discussion Who has the oldest model kit?

[pjgtech]

Just pondering after our recent vintage Airfix GB, who has the oldest kit?
Can be any kit from any manufacturer.
It can be a kit you've already built, or one in the stash waiting to be built.
Just curious and just a bit of fun....



For me I had a 1970's Airfix HMS Fearless (now built) and also a 1970's Airfix Arado 196 float plane (also recently built), but AFAIK I've got nothing older, but I do have a couple of "old" kits from some auction buys that I may have to investigate just how old they are?

 

[stillp]

I think the oldest I have is a Frog 1/72 Sea Fury in the plastic bag, which was released in 1966. Still has the price of 3/6d written on the card.
Pete

 

[Nicko]

I built a Frog FW190 for the Alan G memorial group build which was a new tool in 1959. I bought that one sometime in the mid-seventies along with a bunch of other Frog kits some of which i still have in the stash.

Nick

 

[minitnkr]

Most of my 1/87 scale models started as ROCO Minitanks released in the US in the early 60s, when I started purchasing and remodeling them. They have improved over the years and are now owned by ArsenalM.

 

[davecov]

I have a 1956 poly-bagged Airfix 1/32 1910 Model 'T' Ford (1337) which is closely followed by a 1957 poly-bagged Airfix 1/32 1907 Lanchester Landaulette (1394).

Dave

 

[Miko]

I have a 1/72 Frog Canberra PR 7 from, according to scalemates , 1955

I'm building it as a what if? 'Stratos4' aircrew trainer' using the crew from Airfix TSR2 MS kit.

In the same way the anime replaced the TSR2 with MiG31 I will replace the Yakovlev Yak28 for a Canberra PR7

 

[Miko]

I'm surprised that being the 'Airfix Tribute Forum' founder you don't have a Ferguson tractor?

 

[stillp]

I wonder when my SME (Scale Model Engineering) XK120 was launched?
Scalemates doesn't seem to know them.
Pete

 

[davecov]

Pete, I believe it was produced in the early Fifties but I cannot be more precise than that.

Dave

 

[Miko]

1953 or1954, depends which one you mean. the curves on that car are almost feminine in their beauty!

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/smec-3-s-jaguar-xk-120--1324554

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/smec-a-1-jaguar-xk120--1478812

 

[pjgtech]

Just been through my stash and I have a 1968 kit - an Airfix - Henschel H.S. 129 in 1:72 scale.
Looks like that is my oldest one, but have a few from the 80's including:
Matchbox - Westland Lynx
Matchbox - Ju87 Stuka
Matchbox - Heinkel He 70F-2

 

[stillp]

Good find Miko, thanks. I bought it in their sale, when they pulled out of the model business to concentrate on hi-fi equipment. Probably in the mid sixties.
Pete

 

[Miko]

Is that the HiFi manufacturer? I coveted their tonearms for years! I currently use a Rega RB250 with an Elys II cartridge

 

[rtfoe]

I don't know about old but I built a reissue of an Airfix 1/72 RE8 from an old mold dated 1958 on the inside of the kit...here it is together with the completed kit in a diorama.



Cheers,
Wabble

 

[flyjoe180]

These are my oldest kits.

From 1960, two new tool Airfix kits, the Douglas C-47 and Dornier 217E, both in 1/72:



From 1955, the Lindberg Junker Ju88, in a strange 1:64 scale, but with lots of extra details, trolleys and a ground crew:


This was also released with the same artwork in 1959, but in an end-opening box. It was most recently re-released in 2007!

 

[Tim Marlow]

This is my boxing of the footbridge. The mouldings dates from 1958, but mine is a little later.



These mouldings date from 1957, but mine is a much later Dapol iteration. It’s destined to be a Normandy gaming piece, and will be suitably Frenchified to suit.


Lastly, I made this up a few years ago, also for my Normandy table. It dates again from 1958, but went together beautifully and had good detail for its time. Don’t take any notice of the scale though, this is pretty much 1/87, no matter what the heading paper says.

I also have the Telegraph poles and fences and gates from the same range (and for the same reasons), though I can’t say how old they are as scalemates doesn’t seem to have a timeline for them. I had more of these line side and railway rolling stock ranges from my old railway modelling days, but sold them on during Covid.

 

[Geoffers]

I’ve got nothing really old in my stash

I’ve nothing against older kits it’s just that most of the models of subjects I’m interested in have been superceded by more modern toolings.

The oldest original tooled kit I have is this from 1978 but mine is a recent re-release



Geoff.

 

[Nicko]

Oh yes, I forgot about these. I have a Scammell Scarab and JCB from Dapol that are really old tooling....

Nick

 

[stillp]

I wonder when my SME (Scale Model Engineering) XK120 was launched?
Scalemates doesn't seem to know them.
Pete

I suspect it was the 1953 version, as that has the registration NUB120 for Ian Appleyard's XK120, which is the number provided as a sticker in the kit. Mine came in a plain brown card box with no instructions. If I can find it I'll put up a photo but I've no idea which of my mini-stashes it's in. It was a strange mixture of media: beautifully turned brass wheels, exhaust was a piece of alloy rod bent to shape and drilled at the end, but the floorpan/chassis is just a cut piece of fibre board and the windscreen is just a stamped piece of celluloid. The tyres provided were really nicely moulded Dunlops, with the size clearly moulded on the sidewall, but unfortunately I left them near some solvent and 3 of them fused together!
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Oh yes, I forgot about these. I have a Scammell Scarab and JCB from Dapol that are really old tooling....

Nick

The JCB started off as a wagon load for the Lowloader railway wagon I think Nick. It became a separate item when Dapol took the moulds over from Airfix….