Is the Matchbox SAAB Tunnan Still Good Today? 1/72 Scale Plastic Model Kit Unboxing Review
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2024
- The Matchbox SAAB Tunnan plastic model kit in 1/72 scale is probably a little bit of modelling history - seeming to be quite rare given its age and the fact that they simply "don't make them like that anymore".
Join me in this video as I take a look inside the box of this vintage model kit and see if it is still any good (and worth building) today!
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This video is intended for adult scale model enthusiasts.
Model Minutes holds no responsibility for any accidents, damage or injury that could occur as a result of attempting to replicate any steps depicted in this video.
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All music used from the RUclips audio library
#Tunnan #Matchbox #Modelkit #scalemodel #modelplane 
Хобби
Your decals are from Revell, not matchbox. They are probably from a Revell re-release (they've released many old Matchbox kits), put inside an original kit. You did say you got it at a "swap" meet type venue? These aren't the original decals included in the kit.
On the back of the box it says "Copyright 1983 Matchbox International Ltd. Printed in Germany by Revell AG" and further down it says "Distributed by Revell AG". So it is possible that the decals could indeed be later replacements for lost originals.....
But, lead by your comment i've done some deeper digging. Original Matchbox kits had a PK prefix to a serial number, but after 1990 Revell had a licence to sell Matchbox branded models. This meant that they changed the serial number to start with a "4" instead. After 1992 the box art was completely changed. So, if that's correct, this kit actually dates from 1990-2 and was sold under license by Revell
This would go some way to explaining the Matchbox/Revell discrepancy
Just found a Revell re- boxing (04396) with artwork on the box in the "unmentioned" markings on your decal sheet; somebody definitely put a different decal sheet in
I bought an A-109 helicopter on eBay; had a limited run sheet of decals for the captured Argentine aircraft after the were repainted for "civilian" use by the SAS. Talk about a bonus!
@@mh53j to be honest, it’s a bit shady selling kits “as original” if it’s actually a bit of a mix inside the box
@@ModelMinutes Possibly innocent, especially if it's been through more than one set of hands, via swap meets.
If you're a builder, as opposed to a collector, you'd be happy to have a kit with relevant decals.
@@MacMcCaskill to be honest, the condition of the decals might mean they aren’t useable anyway 🤷♂️ so it’s not really a problem
I remember building this kit as a kid. It's a typical Matchbox kit: simple and straightforward, easy and fun to build, and a slightly offbeat yet interesting subject! Think I did the Austrian version at the time. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for the info!
Excellent presentation on a kit I have a particular interest in . back in 2020 I acquired the original preproduction matchbox solid perspex prototype for this kit , its very interesting to see how it was done before the advent of CAD and 3d printing , the guys who did the design work for matchbox and the other kit manufacturers were real craftsmen .
Sounds amazing!
I remember building this as a kid back in the day.....very easy to build and if memory serves me correctly it was the 1st matchbox kit i built
Very cool!
Just unbowed a matchbox 1/72 lightning from 1983 all I can say it's in perfect condition no flash and everything looks straight hoping to start it today.
very cool!
Love these older kits. I completly agree with you that Matchbox kits look great for their age.
Yeah, they aren't bad on the whole
@@ModelMinutes we bought 3 that were from the l980s last weekend and very surprised how well aged
I have two suggestions: A video on varnishes and clear coats and a video on the Airfix 1/72 sea king HC4
Haha! You can keep letting me know about this until I do it :P
@@ModelMinutes I will!
Oooooh you are varnish mad.... I can clearly see through you ;-)
@@Simon_Nonymous I hope that isn’t meant to be a joke because it’s dreadful
@@Simon_Nonymous and I’m varnish mad because I need to know how to use them and what to get so a model minutes video would be quite useful
I recently bought an original one, and there's no flash, at all, and the decals are still in good condition. I will spray them with matt varnish before I use them, though.
It's a nice kit, with cockpit interior details. All Matchbox kits were moulded in different colours, so that younger modellers could make a model without having to paint.
I have extremely fond memories of making Matchbox kits when I was a child. They always went together well, and Matchbox made models of aircraft that nobody else did - three early favourites were the Alpha Jet, the Boeing P12-E, and the Armstrong-Whitworth Siskin - possibly the most beautiful model of an inter-war type I've ever made.
Likewise the SAAB J-29F; an odd looking aircraft. Nowhere near as pretty as the SAAB Lansen, but pleasantly ugly.
they sound like good kits! Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to get some one day :P
i went to telford with my son last weekend and forgot that 35 years ago 90 percent of my model making nostalgia were matchbox kits. id totally forgotten and the mandela effect made me think they were all air fix. great video
Thanks for sharing!
I built one of these kits many years ago. In fact it's still hanging from the ceiling in my bedroom. The two colour callout was intended for people who didn't paint their models so it gave the impression of being painted instead of one solid mass of white or grey
Still some pretty unrealistic colour choices in the plastic though haha
Beat me to it, Andrew! 😀
I recall Matchbox also did some 3 "colour" kits. I always painted them so it made no difference to me.
@@ModelMinutes
True
@@JeffJefferyUK
Yeah they did
Ah good old memory lane... the multicolour kits, plus weren't their figures and vehicles 1:76 not 1:72, but the vehicles always came with a diorama base in the box? The decals - that's age for you. I too am yellowed and cracked.
Yes, that's true! I built a Revell Pzkpw which is ex matcbox - it was great and came with a base :) (although I'm sure you are in better shape than this kit)
When I was a kid there was Airfix or Matchbox. Some Airfix kits didn’t even come in a box, just a bag.
Ive seen some of those - never owned one though . . .yet
I remember the toy shop on our village used to sell them, about 1975. Yes, I’m that old and still making models.
I love the old matchbox models reminds me of better times
Sadly I didn't get into modelling until matchbox had been absorbed by revell
How I miss Matchbox kits 😢
some are still available as part of the revell range
I want this model jet kit for myself. Nice aircraft model. 🇦🇹🇸🇪
:D
I bought plenty of Matchbox kits back in the day, and quite enjoyed building them.
I may be crazy, but I could swear the old Matchbox releases came with rub on transfers instead of decals.
Always had decals that I remember; not the greatest or in register all the time...
I liked them too; some very unique subjects for the time. Bought some of the Revell re-boxings with better decals (the Norseman and Dornier Skyservant).
Some kits did have rub on transfers and horrible to use !
hmm, that is interesting
Ah Matchbox modelkits !! lovely kits to build. thanks for your unboxing video. Give me some idea ;)
No problem 👍
The main attraction of Matchbox was their subjects. Who else would make a Handley Page Heyford? Vickers Wellesley? Noorduyn Norseman? They were a breath of fresh air, and I wish they were still in business and shaking things up.
Yeah perhaps in the future there might be a company with similar products
So that's what this Saab is called :-) I loved building the Saab Viggens and Saab Drakkens.
:D
I want to build this model jet for myself I enjoyed this video.
nice! Maybe you will find one
When I was a kid I didn't read the instructions.
I stuck the two fuselage parts together then realised I needed to do the cockpit first which now wouldn't fit..duh :-)
haha sometimes I still don't read the instructions
Hi Matt, you'll probably find that the paint numbers are for humbrol rather than Ravel as I've built a couple of Matchbox kits from that era.
Oh that’s strange, even though the instructions say Revell paints they actually mean humbrol?
They will be Revell colour call outs as Revell made the decals for Matchbox models.
Original matchbox releases usually had humbrol authentic colour paint call outs but revell releases use their paint codes.
I built a 1970s hawker tempest, it was a good kit, good fit. for 70s.
nice!
About the decals, I checked and Moose republic decals seem to make j29 decals for both Sweden and the United nations.
Thanks for the research!
I bought a lot of matchbox kits back in the day when i was a kid.
nice!
I’d build but not paint and leave it as a two coloured curiosity.
Interesting idea!
Oh so much memories. 👍👍👍
:D
I've I few of these older kits luv the box art like the old air fix kits they was the best .
Yes, i do enjoy the older boxings
Hello Matt. Nice video. I build that kit back in 1986 and hand painted in Humbrol 56 aluminium and decals were only swedish and Austrians...not those black ones. Of course its not as good in detail as todays kits but was great fun to build these kits. It's still in my collection....cheers.
Thanks for the info! Due to some other info (in the pinned comment) i believe my sample is actually from 1990-2 where Matchbox was sold by revell under licence, after which they were repackaged. So if anything, this is even rarer lol
No matter it good or bad , we can fix it. Look good plane .
Great video 🙂
Thank you 😁
I loved the old Matchbox kits.
they are pretty cool!
Well some great aftermarket Saab Tunnan 1/72 decals comes from Moose Republic decals.
thanks for letting me know!
I added a thick layer of spray can laquer to one set of decals. It worked but you have to be. Careful trying move it from the. backing paper. Also turn the box over , the painting guide for the 3rd version might be at the back of the box.
Thanks for the tip!
Guess what I think you should build?
That’s right! The Airfix 1/72 sea king HC4
Haha! I saw the HAR3 version in a model shop recently, but it's not the same and you wouldn't be happy with anything else
@@ModelMinutes lmao
I have a question: what kind of ink is used to paint the plastic models of Revell? Can I use regular Acrilic Ink?
Can't say i've ever used inks, but I talk about the paints that I use in this video here ruclips.net/video/WO0SZ1sGGcs/видео.html
I had this back in the day. It was the very first model of real aircraft I built.. Before this I built the Airfix Angel Interceptor from captain scarlet.
Oh that's cool! I have also built one of those angel interceptors
@@ModelMinutes nice one. Would love to see it reintroduced as part of their vintage classics line.... IF the tooling still exists. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@Kickback-dm7zt I imagine it still does…. Perhaps it could be a licence issue though
@@ModelMinutes that's true.. As someone who collects transformers "master piece" figures takara tomy WONT make a figure if they can't get a licence from the real world vechile manufacturer.. Perfect example is no masterpiece "jazz" and "clifjumper" as porsche refuse to give them a licence to use the car designs as porsche have said "we don't want our products associated with an alien robot war".
@@ModelMinutes 1 thing I love about Matchbox kits is no filler required.. Its been my experience that the fit of parts is perfect.. Okay there are some compromises such as spartan cockpit interiors which I can live with.. Quick to build and finish.. Put it on the shelf and start the next 1..as an example I built their strike master /jet provost kit... While I didn't paint any of it and did it with the under carriage retracted it only took me 1 hour to have it built and decaled...yep just 1 hour including allowing time for the glue to dry.
Love the old kits
i do enjoy a vintage build
Ahhh.. I thought 'two colours' referred to the sprues being two different colours. Does that mess up painting as the base colour changes?
Yeah, having different colour plastics can change how you have to deal with the paints
Very enjoyable video, Matt. Thank you.
When I was making models I always preferred Matchbox over Airfix by far. I found Airfix models to be very thin, flimsy and utilitarian. Just not fun (I'll admit that many, even most, of the models I made were then played with by me and my friends Andrew Sinclair and John Aldrich), whereas the Matchbox kits seemed friendlier to work with and had better build quality. By the time this Tunnan model came out I was over model building, and was instead listening to Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath, playing guitar, and wondering why I couldn't get a girlfriend.
I keep promising to myself that I should rekindle my model making skills, if only to stop myself staring at computer/Xbox/smartphone screens all day, and perhaps your videos will help me achieve that.
Now, what's all this guff about Humbrol paints should be thinned out before painting on!? Really? Nobody told me that back in 1972!
Yeah, i never used to thin my paints . . .still dont on occasion
Hi Matt. I have a top tip for you regarding salvaging the decals. 1. Tape them to a window for a few days. I have heard that doing this can help get rid of some of the fading. 2. Scan the decals into a PC using an ink-jet printer / scanner. 3. Print out the scanned decals onto a page of decal paper (readily available cheaply). 4. Spray gloss varnish onto your re-printed decals. This will seal them in, so that the ink does not run when you put the decal in water. This will give you some usable decals. But they will not be as good as new decals. With this being an obscure aircraft. It would probably be hard to find replacement decals.
thanks for the info!
Taping a decal sheet to a sunny window definitely works. I did it with the sheet from an MPC Banshee. They were about 40 years old and seriously yellowed. A week in the sun got rid of all the yellowing and the decal colors weren't noticeably faded.
I always start with the instructions
It’s a very good place to start
Hi Matt 👋yet another interesting video, I am still waiting for you to build and review a Henkel HE111 Battle of Britain 🇬🇧version when you can. Anyway have you ever built a plane and painted it in a livery from another country even though that country never flew said aircraft? I'm building 3 1982 Hawker Harriers as a cameo for my model railway. There was talk that the RNZAF were going to replace their A4 Skyhawks with Harriers and so I bought 75 squadron decals for my 3 Harriers but would they have painted them in the same camo colours as the A4s? They didn't buy them because the Skyhawks did well in the Falklands war.....anyway that was the talk then.
How interesting! I have built a custom Luftwaffe Spitfire, and also an X-wing in USAF colours, but other than that nothing too fictional
Great unboxing video on a classic Matchbox kit. Sadly, it looks like you are going to have to coat the decals in Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film. Or an aftermarket set looks like it’s in order. If all else fails I do have a recent boxing of the Heller 1/72 scale SAAB J-29. I can send you the spare Swedish Tunnan decals that I’m not going to use.
Anyway, I hope you can find a good solution to your issue with this classic kit. Good luck with the build Matt.
Thanks for the offer! Not sure what I want to do with this one yet (I do have some options and one I'm kind of tempted to try but will have to see)
@@ModelMinutes your welcome. Hope you can find a solution. And good luck with the build of this one!
When 1st started making kits, i prefered matchbox kits to airfix, as i thought they were to better build compared to some of the airfix kits. The swordfish kit from matchbox was by far better & easier to build.
yeah, I can imagine there was a bit of a quality difference
I like how Matchbox switched the Spanish and Italian paint colour names 04:55
Oops!
lol, silly guys
PrintScale sheet #72038 has decals for 9 different Tunnans, including 2 in different camouflage schemes.
Thanks for letting me know!
I love the matchbox range.
yeah, is pretty cool
@@ModelMinutes I liked the Two colored plastic parts
Definitely a flash back to my childhood. I would probably try to airbrush the Austrian roundels.
Interesting idea, i'm not sure what I want to do at the moment
If you scale up the panel line width and depth by 72 then they would be at least 72mm deep or in old money 3 inches. That moulding has more dimples than Shirley Temple! I believe the black bands on the decal sheet are for the Swedish aerobatic teams aircraft.
lol, thats some deep panel lines
I belive the aerobatic team scheme is for a swedish team from long long ago...
thanks for letting me know!
looks interesting have you decided a colour scheme
I’m not sure yet which one I would prefer
When Matchbox started making kits in the'70s they started to produce aircrafts & tanks that had been neglected by other producers, such as the Tunnan or for tanks the M24 and the Humber AC, they weren't on modern standards, but anyway were a good adding to the model world.
well said
You seem to have an interesting mix in that box. It says on the side that it should be in light grey and white, yet you get light grey and dark green; the artwork on your instructions match the first edition Matchbox artwork rather than the 'hockeystick' edition artwork. and the decals seem to be even later still.
And all that sold as 'original' for 10 pounds...
Still, it will build up nicely and there are still no better Tunnans in 1/72 scale available unless you scratchbuild one yourself
yeah, that is interesting . . .hmm
I just love those old Matchbox kits, although this was one of the later issues...even later this one...it was re-released under the (Revell) Matchbox brand with a new release nr 40033 (used to be PK-33)...I even think it was moulded in Poland instead of the UK (see white sprue 'Made in ****' scratched out) which also might explain the poor cast quality.
yeah, i think the pinned comment has some digging on the history of this kit
Of course it is, most kits, and ALL Matchbox ones are still relevant today, the result from the kit is what YOU make if it. If you want to go "paint-build-paint-decals-done. Then that's fine, still relevant as it has fulfilled your needs. If you want to "go the whole hog" with it with aftermarket, scratch built details, photo etch etc then that's fine too. Result.
I guess you'll have to wait to watch the video to get a bit more context
Edit - there is something wrong with it
@@ModelMinutes I an not saying it is the most accurate Tunnan kit, probably far from it as these were aimed at the children's pocket money market and not the serious builder (the canopy always looked a bit flat to me) but it is what it is, a child of its time.
All the best and I am looking forward to watching the video. 👍
£10! I use to pay 75p for those size Matchbox kits many years ago - nice kit to build though from what I remember of it.
Though yours is a newer Revell pressing put into the Matchbox box, as they crossed out the made in England part on the tooling.
Yeah, read the pinned comment. I did more digging thanks to info provided earlier…
Also, don’t forget about inflation. 75p in the 1970s would be about £10 now
@@ModelMinutes I bought the kit in 1982 for 75p it equates to £2.50 now with inflation.
It is rather a lottery with Matchbox kits now, because there are those who see a profit in putting switching out the decent Matchbox Sprues for Revell ones.
@@toboldlygosmodelworks1973 sounds like you were getting a good deal on them in 1982.... lol
But yeah, like I mentioned in the video I thought £10 was a steep price for this, I would have much preferred to pay half that (but seeing as I am fortunate enough to be able to make a video about it and show you all the contents of this kit, I think it justifies it)
Found 2 on Ebay : one from the UK for about £30 though non UK citizens have to add about £27 shipping and import taxes. And one in Spain for about 64 € + 16.50 € shipping within the EU. Both original Matchbox boxes without "Grüne Punkt".
Correct the j29f was a j29 with a afterburner.
awesome!
When Matchbox gave up making plastic kits at the end of the 1980’s, Revell bought all the tooling along with a 10-year license to sell the kits using the Matchbox logo. I believe Revell had the molds shipped to China, or maybe they were already there, and I think the quality of the kits suffered after that. I have one of the Tunnan kits that was molded in England and the parts honestly look to be of a better quality. After Revell’s 10-year licensing agreement expired, they then started boxing Matchbox kits in Revell boxes. Note also that there are a number of kits which appeared in Matchbox boxes that were actually old Revell or Frog kits.
Thanks for this! It expands on the info on the pinned comment, very useful to know :D
Build the Matchbox 1:72 Handley Page Heyford
I’d love to!
@@ModelMinutes it’s really hard to find the kit for good price and don’t find my comment as a command;-)
@@Dementia_scale_armour yeah I’ve seen a few over the years but they have all been a bit expensive to justify
build it!!!!!!
I certainly intend to :D
Matchbox always came out with some real odd choices but was always welcome.
:D
The '2 colours' refers to the sprue plastic, not the schemes. The Matchbox Chinook has 3!
thanks for the info!
I've got one in my stash, the moulding is pretty much flash free and the colours of the plastic are different, no greens just the colours on the side of your box The decals aren't original Matchbox only the Swedish and Austrian are included Interestingly the original artwork is of the Swedish version, I fully intend to build mine
Very cool!
I have 3 handly page halifax which i decent for there age
nice!
£10? Weren't they like less than a pound back in the 70s?
I bought so many Matchbox kits...the F16XL was one of my favourites
According to the inflation calculator from the Bank of England, £1 in 1970 would be about £15.82 today - so actually it's cheaper now than it was then . . .
Why does everyone forget about inflation . . . .
Man, this brings back memories... I had this very kit as a child. Matchbox was the only kits you could get where I grew up, and there weren't that many of them, either. I pretty much assumed two differing plastic colours in one kit was the norm. I don't remember the weird stringy plastic, though.
thanks for sharing :)
Привет друг !! От куда такой набор у тебя ? Этот производитель выпускал прекрасные модели и почему его уже нет? Обзор интересный и хочу посмотреть на собранный этот истребитель !! Мне чисто случайно попал ко мне от Хеллер такой же набор и я очень этому рад !!! Успеха в сборке , Мэтт !!!
Привет! Я купил его на модельной ярмарке / выставке. После того, как Ревелл купил инструмент, он был выпущен несколько раз, но я думаю, что они только что поняли, что он слишком стар, чтобы иметь какое-либо реальное применение. Спасибо за просмотр!
Я поместил это через переводчик Google, поэтому, если это немного странно, поэтому
Hi! I picked it up at a model fair/exhibition kind of thing. After revell bought the tooling it was released a few times but I think they've just realised it's too old now to be of any real use. Thanks for watching!
I put this through google translate so if it's a bit weird, that's why
The Heller offering of the SAAB Tunnan is much nicer!
I can imagine it is
'oh no don't build it'.. I take the opposite view and I'm sure a modeller of your experience can make this look good :) As for the decals, maybe mask and paint the geometric shapes? As for the letters and crowns.. ummmm... :)
I’m thinking of a way to make them useable or copies
@@ModelMinutes Maybe trace the originals, then use the tracings to mark painting outlines on the models?
👍😀👍❤
:D
3:40 "If you did that, did that, did that, and then went "Oh! I haven't painted it!"..."
...you'd be a flipping idiot! 😏
(Of course all my modelling efforts were perfect. No mistakes from 9-year-old me! Uh-uh! Nope.)
lol we all make mistakes
I have this kit, the original was released in 1978. It's okay but those "recessed" panel lines are AWFUL! The Matchbox trench digger got is hands on the pattern. They are nasty and need to be filled in in some way.
yeah, they aren't great lol
Take pictures of the decals, someone will reprint them
I'm thinking that i might be able to remake my own :)