MODEL BOX ART: Different Plastic Kits of the Same Airplanes in the 1950s!

[@johnnyallred3753]

I love the box art it brings childhood memories of building scale air plane models. Thanks .

[@lancerevell5979]

Agreed. I remember having a few of these. 😎👍

[@Robutube1]

The perfect mix of information and nostalgia as always - thanks Mike!

[@newdefsys]

Its always a pleasure to start the day with a new Mike Machat video.

[@sergioleone3583]

Mike makes Mondays!!!!

[@johnplaninac9980]

The colors back in the day were very brilliant too bad they don’t have that look today. But I guess that’s progress. Great work.

[@citibear57]

I wish I had kept the box art from the many model kits I built years ago😢 Planes, ships, and automobiles. (no trains though). As a kid, I didn't realize how fantastic the box art was in those days. Loved the picture of you and your family (cute little sister!), and also want to thank you for showing the TCA DC-8 box art. The first airliner I ever flew in was a Trans Canada Airlines DC-8. Thank you, Mike, for your wonderful channel.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

[@jimbower9268]

Thank you for the walk down memory lane. With the exception of the airliners, I think I built every kit you showed.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Very cool!

[@Wild-Dad]

Box art is a very influential way to get modelers to buy their product. For various reasons, 20 years ago, I had to pare down my stash that had built up. When I was going through it all, I found I had 4 identical Italiari F-15 kits - all with the same art work. I had forgotten I had had the kit at various times and was so impressed by the art work that I had bought it 3 more times.

[@lancerevell5979]

I always thought the Fairey Rotodyne looked like it should be in Thunderbirds markings, from the old British puppet animation series. 😊

[@Wild-Dad]

There are many aircraft that were used for "Thunderbird" vehicles, like the SAAB Viggen, etc so the Rotodyne would have fit very nicely!

[@drawn2myattention641]

14:39 I love that cut-a-way of the Fairey Rotodyne showing the ‘stewardess’ at the rear of the aircraft, storing luggage in a svelte and decorative manner. (Zooming in helps to see this.)

[@neilhaas]

I like those kits very nice F-102 delta dart🤩😁😀😊⭐⭐

[@jujenho]

These 1950’s kit box art are a true delight. What most of the kits lacked in precision they provided a wonderful enjoyment. Thank you for the memory of a simpler and happier time. It’s a pity missile and spacecraft kits are out of fashion these days.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I remember as a kid purchasing the Aurora, Douglas DC-8 kit back in the early 1970s with the colorful and striking Eastern Airlines delivery livery box art. Boy, was I disappointed when I got home and found the later EAL "hockey stick" decals in the kit instead!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Yes, I remember both versions of that kit!

[@maxsmodels]

The Lynnwood X-3 is literally my channel's header, and I never noticed the F-86s outrunning the MACH 10+ X-3 😄🤣😂🙃

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Jack got both of us with that one!

[@maxsmodels]

He was a genius@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

[@mister_fjk1972]

Always liked the atmospheric mood illustrations of the early model airliners and other aircraft. BTW, the first model my father built for me was the Aurora Delta Airlines DC-8. I begged him to make it, he struggled with the decals, and the next morning when I woke up this beautiful model was sitting on my bureau. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@misterjaxon2559]

This channel is so much fun! Every now and then you show a model I made as a kid that I had completely forgotten about. It occurred to me a few years ago that the box art was THE selling point. It was that picture and nothing else that compelled a kid to pull the saved-up allowance money out of his pocket and buy that particular model out of all the models stacked on the shelves. I remember taking a nasty fall one day on my way home from the drug store. I was walking along and just couldn't take my eyes off the picture of the F-104 Starfighter I had just bought and tripped on an uneven sidewalk. Luckily, the model wasn't hurt.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Great comment, thanks!

[@alanrogers7090]

I remember that I had a model of the F-104 that had a flip out ram air generator that come out. It seemed larger in size than my other models at that time. Possibly 1/48 scale, maybe even 1/32 scale. Definitely not 1/72. Though I did have a B-17G and a P-51D in 1/72 that I made into a diorama to show a fighter escort with his Big Friend for high school.

[@michaelnaven213]

Box art always grabbed my attention. So many choices but so little money when I was 12 years old. Those were great days in my life.👍

[@dhroman4564]

Great video, again memories of my youth.

[@edwardlong189]

Brings back memories, growing up in the 50s and building theses kits. Great job Mike.

[@rbrtjbarber]

Many memories. I built a lot of those models as a kid, namely the Revell B-58 & Aurora DC-8.

[@lancerevell5979]

Same here, and the Hawk and Lindberg F4D Skyray kits. 😊

[@keithtarrier4558]

You now have 33k+ subscribers! Great! It was not that long ago I wondered why you only had 23k or so. Big jump in numbers, and I hope keeps growing for you!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Appreciate the comment, thanks Keith!

[@neilhaas]

The B-58 Hustler is a unique jet very nice😊❤🎉

[@sergioleone3583]

So many cool covers! For some reason the Hawk F-104 with the "Mondrian" style graphic layout stood out for me. That one must have taken some time with all the scraping the chrome plating off all the surfaces that got glued!

[@x15galmichelleevans]

Mike, you could do pretty much an entire show about the kits and model box art for just the X-15 rocket plane. Probably the most dramatic difference in model box art is between the two versions of the Aurora X-15 kit. The model inside didn't change (which was nothing like the actual vehicle), but the art sure did. Then there's all the different iteration of the Revell X-15 kit, plus the mothership B-52. Since then, so many other model companies got into the act at various scales and with various art, from Heller to Lindberg to Monogram, to Tamiya and UPC and Pegaso (with their "Lockheed X-15"). Then the modern iterations with companies such as Dragon and Special Hobbies. I can imagine you already have many of these, but if you are ever interested, I have a ton of these available.

[@stephenmiller9124]

One of your best videos! Model aircraft kit box art is such a treat to review. Thank you, Mike for another informative trip down memory lane!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@glennweaver3014]

Mike, another excellent job on one of my favorite subjects ever, model kit box art. I have, or had, most of the kits shown in this informative presentation. Thanks for keeping the fun memories alive for us fans of the channel. And, congratulations on the ever growing number of subscribers. You've earned it.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks Glenn. Lots of "Top Ten List" entries in this one!

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

Thanks for reviving this as I saw a feature on this topic in Airpower years ago.

[@GustavoMonasterio]

One more amazing video, mainly for me as a plastic modeler! From all shown I only have the Revell DC-8 kit from United. Greetings from Brazil!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks Gustavo, and glad you enjoyed it!

[@alanclarke8493]

Great video! Those Revell 1/32 kits had super great box art! I built several of them for store displays back in the day. Very easy kits to build and detail indeed!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks for the info!

[@bertg.6056]

Thanks for easing me into a manic Monday, Mike. Great presentation !

[@stanbrow]

Had a U2 model in chrome plates.

[@Airsally]

Grest box art. Can't believe how much plastic models cost these day. My favorite series of models were the 1:32 monogram ( I think) Navy ww2 planes they did. He'll cat,he'll diver, sbd,and corsair if my memory is correct.

[@brinsonharris9816]

Monogram did all those in 1/48, and most had working features, usually at the expense of accuracy, but they were still fairly accurate replicas. Revell did many of the WWII fighters in 1/32. Spitfire, 109, P-40, Hurricane, Zero, P-38, Corsair and the Wildcat was one of the best. Tamiya, Hasegawa and others have redone most of them with incredible detail, and at incredible retail prices. Built the classics when I was a kid, have the new kits in the stash but no time to paint & build them. The hobby seems to have morphed into collecting kits and reading about other people actually building them.

[@larrysouthern5098]

The box art was the greatest..and it had all the history of the aircraft.. I loved those days.. America 🇺🇸

[@mikelynn4754]

Super interesting ✈Thank you once again Mike.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ejharrop1416]

Awesome Mike and I want them all 😊. I am a box art junky, love it. When you mentioned Sidewinder it took me back to the days working with the great folks at China Lake and the Christmas Waswinder party. Thank you. Peace out

[@paulbervid1610]

Great video as always. I had the monogram b58. Had the monogram f101 voodoo. As an aside. When I was a kid over 50 years ago there was a cellphone kite with a picture of a b52 but they called it the hustler. It was the best kite I ever had.

[@hertzair1186]

I had that kite as well…i remember it being a blue B-52 on clear cellophane…a “friend” glued broken glass on his line and sawed my kite line in two…literally shot it down.

[@paulbervid1610]

@@hertzair1186 that is wild. That is the best kite ever had.

[@MarkAnthonyHenderson]

I was assigned to a security detail on a remote Nike Hercules site for a year North of Athens, Greece back in 1981-82. The missiles belonged to the Greeks, but the Nuclear warheads belonged to the US. Interesting times.

[@chuck9987]

Always loved the B58 rocketting up into the stormy night sky. That Hawk F-104 with the meyal plating was a nice kit but there was a lot of problems getting the plating even on all of the parts. These were done back before the days of metalizer spray paints and it was almost impossible to match the finish.

[@markcowell8096]

Mike. Always, always look forward to your videos. A wonderful mix of joy and education. Was browsing my book shelf recently and it occurred to me you might have some favourite aviation book "front cover" art favourites? Just for the record, mine is Ernest K Gann's Fate Is The Hunter, with that elegant image of the banking Consolidated C-87. Keep up the great work!

[@ewmhop]

ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO TO START THE WEEK ON MIKE.YOU AND MAX ARE MASTERS OF THE WAYBACK MACHINE IN THE MODELS WORLD,NOW WHICH ONE OF YOU IS MR.PEABODY AND WHO,SHERMAN? GOD BLESS AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Many thanks!

[@Palaemon44]

I suspect the P-51 was a candidate for most different kits, but the B-58 was the perfect visually gee whiz jet age kit; needle-nose coke bottle fuselage, swoopy delta wing, multiple engines in pods. Something you could spend the whole afternoon just glue-bombing together, then fly around your bedroom at Mach 2. Those were the days of cheap petroleum and a highly industrialized American economy. Manufacturing machinery, tooling, and die manufacturers were just around the corner. In relation to a different subject I saw a listing of tool and die production by country and the US has fallen behind even Italy, never mind the Asian manufacturing titans.

[@mclifer]

The X3 kit I had came with green cockpit glass.

[@davidgenie-ci5zl]

I have a Linberg Caraville that has an interior and one fuselage half is molded in clear plastic. Very Cool.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Yes, I remember that same kit in both Air France and United markings. Thanks for watching!

[@sergioleone3583]

At 9:04 I thought my computer glitched out... that image of the Marine F-8 Crusader is my desktop wallpaper! I was wondering why the video went away but I could still hear you for a moment... The F-8 Crusader is my favorite jet along with the F-86 Saber.

[@johnf991]

The B58 was the first kit I built, aged about 9 in 1961, with help from my Dad. I think it was either Frog or Aurora (I am in the UK). I remember the next one - I am pretty sure it was a kit rather than a ready-assembled toy - was a Boeing 707. Fairly simple construction externally but with retractable landing gear operated from a slider switch on the fuselage top about halfway along. Anyone remember those?

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Kind of sad they didn't get more use out of the B-58. Seems Like they could have used it like the RA-5, for recon use.

[@jetsons101]

Mike, as a "Really young kid" I would pick a model just by the box art, wish I saved all the empty boxes...........

[@philipcollura2669]

Beautiful art, and airplanes. The B-58 to my eye is the most exquisite design ever. Revelle set the standard for quality. Makes me wonder -- where did the name Revell come from?

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Great question, and the answer is that company got its start in injection-molded plastics making round cosmetic cases for Revlon. They wanted a related name for their model division. Thanks for watching!

[@user-be2dt8eg2x]

Some of these photos remind me of the CB Colby books. Read those and looked for the models of the planes.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Excellent point, thanks! I still have some of my original Colby books.

[@PhilOutsider]

Great video.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks!

[@viksaini]

Hello from OC!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Hi Vik, and thanks for watching!

[@scottwhitmire6577]

" With a Box Top you can Cut Out and Frame"

[@stever417]

Always a good show! What was your favorite scale to build?

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

This is a great question, and back in those days, the models were sized in what was called "box scale." This was whatever size fitted the standard 10" or 12"-long model boxes (the width of hobby shop shelves!). Today, it's 1/48 for fighters, and 1/100 for airliners. Thanks for watching!

[@PatrickRosenbalm]

Another fine video Mike!! In the mid to late 70s, I came across a model of an F-104 where the cover art showed the plane with flaming engine damage on the starboard side. The setting looked like Vietnam and it had taken on ground fire or a missile hit. I don't remember who made the model, but I don't think it was the usual brands that you talk about. BTW, I have around 76 model planes I've collected since the late 80s that are still in the box. Not sure if I'm going to build them or sell them. I used to build them back then and when I was in high school. In my senior year I donated them, 46 I think, to my USAF Jr ROTC class. A few years later I ended up in the Navy and not USAF. How'd that happen? 😄

[@dragonsmarine6434]

Howdy! Keep up the great work! On the subject of the Nike/Hercules kit, it's decal instructions warn against using setting solution. As the last one is drying as this is written, I hope they can stand at least .5 Mach. Any clue to why the decal restriction?

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks for the question, and I hadn't ever heard of this before. Interesting info!

[@kirkmccollum7689]

I would love to have copies of the Revell box art paintings that Jack Lynnwood painted. Is it possible to purchase such art? Thank you so much for sharing this great video!! 😊

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Yes, I've seen Jack Leynnwood's original Revell artwork on eBay and model forums from time to time. Keep checking!

[@plycuda1966]

The X-3’s first official flight on October 20, 1952, with a takeoff s peed of 260 mph, required a sensitive hand on the elevator. The plane was clearly underpowered, and pilot William B. Bridgeman radioed Major Charles E. Yeager, piloting the North American F-86 chase plane, “This thing doesn’t want to stay in the air.” The F-86 was indeed the chase plane for the X-3.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

F-86 chase planes flew behind the test aircraft, and did not outpace them as shown in the box art.

[@Wild-Dad]

I sent a photo of a Delta Dart model with a version of a logo for a model that Max and I imagine you had never seen. I doubt I could send it to you thru this format so ask Max if he still has it.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

i had the vertical monogram Hustler box. half the fuselage was warped so i never got to build it :( Not a big fan of the 102 but that strombreaker art really sells it.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Agreed on the F-102 kit!

[@greggirons67]

They're all "pointy" .... ?😊

[@garyyoung4074]

Alittle to young to remember some of those kits but.... I do remember spending $2.95 for many 1/76 or smaller 1/48 kits in late 60's early 70's. I love my 1/48 scale B-58 by Monogram. Maybe a good episode for you would be what large monogram kits of the 70's and 80's are no longer in production. I was moving years back and decided to trash my damaged B-1B thinking I'd just make another one....not knowing monogram had gone out of business. A great D-day C-47 w/24 paratroopers and a A-6 Intruder have disappeared also, and can't be replaced. (As far as I know). I have emailed Tamiya and others to PLEASE make 1/48 model of; B47, C-119.(w/PWA engines of course!), as well as a Boeing 737-400. These would all be roughly the same size as the current B-29 or C-130 1/48 kits. Maybe someday huh? Keep up the good work Mike. Good stuff!!!!