sorleygoldie Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I just found novokits.ru announcing that they are launching in about 35 days. Any one have any more information? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Well our mega Classic kit Frog Squad GB ended last month, however this type of news may send some BM folk a bit giddy and possibly even suggest we go around again for a second time! Whats with the Pan Am 727-50(?) on the front page and let's hope they've finally sorted out how to make decals that don't explode when dipped in water! Cheers.. Dave 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky coffeeboat Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I don't want to be a kill joy, but really? Aside from rose tinted nostalgia, what's the point in (presumably) releasing ancient model kits that have probably all been replaced by newer more accurate kits? I know Airfix still get a kick out of doing that but at least their name has a bit of world renown. Pan An Yak-40... Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Nichols Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 It was just a site about the history of NOVO models. There is another where more information is collected: http://retromodels.ru/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 When the Donetsk factory closed, all the moulds went for scrap, so you will only ever see old stock. I have the FROG book on the history from beginning to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroubos Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 2 hours ago, pinky coffeeboat said: I don't want to be a kill joy, but really? Aside from rose tinted nostalgia, what's the point in (presumably) releasing ancient model kits that have probably all been replaced by newer more accurate kits? I know Airfix still get a kick out of doing that but at least their name has a bit of world renown. Pan An Yak-40... Jeff Well, it's not for our benefit. They must think they'll flog enough of them to make it worth their while. Apparently there are still people who buy these kits; MisterCraft has been at it for some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 It's quite evident that all the moulds have not been destroyed as Revelll has released many old Frog kits over the years, and of course of the Frogspawn releases out of Eastern Europe since the demise of Novo. Ark models now have a lot of the mould and are re-releasing them using the original Frog artwork/Novo packaging: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 The Revell releases were largely those moulds of Axis types which the Russians didn't buy and were never in Novo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 41 minutes ago, Graham Boak said: The Revell releases were largely those moulds of Axis types which the Russians didn't buy and were never in Novo. I'm pretty sure they released the Shackleton and Vultee Vengeance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Off the top of my head, the Blenheim, Shackleton and Whitley at least have been available in relatively recent times under a variety of brands. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWFK10 Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Revell released the Blenheim and Gannet, too, at the same time. They cleaned up the moulds but I've a feeling it was announced that they only had temporary use of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniperUK Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Sea Vixen as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavingav1 Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 revell sea skua too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 ... don’t forget the good old Canberra! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelldoc Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 7 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said: When the Donetsk factory closed, all the moulds went for scrap, so you will only ever see old stock. I have the FROG book on the history from beginning to end. Sorry, you are wrong. The FROG book ends the story in 1990. The former kits from Donetsk are now all are in hand of ARK models. There you can have som of them until now. Other factories scrapped there tools , like former Frunse, Tashkent, Moscow and Jaroslawl f.e. modelldoc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 The 1/96 Britannia is still around in several guises from Eastern Express... best, M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, pinky coffeeboat said: I don't want to be a kill joy, but really? Aside from rose tinted nostalgia, what's the point in (presumably) releasing ancient model kits that have probably all been replaced by newer more accurate kits? I know Airfix still get a kick out of doing that but at least their name has a bit of world renown. Pan An Yak-40... Jeff Well, with all due respect, Atlantis Models don't seem to have any issues with reissuing ancient model kits, a lot of which seem to have been generally welcomed! Pk, maybe it is nostalgia but, there is nowt wrong with that. There is clearly a market for these kits and, ultimately, nobody is forced to buy them Allan (eagerly awaiting the reissued Cheyenne helicopter) 😉😊 Edited November 5, 2019 by Albeback52 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tomohawk Kid Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 (edited) I'll add the Trinity Lightship to the ex Frog kits re-issued by Revell. This reminds me of an acquaintance I had about 20 + years ago. He had good contacts in Russia with the owners of some of the ex Frog moulds. To cut a long story short he tried to repatriate the ex Frog/Novo VC-10 mould. He even paid for an independant engineer to inspect the mould. If memory serves the main mould (the mould for the glazed parts had been lost) had been stored outside and was showing signs of rust degradation and had been dropped at least once, the mould was salvageable in the opinion of the engineer, so he forged ahead with the purchase, the said acquaintance striking a price for the mould, but the deal floundered because he couldn't afford the shipping/export costs. I think its fair to say that's a re-issue you won't be seeing again. Tommo Edited November 5, 2019 by The Tomohawk Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matti64 Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 11 hours ago, modelldoc said: Sorry, you are wrong. The FROG book ends the story in 1990. The former kits from Donetsk are now all are in hand of ARK models. There you can have som of them until now. Other factories scrapped there tools , like former Frunse, Tashkent, Moscow and Jaroslawl f.e. modelldoc ...and that is why I am very wary of believing anything I might read in books claiming to be the histories of kit companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 33 minutes ago, matti64 said: ...and that is why I am very wary of believing anything I might read in books claiming to be the histories of kit companies. The Lines/Hellstrom Frog book was published in 1989, so it’s a bit harsh to expect a lot of detail on what happened post-1990... It does a pretty good job of unpacking the “Frogspawn” era between 76 and 89, but let’s face it, access to information about industry in the USSR in the Reagan years was a bit limited.... It’s still the standout work on any aspect of plastic kit history on my bookshelf, and I have more than a few (J C Carbonel’s Heller book is the only one that runs it close...) best, M. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 Many former Frog kits have been and are today available from a number of brands, so really it's hard to see what more could be added to the modelling community by a relaunch of the Novo brand. Not that original Frog kits are hard to find either, apart from those few that have become extremely rare for one reason or another. Of course it can make sense from whoever is relaunching the brand to sell kits from moulds that they have available, so good luck to them. Guess they'll sell them for cheap, at least they'll be of interest to kids. Personally I can only see very few subjects that may be interesting, mainly those for which alternatives are non existant or harder to find. I hope that at least they will retool the clear parts, as these were of very poor quality in Novo kits and are often not much better in the many reboxes that appeared over the years 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matti64 Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 16 minutes ago, cmatthewbacon said: The Lines/Hellstrom Frog book was published in 1989, so it’s a bit harsh to expect a lot of detail on what happened post-1990... It does a pretty good job of unpacking the “Frogspawn” era between 76 and 89, but let’s face it, access to information about industry in the USSR in the Reagan years was a bit limited.... It’s still the standout work on any aspect of plastic kit history on my bookshelf, and I have more than a few (J C Carbonel’s Heller book is the only one that runs it close...) best, M. Not picking on it specifically, it's just I've owned and read a few histories of kit companies and they all tend to keep things quite light and entertaining and don't seem to do an awful lot of digging or questioning. I Must get Jean Christophs book, he certainly seems to get to the bottom of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 22 hours ago, sorleygoldie said: I just found novokits.ru announcing that they are launching in about 35 days. Any one have any more information? @Aardvark would be a good chap to ask for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 (edited) The new one on Frog Penguins and the early days of the company is pretty good too. I agree that the two are well above any other, that I've seen anyway. Edited November 5, 2019 by Graham Boak 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 I'd be interested in the Airspeed Oxford if the mould still exists. It is one Frog/Novo kit which doesn't seem to have been re-released or is readily available except on auction sites at quite a hefty price. I built it as a nipper and seem to remember it being quite nice, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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