Frog Sabre

[Paul Bradley]

Yeah, you heard right! THIS one:

Been busy recently with SIG stuff, but managed to complete the hoary old 1955-vintage Frog Sabre, in all her 1950's glory!

This is for the Classic British Kits SIG display at Telford and was built from the box to illustrate how far plastic kit technology has progressed since those early days. It's a very simple kit, with all of 14 pieces! Detail is extremely basic, with the cockpit being represented by the half-pilot moulded into the fuselage halves. The undercarriage is represented by simple one-piece mouldings that fit into slots under the wings and fuselage – no bays are present. The whole model is covered in huge rivets that would do the Clyde shipyards proud. These are thoughtfully discontinued in the places where the decals are supposed to go. I decided to build this one literally out-of-the-box - no mods, no additions, no re-scribing panel lines. I even kept the rivets, replacing those lost in sanding with dots of superglue! This kit is very much a child of it's times, and I wanted to preserve the integrity of what is one of the earliest model kits to be released in Britain. I even used the original decals, which while a little brittle, were opaque and did settle down over the rivets quite well.

The kit is topped off with one of those stylish Frog stands with the sweeping arm and circular base, and the very neat nameplate decal to go on it. This is one aspect of these kits that should be re-introduced. The kit actually fit together fairly well, but I did need filler on the rear fuselage seam, the underside seam and on top and bottom of both wings. One concession I did make was to paint the pilot and the cockpit surround in a form of tromp d'oiel, so that the impression of detail will be visible through the canopy - it doesn't look too bad! The overall colour is Testors Metallizer Non-Buffing Aluminum, which does actually buff up a little with a cotton bud, so some panels had a little of that treatment. The darker panels are present on the real thing and I treated those with Metallizer Buffing Steel. I used Tamiya tape for masking and that worked a treat. The black areas are Xtracrylix.

After completing this (and it was quite a fun project - I shall be trying to do the same with the original Javelin), I have a greater appreciation for more modern kits!

[F-32]

That's lovely, what a sweet little model.

[popeye]

Paul,

you have done her proud - compliments - pure nostalgia looking at that superb realisation !

Rolf

[keith in the uk]

Shape wise it dose not look too bad , if the riverts were sanded off and a little rescribing done , then for a desk top model it would look pretty cool.

I like how you have kept it totaly original and the period stand makes it look the part .

[John]

Thats very nice indeed. Is it a FROG original or a Hasegawa rebox?

John

[tornado64]

very nice i like the vintage frog stuff !!! rivets the size of m6 bolts .... loveley !!

[Tizzy]

That is so retro it's cool.I wish those stands were still supplied with kits.

[Mal]

Great build,

I remember building one of them,I'd forgotten how the early Frog instruction sheets looked,

John it's the original Frog kit not the later Hasegawa,It wasn't until the mid sixties Frog started issuing Hasegawa kits

Malcolm

[John B (Sc)]

Oh that is nostalgic. Super.

[AnonymousDFB1]

Wonderful, takes me back to watching my dad build kits. :thimbsup:

[Paul Bradley]

Thanks all, I'm glad that the intent came over! Keep an eye open for her at Telford, at the Classic British Kits "World of Frog" display.