The late 1950s and early 1960s saw a host of guided missile kits hit the shops in America. Most companies that made model aircraft also made at least a few missile kits.
Most were to accepted model aircraft scales, or to odd 'fit the box' scales. Some missiles were made by more than one company. Many of the kits included launchers, and some also had transport vehicles, support equipment, and figures. Missiles were also included in the armament of many aircraft and ship kits, but these were generally to much smaller scales than the separate kits.
Outside America, there was less interest in missiles, and kits were rare. In Britain, the only makers seem to have been Airfix and Frog.
All photos from Ebay or Worthpoint, and one from me.
The Bristol Bloodhound Surface-to-Air Missile was developed in Britain in the 1950s. The Mk.I entered service with the RAF in 1958, followed by the Mk.II in 1964. It was exported to Australia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Ex-RAF missiles were also used by Singapore. According to Wikipedia, some of these later went to Myanmar (Burma).
Airfix
This was the first military vehicle kit from Airfix, and pre-dates the tank line. The kit depicts the early Mk.I missile, and was released in 1960. It has been re-issued several times over the years. Included are the Bloodhound missile, launcher, transport trailer, Short Wheel Base Land Rover towing vehicle (no interior detail at all), five human figures, and a dog. Original kit number A1V, later A209V, then 02309-0. The scale was originally given as 1/72nd, the same as the aircraft kits; later changed to OO (which is 1/76th scale) to match the tank kits, then HO/OO, and finally back to 1/72nd. Originally sold in a plastic bag, with a paper header/instruction sheet. Later issues were sold in boxes.
The Airfix Corporation of America release has different box art, and is very strange - it seems to show the launcher sitting on top of the missile transport trailer.
When Airfix released their Lockheed Hercules kit in 1971, initially as an RAF C-130K, the Bloodhound was included as a load. This was dropped when the Hercules was re-issued as a USAF C-130E in 1975.
Frog
This kit was also released in 1960, and depicted the Mk.I missile on its launcher. It was far larger than the Airfix version, being made to 1/24th scale. Height 13 1/2 inches. Kit number 344P included the missile, its launcher, and four figures. Moulded in white and khaki, with the figures in blue. The box top boasted 125 parts. Price was 12/6, which would have bought you six Airfix Series 1 kits.
The entry for this kit in Frog Model Aircraft 1932-1976 by Richard Lines and Leif Hellstrom, New Cavendish Books, 1989 states that the kit was only available 1960-62, as it did not sell well, and has never been re-issued - 'The ultimate fate of the mould is unknown'. It is considered one of the rarest of all Frog kits, which means it is really expensive when an example does show up.
There have also been die-cast versions from Corgi in 1958, and a much more recent version in 1/76th scale from Oxford Diecast.
The SA-2 Guideline was an early Soviet Surface-to-Air Missile, widely used in Vietnam and the Middle East. Given the lack of information on Soviet weaponry during the Cold War, code names were assigned to each new type as it became known to the West, in order to keep track of everything. This was similar to the system used for Japanese aircraft during WW2. SA-2 meant the second type of SAM identified. All Soviet SAM missiles had code names beginning with the letter G.
Airfix
The SAM-2 Missile kit dates from the early 1970s. Like the earlier Bloodhound kit it included the missile itself, launcher, a transporter - comprising a truck and trailer, but this time the only figure is the truck driver (who looks very British). This was a Series 3 kit, hence the numbers A303V and 03303-5. The scale was given as OO, or 1/76th.
This was a short-lived kit, and has not been re-issued. It seems the moulds for this kit were either damaged, destroyed, or simply went missing, and it has not been seen since the late 1970s. Given how short-lived the kit was, there are only small variations in the standard box art.
Checking the Vintage Airfix site, I was astounded to see this kit listed as dating from 1971, when it was in the 9th Edition catalogue, under the number A303V. Luckily, I have that catalogue, and a box top is illustrated on page 45, with the tractor in green rather than the usual sand. It seems this kit was announced long before it was released. Most references give a release date of 1973, which I still thought was too early, as I remember this kit coming out, and I did not start modelling until 1974. On checking the Internet Archive, the kit is included in the Newcomers section of Airfix Magazine, August 1974, page 685. Therefore I believe the correct release date is 1974.
In 1960 Frog released eleven ex-Renwal kits as Frog De-Luxe models. These were a mix of ships, military vehicles, and a single missile kit. Frog model M550 was the Renwal Nike SAM kit in 1/32nd scale, so it was to a smaller scale than the Bloodhound kit. Missile, launcher, and three figures. Moulded in authentic white and olive drab colours. Over 14 inches long. Frog retained the original Renwal box art. This kit was also re-issued by Revell (but still with the Renwal name on the box).
More peripheral are various aircraft kits that included a model of the German V-1 Flying Bomb of WW2. All 1/72nd scale.
Frog Supermarine Spitfire Mk.14 (or Mk.XIV) and German Flying Bomb. Kit number F194, released in 1969. The kit included a stand with two arms, so the Spitfire could be posed attacking the V-1. The kit came with two decal options for the Spitfire, one of them South East Asia Command, which would have looked very odd alongside a V-1. This kit has been re-released under many different company names.
Frog Arado Ar234 Blitz jet bomber. Released in 1976, this was one of the last Frog kits. Number F417. Could be built with either two or four engines. The kit included a V-1 flying bomb, which could be carried above the fuselage, and air-launched. The Scalemates entry includes the instruction sheet.
In 2005 Airfix released a Dogfight Double kit of the V1 Flying Bomb/Gloster Meteor III, with paints, brushes, and cement, as kit number 03148G. In 2008 the box was changed, and the kit re-number A50039.
In 1992 Airfix released the RAF/NATO Weapons Kit in 1/72nd scale. Only some of the items were British. This was described as a Hi-Tech Series kit, and came with etched brass missile fins. This made the set more expensive than a normal, all plastic kit. Series 5, model number 05041. The set contained a mix of missiles, bombs, and various pods. All for use on modern (1990s) aircraft. The Scalemates entry for this set includes the instruction sheet, which can be down-loaded.
Several American companies, such as Revell and Aurora, had British branches, and they may have released various missile kits under their own names in Britain. Some of the smaller British firms might also have re-issued American kits in Britain, as Frog had done with Renwal.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Some years ago a Bloodhound Missile turned up on display in the Science Museum, London. I think it was part of an exhibit on British Technology from the 1950's. My main interest was the display of Dan Dare art but it was fun to see the 1/76 Airfix kit in it's original form. It seemed larger in life than I had expected.
ReplyDeleteThough I didn’t collect in this area Woodsy, this is the kind of article (well researched and thorough tour of a line) that I love to read here at Moonbase; thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Charles in Canada. I am glad you enjoyed it. It is always fun to dig in to the history of old kits, die-casts, and toys.
ReplyDeleteGreat research Paul. It must have taken ages. A fab article on an interesting subject. There's a bunch of Missiles at the UK Space Centre in Leicester. Some are upright in a tower and really huge. The Blue John is there too.
ReplyDelete