Need a couple of Rareplane Items

Okay...I have my release of the F-86H here in front of me.

All it contains is the fuselage halves, the canopy, and a small (approx 1" x 5") slip of paper saying: "RAREBITS North American F-86H conversion use Heller F-86F Sabre wings and tail to convert"

The F-86H that I have was an odd one. I bought a number of Rareplanes from Squadron back in the early 1970s and that one was the only one where the instructions and cover picture, instead of being on cardboard were xerox copies (and poor ones at that). The first Rarplanes came in a simple plain brown cardboard box, later, they put the cover sheet in a fitted plastic bag. They seem to have re-invested their money into molds at that time as well because the later kits had a lot more detail than the early ones.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

Did rareplanes change their packaging over the years?The first one I ever saw was on ebay,and everyone I have either was in a bag with xeroxed instructions,or had them printed on a wrap around piece of carboard,stapled around a bag containing the pieces.

Greg:

Are you sure "Rareplanes" is the same as "Rarebits"?? All the Rareplanes I ever saw were vac-u-forms. I would love to find Rareplanes

Bill Shuey certified flying boat freak

Thank you very much. Now that I know it's complete I can concentrate on the Goose.

Tom

I have several of the rarebits converstion kits, including the F-86H. Every one I have came in a clear plastic bag with not much else. I believe these were made by rareplanes but since these were not complete kits, (they are conversion kits) they used the rarebits name.

James Philmon IPMS/USA 12047

Yeah..."RareBits" was the (sub)brand-name that RarePlanes gave to some of their conversions. This F-86H has just the one vac-sheet, about 3" x 8", with the two fuselage halves; the clear vac-formed canopy, and the aforementioned slip of paper.

I also have (somewhere) a RareBits P-51H conversion. I remember it having just the fuselage halves. There was no cover art, nor any type of instruction sheet.

Now, I also have a RareBits YP-37 conversion. It has the fuselage halves, spinner (crushed...lol), and clear canopy. But this release also has the cover-art/instruction sheet. The sheet has a photo of the built-up kit, a very nice 3-view drawing, some historical info, and some building info (recommending using either the Revell or Heller "Hawk 75", or the Monogram P-36) as a source for wings, etc.

This instruction sheet *is* a photo-copy, like those mentioned in another posting on the group. I have quite a few RarePlanes kits with photo-copied cover-art/instruction sheets. I never thought much about it. I always figured that Gordon Stevens was just saving money, after using up all of his real "printed on nice colored paper" sheets...lol.

My La-5FN came in the second style you mentioned. The predominant colour on the wrapper was blue in several shades.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Rareplanes also used the Rarejet and Warbird labels.

Most Rareplane kits were packaged in a fold over with the parts inside a plastic bag. The foldovers consisted of a "cover" with a photo of the completed odel and plans, exploded view of the parts. The back "cover usually had side views. This was not a hard and fast description.

Most of the very early Rareplanes kits were very simplified versions of the above. The first kit was a conversion set fof the YP-37 and P-40B. The first complete kit was the P-35. Several of the early kits were re-released with considerable improvements.

The Rarejet label was used for the P-59, KA-3B, and FJ-1. Warbirds were the Junkers D.I/J.9, Pfalz D.III, Snipe and Thomas-Morse S.4C Scout.

The big kits such as the early B-17, C-54, Connie and Mariner were all boxed.

Tom

I've bought (and built!) maybe 5 or 6 in the last few years since I discovered them.One was blue,one green and the rest purple,IIRC.

Color depended on the kit. There were also brown, green and red.

The earliest of their releases in 1972 came in a plain brown cardboard box with the cardboard wraparound and pieces inside.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

I bought a couple of Skysharks and a Learjet at Duxford last Sunday. The Skysharks were both packaged differently, one bagged, one boxed.

Still looking for a Savage, a couple of guardians and a Moonbat! Any for sale/trade out there?

Chris Hughes

And me! Anybody happen to have these parts just lying around doing nothing?

Skyshark canopy; G-23 Goblin canopy; P-75 canopy, prop blades, and spinner.

I think the Goose was issued both with and without extras, which were available separately from Aeroclub, and the decals from Hannants