Did You Build Models As a Kid?

[Snake45]

I'll bet that more than a few here built plastic model airplanes back in the '50s, -60s, and '70s--Airfix, french, Aurora, Monogram, Revell, Hawk, Lindberg, etc. I'll bet some even built hot rod, racer, and custom cars by AMT, MPC, and Revell, too.

Today's kits are infinitely better (and astronomically more expensive) than those of our youth, but the old plastic still has nostalgic charm and appeal that no modern Tamiyagawa kit can match. Believe it or not, there's still a lot of interest in building the "old stuff" just for fun.

I started a whole site/forum dedicated to Retro & Nostalgia Scale Modeling. About the only rule is all kits have to have been on the market before 1981. Reissues, reboxings, and descendants of original pre-'81 kits are welcome, too. Original 50-year-old child-built "glue bombs" are just as welcome as a current, clean build of a Retro kit using "adult" tools and modern techniques.

If this kind of thing sounds interesting to you, please drop by and browse. All models are categorized by general subject matter so it's easy to find what you want to see. And you're invited to join and participate if the mood strikes you, as well. It's a very non-judgmental, non-competitive, non-argumentative atmosphere and we try to stay strictly on-topic.

http://retroscalemodeling.lefora.com/

I hope to see some of you there!

ETA: I just notice that the board auto-censored the brand name of a popular old English model airplane company into "french." If you know/remember that actual brand name, you're probably a good candidate for Retro membership.

[K5DH]

CAUTION -- CAUTION -- CAUTION

The above site attempted to download a virus to my computer.
Fortunately, my Norton AV software blocked it.

[Snake45]

CAUTION -- CAUTION -- CAUTION

The above site attempted to download a virus to my computer.
Fortunately, my Norton AV software blocked it.

I doubt it. I just checked it out, no problem. And in over a year and a half on the air, no one has EVER complained about a virus from that site.

We have had three cases of malicious persons signing up and then emailing or PMing members, but all three of them were wiped and banned by me within hours.

I suspect your virus was coming from something else you had open at the same time. Either that, or it just got upset about a harmless common ad on the site (I've seen this before). And I'm not real pleased about you trying to keep people from checking out the site.

If anybody ELSE visits that site and gets a virus warning, please let me know.

[myteaquinn]

Just checked the site. The only problem I have is a profound sense of incompetence as a model builder. Great site.

[Snake45]

Just checked the site. The only problem I have is a profound sense of incompetence as a model builder. Great site.

Thank you myteaquinn.

Believe it or not, I started the site in part as a place for less talented modelers such as myself to hang out and just have fun with the hobby. You should see some of the other site many of us have come from. For some people, it goes far beyond a hobby and into an obsession. Which is perfectly fine, as long as you understand that not everyone wants to take little plastic models that seriously.

[K5DH]

Chill out, Snake45. This ain't personal. I am not trying to keep people from checking out the site. I want my fellow WIXers to proceed with caution, based on my experience there today. Perhaps one of the ads tried something funky. I dunno. What I do know for certain is that my Norton AV software blocked a virus attack -- TWICE -- while I was at the top level of the site. I had no other applications open, just my browser. I think the intent of the site is very cool, and since I've been building plastic car and airplane models since 1963, I'd probably fit right in. I'll probably give it another look. I just get a bit concerned when I visit a new site for the first time and within the first couple of minutes of browsing I'm subjected to TWO attempts to download a virus to my PC. Can you really blame me for being cautious, and for trying to protect others, after such an experience?

[Maxrobot1]

Regarding the original post, Yes. I was building plastic scale models when I was less than 10 yrs old. Of course in those days, my Dad helped and I remember my Grandfather helping me fit he turret on a Monogram Grumman Avenger. Back in the very early '60s Aurora, Revell and Monogram were the available kit makers. Every stores toy dept. had model kits and so did small shops like drugstores and such. Later in the '60s I saw Airfix kits in the "real" hobby stores. I had a subscription to "Scale modeler" and "Air Classics" and treasured each issue. I still have them saved today.
In 1977, I brought home styrofoam peanuts from the shipping dept at work and packed away a lot of older kits. Though stored in my parents attic, most are in good shape but some decals have aged or flaked.

[29erJuliet]

Bump
Been building since 8 or 9. Starting with plastic, then when my bank account & my age grew, I went to balsa, free flight & RC. Still a student pilot in full scale GA...but my age is starting to out pace my bank account.



29erJ

[PJ01]

I started building in the late '50s but most of those were the :144 series such as B-57, B-66 and a couple new fighters consisting of just painting and applying decals.
We went overseas and all that was available was balsa. Most difficult was the Corsair because I didn't get the balsa to set right in the pie pan full of water to warp the wing roots and ended up with a wobbly "three legged stool" version ;-}
The Phantom P-51 was my first plastic effort back in the US and now I have two in an effort to do better.
Airfix dominated the '60s though I also dabbled in some Ed Roth concept cars {TV set in the center console}. I made airborne dioramas with oil & fire colored cotton trailing shot up B~17s interspersed with a tribute Skyraider to Maj Fischer's MoH mission in the A Shau, RVN {A place I came to know not many years later}.
In the military I demilitarized my models. The Cheyenne helicopter became an air racer which was my last model until just this year and introducing grandkids to the joy of what the imagination can conceive from a basic kit. I'm also having more fun with balsa being combined with foil for some more authentic looks.
Sorry, no pictures. Maybe at another time. I'm simply enjoying the great models people present right here.

[Triplane102]

Yup, started in late '60s as a kid, my favorite All time model is Revell's 1/28 ( Yes ! 1/28!) Fokker DR 1 Triplane. I knew so little of WW1 History, I use to say " Wow! The Germans were So Cool They Copied the Hell'sAngels Crosses !" I still love the 3, 1/28 WW1 Revell planes that came out , Dr1, Sopwith Camel, & Spad!

[cooper9411]

Started building in the 70's. First kits were of funny cars of the day and of course the tri-five Chevies. My granddad built awesome balsa airplane kits. I remember the time he gave me a kit from his collection of probably around 60 or so different kits. As a kid I had no patience and would get frustrated because it took so long for the glue to set up. That kit I got from granddad sure tested my patience partly because I was used to plastic kits and never did a balsa kit. And from that day to now I've did 2 balsa kits, that one and the Memphis Belle B-17! Nowadays I'm into the assembly/disassembly of the real thing.

[cooper9411]

Oops. Double post.

Last edited by cooper9411 on Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

[4RG.I.'S]

First started building models around 8 years old. Dad was in the air Force and he passed the bug airplane bug to me. At one time I had almost every WWII US aircraft model made. Many were built, I wanted to make a museum diorama. Then it went off in another direction, 1/24th scale. The Airfix Mustang looked awesome next to 1/24th scale cars. After that it was to 1/24-1/25 cars, but stayed Mustangs mostly, had every year and multiple versions. I sold it all a few years ago (around 4000 kits!) to finance my next hobby, firearms. Now that collection is up for sale to finance another idea. Someday I might grow up and stop collecting toys...

[xb70]

I built many model planes and ships from about 10 through teen years. I still have them all, mostly sitting in a closet. Still have several kits I never got around to making too. My best may have been an F-15E and the USS Enterprise nuclear aircraft carrier.

[jbell]

I started building models when I was really young, about 4 years old. Here's a picture of me with my first build, an F-86 Sabre. It's 1/32 scale. it just looks big because I was so small......John