The Oldest Model kit I have ever had, Monogram Terra Jet 1947 ( Museum Series EP 1 )

[@kfeltenberger]

These kits harken back to the days when the average boy had more woodworking skills than most adults today.

[@der_fuxs]

That‘s what I thought, too. Imagine how much freetime an average child had and how long it might have taken to build up a kit like these.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Indeed. I think it speaks volumes about the degree of skill & patience the average kid was expected to have back then.

[@kfeltenberger]

@@Kevin-mx1vi I think it's more than that...back then, on average, parents were more involved with their children and fathers actually worked with them. I remember in the 70s, my dad teaching me the skills I needed to build a decent looking pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts.

[@orbitalair2103]

@@kfeltenberger yeah my dad made control line planes, and he showed me all kinds of model building stuff. along with real car building things too !

[@kfeltenberger]

@@orbitalair2103 OrbitalAir? Out of Nairobi and Cyberpunk?

[@JayEvans]

It was a straight line string. Anchor one end of string, Run string though eyelet, anchor other end. Insert cartridge. Hold car and puncher cartridge. (special tool) The one I had was a metal tube with a strong spring and a firing pin. Pulled the plunger back and it locked in place. Pressed the "trigger" and it punchured the end. Away it went.

[@Kaddith]

I remember doing this in my woodshop class in middle school back in the late 80s. One of my favorite memories from those years of school.

[@orbitalair2103]

yeah, my dad a model formula1 car from testors, I'd say early 60s, that was 0.49 gas powered, and it ran on a tethered line like that too. That first car was tethered to run in a circle, the second kit shows a straight line race setup. Same with old model planes, first you had free flight, then round the pole - tethered to a line that simply flew in a circle, then Ucontrol.

[@superprettyko]

Andy - that is how those kits worked, the same cartidge were used in a air pistol , air rifle and other things. I remember seeing these in our local HOBBY SHOP. AMT car kits at the time were $1.19 - lot of money for a kid. But ode jobs provided money.

[@bobp5356]

Awesome kits. So glad you are able to share them with us.

[@stevenwilliams1550]

We used to put CO2 cartridges that you used in flasks for making soda water in holes in balsa models. Then set it up and then pierce the cartridge seal with a sharp object (often a compass - for drawing circles). They sure took off !!

[@AndysHobbyHeadquarters]

very cool

[@patprop74]

we use to make Balsa models in IT class in high school also.

[@juliansteward2593]

Yea, Shop class in the 70s. we built co2 cars and raced them in the hallway. Had a spring loaded pin that you pull back and let go that pops the lead seal while the car was on the line.

[@DavidRamirez-ww5kv]

Andy, I remember building a kit like that with my father in the 1960’s as a Cub Scout project. The kit was balsa wood with plastic wheels and powered by three rubber bands. The cars were run in a race and we won 2nd place.

[@bauertime]

Mine was made of pine and was very hard to carve. That's why it was called the pinewood derby.

[@joeshmoe9978]

Same here 😁but not the monogram kit, or rubber band power (pinewood derby, like the other comment). The track was just raised at the front, so they were gravity powered. 😁

[@williammcdorman6426]

They even raced them in shop class

[@craigdeaton6371]

Wondering if monogram was trying to get into the Boy Scout market. That looks a lot like the old Pinewood Derby kits and that hollow area for the rocket motor would be a good place for lead weights.

[@dietersmythe9649]

Geez, they broke the bank with that tiny piece of sandpaper, great memories! Thanks👍👍

[@garyholmes5670]

I’m guessing that this kit Is mid 50’s judging by the fact that there is a picture of a F86 sabre. These started coming into the airforce in late 49 but rose to fame in Korea in 50- 53.

[@paulnutter1713]

and a panther and a thunderjet, all 3 only flew in late 47 so got to be later

[@kennethreiver985]

I'm 65 and transitioned from model cars to real cars and back throughout my life . I got enormous pleasure from both and it gave me something positive to do and for the most part kept me out of trouble . Thanks for the video.

[@tswims92]

The second kit you showed is probably very early 50s from the planes that it advertised like the F-86 Sabre and F-84 Thunderjet

[@hawaiidispenser]

Love those 1950s style illustrations. I would see them in my Dad's science books, etc.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

The 50's style is very cool!!!

[@cinnamaon]

Man, pieces of model making history in your hands is a special kind of feeling.

[@edwarddillon4950]

Seeing the speedi built catalog in the kit brought back a lot of memories. I built most of those kits in 1952 through 1954 l was 14 in 1952, .The Pipers,Cessna, and the civil airplanes where fun to build as they had plastic,wood and even tissue for under the wings and rubber band motors, never got one to fly though. As Bob Hope said "Thanks for the memories "

[@mathewcruce517]

When I was in j. High school we use to make c.o. 2 race cars out of wood and race them in shop class was a lot of fun this was back in the 80”

[@blister762]

Yeah, we did too. Back in the late 70's thru early 80's. We had great shop teachers.

[@pauladams286]

Thank you. It is rare to see anything on these early wooden or wood and plastic kits. A great look back at a piece of modelling history, and where our hobby began.

[@landsurfer66]

Very cool. Your model kit museum is now on my bucket list.

[@timarthur9425]

Wow awesome! Have seen these in antique stores over the years built with no box. Thought they were old pine wood derby Kit's. Thanks for sharing. Been building for 58 years never seen one in a box.

[@Slamgod]

F-86 on the pamphlet. Wasn’t introduced until 1949. So I’m going with early 50’s for the catalog. Very cool kits.

[@davidtaylor5529]

agreed...there are 3-4 jet models in the ad...and what company making its first model kit r1 foer example would have an ad with so many model kits? ....definately early to mid 50s reissue

[@whatchacookin1096]

There is something magical with really old model kits.

[@adeptuslatrina2307]

I can't wait til Monday when I drive down to Glendale to see the shop in person!

[@Glicksman1]

That is very cool. The oldest kit I have is yet unbuilt. It's a 1938 Comet Carl Goldberg "Valkyrie" powered sailplane. All the original wood, wire, wheels, tissue covering, and plans, etc. are in the kit and the box is in good shape. Altogether, it's a work of art. I've hesitated to build it as it's such a gorgeous museum piece in this original, pristine condition, but it was meant to be built and flown. Maybe one day. The next-oldest kit I have I did build a few years ago, a 1953 Monogram Speedee Bilt, Five Star Super Deluxe B-24. The skills necessary to make this model look reasonably good are many and enormous and I did my best. It came out not too bad, considering. Just as with your model, those skills are long lost amongst young people today. They need everything already done go for them. What a pity. The skills, patience, and dedication to completing a difficult task that I learned building and flying wood models as a kid have well-kept me in good stead all my life. "Model building builds model boys", the old Comet slogan, may be a bit hackneyed and all, but there's a lot of truth in it, too.

[@planetwisconsin9901]

The plans for the Terra Jet show a Co2 cartridge and a wire guiding system(?). Close inspection of the instructional text states that the cartridge can be pierced with a phonograph needle. One that would have been used on a Victrola which would be a hardened steel point. or a gun. The hell was going on! Post WW2 was a crazy time.

[@Robutube1]

I'm so pleased that you're not just turning all of these kits around, but preserving the best/most interesting to display. I know that there's the 'they were made to be built, not preserved in aspic' folk in the hobby but, whilst I respect their view I don't share it - some kits are too special now for that.

[@modelmantstewart1292]

That is awesome Andy I have never seen any kits that old thank you for sharing

[@barryrudge1576]

I remember these kits together with jet aircraft models from the late 50's. I am now 75 yrs of age. They were powered by a solid propellant that you lit with a match..(round solid pellets that were paced in a metal tube) The propellants were bought separately and in the Uk were marketed under the brand name of Jetex. Quite often as well as powering your model they would also burn it. More so with Jetex powered balsa and tissue models. Most of the wooden models kits needed a helping hand from dad who probably had better woodworking skills. Just imagine a 10-12 yr old with a sharp craft knife and what damage he could do to himself.

[@stacyobrien1729]

These kits did come with sandpaper and were co2 cars, the reason I know this is I inherited a couple from my father and your terra-jet contains exactly the same pieces, so cool to see these nice acquisition!!!

[@BronzeGiant]

Kit PC-49 The Slingshot Dragster was the first car model kit that I ever built.

[@masudashizue777]

That's right. Before plastic took over, we had wooden model kits in Japan that you had to carve the wood into shape. I was too young to do any decent carving, but I jumped on those all-plastic kits when they started coming out.

[@jerryschneider145]

That piece of sandpaper did come with the kit. I have seen that in lots of wood kits.

[@brucerobert227]

ooh-oo! 42 seconds! Neat old kit! Shows how far the hobby has come "fer-sher!"

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

It sure has come along ways Bruce!

[@jonathangodwin9410]

This Grumpy Old Man , totally remember kits like those. Great finds and video. Thanks

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Very cool..... 😎 Models sure have come along way!!!! 👍

[@yoda5565]

WOW, very nice find and glad to see you are starting a museum.

[@kalbs89]

Such a treasure. Andy, you should wear cotton groves when handling the paper and wood

[@ModelkitStuff]

Wow that’s amazing they look a lot of fun to build

[@davidchin350]

Nice vintage kit unboxing. I dont know if I would be into model kits if that was what I received back in the 40's.

[@ericchristopher1687]

Do you remember the old Jet-X solid-fuel rocket engines you could buy at hobby shops in the early 1960s? My older brother had a couple, the larger of which consisted of a cylinder that unscrewed or possibly pulled apart - held together only by friction of the pieces? There was a mesh screen inside that kept particulate matter from the burning solid fuel from plugging the exhaust port. The hold in the back of the Monogram R-1 looks like it was made to accept one of those Jet-X engines. Very cool indeed.

[@AlvaradoPinup]

Oh yeah, I remember these. A metal tube like plunger (spring loaded) with a small needle point in the end was used to puncture a hole in The Co2 cartridge.

[@franksmodels29]

I have that striker along with R2 kit

[@jeffreyknutson]

VERY COOL!!! When I was a kid (late 60's/early 70's) I found these kits at a garage sale. It was a total flash-back for me to see these again. What a hoot!!! Let me know when that model museum opens!! I would love to be one of the first ones through the doors!!!!!!

[@VR-ym8ys]

Ok, so basically they give you a 2x4, a drawing and a piece of sandpaper and tell you to go for it. Kind of like what Wilson Wilson said when Tim asked how to build a canoe. "You just take a log and cut everything away that is not a canoe, and you are done". Or something to that effect.

[@bandidodelcaminodiecast]

That's awesome it stayed in great condition. Very cool

[@nonamesplease6288]

Looks like a Pinewood Derby car.

[@johnbockelie3899]

Carving wood was a real hobby in those days.

[@mypl510]

As Skip Samples used to say when describing these kits, "It's wood, comes with four wheels and permission to build it!"

[@petermerz2704]

Cool! I didn’t star modeling until the mid sixties! Everything was plastic by then.

[@johnpitts9836]

Wish they would make some models like that again. Kids could alot.

[@SH-ii6uo]

They basically do. Ever seen an Airfix kit?

[@kenhanson1819]

That is so cool, Andy! I didn't even know Monogram made kits back in the 40s. I think the model museum is a great idea. Thank you for making the video and sharing this!

[@doctordirk6316]

I'd like the box artwork on a Tshirt.

[@jimbe01]

I had the “plastic” Firebolt car (CO2 cartridge powered), had opening to straight line run via external string. And, also built the “plastic” Indy racing car, w/working steering, (no, it didn’t rally “work” all that well).

[@chrisjordan4210]

Back in 1947 that kit would have been so exciting. Kids back then wouldn't be put off by hours of sanding balsa wood to shape, plus they would have been high as kites with all that balsa cement and cellulose dope. Sandpaper would have been comparatively expensive so that piece would have done the whole model and then some. I can remember making balsa aircraft in the 1960's the jets had a little rocket called a Jetex 50 which was about as dangerous as letting a kid loose with a flamethrower...ah the memories (and burnt fingers).

[@rosseganjr9402]

awesome find! i hope you show more vintage kits!

[@Twirlyhead]

Just a clever way of selling bits of balsa wood and sandpaper really.

[@ScaleMilitaryModels]

Seeing the kits of F86 and F84 leads me to think the “jet racer” from 1947 is a early 50s production, as I don’t think there were kits of those aircraft available because they were classified information. Not sure, just an idea.

[@jgt4862]

F84 was around late 40s, but I tend to agree with you. I'm thinking that catalogue came out during the Korean War.

[@ScaleMilitaryModels]

Yeah I know about the aircraft, but still they weren’t really known about…

[@JAMScale]

Loved seeing that built kit. That holds such a story.

[@tcj226]

Hey Andy, you might want to get some cotton gloves to handle some of this old stuff. Paper that old is very fragile and who knows what skin oils could do to it.

[@johnpitts9836]

You could learn alot from the older kits.

[@donfrandsen7778]

That is incredible Andy wow!!!! Really amazing thank you for sharing that !!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@modelermark172]

This is VERY interesting! I have theory about the model shown at 10:30: Though the wheels look the same as those supplied with the Hotshot and the Terra-Jet, the body of the assembled model looks very different. I think that this was either an extensively modified Hotshot body, or a complete scratch build project fully carved from balsa stock (including the hole for the CO2 cartridge) that made use of the Monogram kit wheels. Thanks for posting this!

[@thomascollins3131]

My dad had a balsa wood F4U Corsair model, and I believe the wing span was over a foot and a half

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Wow, that's so cool. Makes you wonder if you should build one or leave it in the box.

[@shadowkast9511]

This reminds me a lot of the Pinewood Derby kits we put together in Cub Scouts.

[@simongee8928]

The great thing about the basic balsa block was that if three of you had the same kit, you could easily have three different shaped cars - ! It also partly depended on your particular ability with a modelling knife and sandpaper.

[@jasonwaltrowski2315]

That built up one is a really cool piece of modeling history

[@dietersmythe9649]

Certainly looks like the old school solid pellet rocket engine would fit in that location. Great video!

[@arrow1414]

The second kit you showed was from the early 1950s since one of the advertised kits was for a North American F-86 Sabre fighter jet. They were delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1949 so the kit probably came out in 1950.

[@roadstarman58]

Beats out my Hudson Miniatures Stutz Bearcat dated 1949. Wood, plastic, and card stock for the fenders.

[@whitedovetail]

One word describes it all. Wow!!!

[@scaleartsg]

sanding takes a whole new level!

[@michaelsullivan1262]

I love the wooden pickle!

[@ssgtslick]

Thanks for making me cry.

[@kananchan7995]

So this is what wood model kit looks like....Always been interested this kind of kit. I kinda wonder what tamiya's wooden kit would look like.

[@donilljes6223]

Enjoy your video that particular kit is very similar to the strombaker kit so we're also available the same way plastic and wood they made trains they made planes there's a lot of those kids available still today you'll find people who have ordered them and if you look around online you may find more of them strombeck is pretty much available I've seen them around I bought one in the store last year and gave it to a friend of mine who was 90 years old and he got a great deal of joy out of it he has up on the shelf he says that when he goes he's going to give it back to me but I'm not worried about that I built that particular model kit in 1959 when I was 9 years old and my Uncle Charlie helped me build it cuz he was a woodwork he had a complete shop in the basement and I spent all my summers there so I got a lot done thanks to the video. Don

[@od1452]

I built couple of those wooden kits with metal parts like props and decals. I suspect some of these car kits could be later releases to get rid of left over stock. You need guid wires for the co2 cars as the went crazy without them. There were a few plastic co2s but they never really caught on. ha ha I punched the co2 with a nail.

[@rwl8150]

The hole was for a CO2 cartridge, similar to the modern air rifles. There would be a launch pad that would pierce the cartridge and the car would run down a channel or string. Kinda like, a pinewood derby car but with a CO2 propelent.

[@stephenparkins3552]

You got a thing kind of like an ink pen size with a spring loaded sharp pin. You held it to the end of the co 2 cartridge and POP! The co 2 escaped slowly so it would go like really fast for about a minute. My car shot down the street as fast as lightning!

[@joeshmoe9978]

There was definitely a large amount of work required to finish a wooden model kit in the 1940s. The modeler had to be an expert woodworker with exceptional patience. And also, in order to get to the hobby trading post, he had to do the following: 1. Walk 25 miles uphill, barefoot in the snow. 2. Fight bears, wolves, and snakes who wanted to eat said modeler. 3. Once at the hobby trading post, arm wrestle the other modelers who wanted the same kit, because the pony express only delivered one that month. 4. Pay for the kit with gold nuggets, silver pieces of eight, or wampum. 5. In order to return home, he had to repeat the previously mentioned travelling conditions. Strangely enough, the walk back home was uphill as well, and usually snowy regardless of what season it was. So, we do indeed have it much easier than our forefathers did. Keep that in mind when you want to complain about delivery taking TWO entire days, and the kit's dimensions being off by 1mm. 😛

[@soupfork2105]

I remember those days. I died of dysentery twice while trying to get a model.

[@lazyrrr2411]

... and you were Grateful !

[@randomnickify]

Great idea with museum series, make a playlist with it.

[@tomcline5631]

I do believe these were CO2 cartridge powered racers. The set up I saw had two lanes with string stretched real tight the length of the lanes,and the cars had little eye hooks that kept them in line. There was a device at the starting line that pierced the cartridges at the same time and the race was on!!

[@lord_vek]

That assembled one car was an image of nostalgia indeed. Also, it would be interesting if you made a video trying to assemble one of these archaic wooden kits...

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Those are great finds.

[@samiam5557]

Very cool, thanx for sharing.

[@MODELMIND72]

Amazing video Andy! This collection is just plain AWESOME!

[@taskmaster58]

Seeing these old kits is really interesting, and it shows us where this hobby of ours came from. If you could there was a model of an Oldsmobile or Packard that was wood with plastic parts that you showed briefly in the first video in the unboxing series, that would be cool to get a more detailed look at that kit. Thanks again for these vids.

[@oldturtleguy]

Wonderful. Just wish it had more than cars. Also would love to know how much you paid for it. Whatever it was couldn't have been enough. Whoever collected it was a true collector.

[@vasili1207]

Yes they use jet x motors and used on a tether line basically going around in circles... Nascar but with jets. Edit: Actually read the instructions bottom right it has a diagram

[@ccaamm1]

I got a kick out of the instruction that said to pierce co2 cartridge with a phonograph needle. Could you imagine what dear ol dad would do to your behind if he caught you taking the needle out of the hifi.

[@rickzinck9326]

Awesome stuff Andy. Thanks for showing them.

[@mrains100]

Thank you, very cool.

[@brucekinghorn4961]

Hi Andy as a kid in the UK back in the 50'sIi remember using the Jetex solid fuel rocket motors for small models and wonder if these were used to power these model cars as I understand these motors were also manufactured in the USA by Sebel

[@deanpurcell7771]

Amazing stuff! Thanks for sharing with us.

[@dankamikubo7002]

The “Firebolt” is loosely based on GM’s concept car of the future, Firebird. As mentioned by a previous comment, it used a Jetex reusable rocket motor made in England. I found it notoriously hard to ignite, the fuse wire was extremely brittle and cracked easily. I was only able to get it to run twice, but it shot like a rocket! Lol! The kit included a foil lined sheet of cardstock to prevent the plastic body from melting, although I found out recently that Jetex exhaust was fairly low temperature. Back then, I wasn’t about to take any chances! It might interest you to know that the existing model manufacturers at the time were resistant to switching over to plastic products. Some claimed that plastic models would take away the craftsmanship of building, that basic skills would be lost. I suspect however that real reason would be the incredible expense in tooling, especially die cast or injection molding, plus the early formulations of plastics were unstable or unreliable.

[@PB4Y2]

The logo on one of those pieces of sandpaper (3M Company inside an oval) was one that I think 3M used starting about 1950.

[@AndysHobbyHeadquarters]

cool it looked very old

[@PFay]

During the 60s I did have the plastic Firebolt version of this kit. Construction was much simpler than the older balsa wood models shown here. Unfortunately still, I remained unable to complete the kit. Not only was the tethering a hurdle I was unable to overcome, I had no idea how one could puncture the CO2 cartridge, or where I could buy them at the time?

[@daviddennison4201]

Very cool!

[@diogenes34]

The kid that built that was very talented and pretty accurate if you asked me.

[@finlayfraser9952]

Andy, you have significant monetary value there!

[@rickbachman993]

Very Cool!! Gotta wonder if The kid that build that car in the late 40s is still with us.

[@darrellid]

Late 40s seems doubtful. The jets listed (F-84, F9F, and F-86) had been flown but don't think they were part of the public consciousness until Korea, so early 50s would be my guess. Still well before my time so I'm just spitballing. Very interesting little bits of history you've got there. Thanks for sharing.

[@willieellis7009]

We did this in school but we made the car with a block of wood and shaped it the way we wanted to then the teacher gave us metal axles with a straw type thing to go around the axle so It would not rub against the word plastic tires and when we put it on the driveway there is a line running through the two I hooks on the bottom of the vehicle and it got right up against the little star thing which had a Hammer device with the pin in it that pop the CO2 cartridge

[@Kirkland101365]

Very cool. Can’t wait to see more.

[@troruaz]

totally agree with your take about the coolness of old ads, whether in model kits, comic books, etc. I saw the kit prices on your paper there... 85 cents if i read it correctly! 85 cents!!! of course, this was probably a king's ransom to a youngin' in those days :)

[@diogenes34]

To get any more basic they could send the plans and some seeds to grow your trees.👏😱👍🤓

[@Mauscmkwk]

I’d like to see you try to build that