A NOSTALGIC TRIBUTE TO FROG MODEL KITS

[The Cameraman]

On 21 April 2017 at 9:12 PM, Paul J said:

Found my old FROG catalogue from an earlier period than my later ones. Pics:

 

 

 

My fave wants would be the Beaver and Sealand as starters!!  A lot of these were on sale over in Canada back in my 2006 trip when I visited the RCAF Museum at Trenton. I bougt the Hampden for $15.00CDN. Sold it a couple years later.

In this bottom pic, the kits on left were all odd scale fit the box kits except for the big airliners that were 1/96 and Herald at 1/72.  Those on right were all mainly 1/72nd.

Hi PaulJ,

 

what a great catalogue.

 

I only have one of those kits in my stash, and those who know me won't be surprised as to what it is, it's the Beaver! I think it's a 1/80th scale, or something like that and it's really different than the Airfix or Hobbycraft kits, as it's the Series 2 Beaver, which they only ever made one production version of, complete with the odd tail and Leonides engine.

 

Good luck with your continued hunt.

 

 

[RickL454]

Adley  - congrats on a great topic.  This is one of the best threads I've ever read.  Thank you!!

. 

[CJP]

When I was young I loved making the Frog kits and many Seahawks, Attackers, Gannets passed through my hands - I still have a couple of Frog models that I made over the years - this Sea Vixen FAW2 must be 30+ years old and I recently got it out of its storage box and gave it a makeover - I was pleased with the result and decided to try it in a dramatic flight pose - even though there are shape issues mainly with the front fuselage it is still an impressive model I think.

[Gav G]

Time for a thread resurrection

 

This is an amazing thread, which I spent most of Friday night reading (yes, I must get out more!).  I'd seen a FROG kit on eBay going very cheap and wondered if they were any good.  Needless to say, I may pick one up sometime.  Whilst the 70's etc kits might be going cheap, the earlier stuff appears to be very collectable with this FROG Penguin kit of a Hawker Hart currently at £240 on eBay.

 

On 3/2/2017 at 10:56 PM, TonyTiger66 said:

My childhood was spent between the UK and Oz. In the UK quite a bit of time was spent in Sheffield. In the 1970's it had what seemed to be a huge toy shop in the city centre called 'Redgates'. 

 

This place was heaven for me as a child, probably hell for my mother!

Redgates was an amazing place, I think it covered 4 floors in total.  I was very disappointed when it closed, it was like losing part of my childhood.

 

I can't remember seeing any FROG kits when I was younger, I mainly built Airfix with some Revell and Matchbox in the 70's although it also competed with Lego and Meccano.  By the '80s I was into computers and AD&D and so painted Warhammer figures for a few years instead.  After that life intervened and I've not long got back into the hobby after one failed attempt at an Airfix age of sail ship of some form about 15 years ago.  It was a bloody awful kit and I ended up throwing that and another one away.

 

And in keeping with some of the other posts, I present:

 

[old thumper]

Yes an excellent topic. If Airfix the Golden Years group build gets voted in for 2018 I shall propose a Frog Group Build for 2019.

There is currently an on going Matchbox Group Build that is really good if anyone fancies joining it.

 

 

The link below will take you to the Matchbox GB.

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/604-matchbox-gb-ii/

Edited November 13, 2017 by old thumper

[TonyW]

FROG models have always been a favourite of mine. I built some of the smaller ones as a kid,  however the lower price of Airfix kits and the limitations of available pocket money meant that there were not many FROG kits on my shelves.

 

Fast forward to now and things are a bit different. I have a half way sensible collection of built and boxed kits although nowhere near a full collection. With prices as they are for my missing kits, I suspect I'll never have the lot.

 

Anyway, here's a few of my lot...

 

 

 

 

 

[old thumper]

Frog had almost vanished from the shelves by the time I appeared on the modelling scene in the mid 70's. I did build a few Novo kits back then though, i picked them mostly because they were so cheap.   

[cocky05d]

Hi ,when did Frog start including a picture frame in with their kits?I remember you built the model then cut the picture from the top of the box.

Can't remember which kits i built ,it was Frog that did it wasn't it?

[TonyW]

10 hours ago, cocky05d said:

Hi ,when did Frog start including a picture frame in with their kits?I remember you built the model then cut the picture from the top of the box.

Can't remember which kits i built ,it was Frog that did it wasn't it?

That would be the Battle of Britain sets, released to tie in with the film.

 Here's the sett list and a picture of the BoB sets by Mario Wenns.

 

F510 Ju 87G 7 Hawker Hurricane IIC
F511 Ju 88A & Supermarine spitfire IA/VA
F512 Blenheim I & Messerschmitt Bf 109F

 

 

There were three other sets that didn't have a BoB connection, sales must have been good enough of the BoB issues to encourage a few more.

 

F520/F530 Bristol Beaufort & Messerschmitt Bf-109F
F521/F531 Junkers Ju88A & Suprmarine Spitfire IA/VA
F522/F532 DAP Beaufighter 21 & Focke-Wulf FW 190A

 

All of them are highly collectable today.

 

 

 

Tony.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by TonyW
credit given

[cocky05d]

8 hours ago, TonyW said:

That would be the Battle of Britain sets, released to tie in with the film.

 Here's the sett list and a picture of the BoB sets by Mario Wenns.

 

F510 Ju 87G 7 Hawker Hurricane IIC
F511 Ju 88A & Supermarine spitfire IA/VA
F512 Blenheim I & Messerschmitt Bf 109F

 

 

There were three other sets that didn't have a BoB connection, sales must have been good enough of the BoB issues to encourage a few more.

 

F520/F530 Bristol Beaufort & Messerschmitt Bf-109F
F521/F531 Junkers Ju88A & Suprmarine Spitfire IA/VA
F522/F532 DAP Beaufighter 21 & Focke-Wulf FW 190A

 

All of them are highly collectable today.

 

 

 

Tony.

 

 

Hi thanks for your reply and the photos ,i forget which kit i had .It was possible to have the aircraft stands attached to the  frame if i remember right .

[krow113]

My first. 

Recently re-purchased after 40 years , brought back a lot of memories.

Sitting in my Dads lap watching it get built as I was too young.

Thanks Frog:

[Rover420]

My goodness, I have only just seen this topic. Having spent two hours reading through it my memory is full of wonderful times. I still think of the Stuka I built while it was raining on a Saturday afternoon. An evening building the Hurricane when it was snowing on a cold December night. The Shackleton with its true size rivets, and feeling down when I realised that a ski was missing from the Katyuska. I loved FROG kits and I still think of them when its raining, Snowing?, or summer days for the Mk xiv and V1. I can also remember building the Mk xiv as a pr19 posing as a Mk xiv in SEAC colours. In other words as there was no PR19 kit at the time and I wanted a BBMF Spitfire, I went round it this way! oh those were the days.

[celt]

I have recently bought a few Frog kits and they are just up my street,basic and simple.I have done the Corsair and Vengeance and have just bought the Hellcat,Wildcat and Swordfish,all cheaper than the latest kits from Airfix and the like.

[keefr22]

7 hours ago, celt said:

I have done the Corsair and Vengeance

 

Where's the pics...?! 

 

K

[TonyW]

A few more of mine to keep things rolling along...

 

 

 

 

 

The FROG stands were things of beauty.

 

Tony.

[TonyTiger66]

There are so many of us that love these kits. Should we try to get a group build?

 

Maybe an Out Of Box group build; one that we can thoroughly enjoy, bereft of worries of accuracy correction, re-scribing and so on?

 

Just build Frog/Novo/Eastern European re-pops like we’re all kids again?

 

I guess it would be a 2019 GB now, that’s ok. I have a strange love for the FROG Maryland  

 

Any thoughts? I’d be happy to host but for health reasons would need a co-host.

 

Best regards

TonyT 🐯 

[Gav G]

A GB sounds like a great idea, I would certainly join in with that one.

4 hours ago, TonyW said:

 

I really like your Sea Vixen build

[Eric Mc]

I'm a huge fan of FROG or FROG sourced kits and I still build them on a  regular basis.

 

I completed these not that long ago - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ventora3300]

3 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

I'm a huge fan of FROG or FROG sourced kits and I still build them on a  regular basis

All magnificent models but fantastic action pose for the Spit and Doodlebug!

 

 

[Eric Mc]

Thanks. I wanted to try a slightly different pose to the standard "tail chase" that you got using the supplied stand.

[celt]

17 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Where's the pics...?! 

 

K

Hi Keith,sorry but I don't post photos anymore on this forum,if I can get to a meeting sometime I will bring said photos  with me.

[Andy Robbins]

I’ve got a Sealand that I tracked down last year, having wanted one for many years. It really is a nice kit, though very much ‘of its time’. The Rapide is really nice too, really petite detailing. I’ll post pics when I can.

[Neil.C]

New here and just seen this thread.

 

What a marvellous trip down memory lane for an old codger like me!

 

I remember my Mum getting me a couple of Frog kits for Christmas in the '60's that were on offer in one of her Women's magazines.

 

The models in question were a Martin Marauder and HMS Warspite, both came just in the plastic bags, complete but with no boxes.

 

The Warspite was grey and the Marauder a sandy colour. Also recall  an ME109E in light blue plastic? Long gone now of course but happy memories!

 

Thanks to the OP and all the thread participants. So interesting.

[Troy Smith]

9 hours ago, Neil.C said:

What a marvellous trip down memory lane for an old codger like me!

by the sounds of you will fit right in,  there are an awful lot of  "old codgers"  here and little fragments like this

 

9 hours ago, Neil.C said:

I remember my Mum getting me a couple of Frog kits for Christmas in the '60's that were on offer in one of her Women's magazines.

The models in question were a Martin Marauder and HMS Warspite, both came just in the plastic bags, complete but with no boxes.

The Warspite was grey and the Marauder a sandy colour.

are fascinating details to add into a thread like this.   Any idea what magazine perhaps?

cheers

T

[Max Headroom]

Their kits were the first I saw on a large scale. I remember a corner shop near me and on a door in the back corner was decorated with rows of bagged kits. I definitely ‘bagged’ an MS.406 and struggling with the transfer for the Swiss option for the tail as it kept coming off in y fingers.

 

Trevor