During WW2 Recognition models were made to teach aircraft, ship, and tank identification to military and civilian personnel.
Being three-dimensional, they could be studied from any angle, and would look just like the real thing, when seen at a distance.
Some were made of wood, plastic, metal, or even cardboard. This very interesting short video from You Tube shows a pair of WW2 recognition models of the Brewster SB2A Buccaneer dive bomber, British name Bermuda.
The usual solid black plastic type - with a surprising amount of surface detail for such a model, and a cardboard outline only type, made from heavy black card. A great look at such rare models.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Great video! If I heard correctly, Frog was even involved in some of the early plastic planes? Amazing lost history! SFZ
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if the information on Frog in the video is correct. Frog made the first ever plastic kits in 1936, using Cellulose Acetate. These were the non-flying Frog Penguin models. They were available as kits, or ready built from the factory.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a long time to realise FROG stood for Flies Right Off Ground, from their flying model origins.
DeleteI have a airplane WWII silhouette ID card from my parents time in the War.
ReplyDelete