matchbox kits?

[JamesP]

The 1/32 scale car kits are some of the best in available in that scale. Their 1/76 still stand up as great builds. Their bi-planes have for a long time been some of the most straight forward to construct and are a great "first biplane". The rather non-commercial choice of subjects mean many are the only injection moulded options available. Build them, enjoy them but don't dam a kit for being what it is.

Here are a few of mine to tempt you

Me110 AFAIK good shape and ironically not covered in trenches unlike the "new" tool Airfix kit:

Pre-production Gnat T1 converted from their RedArrows Gnat which was better than the old Airfix one by a country mile.

The still not to be forgotten Provost

Monty's Caravan a complete diorama OOB

Edited May 14, 2013 by JamesP

[Work In Progress]

The new Airfix perhaps??

If you like, it's a jolly good kit, though I was highlighting my pick of the bargain-basement older kits one finds under the tables at the shows rather than new stuff. But as it happens, I prefer the surface treatment of the Hasegawa kit, plus I can get them for around £4 a go at the shows which is a price level cheaper than the Airfix kit.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Work In Progress

[Dave Fleming]

I don't know if someone hase put this site already on, but here you can see what types of kits Matchbox have made in the past and also some other molds that were used from a different manufacturer.

http://www.matchboxkits.org/index.php?osCsid=onhf09fhc8f0b2phpr8bcua6b0

Cheers,

Excellent site, thanks for the link! My first kit was a Matchbox Hurricane, and their Sea Harrier kit arrived just at the right time to fuel an obsession that continues to this day!

Actually, I'm reminded that I always thought the 1/32 soldiers box arts were based on famous faces - what do you think?

http://www.matchboxkits.org/index.php?cPath=127_128_131&osCsid=onhf09fhc8f0b2phpr8bcua6b0

Edited May 14, 2013 by Dave Fleming

[woody37]

I still get huge fun for building the Matchbox kits. Admittedly some are complete pants but some are real good starting points and most of all, they're nostalgic

[Julien]

I'd avoid the Ju 188 too -

I dont know this one looks good to me.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234939399-172-junkers-ju-188f-1-from-matchbox/

I still get huge fun for building the Matchbox kits. Admittedly some are complete pants but some are real good starting points and most of all, they're nostalgic

That stranraer is pretty darn good.

Julien

[The wooksta V2.0]

It's a wonderful model but he hasn't corrected the two major flaws - the solid 'glazing' underneath and the woefully undernourished undercarriage nacelles. Italeri got that bit right. And if I was being really picky, the lack of the lower gun and where's the camera ports? That's a recce aircraft!

[brewerjerry]

Hi

Maybe its the retro feeling for my teen years, but I like the matchbox kits,every now and then i do one.

cheers

Jerry

[Sten Ekedahl]

The matchbox hunter is IMHO a disaster shapewise, particularly the front where the fuselage sections are too wide while being of the correct height. The result is that every section that should be round becomes oval. The canopy suffers as well as a result, being too wide at the front. The two-seater parts are better but again the shape of the forward fuselage is not good and the fairing behind the canopy is really too square in section. Aeroclub used to do a couple of vacform corrections for both single and two-seaters that dramatically improved the shape of the models.

Indeed! I built a single seater many, many years ago. I filled the whole nose with Milliput before joining the fuselage, and then sanded the nose to a circular cross section. On each side of the nose there was a large area with no plastic left at all, when I was done! The front of the canopy was also filed and sanded to a more reasonable shape (the clear plastic is thick enough for this). Also the air intakes needed correction. When seen from the front, the upper and lower edges were curved instead of straight.

[GreenDragon]

A lot of kits nowadays cost so much I'm afraid to touch them! I love my stash of Matchbox kits because I don't feel guilty about chopping them up! Here's a couple of pics from a few years ago.

Stranraer and Do18 X kit to make a Pirate Plane

Ju188, Do18 and Tempest II X kit

Paul Harrison

[rwoolven76]

As a recent returner to model building after a long time away, and tackling it properly for the first time as an adult, I thought I'd add my two penneth.

I agree it's down to what you want from the hobby, the individual kit and how good you are.

I currently own 3 kits of the Me410 in 1/72 and one of those is the Matchbox kit from 1974. When I first looked at it I was horrified that I'd purchased a child's toy rather than a serious model, but when I compared it to the Fine molds and italeri kits, the level of detail for something that was made before I was born impresses me.

Perhaps I'm a bit pathetic but to me, inside that box is a gem just waiting to be built. Whether or not my skills will do it justice is down to me, but is part of the fun. For me, each kit has a story and so, if I can make it work OOB then that's what I like to do. Either way, it has to be better than it ending up in landfill, having never even been started.

Richard

[dazdot]

they're ok its just finding them, as danni said the sea venom is the only game in town and a bit of a filler hog but its a cracking kit be prepared to scratch some seats up though lol for the most part brilliant for nostalgia

[theplasticsurgeon]

I once got as far as cross kitting the Matchbox T.55 fuselage with the Airfix 1 wings. It was a good fit. However swapping the ventral tank went horribly wrong at the rear end with the fit between the two being totally different. Had I overcome that I could have got a decent T4 or 5 out of it.

Rousing encouragement to try again.

That's exactly what I did to create this Lightning T5

But as with so many things in life - don't let anyone look under the tail

Edited May 15, 2013 by theplasticsurgeon

[bigh827]

Not the only producer of a 1/72 Char B. Trumpeter make one, too.

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/a/gb2312/product/armor/1_72xilie/2010/0907/730.html

Chris

I thought some one had but couldn't besure. Seeing the parts, it doesn't look any better, not even the tracks.

Edited May 18, 2013 by bigh827

[Manipled Mutineer]

Matchbox kits were a bit before my time so I don't have the nostalgia effect; however I recently picked up a P47 as part of a job lot and notwithstanding all the criticisms find myself childishly excited at the prospect of building it, which is more than I can say for some kits!

[Michael louey]

Just reading Vulcan 607. It reminded me that the only way to get a HP Victor is thanks to Matchbox. I think the plane looks great but I haven't got one as it is large and not in my main build themes.

Their Norseman though has filled a nice niche though...

Cheers

Michael

[mhaselden]

Matchbox kits were a bit before my time so I don't have the nostalgia effect; however I recently picked up a P47 as part of a job lot and notwithstanding all the criticisms find myself childishly excited at the prospect of building it, which is more than I can say for some kits!

Young whippersnapper! With you on the "childishly excited" part though...all that horribly gorgeous multi-coloured plastic. Happy days!

Edited May 16, 2013 by mhaselden

[Max Headroom]

Plastic Surgeon!

I would do it again but the kits are long scrapped.

Maybe I'll wait for Airfix to do a T.4/5 to go with the Vampire T.11. It can only be a matter of time because I'm site the forthcoming F2A/6 will be a runaway success.

Trevor

[keefr22]

Plastic Surgeon!

I would do it again but the kits are long scrapped.

Maybe I'll wait for Airfix to do a T.4/5 to go with the Vampire T.11. It can only be a matter of time because I'm site the forthcoming F2A/6 will be a runaway success.

Trevor

Except they'll need to do an F1/3 first...!!

[Max Headroom]

Except they'll need to do an F1/3 first...!!

or both........

Trevor

[keefr22]

Yep, that would be fine..!!

[Albeback52]

Heaven forbid!! I AM only a mere modeller who doesn't take his hobby seriously!! Lol! After 40+ years modelling, that won't change! Yes, I love those Matchbox kits. Always did. I think their approach was right and, their choice of subjects very commendable (and in some cases, STILL unique as far as I'm aware - at least in I M form).

I have the following in my stash ;

Hawker Tempest (3)

PB4Y Privateer (3)

Supermarine Stranraer (2)

Vickers Wellesley

Fairey Seafox (2)

H P Heyford (2)

H P Victor

HE-115

Dornier DO-18

Basic? Yes, of course they are but, there's nothing that cannot be addressed with a bit of T L C. They are in my view, excellent starting subjects for beginners and, good raw material for more experienced modellers. I cannot comment on the 1/32 aircraft kits as I have never built any. As far as "accuracy" or otherwise goes, I don't give a rats a***! I leave that to others to agonise over!

Allan

[modelfan]

Great pics of all the matchbox kits they would look good in museums cannot wait to do my Matchbox Boston

[old thumper]

I'm a really big fan of Matchbox, these kits are always fun to put together and always turn out looking nice. Sometimes I am forced into buying kits from manufacturers like Azur when there is nothing else available, what a load of absolute crud these kits are compared to Matchbox, rubbish vacuum canopies, rubbish resin parts, annoying and rubbish photo-etched parts, diabolical instructions, badly fitting parts, bland surface detail and four times the price of an old Matchbox kit.

[cossack52]

i can remember the first matchbox kits i saw;in a paper shop at 23p!in my opinion,quite a few of them lack detail,and underwing stores where appropriate,but for some reason the inter-war types seemed more delicately done,and the interplane strut system was great,

[HOUSTON]

WOW !! Some really nice models from you Gentlemen... outstanding kits aren't they..

Edited December 30, 2014 by HOUSTON