Peter van Lune

I love this model - the first ever plastic kit of the Me.109, in fact the B-version, with 2 prop blades. Please notice the original swastika transfer - they had no problem with that back in those days, quite in contrast to the way the symbol was removed from decal sheets in the 1970s was it? Painted according to the instruction sheet - now here it becomes difficult for present day modellers... Do I adhere to the instructions or do I paint according to my own www investigations ;-). I have enough spare parts in the aforementioned spare parts box for 2 Me.109s and think I will follow the instructions on 1 model at least - just for sake of history. Dont think I have the original transfers however....

The preservation and possible restoration of the Espensen Collection is in fact one my biggest concerns and questions. Shown here are only the models that were issued pre war. Vagn did a perfect job in collecting an almost complete Penguin collection, but especially the post war models could do with a make-over, or update - how shall we call it... It would give a far better representation of the model, but it would ruin its original state. The greatest concern happens to be also the rarest model, the Short Empire - desperately in need of restoration with severe warping problems, but as yet have not dared to tackle this problem...

Would love to add some photos of my Penguin models - after all, what is FROG without a Penguin ;-). I have a reasonable amount of spare parts lying around in a box, which I went through recently and tried to organize. About ten Penguins can still be restored and Im planning to spend some of my long cold Dutch winter evenings on this daunted task. The first model is one of 2 original Short Singapores, restored by the late Vagn Espensen. Now, the detailing on the wings is not plastic - it is made up of long strips of thickened paper that had to be glued in place, each one seperately. Some of the paint is starting to come off, have no idea of when this model was actually built and painted. According so to some sources, some of the initially issued models had a wooden middle wing intersection, with two adjoining acetate (end) sections. It is exactly on this middle section the paint is starting to peel - perhaps an indication that wood is underneath? No idea yet.. Although the model is crude in detailing, I am still astounded as to the detailing of both machine guns, which shows how much detailing was possible way back in 1937.

Im so sorry I did not met you earlier, since I would have loved to add your memories to my Penguin book. Like how all Penguins had the same props (and pilot's seats, etc.), just to spare their expenses in designing and moulding new parts. From other modellers that shared their memories, I also noticed that the Penguins were not available in the same way the bagged Airfix kits could be found.

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Hi Will - yes the Penguin Series 9 are included - as elusive as they appear to be... I have documented about this range and every other Penguin kit all I was able to find in the past 10 years - and yes, I am sure Murphy's Law will show itself in a way as predicted: that the models that I have been chasing for so long will show up after publication, but its impossible to cover all of it - maybe in a future 2nd edition who knows... Anyway - glad to have been able to make a dream come true and finally, after so much work, see this project finished - so many people have helped me, without whom I would never have been able to write this. Thankfull and happy - even more so if many will find out about it and enjoy it... ;-) And yes will - your Dakota is included!

Hello members! I thought I'd let you know that a new book is underways… If all goes well, and I assume it will, by December/January my book about the history of the FROG PENGUIN range will be published and available. I have spent the past 10 years working on it, during the long cold Dutch winter evenings ;-). At first not even with the idea that it might turn into a book, but it has… The book will have about 200 pages and about the same number of color/bw photos. FROG, as you may know, was started in 1932 by Charles and John Wilmot, with Joe Mansour. My book has been written with the aid and cooperation of Avril Bardoni, daughter of Charles, and Jeremy Manser, son of Joe. I have also been very fortunate with the help of Richard Lines, co-author of the magnificant book on FROG published in 1989 - currently 89 years old but still going strong. He helped me answering many questions and providing documents, etc. The book will contain many unpublished photos, documents, etc. and all the advertisements I could find relating to the Penguin range. It is far from a dull list of facts, data and figures… I have tried to put the Penguin range in the historical context of the Second World War, it contains many memories of modellers now in their 80's or, alas, already passed away… It will explain more about Charles and John Wilmot and Joe Mansour, with the aid of memories of Avril and Jeremy. I also explained more about the wartime activities of FROG/IMA and followed the lifes of Charles and Joe after leaving IMA in 1944. Most of the photos come from my own Penguin collection but I have also been able to get the help of other collectors, so it covers about 99% of all the Penguin kits that were ever issued. After publication of many other books on other manufacturers like Monogram, Aurora, Revell, Airfix, again Airfix, and again Airfix ( ;-) ), etc. a seperate book about the range that started it all was long overdue. The Penguin kits have been covered in Lines/Hellstroms book from 1989, but I am sure my book will add many (unknown) details, corrections, etc. I found professor Kenneth Brown, author of several books on the history of toys, willing to write the forword - very thankfull for that. Since the first Penguin kits were issued in December 1936, this coming December 2016 will mark the 80th anniversary of the Penguin range (and plastic modelling therefore…) - . Kind regards, Peter van Lune The Netherlands