Remember your first WW1 model kit?

[Dave W]

What model kit got your started on WW1 modelling? For many of us the brand name may be Hawk, Aurora, Merit, Airfix or Revell.

For me it was the Hawk Nieuport 17 from the late 1950s.



It was in the so-called "quarter scale" and boasted 22 parts!





The kit has been reissued countless times and can still be found at swap meets and online sales.

The example illustrated is from one of the many re-pops. The original plastic was a screaming yellow colour! A Hawk Nieuport 17 would make a wonderful nostalgia build project now.

What was your first model kit?

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

[Robin]

Most likely the Airfix Roland C.II. Must have been around 1968.
I liked...and still do...the streamlined shape of the Roland and I remember I loved the pilot and observer figures.
Thick coat and a scarf....cool!

Robin

[Gisbod]

Mine were the Revell 1/72 kits from the early 70’s

I think a D.VII was the first but I did find the top wing a bit tricky!

Guy

[petrov27]

Far as I can recall, mine were a pair of Revell 1/72s - Fokker DrI and Spad 13 when I was in middle school. Had to do a book report on WW1 combat and we had to supplement it by crafting something related - mine was a diorama of the two planes built, stuck on dowels into a plank. Pretty sure I had MvR shooting down poor Eddie Rickenbacker....

[Jeff K]

the ones i remember are an Aurora Nieuport 17, several Revell 1/72, including an Albi, an Airfix Biff, and the Revell 1/28 SPAD.

they were all disasters except the Albi and the Biff.

i honestly don't remember which one was first but i'd guess the Nieup, because of the horrific job done brushing on silver dope.

Albi turned out best, but the Biff was my favorite.

[AndRoby67]

Mine was an 1/72 SE.5a from the ESCI box "Red Baron flying circus", six kits packed toghether.
Poor copy of the Revell one, but the "fever" for the WWI aviation started. I was near to 30 years old, now I'm 52 and I'm still under this "illness".
Bye!
Roberto

[Jeff K]

AndRoby67, i thought i had recovered from the illness, but it flared up again after 40 years...

[sobrien]

I believe mine was the Airfix 1/72 Dr. 1. Sky blue all over with olive drab streaking.

[RLWP]

Most likely the Airfix Roland C.II. Must have been around 1968.

I'm struggling to remember, I do remember building one of these as part of a 'Dogfight Double', it's certainly one of my first WWI models

I can also remember my first model of an actual aeroplane (well, sort of) which was an Airfix DR.I  painted up as Cole Palen's Rhinebeck machine. I found it in an old copy of National Geographic some time in the 1970's

Not that I knew it was Cole's, I was just taken with the scheme. It was probably thirty years later I realised what I had done

Richard

[lcarroll]

    My first WW.I Model kit was, IIRC, the Aurora "Famous Fighters" Nieuport II of 1956. I built a number of that Series, my favorite being the Fokker D.VII. Shortly thereafter I discovered the Airfix "bagged" Kits and the tiny scale and low price meant things just simply couldn't be better! I was a slow builder even back then however the term is relative; I could turn out one of those Kits in several evenings or on a weekend and would scold my buddies for doing so in only one session!
   Those were indeed "THE" days! Research consisted of a thorough study of the box art, rigging came by way of my Mother's sewing box, paint was determined by what might be on the shelf at the Variety Store, and a diorama was when you had more then one model suspended on a thumb tack and string from your bedroom ceiling! The art of model building was in it's infancy and desire was the mother of invention. In my crowd of model builders someone discovered that pot scouring powders such as Ajax or Bon Ami could be used to produce a flat finish on gloss paints and realism achieved new heights as a result! Although I built subjects from all eras I started to pursue WW.I subjects exclusively about 30 years ago; we've come such a long way!
Cheers,
Lance

[skeeterbuck]

My first WW1 kit was the Aurora Albatros D-III in the rectangular "Famous Fighters" box sometime in the early 1960's would be my best guess.

 IIRC my older brother had originally purchased the kit then decided he didn't want to fool with it and so gave it to me to build. The box art was the original version showing the plane coming almost straight at you with both MG's blazing away. How could a picture like that my stir a young builders heart! No painting, just straight into building so it ended up being overall dark green with engine, prop, MG's, wheels etc. in black because that was the colors the plastic was molded in. Also no rigging as it wasn't indicated in the instructions, so it wasn't done. Decal application was also a snap as the locations were etched into the plastic. I sure by the next day it was ready to make its maiden flight via being held in my sweeping right hand accompanied by a vocal "rat-tat-tat" sound for MG fire.

I want on to build the complete Aurora WW1 line with the exception of the Gotha and DH-10 Bombers. The shops that carried models never had those two in stock. Only years later did I find out that they were out of production during that time.

I also remember building all the Revell 1/72 WW1 kits. I didn't like their smaller size but I remember their detail and decals seemed much better than the Aurora kits.

Chuck

[IanB]

Not sure which came first, but it was Airfix. Either Albatros, Roland or RE8.

Ian

[oldalbie]

I bought the Aurora Albatros DIII (V) and Fokker DVII at the old 5 & 10 in E. Palo Alto, CA on the way home from 6th grade.  The lurid box art was what also lured me in and began a life-long hobby and fascination.  I bought as many of the Aurora planes as I could, and my dad helped string wire from one corner of my bedroom to the other.  It was a pretty un-historical dogfight for certain.

[pepperman42]

My dad and I built the 1/72 Se5a and I watched him build the 1/28 Dr1

Steve

[dr 1 ace]

Either the Aurora Dr-I or the D VII. .

Ed