World War Two Recognition Spotter Identification Model Brewster SB2A Buccaneer Bermuda Vintage Kit

Howdy! Welcome back to the channel. Today’s video is a little something different. We will look at a WW2 recognition model kit. These cardboard versions of spotter models were produced to save shipping space when sending to overseas bases. We will revisit this subject from time as I find it fascinating. Let us know if you seen these before or any other info you have on recognition models. Thanks for watching!

[@stevecausey545]

Wow...very nice. I've read lots of stories about these recognition models..never have seen one before... I love seeing kits I've never seen before...thank you .up tonight trying to get a glimpse of Aurora tonight through the clouds

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

Recognition models and the associated books and manuals are a side collection I have. I will probably be making a few more vids on them.

[@stevecausey545]

@@CelebratingVintageModelKits I'd enjoy seeing more!

[@pauladams286]

Thanks for this close-up look at such rare and unusual models. Pieces of history.

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

There will probably more recognition stuff to come.

[@donwalsh9426]

Amazing history.

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

More to come!

[@JMdfcv]

Pretty cool! I knew about the solid recognition models but not the cardboard version (every day is a school day).

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

Always more to learn!

[@peterhewson3216]

This is new to me - now that is a great job-"What did you do in the war daddy?" "Made model aircraft" What are you doing today daddy?" "Weeel, making model aircraft!" The first one shown has some amazing detail but I wondered was it really necessary as if you got that close to the real thing you have a problem, particularly if it is a FW190!

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

I agree! The detail on the molded models was way beyond what was needed for recognition. I will be sharing more of these.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Cruver Thermoplastics had its factory at 2460 Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. It probably made the most ID models during WWII. They were molded out of acetate cellulite (I believe) which was a wood-based plastic that unfortunately would disform over time especially if exposed to high heat such as in an attic or garage during the summer. Cruver would make a lot of plastic items following WWII which includes horn buttons and hood badges for the auto industry and things like knobs for radios and TVs. Cruver also made travel agency models for United Airlines. I knew a guy by the name of Anthony (he never gave me his last name) who worked for Cruver going back to WWII. He sold me in the plain cardboard box two nice styrene plastic 1/50 scale, Douglas DC-7s in United Airlines livery complete with stands and a UAL 1/72 scale DC-6B with oversized landing gear and also in the box. I eventually sold one of the DC-7s to a retired United pilot. I also found in a resale shop in Palatine, IL a Cruver, 1/72 scale, United DC-3. It's dated 1943 on the underside and is painted silver with period United decals (I had to pay $40.00 for it! ... the resale shop knew they had something rare). I mentioned this find to Anthony and he told me it was not a Cruver model. But it has the Cruver "C" inside the circle which would indicate otherwise. I've also seen photos of a Cruver DC-4 in United markings too. Anthony gave me a 1950s Cruver brochure which has a photo of women handling the United DC-7s with the caption underneath reading, "Complete assembly facilities. In this assembly 15 separate pieces are joined, sprayed and decals added to produce an exact scale model of United's new DC-7... designed and built by Cruver." Anthony told me that after the DC-7 models were made for United, Cruver approached Chicago based Monogram Models to see if they were interested in buying the mold for it. Well, they weren't, and the mold sat unused for years. When Cruver was "closing shop" about 20 years ago I contacted the company to see if the mold was still around. They said, "no and that it more than likely was scrapped" which is too bad because it's really a nice, big model!

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

Thanks for the additional info! I will be doing more on recognition models. Cruver did make the majority. You do find some marked with a square around a DC and one other company. I forget the names at the moment. There were different type of early plastics used to make them. I will get into the specifics and how they were made when I make the vids. Towards the end of the war and after, they were sold to the public through magazine ads. Surplus stores would sell the military stocks. My dad told me about going to the surplus store in Fort Wayne indiana and they had barrels full of them. Kids would buy them and play with them. I have several in my collection that were at some point painted and decaled. Some better than others. I think before scale plastic model kits came out, modelers saw these as a way of making nicer models than the wood solids available at the time. This may be the source of your mystery planes. The wartime recognition models were either molded in black plastic or molded in other colors and painted black. The exception is the P-80. Its in a silvery grey plastic. I have heard different reasons for this and will discuss it in the vid on it when I get to it. Send pics to me of the ones you have, I can include them in the vids. Email in channel description. Thanks for watching and making great comments!

[@Kingfisher58]

We had poster type silhouettes for tanks, planes,ships ECT when I was in the Marines and on post there was a notebook that was just a smaller version so we could call into the rear exactly we were seeing... they sure came in handy....

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

There will be more to come on recognition stuff

[@stuarthanna2417]

Interesting, I've never seen the cardboard examples before. I have seven different resin copies cast from the original bakelite ones. They were a gift from a friend who used to sell them. I recall seeing an ad he had in Fine Scale Modeler years ago.

[@CelebratingVintageModelKits]

A couple of those repro ones ended up in my collection early on before I knew about them. Nice to fill out a collection if you’re missing something.