Locolines Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I wonder how many of us started our military interest due to Airfix models ? I certainly did. I remember my nan buying my first ever kit for me when I was about 5 years old. She got it for me in walthamstow high street in the early 1960s. A Hawker typhoon if I remember right. Terribly exciting with a fantastic picture on the paper label. By the time I was about 10 , I must have made every kit in the catalogue. By then I knew my crusaders from my Matilda's and my tigers from my panthers. the little information notes on the bags were history being told , with such names as Stalingrad , El alemain, and Normandy. never in the field of human history has so much been learned from such little bags. good old Airfix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeePig Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I agree, things like Airfix made history interesting, something you could be involved in, without having to worry about grades and such Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) I do agree but..:cool2:............. my pathetically finished effort of a glue splattered , paint dripped model with all it's transfers stuck on willynilly and all skew wiff ....never somehow seemed to quite match up to the always glamorous depiction of said model 'in action' on the front of the box it came in . ....My ol' Dad would often say "whats that you've made then my boy ?!?" ........ I'd beam and reply "a Lancaster Dad !!!!".... ......Dad would go back to his paper , sup his tea and mutter under his breath..... "mmmmhhhhh ...a Lancaster is it.....mmhhh " Edited March 27, 2013 by RattlesnakeBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I started out with the Airfix Morris FAT, at age 7, and now look where it got me :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I had a load of the Airfix ships, Hood, Bismark, Tiger, Leander, Tirpitz, Nelson a whole history of Naval warfare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Been there done that. Air Sea Rescue Launch was one of my favourites and a shed load of aircraft. Had trucks, tanks (the Tamiya ones with motors you could drive) ships. James Bond Aston Martin Bismark eventually sank in a cattle water trough on a hot sunny day with the help of a magnifying glass. I vaguely remember building a dinosaur. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 A lot of mine fell to heavy bombardment of .177. (Great fun though:D ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 airfix yes i had loads airfix soldiers and still do plus the pontoon bridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 yep Airfix here too then Tamiya,Monogram and Italieri..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Shame that kids today aren't that interested. We sell Airfix and all that in our shop, but its older guys that buy it. yes I bet many a heinkel fell to the famous .177 anti aircraft gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeePig Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Eventually Fort Sahara fell to my Diana air pistol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Eventually Fort Sahara fell to my Diana air pistol... Yes I had forgotten about fort Sahara ..... Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 And the Romans! 2/6, (37.5 p to you babes in arms) for the 1/72 soldiers. American Civil War, 8th Army and Africa Corp. The 8th Army had a pair of Vickers guns the Africa Corp had Pak 37. Many fortification fell to a well aimed earth clod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 i played hours with airfix soldiers rolling a golf ball one way across the living room floor then back the other like skittles the last soldier standing was the side that won , :-) yes shame children dont seem to play that way anymore and i always walk out of a model shop with something now got to build my airfix D day set yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 As I said previously we sell Airfix etc in our shop, but the other day a rep came in selling Britains soldiers ... Remember them ? A pocket money toy. Not anymore a single Zulu warrior chappie is £22.00 ! Yes 22 POUNDS ! And three desert fellows on a camel.... £305.00 ! :shocking: Good luck for the future Britans ! :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonm Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) Thats how I describe my hobby, its Airfix but bigger! I used to do a lot of conversions and scratch build, back then there just wasn't the range of models, if you wanted a JagdPanther, then a Panther plus plastic sheet and a lot of careful cutting, I made a King Tiger, Sherman DD, and various scratch build, I think including a Tetrach! Not a patch on what some of the brilliant models I see in the big tent at W&P, but you could tell what it was supposed to be. As to the effects of the .177? My dad used to load his own cartridges so there was always gunpowder to add a bit more realism, never went bang though! Edited March 27, 2013 by simonm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Question for you all. How many of us started building Airfix models and then just upscaled it to full size? I know that is how I started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 loads of britains soldiers and dinky army take pride on my bookcase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted March 28, 2013 Author Share Posted March 28, 2013 Question for you all. How many of us started building Airfix models and then just upscaled it to full size? I know that is how I started. Me for one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeePig Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I remember my brother had the coastal defence set, which had 2 plastic spring guns to fire plastic shells or matchsticks. That was good for knocking over troops or vehicles, and it did help spark an interest in things military made of concrete, of which there was no shortage around Folkestone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Question for you all. How many of us started building Airfix models and then just upscaled it to full size? I know that is how I started. Partly, I also had 1:1 scale guns and bunkers to play in. That and local stories started me wanting to know more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 wow tony you was a tiny child ! :n00b: just kidding mate i know what you meant really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 i suddenly thought of a scene from the borrowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 don,t forget ive had no sleep with new baby up nearly all night my mistake !!:-X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 wow tony you was a tiny child ! :n00b: just kidding mate i know what you meant really WHAT do you mean WAS? If I'd grown up do you think I'd be running two Dodges and have a flat more like a Quatermasters stores? :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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