About 2000, the French firm of Heller released a series of four simple insect kits.
These comprised a two-piece body (upper and lower sections), with separate legs, antenna, and other small parts.
The first three were in a similar style of box, with the name of the creature in a blue panel, and the Heller name in a yellow panel. The last kit seems to have had a different style box, with the creature's name printed directly on to the main picture, and the Heller name moved off to one corner.
This makes me wonder if all four kits came out at the same time, or if the final kit was slightly later than the others ?
All four were released as single kits, and as Rapid Kit starter sets. Three were also issued in a large combination set.
The oddest thing about these models was that they were only identified on the boxes by their formal, scientific names, not by their better known common names. Given the simple nature of these kits - 11 to 16 pieces each - they were likely aimed at children, so surely using a common name would make more sense than a formal Latin name ?
No scale appears to be given on the boxes, but all were larger than life-size. Scalemates claim 4:1 across the range, but that does not seem to be correct for any of the models, which are between 110mm and 140mm long. In reality, the Ant and Ladybird are about 10mm long, the Rhinoceros Beetle up to 60mm, and the Stag Beetle up to 75mm, so the scales clearly vary.
These kits would be ideal for recreating a scene from one of those 1950s giant-bug-on-the-rampage movies, although a killer Ladybird might be rather a stretch.
Scalemates
79400 - Formica Rufa - Red Wood Ant - 13 pieces, 140mm long, black plastic.
79401 - Lucanis Cervus - European Stag Beetle - 16 pieces, 138mm long, black plastic.
79402 - Oryctes Nasicornis - European Rhinoceros Beetle - 13 pieces, 122mm long, black plastic.
79403 - Coccinella - Ladybird or Ladybug - 11 pieces, 110mm long, red plastic. This was the only kit that included a decal sheet, for the black spots on the body.
The Heller Rapid Kit line were starter sets. The insect sets contained a standard boxed kit, a small tube of cement, a paint brush, and two small jars of acrylic paint.
They came in a clear plastic clamshell, with the extras arranged above the kit box. The packaging proclaimed: 'Easy-to-use Acrylic Paint', and 'Nothing Else To Buy !'. The Ant, Stag Beetle, and Rhinoceros Beetle, were all numbered 71057.
I have not found any photographs of the fourth kit, the Ladybird, in this style of packaging.
The packaging then seems to have changed to a simple cardboard box, with a white background. The Rapid Kit name no longer appears, but the contents are exactly the same.
The extras were shown in a small picture in the lower right corner, and contained within a plastic bag inside the box, with the kit. The other three models in the series were shown on the back of the box.
All four models were to be found in this style of packaging. All the kits of this type I have seen have the same number, 71221, on the front of the packaging. The back of the box carries an individual kit number.
49400 Ant
49401 Stag Beetle
49402 Rhinoceros Beetle
49403 Ladybird
The Heller Collection was a line of multi-kit sets. There were usually three models in each box. The Forest Monsters set, 71311, contained the Ant, Stag Beetle, and Ladybird kits, with cement, brush, and four pots of paint, in a card box. No sign of the Rhinoceros Beetle.
Ant build
Good photos, including instructions.
Ant starter set, plastic clamshell
Ant starter set, in a box, all four kits listed on back
Stag Beetle, parts and instructions
Rhinoceros Beetle
The only photo I could find of the Rhinoceros Beetle in the later style box with paints, etc.
Ladybird build
Forest Monsters Set
All photographs from Worthpoint.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
A heller'va artcile Paul of a little-known subject. The whole sub-genre of educational kits is fascinating and these posts bring them alive. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you. This is yet another line of rather odd kits that I do not recall ever seeing on sale in New Zealand. No one ever seemed to bother importing the more unusual kit subjects, such as giant insects. A pity.
ReplyDeleteThere are images of kit boxes with the Airfix logo, guess this come about like some Heller kits were marketed in the UK via Airfix.
ReplyDeleteOn another point, it would be good to understand exactly how many further kits could see the light of day under the Airfix Vintage sub Brand.