A life-long model builder, collector, and connoisseur, Craig Kodera examines the hobby of plastic model building to give you a book on collecting vintage model airplane kits. The book features more than 400 detailed, high-quality, full-color photos of vintage aircraft model kits and their components, and is written in an engaging and entertaining style to examine what gives specific models their current collectible value. Box wraps, direction sheets, and decals are also covered in detail. This book highlights exactly what collectors should look for (and be aware of) in building their collections. For proper historical perspective, the author covers model kit development in the heyday of the 1950s and 1960s. Comprehensive value and pricing information for vintage kits is shown as well.
In the 1960s, model kit building was a huge hobby. Kids built plastic kits of planes, tanks, race cars, space ships, creatures from scary movies, you name it. Before baseball card collecting, Pokémon, and video games, model kit building was one of the most popular hobby activities. Car and airplane kits were the most popular, and among the car kits, muscle cars, as we know them today, were one of the most popular categories. Many owners of real muscle cars today were not old enough to buy them when the cars were new, of course. Yet kids of the 1960s and 1970s worshiped these cars to an extent completely foreign to kids today. If you couldn’t afford or were too young to buy a muscle car back then, what could you do? For many, the next best thing was to buy, collect, and build muscle car kits from a variety of kit companies. Hundreds were made. Many of these kits have become collectible today, especially in original, unassembled form. Although people still build kits today, there is a broad market for collectors of nostalgic model kits. People love the kits for the great box art, to rekindle fond memories of building them 40 years ago, or even as a companion to the full-scale cars they own today. Here, world-leading authority Tim Boyd takes you through the entire era of muscle car kits, covering the options, collectability, variety availability, and value of these wonderful kits today. Boyd also takes you through the differences between the original kits, the older reproduction kits, and the new reproduction kits that many people find at swap meets today. If you are looking to build a collection of muscle car kits, interested in getting the kits of your favorite manufacturer or even just of the cars you have owned, this book will be a valuable resource in your model kit search.
This fun book treats you to a nostalgic look at the history of model kits from worldwide manufacturers over the last 75 years. Classic Kits revisits our favourite model kits whether they were tanks, ships, aircraft, spaceships or tractors. With superb photography of boxes, magazines, kits and ephemera Arthur Ward reminds us all of a time when pocket money was spent on a Spitfire after school, which was assembled by tea time and destroyed, in an imaginary but fierce air battle, by bed-time. Arthur Ward, with his expert knowledge, reveals the histories of the companies behind the kits we all loved, while at the same time giving us a fun look at our favourite models. Book jacket.
This engaging book details the wide variety of plastic model kits produced by Revell, Inc.*TM, of Venice, California, from the 1950s through the 1970s. Over 540 color photographs display many of the much-sought-after kits, ranging from automobiles and ships to aircraft and spaceships in scales from 1/16 to 1/72, including the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, the Polaris Nuclear Submarine, the Highway Pioneers*TM, the B-17, the X-15, and the Saturn V moon rocket. The history of the company highlights the men and women who drove its success and produced the exquisitely detailed models. Discussions of the artists who brought the box art to life are included. An index of the model kits index lists all of the models produced, their variations, and their current values in the secondary market. Everyone who collects and builds models will want to own this book.
The Smell of Kerosene: A Test Pilot's Odyssey encapsulates the daring and the danger inherent in the uncharted territories of early space and aircraft testing. The collection stands as a testimonial to the evolution of aeronautics, narrating the exhilarating experiences of test pilots and their indispensable role in shaping modern aviation and space exploration. Through a compilation of memoirs, technical reports, and firsthand accounts, the anthology presents a rich tapestry of literary styles, from the methodical precision of technical writing to the deeply personal and reflective tales of peril and perseverance. This diversity underscores the anthology's broader theme - the human spirit's unyielding quest for knowledge and conquest of the skies. The contributors, primarily from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration alongside notable figures like Donald L. Mallick and Peter W. Merlin, bring a wealth of experience and insight. Their backgrounds, ranging from engineering and test piloting to aerospace history, provide a comprehensive overview of the historical and technological context of air and space exploration. Their collective narratives not only honor the legacy of the fields pioneers but also highlight the interdisciplinary nature of aeronautics, where science meets human daring. The Smell of Kerosene is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the interface between human ambition and technological progress. It offers readers a unique opportunity to engage with the personal triumphs and challenges of those who have pushed the boundaries of what was technologically possible. This anthology serves not only as an educational resource but also as a source of inspiration, urging readers to contemplate the vastness of human achievement through the prism of aeronautics and space exploration. It invites a diverse audience, from academicians to enthusiasts, to dive into the depths of this pivotal era in aerospace history.
Building plastic model Aircraft is an amazing hobby that makes your imagination fly, it allows you to express your creativity and relaxes you. This book has been written as a guide for newcomers to the hobby, but it may also be helpful for anybody that enjoys building plastic model aircraft.
Over 545 color photographs display many of the plastic model kits produced by Revell, Inc.R*, of Venice, California, from the 1950s through the 1970s. These highly collectible kits range from automobiles and ships to aircraft and spaceships in scales from 1/16 to 1/72, including the battleship U.S.S.Missouri, the Polaris Nuclear Submarine, the Highway PioneersTM*, the B-17, and the Saturn V moon rocket. A company history and detailed model kit index, complete with kit variations and updated values, round out the book.
