Holy Grail kits

[VMA131Marine]

Alright, what kits, either long out of production classics or subjects that have never been released in the right medium, scale, or version would cause you to sally forth in search of with King Arthur? Let’s not go to Camelot, it is a silly place.

 

Here are mine:

OOP

Revell Westinghouse Atomic Power plant

Revell 1/32 N1K1 George

Airfix BTK Spitfire

Airfix Southern Cross

Airfix Fireball XL-5

 

I remembered a few others for the grail hunt:

Frog 1/72 Fairey Rotodyne

Frog 1/96 Valiant, Vulcan, and Victor

 

Frog also did a few 1/16th scale vehicles which I would love to acquire

 

I remembered another Grail kit: the Hi-Tech 1/48 Vautour. I actually had one of these at one time but sold it on eBay. The prices have only gone up since then. It’s a shame there is no mainstream kit in 1/48th. Although I do have the ancient Heller 1/50th scale kit in the stash.

 

Wishlist

1/32 or 1/24 BP Defiant

1/32 SHAR FRS.1/FA.2

1/48 Halifax

1/48 Short Stirling

[bootneck]

Hi VMA,

 

Nearly fifty years ago, my main scale for kit building was 1:1200 scale ships; then, ten years ago, I changed to 1:144 scale aircraft so I didn't pay any real attention to 'other stuff'; however, I have recently converted to building 1:35 scale vehicles, mainly Land Rovers.   On checking what has been produced, I was interested to get the Tamiya 1:35 scale Land Rover Ambulance kit.  Guess what, it disappeared with the dinosaurs, so my OOP wishlist is that kit.  At least, that's for starters!

 

cheers,
Mike

[Ray S]

Mine would be the OOP Airfix 1/600 SS France and Free Enterprise ferry.

 

The never released would be a GOOD 1/72 scale DHC-6 Twin Otter - I know Matchbox did it and it is a buildable (with a little work - I am on my fourth one now) but just think what it could be like with today's technology, and all those colour schemes too!

 

Ray

[brianthemodeller]

HMS Indefatigable (the WW2 aircraft carrier) in any scale. This was my late grandfather’s last ship and my scratch building skills just aren’t up to it! 

[Seahawk]

Airfix (ne Kitmaster) HO/OO Class J94 "Austerity" 0-6-0 saddle tank.  Apparently the moulds are either lost or scrapped.

[PattheCat]

I'm consider myself not gifted enough to build short-run kits or oldies, so what I'm wishing for is a new mainstream kit of the listed subjects.

 

OOP

Revell 1/144 Locheed L-1049 or C-121 Super Constellation

 

Wishlist

1/48 or 1/32 Westland Lysander

1/72 Westland Whirlwind

1/48 Fairey Battle

1/48 or 1/32 Fairey Fox

[Mr T]

Airfix SRN-1 Hovercraft in 1/72nd scale. They are available, but the prices are eye-watering. 

The Revell Space Station from 1958. I remember reading about it, complete with full page photo, in an Air BP annual published in 1962. It was given to my brother who is four and a  half years older than me. 

Apparently the original kit is virtually impossible to obtain. 

[Richard E]

Tamiya's Sierra Cosworth RS500.

 

 

My local brick and mortar model shop (Blackwells of Hawkwell) had one on their shelves and I peered inside the box many times but for some reason never handed over any of my hard earned cash for it.

[VMA131Marine]

On 4/18/2022 at 4:06 PM, Seahawk said:

Airfix (ne Kitmaster) HO/OO Class J94 "Austerity" 0-6-0 saddle tank.  Apparently the moulds are either lost or scrapped.

Scrapped, I believe or Dapol would probably have them. IIRC Airfix disposed of the Kitmaster molds that they didn’t think were economically viable. I did finally track down an unstarted Beyer-Garratt but the J94s are even rarer

[VMA131Marine]

1 hour ago, Mr T said:

Airfix SRN-1 Hovercraft in 1/72nd scale. They are available, but the prices are eye-watering. 

The Revell Space Station from 1958. I remember reading about it, complete with full page photo, in an Air BP annual published in 1962. It was given to my brother who is four and a  half years older than me. 

Apparently the original kit is virtually impossible to obtain. 

I think this is a prime candidate for an Airfix Vintage Classics release. We know they still have to moulds at least. It would be nice to get one with modern Cartograf decals.

[VMA131Marine]

2 hours ago, brianthemodeller said:

HMS Indefatigable (the WW2 aircraft carrier) in any scale. This was my late grandfather’s last ship and my scratch building skills just aren’t up to it! 

Maybe it’s on IHP’s radar as a possible future kit

 

https://ihphobby.tripod.com/700shipkitslist.html

[VMA131Marine]

4 hours ago, Ray S said:

Mine would be the OOP Airfix 1/600 SS France and Free Enterprise ferry.

 

The never released would be a GOOD 1/72 scale DHC-6 Twin Otter - I know Matchbox did it and it is a buildable (with a little work - I am on my fourth one now) but just think what it could be like with today's technology, and all those colour schemes too!

 

Ray

The DHC-6 seems like something Special Hobby would do in 1/72.

[VMA131Marine]

4 hours ago, bootneck said:

Hi VMA,

 

Nearly fifty years ago, my main scale for kit building was 1:1200 scale ships; then, ten years ago, I changed to 1:144 scale aircraft so I didn't pay any real attention to 'other stuff'; however, I have recently converted to building 1:35 scale vehicles, mainly Land Rovers.   On checking what has been produced, I was interested to get the Tamiya 1:35 scale Land Rover Ambulance kit.  Guess what, it disappeared with the dinosaurs, so my OOP wishlist is that kit.  At least, that's for starters!

 

cheers,
Mike

I went looking on eBay and found two Land Rover Ambulance kits; the cheaper of the two was listed for $110 plus shipping 😮

[Ray S]

8 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

The DHC-6 seems like something Special Hobby would do in 1/72.

 

I have been thinking that too! 

 

Ray

[AWFK10]

How about Aurora's Sir Galahad kit? Though disappointingly it doesn't seem to include a 1/8 scale Holy Grail. 😁

 

I could be tempted by an Aurora Halberstadt CL II, though. I built one in the 1970s and thought it was great at the time, although I expect it wouldn't quite live up to my memories of it.  Apparently it was one of the moulds that were destroyed in the legendary train wreck.

 

 

[John_W]

For me it would be the Airfix SA2 Guideline Kit, for which I believe the moulds are now lost.

I would also like another crack at Revell's Cousteu PBY kit. Built one many many years ago but didn't do it justice.

[Richard E]

59 minutes ago, John_W said:

For me it would be the Airfix SA2 Guideline Kit, for which I believe the moulds are now lost.

 

There's almost a case for a parallel "kits which I built when I was younger that I would like to build again" thread.

 

Airfix's diminutive SA2 would be top of my list.

[Tim R-T-C]

Top of my all-time wishlist would be a vintage New York subway car (or even just the sides) in anything between 1/56 and 1/35 as a canvas for some of the 1980s iconic grafitti works.

 

In my usual 144th scale I don't think I have any holy grails as such - sadly many of the pre-2000 mouldings in scale are so primitive, some even lack cockpit tubs! I would love for the Eduard Spitfires to come back into production though as I have far more planned builds than kits available.

 

On my wishlist in 144th would be a wider selection of everything! But especially WW2 single seaters, still far too many gaps.

[Des]

Holy Grail of kits?

 

1/51 scale  Sikorsky S-62/HH-52 Seaguard released by both ITC and Ringo in the early 1960s although the actual designation does not seem to have been used on the box by either.

 

ITC described it as 'Sikorsky Amphibious Helicopter' and Ringo with the less than relevant title  'Battle Taxi Of Vietnam Sikorsky Helicopter' . . . . .  here is a look at the parts  -   https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/itc-ringo-sikorsky-62-helicopter-51-1880061062

[RobL]

Most of my "holy grail kits", were I to return to building scale model kits (I currently paint Games Workshop figures for my model hobby kicks), aren't really oop, just out of my budget/storage/display/skill limits.

 

I'd like to do a fully lit up Polar Lights Star Trek Enterprise, refit or A version (the one from the Shatner era movies).  Preferably in 1/350 scale as it's an easy size to shoehorn all the lighting in and a battery pack.  But it's 3ft long, 2ft wide.  Costs over £100 also.

 

I did start trying to do it with the smaller 1/1000 scale kit Polar Lights, because it's a nice 12" long, but just couldn't get my head around it, sold the kit, and sometimes now wish I hadn't!

Edited April 19, 2022 by RobL

[VMA131Marine]

1 hour ago, Des said:

Holy Grail of kits?

 

1/51 scale  Sikorsky S-62/HH-52 Seaguard released by both ITC and Ringo in the early 1960s although the actual designation does not seem to have been used on the box by either.

 

ITC described it as 'Sikorsky Amphibious Helicopter' and Ringo with the less than relevant title  'Battle Taxi Of Vietnam Sikorsky Helicopter' . . . . .  here is a look at the parts  -   https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/itc-ringo-sikorsky-62-helicopter-51-1880061062

Interesting! I wonder what happened to the moulds? I know Glencoe has a bunch of the old ITC moulds but they have never re-released this kit.

[davecov]

Not that I am trying to be smug (okay, I admit it, I am) but I have built a few kits that have been mentioned already and some people may have never seen a built version:

 

Airfix 1/72 Sam-2 Guideline (03303-5):

 

Airfix 1/600 SS France (06202-2):

 

Airfix 1/600 Free Enterprise II (F201S):

 

Airfix OO Saddle Tank J94 0-6-0 (R205)

 

I do have a couple of rare car kits that I do intend building:
Airfix 1/24 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 (823)

 

Airfix 1/32 Morris Marina (03405-0)

 

I couldn't afford to buy the following three rare kits as new so these are all restorations which isn't always a bad way to go and possibly the only way to get the rarest of kits. Ironically, I was already restoring the Bond Bug only for an unmade kit to come along so I bought that too.:

 

Airfix 1/32 Victor 2000 Estate (M302C):

 

Airfix 1/32 Bond Bug (M10C):

 

Airfix 1/72 HDL Hovercraft SR-N1 (02007-7):

 

Now that I have acquired a huge stash, my longing for "grail" kits is at an end - as is my bank balance.

 

Dave

[VMA131Marine]

I have an unbuilt Airfix Aston-Martin DB-6, which was modified (horrors) from the DB-5 tooling. I wonder whatever happened to those moulds, as well as the moulds for the Toyota 2000GT of the same era and also with the James Bond connection.

I have a feeling the Bond Bug will get reissued as a Vintage Classic; it would be rude not to after the rerelease of the Beach Buggy.

[Adam Poultney]

On 18/04/2022 at 18:19, VMA131Marine said:

 

Frog 1/96 Valiant, Vulcan, and Victor

 

 

I've managed two VUlcans and the Victor but I lack a Frog

Valiant

[Admiral Puff]

On 4/19/2022 at 4:09 AM, Ray S said:

 

The never released would be a GOOD 1/72 scale DHC-6 Twin Otter - I know Matchbox did it and it is a buildable (with a little work - I am on my fourth one now) but just think what it could be like with today's technology, and all those colour schemes too!

 

Ray

The Matchbox kit (re-released not long ago by Revell) is a nice little unit, especially when augmented by the Aerocraft upgrade kit, which overcomes most of the Matchbox kit's shortcomings - the over-thick windscreen pillars and resulting undersized windscreen, and the extremely delicate undercarriage. Mind you, I wouldn't say no to a new one done to modern standards!