Matchbox Polikarpow I-16 1/72

[Rob1970]

Did this while my P-38 dried. Nothing fancy, Exellent fit, nice details, and an empty cockpit which led to the pilot getting his due. Only used a tiny bit of filler on this thing. Had to rebuilt the broken propellor with some bladed from the spares box, as well as getting a new tail-wheel on because is broke because of stoooopidity. Decals were... weird. Released in a few seconds when immersed, leaving a brown residue on the paper and in the water. A lot of Set and Sol got them stuck on, with a coat of matt "Klear-ish" for good measure.

A nice kit, which because of the nicely detailed innards kinda begs for a diorama with an open hood and a cursing mechanic. I got another one in the stash, in one of those old Revell display boxes. It's a toss-up between building it again with a diorama or selling it on EvilBay. They seem to go for a lot of money.

Rob

[jimbuna]

A great looking example.

[Old Man]

Nicely done, Sir.

Matchbox made a kit of the I-16?

[Rob1970]

Nicely done, Sir.

Matchbox made a kit of the I-16?

Well, Revell did, and Matchbox re(re)boxed it. The decals even say "Revell" on them, and the intructions tell you to write to Revell's Dept. X for spares.

Rob

[Old Man]

Well, Revell did, and Matchbox re(re)boxed it. The decals even say "Revell" on them, and the intructions tell you to write to Revell's Dept. X for spares.

Rob

Thank you, Sir. I remember the old Revell kit (it was something of a revelation when it came out), and that was what I thought I saw when I looked at your build. I did not know the Matchbox people had ever re-boxed it.

[Miggers]

Built this many years ago from the original Revell boxing(and shot quite a few down in recent times on the IL-2 series).

From what I remember it is a good little kit,the box lid was pretty action filled too(was one scrambling?).

Good job done on it,the Soviet colours look good.

[Rob1970]

From what I remember it is a good little kit,the box lid was pretty action filled too(was one scrambling?).

Revell has the scramble box-art. At least on the old, old box. Matchbox has one firewalling his engine in a steep climb over a harbour. I prefer the Matchbox art, to be honest. I need to start collecting more boxart, the man-cave needs ART!

[Seahawk]

I did not know the Matchbox people had ever re-boxed it.

It's more that after Matchbox went bust, Revell bought the right to use the Matchbox name along with most of the Matchbox moulds and used it in part for "plausible deniability" ie reissuing ancient Revell moulds, like the I-16 and the old A-20 (issued as a P-70), they were too embarrassed to reissue under their own name!

[Luis Alfonso]

Nice little model, wonderful build!!