me.
One of the best kits I ever had, was the 1/48 scale EE Lightning F-2A/F-6 by Airfix. I had one of each in different RAF marks, markings & colours. That was my favourite I think. Gave those away too, wishing now I kept at least one of them. But I'm thinking about getting one more, making it & have it to admire.
Now, I don't make kits anymore, I spend my time tuning, selling, fixing, modernizing guitars for a living, and of course playing them for a hobby & maybe playing for a living one day. But on pay day, I guess I should start saving up model kits again, but instead, flying off to Dubai & visiting my girlfriend/soulmate & bringing her back to Newcastle & just....Hanging around.......As you do
And whenI used to make model aircraft, I always made them look dirty etc. I think most of you might agree, they just look alot better like that
Ta-ta
I used to make alot of model aircraft when I was younger, I used to buy all sorts, but not just model aircraft, I had tanks, ships, formual 1 cars, Le man racing cars, touringcars....Just about everything & anything I fancied.
My first model, not a kit, but a 'Matchbox' model....Well a toy, it was a little Harrier, I think a GR1? I got that for my 4th or 5th birthday, that was my pride & joy, took it everywhere with me....Until I lost it, oooooo how I cried. Then later in life, I started saving up my pocket money & started buying cheap airfix kits, then when I got my first job, started getting even more kits, but only for a couple of year, I got fed up with buying them. I used to buy, say for example, a few Harriers at a time & paint them in different colours, squadron markings etc. I done that with every RAF aircraft, so you can imagine how many I had, it got to a point where I had no where else to put them, so, end result, giving them away....Which hurt a bit.
One of the last model kits I bought was the 1/48 scale single seat Eurofighter Typhoon by Revell. A very nice kit, great attention to detail, made it look all used & worn in RAF markings, (like real RAFaircraft, I always think they look dirty, well used, which just gives them character, I think). But I always thought, on that kit, that the canopy looked too big, too tall on the aircraft......Maybe it was just me.
One of the best kits I ever had, was the 1/48 scale EE Lightning F-2A/F-6 by Airfix. I had one of each in different RAF marks, markings & colours. That was my favourite I think. Gave those away too, wishing now I kept at least one of them. But I'm thinking about getting one more, making it & have it to admire.
Now, I don't make kits anymore, I spend my time tuning, selling, fixing, modernizing guitars for a living, and of course playing them for a hobby & maybe playing for a living one day. But on pay day, I guess I should start saving up model kits again, but instead, flying off to Dubai & visiting my girlfriend/soulmate & bringing her back to Newcastle & just....Hanging around.......As you do
And whenI used to make model aircraft, I always made them look dirty etc. I think most of you might agree, they just look alot better like that
Ta-ta
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I built a couple - both static and flying models. The static ones I recall were a white pine P-80 (before redesignation to F-80), a plastic DGA-4 "Mike", and a plastic P-51D with clear fuselage panels so the Merlin, tanks, radios etc. were visible.
Also had a cheap controlline trainer - with a cranky .049 glow plug engine that was really difficult to start. Also several scratch-built rubber-power planes - one with the fuselage made of a thin balsa sheet roll-formed into a tube; a true monocoque fuselage.
I also made a small hand-launched flying wing glider that I launched from the roof on a few occasions!
But I had an older cousin who got into very early radio control (late 40s or early 50s). Windup rubber escapement giving rudder control only (neutral, hard left, neutral, hard right...) He later went on to restore fullscale biplanes and won several trophies.
Also had a cheap controlline trainer - with a cranky .049 glow plug engine that was really difficult to start. Also several scratch-built rubber-power planes - one with the fuselage made of a thin balsa sheet roll-formed into a tube; a true monocoque fuselage.
I also made a small hand-launched flying wing glider that I launched from the roof on a few occasions!
But I had an older cousin who got into very early radio control (late 40s or early 50s). Windup rubber escapement giving rudder control only (neutral, hard left, neutral, hard right...) He later went on to restore fullscale biplanes and won several trophies.
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Groundgripper very nice pics.
Take a look at :
http://www.jetex.org.uk/Video/comet.wmv
for a video of a Jetex powered Comet flying at Old warden.
Take a look at :
http://www.jetex.org.uk/Video/comet.wmv
for a video of a Jetex powered Comet flying at Old warden.
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Nice video. I see that the Comet landed on the same "landing strip" as so many of mine did. I feel sure that I thought that real aircraft should also land in trees.
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Hi S'land.
You may have found these already, but if not here's a few more
New Page 1
Groundgripper,
being a Lancastrian I trust that are familair with Arthur Garnett Model supplies at Colne. Worth a trip just to see all the beautifully painted plastic models in the shop.
You may have found these already, but if not here's a few more
New Page 1
Groundgripper,
being a Lancastrian I trust that are familair with Arthur Garnett Model supplies at Colne. Worth a trip just to see all the beautifully painted plastic models in the shop.
Thanks JJ.
That video takes me back a few, no, make that many, years. From the way the owner was shaking his hand it would seem that he picked the aircraft up by the hot bit.
Bet he lit the fuse with his fag, as well!
I've still got a Jetex racing car and helicopter somewhere - never could get the latter to perform and the local park keeper wasn't too keen on it either, even well before the days of health and safety!
Anyone else remember the Schoolboys Exhibition (?) at Earls Court Olympia in the early fifties? Essential annual visit (mind you, me dad used to enjoy it as much as I did). I've also got a meta fuel powered boat from that era.
GG
Sorry, slight thread drift.
That video takes me back a few, no, make that many, years. From the way the owner was shaking his hand it would seem that he picked the aircraft up by the hot bit.
Bet he lit the fuse with his fag, as well!
I've still got a Jetex racing car and helicopter somewhere - never could get the latter to perform and the local park keeper wasn't too keen on it either, even well before the days of health and safety!
Anyone else remember the Schoolboys Exhibition (?) at Earls Court Olympia in the early fifties? Essential annual visit (mind you, me dad used to enjoy it as much as I did). I've also got a meta fuel powered boat from that era.
GG
Sorry, slight thread drift.
Always had a soft spot for the Frog kits, must have been because of the paint schemes shown on the header cards or boxes. They also seem to produce some odd ball kits like the Fairey Delta, Westland Wappiti, DH Hornet and Fairey Barracuda. Didn't they go bankrupt in the early 1970's and the moulds got sold to a Russian company.
Anyone have any websites or links to Frog kits
Anyone have any websites or links to Frog kits
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Didn't they go bankrupt in the early 1970's and the moulds got sold to a Russian company.
being a Lancastrian I trust that are familair with Arthur Garnett Model supplies at Colne. Worth a trip just to see all the beautifully painted plastic models in the shop.
Many moons ago, the Company for which I worked was involved in the promotion of the Osprey to the Army Air Corps and I was delegated to go and man the stand at the Middle Wallop show for which we had been promised a big model of the aircraft.
Four days before the show started we found out that we weren't getting the model................
Panic!!
Then the boss man said "you make models, here's a kit for you, find someone else to make this other one - see you at the weekend!".........
Personal panic - times two!!
We decided that my model would be 'wheels down', his would be 'wheels up' (which latter involved me 'borrowing' a stand from our selection of models in the Sales Presentation Room, the model being held in place by the surreptitious application of Blu-Tack!). Next few nights the two of us burned the midnight oil and I went down to Hampshire with the paint still wet on both models, I applied the decals after breakfast on the morning the show started.
I was completely amazed that no-one apparently noticed, during the entire show, that these were not professionally produced - even someone very high up (so to speak) in the Army Air Corps complemented us on them. (Actually, said Staff Officer was quite uncomplimentary about the Osprey itself, but then had the cheek to bring his wife along next day and tell her what a clever system it was
).Because it was a trade show everyone assumed that they had been built professionally and had cost the company a small fortune. Just as well they didn't take too close a look!Isn't it marvellous what you can do with a couple of £7.95 Revell 1/48th scale kits and a bit of bullsh1t! Must have been the high point of my modelling career - doesn't take much to please me.
The poor old thing looks a bit dusty now, but it's on the shelf with all the others (including the Concorde model that's just arrived from the BA shop).
GG