A NOSTALGIC TRIBUTE TO FROG MODEL KITS

[wyverns4]

Hmmm,  several of those in the stash, five original, two Novo.

 

I can still remember walking to the local post office, which had a healthy stock of bagged and boxed Frog, to post something for Mum and seeing the new box in the window. What followed was a mad dash home, rapid abdominal surgery on Piggy, (the piggy bank), toting up the contents and an equally mad dash back to buy one.

 

Always been my favourite.

 

I'm feeling the urge...

 

Christian, exiled to africa

[old thumper]

Being as this thread has already run into six pages there is still obviously a lot of interest in Frog kits. I would love to see a Frog group build for next year and would offer to host one if I felt able, I wonder if perhaps someone else  would be kind enough to step into the breach.

[stevej60]

24 minutes ago, old thumper said:

Being as this thread has already run into six pages there is still obviously a lot of interest in Frog kits. I would love to see a Frog group build for next year and would offer to host one if I felt able, I wonder if perhaps someone else  would be kind enough to step into the breach.

I'd second this motion and happily help out!

[71chally]

I would agree with an earlier comment, that the more original the boxing the better the quality.

After experiences of trying to modify and stick together Novo Gannets and Javelins, I much prefer working with original Frog plastic.

I have a couple of first issue Shackletons that will be built at some stage.

The 1:96th airliners and V Bombers are a bit scarce for that though I guess.

I live in hope that Revell will issue these, but they haven't so far and I wonder what happened to the molds.

 

One thing to watch out for on Ebay, is Novo plastic contents in a Frog box, even claiming original cellophane sealed - which I don't think they ever were?

Really revise on your plastic to avoid them!

 

I suppose the advantage in building them today is that they are a reasonably accurate looking blank canvass on which we can add as much detailing as we wish - or not!

Just now, stevej60 said:

I'd second this motion and happily help out!

amen to that!

[keith in the uk]

I have the Richard Lines & Leif Hellstrom book on the history of Frog kits , Frog Model Aircraft 1932 - 1976.

Fantastic book about the history of the company.

[rayprit]

In the ealy 60s, Airfix kits could be picked up just about everywhere, to me, the De Lue models were FROG, as mentioned, only selected shops sold them(as a kid I never knew about marketing, just who sold them)Frog were a little harder to get hold of, so, obviously in my mind, only the best shops sold them, which was few and far between.  FROG to me where made to a higher standard than Airfix and MOST where "current models" Hunter, Lightning P1, Canberra, DH110, plus, also shown on this thread, the stands included with the kits made them poseable for flight, heads in cockpit and no undercarriage didnt mean anything, it was the WOW factor.  The art work on the boxes really inspired the imagination.

Thank god for the 3rd World when they managed to get hold of those FROG molds, they churned them out like smarties, I went to an airshow at duxford in the 70s and the vendors selling kits by the flightline were churning out boxes and boxes of NOVO kits at less then a £1 each, still have some as loft insulation, the flash maybe excess and transfers a bit suspect, but to me, they were FROG.  Kits at that time, long out of production and out of reach, Shackleton springs to mind, now that would have, or could have, become very, very collectable, had not Chematic, Eastern Express and others released it. It must have broken many speculators hearts.  Thanks to that kit, many conversions have been made possible"on the cheap"

FROG is special...........I see on EBAY "even" there empty boxes are selling at a premium.........now who would buy an empty Airfix or Hasegawa box!!!  Nostalgia is expensive but FROG does bring memories of youth back to me with my nose stuck against a window gloating at a kit just out of reach

[viscount806x]

Last time I saw a Frog Shackleton in the shops was in 1976 just before the company crashed and burned. It was in what became 'Toymaster' in James St. , Harrogate. It was £1.75 and we were moving south and with little spare money, I left it (them). £1.75 in 1976 comes out to about £18 today so quite pricey at the time but still good value in retrospect.

Nige B

[gamevender]

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't realize how many Frog kits I had in my collection. I'd have to say that in many ways I prefer them to their Airfix kin. At least they weren't covered with rivets!

 

Frog Shark

 

Baltimore

 

Skua

 

Oxford

 

Maryland

 

Barracuda

 

Miles Magister

 

Venom

 

Whittle 

 

Hornet

 

Wyvern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[polo1112]

What a beautiful collection !!!

Really nice.

[adey m]

7 hours ago, 71chally said:

One thing to watch out for on Ebay, is Novo plastic contents in a Frog box, even claiming original cellophane sealed - which I don't think they ever were?

Really revise on your plastic to avoid them!

 

 

 

Hi chally

 

None of the original FROG creations had cellophane wrapping................there was always the risk that when you checked the contents which were rattling around loose in the box that you would find parts missing or broken.............it happened with two or three of my FROG kits including the Shackleton.

 

It kept the ladies in the Complaints Department at Margate busy though...................

 

The only FROG boxed kits in which the PARTS are plastic sealed are the Hasegawa reboxings.

 

cheers, Adrian

 

Edited March 6, 2017 by adey m

[71chally]

4 hours ago, viscount806x said:

Last time I saw a Frog Shackleton in the shops was in 1976 just before the company crashed and burned. It was in what became 'Toymaster' in James St. , Harrogate. It was £1.75 and we were moving south and with little spare money, I left it (them). £1.75 in 1976 comes out to about £18 today so quite pricey at the time but still good value in retrospect.

Nige B

The last one that I saw in a shop was at Newark Air Museum in 2011, had to buy it at a tenner!

 

Thanks Adrian, thought that was the case.

[Des]

53 minutes ago, adey m said:

 

...................

 

The only FROG boxed kits which are plastic sealed are the Hasegawa reboxings.

 

cheers, Adrian

 

 

I wonder if that was universal or if maybe was done specially for some retailers?          Back when the ex-Hasegawa kits were 'current'  stock I bought the Lightning F.6 , F-4K/M Phantom , RF-101C , OV-10A , F-100D and F-104G from different shops at different times and do not recall any of them having been cellophane wrapped although as has been mentioned the packaging was a bit of a weak point and they could have benefited from it.

[adey m]

24 minutes ago, Des said:

 

I wonder if that was universal or if maybe was done specially for some retailers?          Back when the ex-Hasegawa kits were 'current'  stock I bought the Lightning F.6 , F-4K/M Phantom , RF-101C , OV-10A , F-100D and F-104G from different shops at different times and do not recall any of them having been cellophane wrapped although as has been mentioned the packaging was a bit of a weak point and they could have benefited from it.

 

Hi Des

 

The Hasegawa kits that FROG sold in FROG boxes with FROG instructions and FROG decals were moulded in Japan and pre packed in a sealed plastic bag presumably to keep the kits parts together ready for boxing by FROG at Margate.

 

I built a few Hasegawa kits in the 1970s but cannot remember if their parts were sealed in plastic.

 

I have never seen a cellophane wrapped Hasegawa or FROG box.

 

Adrian

Edited March 6, 2017 by adey m

[Des]

Apologies Adrian ,

 

I was confusing cellophane sealed parts with sealed boxes , and the parts were of course sealed in every ex-Hasegawa FROG kit I have ever came across.

 

Too close to my bed-time and not enough 'special medicine' taken yet I'm afraid.

 

Des

[adey m]

 

An unaltered FROG 1/72 Hawker Hunter F1 in the original markings for 43 Squadron at RAF Leuchars which was the first RAF Squadron to receive Hunters in 1954.

 

This kit first appeared in 1955. It was moulded in red plastic and the pilot's head is incorporated in the fuselage halves.

 

 

Presented as a prototype which the moulding does actually represent. Note the lack of the tail fin bullet fairing which operational aircraft had.

 

 

 

My reworked and restored FROG Hawker Hunter F1 which a friend had built back in the 1950s and which he gave me when he was having a clear out.

 

I carefully removed the canopy and cut out the flush moulded cockpit and inserted an ejector seat, pilot and panel. This revealed the original red coloured plastic.   Then I reattached the canopy using white PVA wood glue which can be smoothed and blended in with a wet finger, dries clear, does not mist or damage the canopy and the canopy can be removed later if required with a gentle prise. I also made plastic card intake plates which hide the see through void.

 

I added a bullet fairing to the tail plane.

 

I repainted the model with Humbrol enamels by paint brush being careful to paint around the original 43 Squadron chequers markings.

 

 

 

 

You can make out the red coloured plastic on the bottoms of the tyres. Also the ventral airbrake and gun troughs which I added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by adey m

[71chally]

6 minutes ago, adey m said:

This kit first appeared in 1955. It was moulded in red plastic and the pilot's head is incorporated in the fuselage halves.

Presented as a prototype which the moulding does actually represent. Note the lack of the tail fin bullet fairing which operational aircraft had.

...and the ventral airbrake, but doesn't it look just right.

[adey m]

1 minute ago, 71chally said:

...and the ventral airbrake, but doesn't it look just right.

 

Ahh yes chally,  I forgot to mention that I added that too............

 

cheers, Adrian

[keefr22]

Lovely Hunters Adrian, I especially like WB188, I always thought the real thing looked like the perfect jet - a simply beautiful machine in that lovely Sky (or Duck Egg Green!) colour scheme!

 

Keith

[JosephLalor]

On 3/2/2017 at 9:15 PM, keefr22 said:

I can remember coveting a Frog Shack for what now seems like years, but was probably more likely a few weeks! It was in the window of a bicycle shop in Neath that also sold models - which seems now to be an unlikely combination, but I can remember at least 4 similar shops in the local area at the time! 

During the 1970s I bought Frog kits in an electrical shop in Rathgar village in Dublin and a haberdasher's in Kandersteg, Switzerland.

 

I've been picking up a few kits recently at 'Walshy's' in Dublin, most recently the Mirage IIIE, and before that the Fairey Barracuda and, anticipating a fun build despite the thick blunt wings, the DH Hornet.

[The Cameraman]

Hi Guys n Gals,

 

I've really enjoyed reading this thread.

 

Those that know me won't be surprised to find that I have a single Frog kit in my stash and it's a DHC-2 Beaver.

 

Bit of an odd scale, something like 1/80'th but any Beaver will do.

 

Regards

 

Reggie

[adey m]

 

1/72 FROG Tri-ang Vickers Supermarine Scimitar dating from 1957.

 

 

 

Two FROG Supermarine Scimitars which I saw displayed on a British kits tribute display at Scale Model world.

 

 

[adey m]

5 minutes ago, The Cameraman said:

Hi Guys n Gals,

 

I've really enjoyed reading this thread.

 

Those that know me won't be surprised to find that I have a single Frog kit in my stash and it's a DHC-2 Beaver.

 

Bit of an odd scale, something like 1/80'th but any Beaver will do.

 

Regards

 

Reggie

 

Yes Reggie I know what you mean......................I think.....

Edited March 6, 2017 by adey m

[Horatio Gruntfuttock]

Really enjoying the nostalgia guys!

The Hunter F1 is/was still available fairly recently , produced by Eastern Express. I got one last year for a couple of dollars. Grey plastic, no stand and the original markings in the usual unusable Russian ( Polish?) state.

 

PS - no-one seems to have mentioned the odd scale 'fit the box' kits from the mid 1950s that featured the B45 Tornado and  B52 - both of which I recall mangling as a pre-pubescent lad.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Horatio Gruntfuttock
something to add

[adey m]

 

More recent pictures of my FROG Whitley dating from December 1973.

 

 

I remade the bomb aimers window a good number of years ago out of clear acetate but unfortunately it has yellowed.

The nose turret has been replaced using a turret from an AIRFIX Anson.

The rear turret glazing and guns are original but I have made a full turret using plastic card and it turns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROG provided a choice of undercarriage parts for down or retracted options and they both just slot into the nacelles.

 

You can see the original white coloured plastic which FROG moulded the Whitley in so to make painting the white Coastal Command option easier.........tough for you Bomber Command option lot though.....................

 

 

Where the undercarriages slot into. Note the kit's wing spar.

 

 

a cartoon by me

 

cheers,  Adrian

Edited March 6, 2017 by adey m

[noelh]

Wow, when I first saw this thread. I assumed with six pages it was an old one resurrected. But it's only going since only Thursday! It's definitely nostalgic. My goodness some of you were definitely loaded with money. My memory of Frog was when the local corner shop in Dublin, the shop still exists, got in a stock of the bagged Frog kits which were displayed on a frame in the window. They also had paint. Each kit cost three shillings I badgered my Mother for the money and when she relented I rushed to get a Spitfire and some paint. Bear in mind the Spitfire meant nothing to me other than that it looked really cool. I built it and mixed the paint to make green and brown on the windowsill of my room. I kept that Spitfire for years. I later got a Sea Fury which curiously I coloured with crayon. My little sister when she made her communion, in Ireland when you make your communion you get money. Being a good sister she rushed to the shop and bought me a Frog Sea Fury. I distinctly remember her rushing up the road in her white dress, holding onto her headpiece in one hand and the Sea fury in the other. But I coldly pointed out that I had it already, she was like 'whatever', But I exchanged it for a Morane Saulnier 406,  whatever that was.  I still feel vaguely guilty about the way I treated her.

 

But my friend, who had a Father who was in a good job, in a cigarette factory was able to get some of the more expensive boxed Frog kits. He even had a Shackleton, whatever that was.  He was so loaded that he actually threw out older kits, which I rescued from his bins.

 

My first kit was Airfix but Frog always seemed more interesting. That was until I discovered Tamiya around the age of 11. Now there was something extraordinary. They were halcyon days.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by noelh