Jump to content

Your first aircraft model ?


Nachtwulf

Recommended Posts

Do you remember your first aircraft modeling experience?

 

Mine was  when I was 4 years old building a 1/48 Monogram Helldiver , well actually with lots of help from my Dad. I remember thinking that the under wing radar pods must be for floating on water, so I played with it in the bathtub! Later on when I was 12 I thought I had achieved advanced modeller status when I was able to assemble a model without getting glue fingerprints on the canopy. Back then I couldn't wait to get building and gluing whilst at most painting the wheels and props black and maybe one other color like silver. Now I can't assemble anything straight out of the box.:shrug:

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first one was about in 1962, the Mongram 1/32 Grumman Gulfhawk.  They re-issued it about 30 years ago and I have it waiting in the stash to get built as soon as I can ever get around to finishing my WNW FE2b.  In the mean time I have several 72nd scale projects going right now.

Later,

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1/72 Revell B-26 Peashooter, sometime in the mid-1970s, with lots of help from my dad.

Brush painted in bright colors (blue/red/yellow).

Got hooked at plastic modelling immediately!

Yes it's as bad as they tell you: you need just to try it once .... and you're stuck forever ...

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello

Fokker Dr.I, Revell 1/72 in 1971. I think decals included were for Werner Voss' machine. My mother did most of the work with assembly but I painted it all by myself, if splashing of a gloss blue paint all over the place (some of it on a model, too) can be called painting. Otherwise I agree with Roman: addiction hazard with this hobby is significant and I was powerless to resist. Cheers

Jure

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st one was the Airfix Harrier that a Scottish friend of my parents had brought as present for my birth (one wonders what some People think, really...) some years earlier. Prepainted by my uncle, my father did most if not all of the assembly work (had I done it, I'd have made the fuselage to properly Close up :devil:). This must have been sometime in early 1978 or so. First proper one was the new tool (then...) Airfix Whirlwind, bought at DM 4,75 at the neighbourhood newsstand and slapped together in two or three hours. Painted (around the decals) some time later. Both of them as well as most of my other childhodd kits still exist, in various states of disrepair.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Nachtwulf said:

Do you remember your first aircraft modeling experience?

 

Mine was  when I was 4 years old building a 1/48 Monogram Helldiver , well actually with lots of help from my Dad. I remember thinking that the under wing radar pods must be for floating on water, so I played with it in the bathtub! Later on when I was 12 I thought I had achieved advanced modeller status when I was able to assemble a model without getting glue fingerprints on the canopy. Back then I couldn't wait to get building and gluing whilst at most painting the wheels and props black and maybe one other color like silver. Now I can't assemble anything straight out of the box.:shrug:

Mine was an Airfix Westland Whirlwind helicopter built when I was five. As for the last bit about not being able to build anything out of the box; you're not my long lost twin are you?

 

Martian 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because it was so long ago and my mind plays tricks, I'm not 100% sure of the facts, but I can remember building one of the Airfix bagged kits. If I remember correctly, it was an F-94c Starfire and I painted it a lovely shade of emerald green. The pilot was one of those that was moulded in with one fuselage side. Happy days.

 

John.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Circa 1977.... Airfix's Fairey Battle or the Blohm & Voss BV 141.... followed within a few years by a 1/24 Harrier and Junkers Ju-87... I was a lot braver back then (brush p

ainted and not a hint of aftermarket)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, Bullbasket said:

Because it was so long ago and my mind plays tricks, I'm not 100% sure of the facts

 

Me too. I seem to recall it may have been an introduction to the bf-109E Trop at 1/72. I have specific memory of the curious protruding sand filter; the discovery that yellow paint does not cover well; & the frustration that Mr Messerschmitt got the design of his undercarriage all wrong .. far too fragile!

Edited by greggles.w
  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, greggles.w said:

 

Me too. I seem to recall it may have been an introduction to the bf-109E Trop at 1/72. I have specific memory of the curious protruding sand filter; the discovery that yellow paint does not cover well; & the frustration that Mr Messerschmitt got the design of his undercarriage all wrong .. far too fragile!

I definitely recall thinking I knew better than who ever designed some of these things! I loved aircraft with lots of symmetry which mean I favored twin engine things. I just could not get past the offset nose gear on the Revell A-10! It was obvious to me that the person building the model for the box top photo must have made a mistake!:frantic:

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Nachtwulf said:

I loved aircraft with lots of symmetry which mean I favored twin engine things. I just could not get past the offset nose gear on the Revell A-10!

 

.. what might you have thought of the Blohm & Voss BV 141!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, greggles.w said:

what might you have thought of the Blohm & Voss BV 141!

 

....that it had been designed by a committee!!

 

John.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Because it was so long ago and my mind plays tricks, I'm not 100% sure of the facts, but I can remember building one of the Airfix bagged kits. If I remember correctly, it was an F-94c Starfire and I painted it a lovely shade of emerald green. The pilot was one of those that was moulded in with one fuselage side. Happy days.

 

John.

Airfix didn't do an F-94 - Comet/Frog, perhaps (though Scalemates doesn't yield hits for either) ? Revell had a larger F-94C, but I ***think*** it came with a separate one-piece interior.

EDIT: Comet did, but hard to find pix.

Edited by tempestfan
Link added
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah well, there you go. I said it was a long while go. Riddles had not long designed the Britannias, and the Evening Star had still to be built!!

 

John (feeling my age).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine was either a Revell 1/72 Sopwith Camel or an Airfix Spad. I was 5 or 6 years old, and had just discovered that my Cousin built models (We'd just moved to Winnipeg and I hadn't met him before). My young eyes were opened to the fact that I could have those airplanes I was so fascinated with in the palm of my hand instead of merely watching them go by...

Dolls soon took second place (Except most of them learned to fly in the confines of my imagination).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gosh, this makes me seem old...  hang on ... I am old.

My first kit?  Well the first i recall was an Aurora B52 Stratofortress, and it was some time in the mid 1950's. 

Big aircraft, small model.  Not sure what thescale would have been.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first aircraft was also my first model about 14 years ago.

 

A 1/72 Typoon. Work hard to finish that. Eventually bought another to replace all the bits I had messed up on.

 

But determined to finish despite a Badger which was horrible and Humbrol paint which was horrible. But

it is on the shelf the little--- monkey. Sits there looking at me. But it got me on my way and I learnt so

much.

 

Except to quit model making. :yikes:

 

Laurie

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

" Do you remember back in 1966 ". I quote this ZZ Top song as that was when I assembled my first aircraft kit when I was 11. It was a 1/72 Revell Nieuport 17. I had finished an incomplete 1/25 car kit that my older brother hadn't finished. The Nieuport was the first kit of any type or scale that I had started and finished. During the next 15 years I would go on to do over 100 more.

 

 

Chris

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My guess is a lot of us would have (at least) TWO qualifying answers to this! One from when we were kids with pocket money, and one from when we returned to the important stuff in later life after the usual distractions. OK, I know some of us managed to stay in the ring throughout, but hey...!

With that in mind:

 

1. Airfix 1/72 Lancaster (Late 1950s?) -Dad bought it in Woolies as a madcap surprise; I was thrilled as a wean can be 'cause it looked HERRR-YUGE. Even though Le Pere ended up building it, and in a state of befuddlement due to the inclusion of the instruction sheet for a Wimpey instead of a Lanc. Yes, they had Friday nights even back then!

 

2. Academy 1/48 T-33A (2005) -from the best store EVER, Aviation Hobyshop (now AJ Aviation Bookstore)! Interest re-kindled by various documentaries on Discovery Wings (RIP), one of 3 worthwhile cable channels we had at the time. How did it work out? Not great. But just decent enough to spark a New Wave of Heavy Modelling...with NO pocket money!

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, AngstROM said:

My guess is a lot of us would have (at least) TWO qualifying answers to this! One from when we were kids with pocket money, and one from when we returned to the important stuff in later life after the usual distractions. OK, I know some of us managed to stay in the ring throughout, but hey...!

With that in mind:

 

1. Airfix 1/72 Lancaster (Late 1950s?) -Dad bought it in Woolies as a madcap surprise; I was thrilled as a wean can be 'cause it looked HERRR-YUGE. Even though Le Pere ended up building it, and in a state of befuddlement due to the inclusion of the instruction sheet for a Wimpey instead of a Lanc. Yes, they had Friday nights even back then!

 

2. Academy 1/48 T-33A (2005) -from the best store EVER, Aviation Hobyshop (now AJ Aviation Bookstore)! Interest re-kindled by various documentaries on Discovery Wings (RIP), one of 3 worthwhile cable channels we had at the time. How did it work out? Not great. But just decent enough to spark a New Wave of Heavy Modelling...with NO pocket money!

 

 

I always seem to have time or money. If for some reason I have both at the same time ( an ultra rare occurrence ), the Mrs seems to take notice and demands one or the other, sometimes both. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it........huh?......oh.......yes dear.:lalala:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it was my 7th birthday in the 80's. I was taken to a toy shop by my grandparents where I walked out with 4 models including the only one I remember clearly as the Airfix Strikemaster.

 

I got them all built in a day and it was glorious! Fingerprints, sagging wings, steps, no paint, decals anywhere I pleased.. I loved every second of it!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Airfix Ju-88, when I was six years old (45 years back). Dollopy gloss green and brown paint. My dad helped me with the cockpit and fuselage, then I did the wings on my own. Some of what I've done since then has turned out better than that one was!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...