Oldest Kit Review?

Here in the UK the honour would probably go to Meccano Magazine. as well as articles on Meccano itself they certainly reviewed Scalextric and Triang train. I'm sure they would have reviewed plastic kits too. The first dedicated plastic model magazine was, most likely, Airfix Magazine, this first appeared in Sept 1958. Meccano mag was also running in the fifties.

When I saw your post Les, I thought, nah, must be wrong.

I remember buying my first Airfix mag in Plymouth - and I didn't go to Plymouth until 1960.

I remember it had a photo of a Sunderland taking off on the front cover .....?

Then I did a search on Yahoo for Airfix Mag - and it confirms my memory - Issue 1 of the Airfix Magazine came out in June 1960 - check out :-

Ah ! Bisto !

Ken

I keep thinking (tongue in cheek) it probably would have looked like this:

Wheel in 1/1 scale

2 parts in kit (big chunk of rock for wheel and little chunk of rock for tool to make wheel) Price two clams

Review by Thog

Too much flash. Hurt Thog's foot when fall over.

8-)p

Cookie Sewell

Ken I would never dream of contradicting I man who can scratchbuild a Ekranoplane. What puzzles me is I have a copy pf Airfix Mag on my lap as I type, its dated Sept 1969. Its says Vol 11 No 1. My maths isn't that good but doesn't that mean Vol 1 No 1 was 1958? Les

First Airfix Magazine was June, 1960. It had a blue cover with grey trim and featured a b/w photo of a Sunderland taxiing on the water.

I'll have to check, but IIRC RAF Flying Review had Plastic kit reviews in the mid to late 1950s.

Tom

It should but maybe somebody inadvertantly skipped a couple of numbers and by the time it was discovered it was too late.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

I bow to the superior knowledge of the group.

THAT's the one I remember - but I remember it as a red cover.

The Sunderland was 'on the step' - so a fast taxi - at least that's what my memory is saying.

Mind you, my memory says that summers were hotter, people were kinder and tomatoes were tasty - but maybe not ??

Ken

Oct 1958 ""solid" tips for modelers" appeared briefly. This became "Model Talk" which debuted in March 1959, and appeared on a regular basis.

PT

i remember that too. the step part especially. great pic if anyone has it.

I don't know about "superior knowledge", but an aviation and modeling library started in the early '60s helps. :-)

Tom

You need some of our home-grown tomatoes. The ones I got last week at the grocer were sweet and tasty. The summers seem hotter now to me but people were kinder indeed.

Bill Banaszak, MFE