Frog Squad GB Chat

[Aardvark]

42 minutes ago, Andre B said:

But...

Where are the Scimitar? 

 

Cheers / André

In future "Frog Squad-2" GB?

😉😁 

Scimitar it's a very sore subject for many fans  British after war military aviation. Because as you know there is no good Scimitar. 😣

Therefore, with regard to Skimitar, it is recommended to adhere to the saying: "In the house of a madman, a blender is not remembered"!

😉😁😁

 

B.R.

Serge

 

[Andre B]

Looking at the number of posts in this group build it must be one of the biggest group builds ever.

Who would a few years ago have any toughts about how popular Frog kits still can be?

 

I am actually surpriced over how many Frog kits I've built in the past and how many Frog kits I actually have in the stash.

The Frog Tempest was one of the first kits I ever built toghether with the Airfix HMS Nelson and the Revell DC-9...

 

Cheers / André

[PeterB]

15 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Imagine it's 1964, and the new Frog catalogue is out, so let's take a look inside

 

 

 

 

 

Next instalment will be 1965, a much better year as a subtle hint to an alternative GB currently running with @Rabbit Leader

 

cheers Pat

 Thanks Pat.

 

Now the Fokker DXXI is a nice little kit. I added the missing exhaust and the crash frame behind the seat and replaced the guns with resin ones, but it was quite a quick build. Cocardes say the canopy is wrong but I left that alone. The biggest problem was getting info on the wartime colour scheme, but I found a book with pics and FS numbers and mixed my own. Probably wrong but it does look rather coourful with the orangish brown unders. The decs were some of the very few Frog ones to break up on me so I had to buy a sheet. The Attacker would be hard work to correct but  if you accept the solid cockpit and wheel bays and the, see through engine intakes then it does not look too bad. I hollowed out the 'pit and blanked the intakes, and built it wheels up. Then there is the Oxbox which also builds up quite well. Those 3 seem to be the only 1/72 planes we do not have versions of in this build as the "Trailblazers" series seemed to be on its way out by then.

 

Looking forward to '65 as and when you have time, in between building your many entries.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[PeterB]

10 hours ago, Andre B said:

But...

Where are the Scimitar? 

 

Cheers / André

Hi Andre,

 

The Frog Cocardes website say the Scimitar was released in 1957, 80000 were made, and it was out of the catalogue in 1963, It was reissued only in France and New Zealand and the moulds are missing so it is now a rare and presumably expensive kit.

 

Pete

[Mjwomack]

On 8/25/2019 at 7:08 AM, Aardvark said:

In future "Frog Squad-2" GB?

😉😁 

Scimitar it's a very sore subject for many fans  British after war military aviation. Because as you know there is no good Scimitar. 😣

Therefore, with regard to Skimitar, it is recommended to adhere to the saying: "In the house of a madman, a blender is not remembered"!

😉😁😁

 

B.R.

Serge

 

Frog Squad 2- I like to tell myself I've got more sense, but I haven't and I'm in. And next time round it's going to be a ship!

[Jinxman]

3 hours ago, Mjwomack said:

Frog Squad 2- I like to tell myself I've got more sense, but I haven't and I'm in. And next time round it's going to be a ship!

I like it - being similarly challenged in the sensible department I'll drag the Morris 1100 out then!

[Aardvark]

On 8/25/2019 at 6:37 PM, PeterB said:

Now the Fokker DXXI is a nice little kit. I added the missing exhaust and the crash frame behind the seat and replaced the guns with resin ones, but it was quite a quick build. Cocardes say the canopy is wrong but I left that alone.

From:

http://retromodels.ru/f223/

"as a result, we got another “hybrid” from the prototype with the number FD-322 and a serial aircraft.  Most questions arise to the front of the fuselage, which has an excess length for both options.  Accordingly, the cockpit is also biased forward.  Moreover, the cockpit canopy  was very peculiarly made - on real D.XXI its movable part is slightly raised upwards, while on the model the whole canopy narrows and decreases in height to the rear.  However, this part from the Odessa kit has always been of disgusting quality, so it is worth it to be replaced first of all. In other words, the “ex-Frog” set offers as many as three alternative paths:

 1. Build a “hybrid” without modifications

 2. Assemble a prototype - for this you need to slightly modify the rudder, the front of the fuselage, the cockpit and the engine hood.

 3. To assemble a serial fighter for the Netherlands Air Force - here the volume of improvements is almost equal to point 2, but you will need another canopy, a slightly modified engine hood and an additional air intake"

Comparison of the "ex-FROG" fuselage casting and photographs of the prototype Fokker D.XXI:

Before the wing engagement, the “ex-FROG” casting almost exactly fits into the prototype drawing.  At the same time, the cockpit and the nose of the fuselage are noticeably shifted forward:

Comparison of the “ex-FROG” fuselage casting with the projection of a production aircraft for the Netherlands Air Force clearly shows their partial discrepancy, especially in the bow:

 

On 8/25/2019 at 6:37 PM, PeterB said:

The biggest problem was getting info on the wartime colour scheme,

Pete, what a problem? It's overall grey:

😁😁😁

Almost don't remember this type Soviet box. But I remember that I was able to pack this model in a plastic bag so that its dimensions in the bag were a little more than two matchboxes laid side by side!

😁😎

 

B.R.

Serge

[modelldoc]

It's a "normal" box from the Odessa plant. "Tshernomorskie Igrushky - Black Sea toys".

 

modelldoc

[Aardvark]

45 minutes ago, modelldoc said:

It's a "normal" box from the Odessa plant. "Tshernomorskie Igrushky - Black Sea toys".

More "normal" was 

Soviet box I almost don't remember.

 

B.R.

Serge

[JOCKNEY]

12 hours ago, Mjwomack said:

Frog Squad 2- I like to tell myself I've got more sense, but I haven't and I'm in. And next time round it's going to be a ship!

If there was sufficient interest in Frog Squad 2, we would need to find some very gullible GB Hosts, I wonder if anyone could be persuaded to do it again......  😉

[Rabbit Leader]

8 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

If there was sufficient interest in Frog Squad 2, we would need to find some very gullible GB Hosts, I wonder if anyone could be persuaded to do it again......  😉

Build another Frog Kit - Yes

Host / Co-Host duties - Probably not! 

To be honest, I reckon we give Frog some breathing space for a while and see what other manufacturer's models we can all butcher... I mean  build! 

 

Cheers.  Dave 

[JOCKNEY]

15 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Build another Frog Kit - Yes

Host / Co-Host duties - Probably not! 

To be honest, I reckon we give Frog some breathing space for a while and see what other manufacturer's models we can all butcher... I mean  build! 

 

Cheers.  Dave 

Have to agree, anyone fancy a Revell / Mongram / Italeri classic build, after the Heller one ?

 

 

Please sign up now to get a place for 2020

 

cheers Pat

[PeterB]

Hi Pat,

 

How would you define "Classic" - is there a particulary period of time like the Airfix one? Don't have any Revell or Monogram but quite a few Italeri - Ju188, He 111, Do 217K, Gripen, B57G and Bf109F come to mind., 

 

Pete

Edited August 28, 2019 by PeterB

[Richard Humm]

For classic Revell, I'd say before the Ceji takeover in 1979 or possibly go up to the merger with Monogram in 1986, as then we could take classic Monogram as up to the same date.

 

Italeri might be more difficult, as they haven't had any changes of management, and they started rather later than most of the other major manufacturers, around 1970. Perhaps with them, the whole of the 1980s could be included. The Gripen and the Bf 109F are from the 1990s so might be a bit later than a "classic" period, while your other kits are 1970s and 1980s so could be included.

[Rabbit Leader]

On 8/28/2019 at 4:49 AM, JOCKNEY said:

after the Heller one ?

Pat, I believe Wez’s Heller GB is a late 2020 start, so if you’re looking to start this one after that, we’d be looking at a 2021 slot for this proposal, that’s unless you want to go earlier and burn us all out before we get to Heller! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[JOCKNEY]

2 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Pat, I believe Wez’s Heller GB is a late 2020 start, so if you’re looking to start this one after that, we’d be looking at a 2021 slot for this proposal, that’s unless you want to go earlier and burn us all out before we get to Heller! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

Or we could use the Revell one as a warm up to the Heller 

 

[JOCKNEY]

12 minutes ago, Richard Humm said:

For classic Revell, I'd say before the Ceji takeover in 1979 or possibly go up to the merger with Monogram in 1986, as then we could take classic Monogram as up to the same date.

 

Italeri might be more difficult, as they haven't had any changes of management, and they started rather later than most of the other major manufacturers, around 1970. Perhaps with them, the whole of the 1980s could be included. The Gripen and the Bf 109F are from the 1990s so might be a bit later than a "classic" period, while your other kits are 1970s and 1980s so could be included.

 

I think your idea of 1986 is a great starting point. I will have a look at some of my older Italeri kits, like the Fiat BR-20, Caproni Ca311, Ca313/314, Cant Z 501, He 111 Zwilling, Me 321 & Me323.

 

As for Monogram is this the chance to finally build that 1/72 B-52 !

 

cheers Pat

 

 

[Richard Humm]

Well, the B-52 was first issued in 1967 so it's definitely classic Monogram - it would need the "jet engine sound" to be a real original, though!

[stevej60]

There's an end of holiday feel now for me with this GB,been a great few months building,watching and chatting about Frog kits

now with Ivanhoe within a session of completion and the Widow well on the way it seems a bit quiet up in the loft,I had a look

at the B17 but just haven't the will to complete it,regrets? yes wish I'd maybe done a Hurricane being one of my favourite aircraft.

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, stevej60 said:

There's an end of holiday feel now

You're right Steve, seems much quieter, not so much chat.

 

For me it's been a great introduction to Group Builds. If I have any regrets it's that I didn't start earlier, I haven't enjoyed modelling so much for ages, it's given me more incentive. Talking of which, I have some Sea Fury exhausts to do!

 

Cheers!

[PeterB]

 Ok Pat,

 

So I guess we are talking about this sort of period. for Revell and Monogram "classics" plus the odd Airfix Classic thrown in for good measure.

 

 

Whilst looking for something else I came across this blurry old pic taken in about 1967 with my brand new Zeiss Werra manual camera - I was still getting the hang of it. At the back is the recently issued Revell F-111A/B prototype kit with working evertything - wings, u/c, airbrake and escape capsule, and alternate short nose and wing extensions.  In the middle is what I believe is a Monogram F-105 dating back to around 1958 - my parents bought it in the 60's as a present and it had a dropping bomb in the bay, and an ejecting pilot! Lord knows what the underwing bombs were supposed to be! In D&S Kinzey suggests it may be based on one of the 13 YF-105B's and certainly not a "D" as claimed. In the foreground is my first ever Phantom -the Airfix F4B in early F4H-1 configuration with the shallow rear cockpit. I bought it at my local chemists in 1965 when it first came out and painted it Airfix paints. A few months later a friend showed me his version but he had actually managed to get hold of some "authentic" Gull Grey - I was green with envy. Stll have the Phantom though it has been repainted, and the F-111 may be lurking in the roof, but the 105 is long gone and replaced with the slightly more accurate Hasegawa one. Looking back I have built either 10 or 11 Phantoms during my modelling "career" of which 8 survive, and I have 2 of the new Airfix ones in my stash. - that is perhaps almost as many as the Lightnings Tim seems to have built but not quite as many as the Spitfires I will have produced  - when I complete the ones in my stash that will be over 20. Add in around 17 Bf109 - must be mad! This hobby can certainly get to you.

 

Here is another Monogram one (but without sound effects unfortunately).

 

 

Don't have any unbuilt Monogram kits at all and just the Revell MC 200 would qualify, but quite a few Italeri - like yourself. Not sure I can wait that long to build them though - we will see,

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Johnson]

FROG Squad GB extension?

 

I thought @Retired Bob was joking! Then I saw another post (by @Rob S 'Has the Group Build been extended to October 6?') and the dates on the top of the FROG Squad GB 'home page' says 1 June to 6 October!

 

Is this official @JOCKNEY and @Rabbit Leader ?

 

Does this mean that I can stop taking the Benzedrine, cut the hedges properly and finish another Sea Fury?

[Rabbit Leader]

2 minutes ago, Johnson said:

FROG Squad GB extension?

 

Is this official @JOCKNEY and @Rabbit Leader ?

 

Does this mean that I can stop taking the Benzedrine, cut the hedges properly and finish another Sea Fury?

Unfortunately - YES, although it’s more of a date correction rather than an extension... hang-on, does that mean that we could possibly still qualify for a GB extension on top of the GB date amendment?? 

 

Good lord! 

[Johnson]

22 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Unfortunately - YES

🙄 - Poor Dave and Pat. Just when they were looking forward to the and and having a break!

 

24 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

does that mean that we could possibly still qualify for a GB extension on top of the GB date amendment??

That would be nice dreadful! 

[stevehnz]

48 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Unfortunately - YES, although it’s more of a date correction rather than an extension...

Works for me, & there I was thinking I only had just under three weeks to finish my Vampire, I might just struggle in now.

Steve.