I had a paper round to help pay for my addiction of model kits, my employer allowed me to take of the more expensive kits and pay over the weeks for them. I also had this kit.
Nice walk down memory lane well a slow walk, yes l remember Matchbox always being for sale in corner shops or post offices there were very good kits and unlike Airfix they all came in a box, makes you wonder what would they be doing now if as company it had survived would they have kept the two tone colour scheme 👍
That 'M' stand was a master piece in design. Just loved snapping that ball into the socket and adjusting, probably every time I looked at the model. It became lose in the end!
On the top floor of the rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and hanging from the ceiling at the Louwman Museum in The Hague, there are aircraft with orange roundels. But you can imagine that orange roundels and red roundels (which the Japanese had) can not be distinguished easily from a distance. Initially, the Dutch roundel after 1921 became a variant of red white and blue but with an additional orange dot in the middle. When a Dutch T5 bomber was being mistaken for an RAF aircraft in 1939, the orange triangles were introduced, also in the Dutch East Indies. (and why later all red dots were dropped from allied aircraft int he pacific theatre of operations ;)
I've just acquired one of these, its the later version with the black box and 'hockey stick' stripes on the box. Interestingly the later plastic is a much nicer light brown and olive green.
It's a shame there aren't any painting instructions for the Finnish Brewsters because, whatever it's reputation elsewhere in the world, during the Winter War and the Continuation War these aircraft tore a swathe throught the Red Air Force. The Finns used the export version, called the B239. It differed from the standard Brewster mainly by having the radio removed (sensitive equipment, not for export) but otherwise was largely the same. By the time the B239s were retired they had amassed the highest kill-to-loss ratio of any aircraft in WW2 at something around 22 kills for every B239 shot down. The Finns loved the Brewster, and nicknamed it "Pearl of the Skies". One of their leading aces (I can't remember who) compared it favorably with the Bf109s Finland had from Germany later: he said the Brewster was "a gentleman's aircraft", while the Bf109 was "a killing machine". There was a short-lived Finnish attempt to build their own domestic version of the B239, mostly out of wood (of which they had plenty) but only the prototype was completed before they switched to Bf109s. So yeah, the Brewster was mainly just unlucky in that, in other theaters of operation, they were slow and outdated, but in Finnish conditions they were perfect.
Yet another 'underdog' aircraft used to great effect by the Finnish Air Force. Nice little kit - but never understood why it was moulded in 'Raspberry Ripple' ice cream colours. Red plastic is a sod to paint over, if you're a kid, and have never heard of spray primer before. I remember making this kit in my gran's kitchen, one rainy Saturday.
another kit i thought much better than the contemporary airfix one. airfix were then moving from the pimply rivet covered models to raised panel lines. matchbox never went in for the 'pimple' finish. an obsevation on release schedules, i distinctly remember that the first batch was PK1-10, the second 11-20 and the third 21-30. after this, releases were 'as and when' in twos and threes. at least this was the case in my local news agent. first issues being 23p - my firsy kit being the Alpha Jet.
A nice little bugger. I had one as a kid. We had lots of dogfights with a mate’s Matchbox A6M. In fact, I have two of them in my stash. These crosshairs that came with the kit were flimsy, fragile and strange, though. I think, the RAF Buffaloes used a Mk. III reflex sight instead.
The old Revell kit was in Finnish markings. The F2A Buffalo was chosen by the US Navy over the initial version of the F4F Wildcat. In the end, Grumman revised the Wildcat and it was built in far larger numbers than any versions than the poor old Buffalo. The Brewster company was hauled in front of a Congressional hearing to answer allegations of corruption and profiteering - from which they never recovered. At the time, I always preferred the Airfix kit of the F2A although having seen it more recently, I realised it was festooned with rivets - something that obviously didn't bother me too much back in 1972. The Airfix Buffalo featured a glazed panel in the floor but the Matchbox one didn't. Were Matchbox correct to omit this?
The Japanese fighters are Nakajima Ki-43, "Oscars," which - despite only carrying 2x.303 - was a far better fighter than the Buffalo. The low-altitude fighting on the Eastern Front allowed the Finns to score a modicum of success with this aircraft, but in the Pacific, it was completely inadequate, and a lot of pilots were lost. The Dutch started WW2 as neutrals with a circular insignia consisting of red/white/blue yin/yang symbols with a central orange spot, but after a (neutral) Dutch aircraft was shot down by a German aircraft early in the War in mistake for a British one (that's what he said) the Orange triangle was introduced as an emergency measure.
Funny, Matchbox got the spelling wrong, it's 'militaire luchtvaart', not 'luchtvaat', with luchtvaart meaning aviation (literally: air sailing) of course ! Vaat meaning dishes, luchtvaat would be something like air dishes? Dutch, such a difficult language :)
They were about $1.30 American in 1973/74. Yesterday there was a video on a new 1/72 ME-109 E kit. The thing is more highly detailed than a 1974 vintage 1/32 kit. The price is higher, too.
How odd that Matchbox got the designation of the aircraft wrong on the instruction sheet - it should be XF2A-1 not XFZA-1 as printed. Never noticed that before. The object behind the pilot is a container for a life raft if the aircraft comes down in the sea - this was a naval aircraft. The Grumman F4F also had wheels that folded up into the fuselage. The Buffalo was a very popular aircraft with kit makers - Matchbox, Airfix, and Revell all did it in 1/72nd scale, and Tamiya did a 1/48th scale version. A really nice aircraft, and widely used, even if it was not that successful. Plenty to keep modellers busy.
@@jimtaylor294 I put the figures in the Bank of England inflation calculator and that’s what came out. It’s possible I made a mistake but 6 quid is still good value.
Like this one built this one several times - sadly shows tough times for RNZAF in Singapore not the British Empires finest hour. Amongst other things build quality of Brewster aircraft were awful.
Brewster made crap. Some people think that was due to the company growing too quickly, but the items I've read paint the company as a criminal enterprise. I think it they were license building Corsairs for the USN during the war. The USN rejected all of the Corsairs produced due to sub-standard parts and shoddy workmanship.
Brewster's also a classic example that you shouldn't try to make aeroplanes in what was originally a Car Plant. (originally built by Rolls Royce, but sold off after the Wall Street Crash tanked sales of luxury cars: it remains the only time in history anyone could buy a non-UK made Rolls) Using an old Aircraft Plant to make Cars though: that's been done successfully.
Наука
I built this model when I was about 14. For kits that weren't super expensive, they built up into nice models.
I had a paper round to help pay for my addiction of model kits, my employer allowed me to take of the more expensive kits and pay over the weeks for them. I also had this kit.
Thanks for your great reviews of a very important part of our modelling past and contemporary modelling ! ( We're not dead yet ! ).
Nice walk down memory lane well a slow walk, yes l remember Matchbox always being for sale in corner shops or post offices there were very good kits and unlike Airfix they all came in a box, makes you wonder what would they be doing now if as company it had survived would they have kept the two tone colour scheme 👍
That 'M' stand was a master piece in design. Just loved snapping that ball into the socket and adjusting, probably every time I looked at the model. It became lose in the end!
Are you quite sure you've got enough lights there?
On the top floor of the rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and hanging from the ceiling at the Louwman Museum in The Hague, there are aircraft with orange roundels. But you can imagine that orange roundels and red roundels (which the Japanese had) can not be distinguished easily from a distance. Initially, the Dutch roundel after 1921 became a variant of red white and blue but with an additional orange dot in the middle. When a Dutch T5 bomber was being mistaken for an RAF aircraft in 1939, the orange triangles were introduced, also in the Dutch East Indies. (and why later all red dots were dropped from allied aircraft int he pacific theatre of operations ;)
Bright tomato red and Lima bean green, very lurid colors to mold the parts in but I'd still build this kit, neat little airplane.
according to the bank of England inflation calculator 25p would be around £3 in todays money so they were indeed good value pocket money kits
A splendid little kit from my youth. Thanks, Peter.
Liked it in Finnish markings where it performed admirably.
I've just acquired one of these, its the later version with the black box and 'hockey stick' stripes on the box. Interestingly the later plastic is a much nicer light brown and olive green.
It's a shame there aren't any painting instructions for the Finnish Brewsters because, whatever it's reputation elsewhere in the world, during the Winter War and the Continuation War these aircraft tore a swathe throught the Red Air Force. The Finns used the export version, called the B239. It differed from the standard Brewster mainly by having the radio removed (sensitive equipment, not for export) but otherwise was largely the same. By the time the B239s were retired they had amassed the highest kill-to-loss ratio of any aircraft in WW2 at something around 22 kills for every B239 shot down. The Finns loved the Brewster, and nicknamed it "Pearl of the Skies". One of their leading aces (I can't remember who) compared it favorably with the Bf109s Finland had from Germany later: he said the Brewster was "a gentleman's aircraft", while the Bf109 was "a killing machine". There was a short-lived Finnish attempt to build their own domestic version of the B239, mostly out of wood (of which they had plenty) but only the prototype was completed before they switched to Bf109s. So yeah, the Brewster was mainly just unlucky in that, in other theaters of operation, they were slow and outdated, but in Finnish conditions they were perfect.
Yes!
Yet another 'underdog' aircraft used to great effect by the Finnish Air Force. Nice little kit - but never understood why it was moulded in 'Raspberry Ripple' ice cream colours. Red plastic is a sod to paint over, if you're a kid, and have never heard of spray primer before.
I remember making this kit in my gran's kitchen, one rainy Saturday.
My first ever kit and I was 7
another kit i thought much better than the contemporary airfix one. airfix were then moving from the pimply rivet covered models to raised panel lines. matchbox never went in for the 'pimple' finish.
an obsevation on release schedules, i distinctly remember that the first batch was PK1-10, the second 11-20 and the third 21-30. after this, releases were 'as and when' in twos and threes. at least this was the case in my local news agent. first issues being 23p - my firsy kit being the Alpha Jet.
Nice kit again I build this when i was 16 nice Memories greetings from Austria
Greeting Robert!
A nice little bugger. I had one as a kid. We had lots of dogfights with a mate’s Matchbox A6M.
In fact, I have two of them in my stash.
These crosshairs that came with the kit were flimsy, fragile and strange, though. I think, the RAF Buffaloes used a Mk. III reflex sight instead.
The old Revell kit was in Finnish markings.
The F2A Buffalo was chosen by the US Navy over the initial version of the F4F Wildcat. In the end, Grumman revised the Wildcat and it was built in far larger numbers than any versions than the poor old Buffalo.
The Brewster company was hauled in front of a Congressional hearing to answer allegations of corruption and profiteering - from which they never recovered.
At the time, I always preferred the Airfix kit of the F2A although having seen it more recently, I realised it was festooned with rivets - something that obviously didn't bother me too much back in 1972.
The Airfix Buffalo featured a glazed panel in the floor but the Matchbox one didn't. Were Matchbox correct to omit this?
Honestly I am not sure Eric, but I suspect not, - they did the same error on the Junkers 188
The 1/72 Hobby Boss Buffalo has, if I remember correctly, a decal to represent the 'landing window'.
The Japanese fighters are Nakajima Ki-43, "Oscars," which - despite only carrying 2x.303 - was a far better fighter than the Buffalo.
The low-altitude fighting on the Eastern Front allowed the Finns to score a modicum of success with this aircraft, but in the Pacific, it was completely inadequate, and a lot of pilots were lost.
The Dutch started WW2 as neutrals with a circular insignia consisting of red/white/blue yin/yang symbols with a central orange spot, but after a (neutral) Dutch aircraft was shot down by a German aircraft early in the War in mistake for a British one (that's what he said) the Orange triangle was introduced as an emergency measure.
Funny, Matchbox got the spelling wrong, it's 'militaire luchtvaart', not 'luchtvaat', with luchtvaart meaning aviation (literally: air sailing) of course ! Vaat meaning dishes, luchtvaat would be something like air dishes? Dutch, such a difficult language :)
Maybe round orange markings might be mistaken for Japanese markings in a dogfight
Think I built this twice, always thought the underside colours were odd!
They were about $1.30 American in 1973/74.
Yesterday there was a video on a new 1/72 ME-109 E kit. The thing is more highly detailed than a 1974 vintage 1/32 kit. The price is higher, too.
Hello 👍 très belle vidéo. Vous avez trouvé où toutes ces maquettiste. Merci les z'ailes du haut doubs. ( ces maquette vous les acheter ou magasin )
How odd that Matchbox got the designation of the aircraft wrong on the instruction sheet - it should be XF2A-1 not XFZA-1 as printed. Never noticed that before. The object behind the pilot is a container for a life raft if the aircraft comes down in the sea - this was a naval aircraft. The Grumman F4F also had wheels that folded up into the fuselage. The Buffalo was a very popular aircraft with kit makers - Matchbox, Airfix, and Revell all did it in 1/72nd scale, and Tamiya did a 1/48th scale version. A really nice aircraft, and widely used, even if it was not that successful. Plenty to keep modellers busy.
Thanks for that background info Paul. 👍🏻
F4F and F3F. I had a toy F3F when I was a kid that had retracting landing gear. It was great.
Painters nightmare mare Magenta plastic !!!!
25p in 1974 now would be £26. So at £6 the Revell versions are good value.
Strange. When checking the inflation for my FROG Buccaneer S.2B (54 pence in 1972) the result was about £7.35 in 2021 money.
@@jimtaylor294 I put the figures in the Bank of England inflation calculator and that’s what came out. It’s possible I made a mistake but 6 quid is still good value.
@@iangascoigne8231 Aye, especially as the moulds haven't aged as badly as is typical for tooling of that era.
Like this one built this one several times - sadly shows tough times for RNZAF in Singapore not the British Empires finest hour. Amongst other things build quality of Brewster aircraft were awful.
Brewster was the only aircraft manufacturer that I know of that actually went out of business during WW2....
Brewster made crap. Some people think that was due to the company growing too quickly, but the items I've read paint the company as a criminal enterprise. I think it they were license building Corsairs for the USN during the war. The USN rejected all of the Corsairs produced due to sub-standard parts and shoddy workmanship.
Brewster's also a classic example that you shouldn't try to make aeroplanes in what was originally a Car Plant.
(originally built by Rolls Royce, but sold off after the Wall Street Crash tanked sales of luxury cars: it remains the only time in history anyone could buy a non-UK made Rolls)
Using an old Aircraft Plant to make Cars though: that's been done successfully.