Airfix and FROG Model Aircraft Kits

Someone reminded me the other day that in the 1960s a major hobby for both young and old was to make, and indeed sometimes fly, model aircraft from kits.

I used to made static (that is non-flying) plastic models mostly of aircraft from the Second World War and, to a lesser extent, from the First World War.

Many people, however, made more complex models that actually flew, either made from plastic or from very light balsa wood. The aircraft then used a small motor for propulsion.

I can recall buying Airfix model aircraft kits for static display and I can also remember looking at kits for flying aircraft which I thought were called FROG.

A look on the internet revealed that I was right and FROG kits were made by International Model Aircraft Ltd, a company that has been in existence since before the war. There is an interesting Wikipedia page detailing the company and a link to it is below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_%28models%29

Airfix, of course, was a well known make and their kits were in the shops for a long time after the 60s and, again, there is a Wikipedia page dealing with the fate of the company below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airfix

I also found another website dealing just with Airfix kits – link below – which is well worth a visit but please allow time for the graphics to load.

http://pws.prserv.net/gbinet.dbjames/kits.htm#figs

I was very much into making model aircraft in those days and I wondered if Airfix kits (or any kits like that) had survived into the 21st century. It is, after all, a hobby that is seldom seen or talked about these days.

I need not have worried for a look on Amazon (the store that has everything!) revealed a plethora of plastic model kits for what I thought were very realistic prices. For example, the first one I saw was the Spitfire Mk1a for £4.69 – link below:

Airfix Military Aircraft Classic Kit Series 1 A01071 1:72 Scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk1A

Click through the link to have a look at the model and also read the comments left at the bottom of the page, they are very interesting.

I can’t remember the price of kits in the 1960s and, of course, I didn’t buy them as I was still at school, but I can remember that they were expensive enough to have to wait until money was available for a purchase by my parents.

I was, however, primary looking for the Lancaster bomber since that is the kit that I particularly recall making and which hung from cotton in my bedroom for years after.

Airfix – 1:72 Avro Lancaster ‘G For Geo

This kit looks like the model I made except that the box is a good deal more colourful than I remember. I was disappointed to see that there were no reviews for the model, I had hoped that it would have proved popular so perhaps it is time for me to buy one myself, make it up and then post a review!

It was heartening to see so many other Airfix kits and to get at them click one of the links above and when you arrive at Amazon UK, enter ‘Airfix Model Aircraft’ in the search box and select ‘Toys & Games’ as the section to see a complete list. I have to say I was most impressed with what was on offer.

If you have any memories of model aircraft kits, either plastic static aircraft or flying models or can thrown any more light on FROG or Airfix then please comment below.

In particular, if you make any of the modern Airfix kits, I would be interested to hear how you got on and see a photo of the model.

Photo Elsie esq

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