Information on ordering kits is given at the bottom of this page; information on the necessary credit card details is given on the Products page link.
This Annex 4 page is a continuation of the Vintage Model Airplane Kits offerings which appear on the previous four pages. You can access the beginning page by clicking Here. or use the links in the lefthand column. This link will be repeated at the bottom of this page.
Here is an air-minded youth of thirteen in 1940. Pictured in Life magazine, this lad builds model planes at his home in Pearl Harbor while his dad, an Annapolis graduate, is at sea as a Scouting Force Aviation Officer. The caption for the photo reads, in part, "Old salts say that the furure of the Navy rests with boys like David. As long as American kids have the creative and mechanical ability to build engines, planes and ships, the Navy will be great." I doubt that there are very many 13-year-olds today with David's devotion to building models. Stick and tissue and Ambroid glue have been replaced with shiny plastic ready to fly right out of the box marked "Made in China." The vintage, wood model kits on these pages are a collecting link to an era where youth met the challenges of craftmanship, stumbling along the way with cut fingers, crashed airplanes and dope stained pants, but nevertheless gained skills which served them well it later life. If you read the biographies of great designers, most exercised intense curiosity for things mechanical in their boyhood and developed the ability to create and fix things with their hands and tools - successes may have been limited, but the knowledge gained was inestimable. Somehow this tradition which carried on for centuries has been largely lost in the last 30 or 40 years as youngsters no longer seem to take pride in hands-on, build-it-yourself accomplishments and have replaced "doing" with play - computer games, ipods, and activities with pre-built things. We who built and fixed things as kids learned quickly that failure was sometimes part of life as we watched countless hours on the workbench do a spiral dive into the dirt, or had the motorcycle engine spit metal - yet, the thrill of an occasional triumph gave satisfaction that can't be equalled by anything else. Failure or success with something that someone else created and manufactured doesn't carry the personal fulfillment that the human spirit needs. Finally, take in the movie The World's Fastest Indian to counter all the negativity surrounding us.
Lawrence Dale (Larry)Bell, founder of the Bell Aircraft Company, died on October 20, 1956 at the age of 62. Bell is shown above (lower left) with his first model airplane in 1911. Bell started in the aircraft industry at the age of 20 when he teamed up with Glenn L. Martin; later, in 1929, he became affiliated with Consolidated Aircraft until he resigned in 1935 to found his own company. At the time of his death, Bell Aircraft was building the guided missile, GAM63, quite a change from his model airplane!
As war clouds enveloped Europe, Russia and China, and before America was attacked at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the American aircraft industry was slowly rescuing itself from the doldrums of the 1930s, though not with any great vigor. It is interesting that the model airplane magazine, Model Airplane News, carried the following editorial in the August 1941 issue.
America is in a state of emergency and now - we have a job to do - but - what will each of us contribute? The production of modern war weapons requires specialized scientific knowledge and long careful training in particular lines of endevor. This is especially true in the airplane industry where precision and high degrees of accuracy are required.From whence will come the engineers, managers, draftsmen, designers, metal workers, woodworkers, machinists and others required to build the defense of America? Ten years of slowed production has produced only a limited number of men who are qualified and now training schools are overcrowded, endeavoring to acquaint workers with the fundamentals of creating airplanes.
One school, however, has given systematic training in these principles for many years; simultaneously contributing to the health and pleasure of its 1,000,000 serious students. It is the school of model airplane designing, building and flying.
Inspired, yet without clamor, aeromodelers have explored every cranny of this science, impelled by the desire to create. Hours of research have provided complete understanding of aeronautic principles; days and even nights at the work bench have bred accurate, dextrous fingers, coordinating mind and hand; ideas of doubtful accuracy have ben moulded into graceful, synchronized mechanisms by long periods of flying.
Knowledge of plane types - parts - design of structures - drafting - motor design and operation - properties of wood and metal - aerodynamics - applied science - and the technique of creation - is all an inherent part of their nature.
Now they stand prepared, ready to match the genius of skilled craftsmen. Already hundreds are appluing their art in factories throughout the country; transforming it into the winged defense of America. They have not let America down, but instead have turned so-called child's play into aeronautical skill, the greatest instrument for our preparedness.
CLEVELAND P-38 KIT SF-85
A Cleveland "Master" Scale Flying Model Kit from the WWII period, the Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" is Kit Number SF-85 with a 1941 copyright.
A "Master" kit of the famous, twin-engine Lockheed P-38 in 3/4" scale with a 38 3/4" wingspan. The model of the month ad shown above is from a May 1942 Model Airplane News Cleveland Model & Supply Co. ad. It would take a lot of effort to build this twin-boom beauty - perhaps that is why some are still available! A wonderfully detailed vintage kit that reflects on that early WWII period, and the kids that put these together.
The kit box is the large lid type, measuring 9" x 18 1/2" x 1 3/4", in red, white and blue; a paper glue-down name and picture in b&w was attached to the top and wrapped around the left hand edge for each model aircraft designation (same picture as shown in ad). This is the most elaborate of the Cleveland box types and the last to contain liquids although most vintage kits available today don't have the original bottles. The usual Cleveland box of this type (not this one!) will show some significant scuffs, rubs, bumping, repairs, fading, tears, stains, even writing - sort of normal for most of these old Cleveland kits that have seen lots of storage and moving abuse. Few buyers at the time expected these kits to be around for another 65 years! However, this kit box is in outstanding condition, probably the best that I've ever had in my possession. It rates about a 8.5 out of 10 - the upper end of my scale.
The contents of the wartime kits frequently contained some "substitute" materials, and many had a combination of balsa blocks, some large balsa strips and lots of non-balsa stringers, very nicely finished, along with printwood of mixed material - balsa and basswood (or something similar). The prop blanks and wheels were frequently pine. The typical Cleveland cardstock prop blades and pine hubs were the same in all the kits. This kit being offered is all balsa with no substitute materials. Glue and dope bottles are included. The tissue paper - white and blue - is wrapped around the stick bundle along with the paper insignia sheets; it doesn't appear that this has ever been unrolled completely.
This particular kit was obtained with several sheets of printwood missing. The missing printwood (all ribs) has been effectively restored by adhering paper prints to appropriately sized, high quality SIG balsa sheets. In addition, as a bonus, a copy of the 1972 Cleveland P-38 Pattern Supplement sheet is included. Copies of this plan can be used to make your own printwood patterns so you can construct a Cleveland P-38 without using kit parts - you'll have to make a copy of the original kit plan also. Photos of the printwood are shown below.
A small piece of extra nostalgia came with the kit. Included is a "calling card" from a Mrs. Edward Henry Herbert who wrote on the back (shown below), "Hope my little boy will enjoy his birthday toy. Happy birthday and lots of love. Mama." Perhaps her "little boy" was too young to dive into this rather complicated model kit and it was put on the shelf all these many years so that now we may enjoy it also.
This beautiful Cleveland Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" Kit SF-85, copyright 1941, in the C-D MFM series, may be purchased for $SORRY SOLD$. A terrific box/kit to add to your vintage kit display and collection.
SPECIAL for CollectAir Cleveland kit customers. A Free copy of Aviation's Great Recruiter - Cleveland's Ed Packard book by Herm Schreiner will accompany any Cleveland kit priced at $195 or more.
CLEVELAND P-38 KIT SF-85 IN MAILER BOX
This SF-85 kit is complete and is all-balsa; it is packed in the Cleveland "mailer box" (there were four sizes of the cardboard box); these kits were dry. The plan has some yellowing on the folded surface that was adjacent to the cardboard lid. The contents are in as new condition. This outstanding Cleveland kit can be purchased for $195.00
CLEVELAND P-61 BLACK WIDOW
A nice example of the Cleveland "T" kit, an Industrial Training Model, Kit Number T-155. Early in World War II, Cleveland decided to come out with a series of less expensive kits which would be easier to build; these kits, initially appearing in January 1943, all had a 36" wingspan. Still nicely detailed, with excellent full size plans, the models were lighter than the MFM or the 3/4" scale "SF" series and would make better flyers. The first series were called the "T Warplane Series"; this P-61 was one of the last of the warplane T kits, coming out at the end of the war. The box size is quite different from the "SF" boxes and doesn't have the brighter, white paper label for each airplane type, but rather, the entire box lid is printed on the lower grade box card.
This is a complete kit and the box lid rates about a 7.5 as there are several stains, but the lid is structurally sound and a good display box. You can see the strong C-D family realtionship in the "T" series; very nice models. Cleveland made many kits for the armed forces during WWII; the War Department ordered as many as 5,000 Industrial Training kits at one time for recreational and rehabilitation purposes. Cleveland, along with other kit manufacturers, was able to get the War Department to release balsa material because, "....quota essential for educational purposes." Photos of the kit contents are shown below.
This Cleveland Kit No. T-155 of the P-61 Black Widow is available for $155.00.
JAPANESE ALUMINUM-CLAD F-84 U-CONTROL KIT WITH ENGINE
I'll warn you now that this F-84 kit section is photo-intensive as I want you to see all the parts that make up this beauty - in fact, there are so many photos that I've placed them on a separate page which you can access further down on this article.
In researching this kit, I've found an interesting synchronicity involving Jim Walker (American Junior), Republic Aviation, and the Japanese F-84 kit. The kit was purchased in Tokyo from The Tokyo Art Works, Ltd. (copy of receipt on photo page) by a 1st. Lt. Lanphear, the kit to be ready for delivery on February 6, 1957. Lanphear's name is also written on the box. Many U.S. servicemen purchased kits and completed solid models while stationed in Japan and some of these items were returned to the U.S.
Also, concurrently, Air Trails magazine carried two photos of the same Japanese F-84 model which was demonstrated at a U-Control contest sponsored by the famous Jim Walker; it is mentioned in the caption that the kit was handled by a Seattle hobby firm.
A number of interesting U-control kits were manufactured in Japan during the "Occupied Japan" period following WWII. Unlike some other Japanese vintage kits offered on this website, this particular kit has an all-aluminum skin structure and is powered by a pulsejet engine such as the Dyna-Jet and others. The Japanese kits were pre-fab with wood parts all pre-cut to shape (as nice as today's laser cut parts) and metal pieces also cut and die-formed where appropriate. This Republic F-84 kit is an amazing collection of a wealth of parts and comes with a West German-built Pulso-Jet PJS-5 engine by Sippel.
And, in 1957, Republic Aviation published a promotional plan of the F-84G drawn by the Republic Aviation Model Society which incorporates a Dyna-Jet engine in an all-wood structure; this Republic model is the same size as the Japanese F-84. A PDF file for part of this Republic piece can be viewed by clicking Here. The tail number of the Japanese F-84 kit is shown on the plan as "12570" which doesn't correspond to any F-84 serial number. The "G" model was used extensively worldwide but the "D" version was the first to arrive in Korea and would have also been frequently seen in Japan. Click Here for a printable three-view of the F-84. The Republic F-84 plan was mentioned in a 1958 issue of American Modeler and is shown below.
The F-84 kit comes in a large cardboard box which has seen considerable abuse during its long life and Pacific travels; the label is mostly intact as can be seen below. Note that "Tokyo" is mentioned on the label, but "Japan" or "Occupied Japan" doesn't appear anywhere in the kit.
The kit contents are in excellent condition as evident in the attached photos. The fuselage sections are actually spun aluminum, probably from tubes. Hundred of tiny rivets are included, or as the plan explains, "1 mm ribbit." The canopy plastic is a non-authentic part as the original probably warped over time; the SIG canopy is not exactly a correct shape for the F-84. The finely cut wood parts appear to be kiri wood. The plan carries instructions in Japanese and also in fractured English. Numerous photos of kit parts can be accessed by clicking Here. Use the back arrow to return to this page.
A 1970s Sippel pulsejet engine is also included with this kit, as described below and illustrated on the photo page.
SIPPEL R.C. PULSO-JET ENGINE PJS-5 Sippel Model Airplanes of Duisburg, West Germany manufactured the Pulso Jet PJS-5 in the 1970s. The term Pulso Jet is the European equivalent of the English "Pulsejet." The company was headed by designer Heinrich Sippel and his son, Heinrich-Dieter Sippel, flew and demonstrated their products. The May 1977 issue of Model Airplane News has an article on the Sippel "Comet X-200" which was a delta wing, catapult launched, R/C model powered by the Sippel Pulso-Jet. This airplane was first demonstrated in June 1969 at the R.C. 1 World Championship in Bremen. The fiberglass reinforced plastic Comet X-200 was offered as a complete RTF model by Sippel, making it an early, if not the first, fully plastic model. Can you imagine this pulsejet model being welcome at most R/C fields today!
The PJS-5 Pulso Jet engine is similar to other pulsejet engines such as the familiar Dyna-Jet. The engine being offered is certainly "used", proving that it does run and fly. Complete and intact, the engine shows signs of having experienced a rough landing or two in that there is a dimple in the nose intake cone and some on the bottom of the combustion chamber. The engine comes with six spare butterfly valves. The engine is compatible with the F-84 model. The engine diameter at the spark plug is 2.53" - the plug is a Bosch U200T1 40.
Detail photos of the engine parts can be viewed along with the F-84 kit parts by clicking Here.
This Japanese kit, with its many parts, along with the West German Sippel Pulso-Jet engine, is priced at $2100.00.
CLEVELAND GEE-BEE SUPER SPORTSTER KIT M-17
Cleveland became the leader in making kits of the 1930s Thompson Trophy winning racers. The 1931 winner, the Gee-Bee Model Z piloted by Lowell Bayles, was issued as kit No. SF-17 in 1931 and later modified to SF-17B, sold as a C-D Master Flying Model kit. Following WWII, and as the market for the SF style kits dwindled and a new line of cheaper, quick-build kits developed, Cleveland redesigned the "Z" by redrawing the original 2-sided plan (maintaining the basic structure) to a larger single-sided plan and adding postwar innovations such as showing a CO2 engine installation. This new version was designated as Kit M-17 in 1948 - the "SF" designation was dropped in favor of "M" series but the Cleveland kits reverted back to the "SF" designation by the mid-1950s for some reason - note the 1955 Cleveland ad below.
The postwar Cleveland Master Kits came in at least three different boxes over a period of a few years. Some were delivered in the plain cardboard "mailer box" while a red, white and blue lid box with no label vied with a larger red and blue box with white stars master kit with a background of natural paper, similar to the "T" kits. When Cleveland briefly went back to the "SF" series (dropping the "M" designation) at the end of their kit production days, with a limited number of kits, the white box with no label was used along with the mailer box. Shown below are two examples of a Cleveland M-17 kit box. Note the reversal of the "Z" drawing.
This Cleveland Kit M-17 comes with your choice of box style - either of the above boxes. The picture box rates only about a "5.5" as it is age stained and scuffed. The white box rates about a "7.5". The kit contents are shown below along with a portion of the plan.
Several bonus items are included in the kit. Reprints of the 1930s pylon setup, C-D notching system and instrument panel are provided. Also, a vacuum formed clear canopy is included. The price of this 1948 kit is $SOLD,BUT SEE SF-17 KIT BELOW. The "bones" of a SF-17 kit in-work are shown below - the remarkable Cleveland kits can be built to exacting standards.
And, of local interest to me, this same February 1949 issue of MAN featured a local Santa Barbara resident, Sandy Hill, on the cover, holding her Jasco Special rubber model which was a contest winner. Sandy is the wife of Stan Hill, a long time modeler, free flight designer (kitted by Berkeley) and Wakefield contestant; in 1949, they were both members of the Falcon Model Airplane Club as Stan was president. Stan gave me the Berkeley kit of the Super Buccaneer which I currently fly. Stan also constructed 1:1 homebuilts which he flew - all activity at his mountainside "factory" overlooking Santa Barbara.
SF-17 Kit appearing in the Cleveland 1955-56 catalog. Oddly, this is exactly the same ad that appeared in the Cleveland 1937 catalog - even to the size.
CLEVELAND GEE BEE SUPER SPORTSTER SF-17B
This kit SF-17B is the original 2-sided plan. The kit was issued in the Cleveland "mailer box" - it is unknown when this kit was made. However, it is known, by reference to Cleveland-Peerless Antique Model Co. catalog of March, 1960 with additions to 1963 that this SF kit was no longer available and the previous production had been the M-17 shown above with a new plan. Own this original SF-17B "Z" kit for $125.00.
KITS BY PAUL K GUILLOW
Here are a few "modern" Guillow scale kits; plans dated in the 1960s and production as late as the 1970s.
This 3/4" scale kit makes up into a handsome "Dora" with a wingspan of 25 3/4". The plans are dated 1966 and the kit has dated material from 1974. This kit can be made into a pure display model, or a powered free flight; interestingly, this 1966 plan shows an early RC system. Die-cut parts with vacuformed detail parts - a lot of 1966 kit for only $30.00. Compare quality and price to kits made today by other manufacturers. Box in excellent condition with some fading from exposure.
Another excellent 3/4" scale kit with a wingspan of 24 3/8". Plan in this kit was drawn in 1961 and shows multiple power choices. Excellent box with some fading. These make up to great display models or would be a good flyer with todays .049 or electric and lightweight RC. Price $30.00.
One of the famous Guillow WWI kits with a 24" wingspan, or a scale of 9/16" =1'. This kit has a plan dated 1964. Would make super scale display or flyer with light RC. Price is $50.00.
The Guillow scale model kits are well known and still in production; the firm started in the 1930s and has been a major player in the stick and tissue market ever since.
Focke-Wulf Fw-190 Kit No. 406
Messerschmitt Bf-109 Kit No. 401
German Rumpler C5 Kit No. 206
Stearman PT-17 Kit No. 803
This kit number is being produced currently, but this particular kit is from 1975 (sales receipt with kit). The PT-17 plan was drawn in 1973. Kit is complete with all the 1975 parts and pieces in "as new" condition and is yours for $SORRY SOLD. A 3/4" scale model with a 28" wingspan - build for free flight, RC, U-control or display.
CLEVELAND P-40 TOMAHAWK KIT SF-77
Cleveland's "SF" model C-D scale kits, prior to March 1941, came in a lid box which did not picture the aircraft; the ad below is from the January 1941 issue of Model Airplane News and shows drawings of typical kit boxes being offered for Chistmas 1940.
Just three months later, Cleveland Models introduced "Four Sensational New War Planes" in the March 1941 issue of Model Airplane News; these were the first of Cleveland's scale models of World War 2 military aircraft. Also, these were the first Cleveland kits to come in the newly designed, larger "All-American" style box; this box measured 9" x 18 1/2" (twice the width of previous SF kit boxes seen above), had a removable lid and had a space in the center for liquids. The ad copy below is from the March 1941 MAN.
Cleveland used both styles of boxes, however, on the early WW2 series. Pictured below is an example of the Spitfire Kit, SF-73, which is packaged in the earlier box. It is rare to find one of the first four WW2 fighters in this style silver box. Note that there were two depths used in this box style and this box is the deeper.
Cleveland designers were hard at work and introduced two more warplanes by October 1941, the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk and the Lockheed P-38 (see ad below).
Cleveland's ads for 1942 featured a "Model of the Month" to promote the new warplane kits. The P-40 kit, SF-77, was the featured model in the March 1942 issue of MAN.
At least two versions of the "All-American" box were used by Cleveland with only slight variations. The P-40 kit being offered here is a typical wartime version with substitute material, instead of balsa, used for the printwood and most stickwood. Balsa blocks are included as well as some balsa "filler" sheet. This kit is complete with six different bottles of liquids. The kit contents are shown below - the plan is complete and in excellent condition as are all parts of the kit.
Details of some of the contents are shown below. The kit's box lid (shown at top) rates about a "5" to "6" out of "10" with some restoration, fading, discoloring and mild foxing - a decent display box of the usual "average" condition. This Cleveland kit is available for $285.00.
SPECIAL for CollectAir Cleveland kit customers. A Free copy of Aviation's Great Recruiter - Cleveland's Ed Packard book by Herm Schreiner will accompany any Cleveland kit priced at $195 or more.
CLEVELAND P-40, SF-77 IN MAILER BOX
The kit shown below is the SF-77 kit packaged in the Cleveland "mailer box" - the kit is identical to the SF-77 shown above with the exception that the mailer box kits were "dry". The plan shows some yellowing where it was exposed to the wood or cardboard during 50 years of storage - a normal condition for kits of this vintage. This kit is priced at $195.00.
Several of the first Cleveland kit boxes are shown below for interest. The first is Kit SF-15 in a silver box with blue stripes as used in 1933-34; note that there was no picture of the model. The second box, Kit SF-9,was used in 1934 with a picture label on a silver box with black stripes.
CASALAIRE METAL GAS MODEL KIT - 1946
The Casalaire control line model kit was an immediate post-war product by Tison Bros. of Los Angeles. The kit featured an all-metal fuselage and rudder with a built-up balsawood wing and a solid balsa horizontal tail. Not really an "all-metal" kit, but very good looking with a Luscombe appearance. This model was designed for control line only. It was on the market for about two years or so. The name Casalaire was based on the design origin - Mr. L.N. Casale.
There are two plan sheets. Illustrations from the fuselage and assembly sheet are shown below. The second plan sheet is for the wing and horizontal tail. Each plan sheet is in excellent condition.
This kit is from 1946. The metal fuselage parts were wrapped in newspaper from September 10, 1946. It is interesting to note a Douglas Aircraft advertisement in that newspaper. The Southern California aircraft industry took a huge hit in employment as World War 2 ended and most military aircraft production ceased, yet Douglas was looking for employees to build the new commercial aircraft.
Photos of all kit parts are displayed on the Supplemental Kit Photos Page which can be accessed by Clicking Here. The kit contents are all original with the exception of the wheels which are a modern equivalent style. The quality of the pre-drilled metal parts is exceptional. A bottle of Testors Clear Dope, still liquid as the day it was sold, is included with the kit. The kit box was in it's death throws, with a rating of about "2," and has been restored to the point that it is intact and looks pretty good from 100 feet! This is really an unusual model kit and one that is hard to find. It screams to be built, but at a price of $895.00, it will probably remain a collector kit. Be sure and check out all the intricate parts on the photo page.
The designer, Lou Casale, is famous for his 1930s scale model winners. He obviously kept the metal model design alive (although not commercially kitted)as the following article and photo from 1962 proves. The Casalaire U-control model became an R/C model in a somewhat changed version.
From the American Modeler, dated May 1962: At a Radio Control League meeting we were attracted to an outstanding R/C model. This job had a fuselage and vertical tail of polished aluminum. A Masonite form block was built to make the fuselage and formers, one block to spin the cowl, everything secured by 1/16 rivets. Out at Chino Airport on the following Sunday we took some pictures . . . and the builder? Louis Casale! This guy won the scale event at the '34, '35. and '36 Nats with a Waco Taperwing built exactly like the full scale job. He was unbeatable. Nice meeting him some 26 years later! Louis lives in Cucamonga, works at Nortronics as an M.E. He had just returned from Europe after an extensive stay working with the Hawk missile program. He calls the present bird "Casalaire." Dick Riggs test flew it, then Louis took it home and differentiated the ailerons and brought it back the following Sunday. This time Lloyd Sager flew it, then started Lou building up stick time.
BERKELEY KITS
From the Berkeley Curtiss A-12 "Shrike" Controliner plan: "Developed by Curtiss Aircraft in the middle 30's, the "Shrike" was considered to be one of the outstanding aircraft of its day, and greatly influenced all future pursuit aircraft design. Some of its features included four .30 cal machine guns in the gear fairings, one in the aft cockpit, automatic slots, and wing flaps. Powered by a 670 h.p. Wright Cyclone. Top speed was 195 m.p.h. Look no further if you want a fine flying historically famous flying scale design. Its unusually long tail moment arem, with large tail surfaces, rugged shock mounted gear, operating flaps and rugged structures throughout, make this a perfect design for the rigors of everyday sport flying, as well as the scale events where technical accuracy, detail and performance are essential."
This excellent kit is in 3/4" scale giving it a wingspan of 33". A Don McGovern design from 1958 by Berkeley Models of West Hempstead, New York.
This kit has good balsa and an aluminum cowl ring. The box lid rates a nice "8" so would make a handsome display or could build up as a display model or a flyer. Price for this 1958 kit is $225.00.
BERKELEY COLONIAL "SKIMMER" KIT
This is an outstanding scale model kit in 1"=1' scale for a 33 1/2" wingspan. Either for control line or could be a R/C with something like a small Norvell. Designed by the famous Henry Struck, the "Skimmer" is a Berkeley design from 1956 - a fifty year-old kit. The box lid has some damage in the upper rh corner but shows well for a rating of a "7". Price for this kit is $175.00. For the adventerous builder, this could be flown off water.
MAIRCRAFT SOLID B-25 KIT D-1
This Maircraft, all-balsa, profile cut kit of "The Flying 75," the B-25H with a 75 mm., T-13E1 cannon, is from the WWII period. The first cannon equipped B-25, the G model, came out around 1943; the 75 mm. was adopted for anti-shipping strikes in the South Pacific. The M-4 cannon fired 15-lb. shells and was loaded by the navigator/bombardier and aimed with the help of two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose. The G carried 15 of the 75 mm. shells. Hand loading was tricky because the cannon had a 21-inch recoil and in a confined space - only about four rounds could be fired during a typical attack run. 405 of the "G" models were built but they did not prove to be very successful and were replaced by the "H" which had a lighter version of the 75 mm. cannon and the addition of four 0.50-inch "blister" guns, located below the cockpit and had four 0.50-inch guns in the nose. The dorsal turret was moved forward to a position just aft of the cockpit; a tail gunner with two 0.50s in a power mounting was added and two 0.50-inch waist guns were added. The "H" became operational by February 1944 - the cannon hampered the flexibility of attack and the "H" was withdrawn by August of 1944. The B-25J became the standard and was the highest produced variant - similar to the "H" but without the cannon and went back to the bomber-style transparent nose.
This Maircraft kit D-1 is in a large 1/4" scale. The skilled Maircraft draftsman, James R. Wyse, drew the detailed plan - he has been noted frequently on this website for the superior quality of the Maircraft drawings. The kit is in excellent condition and the box rates an "8+" - the kit is priced at $95.00..
ENTERPRISE F-51 MUSTANG SOLID KIT
The history of the Brooklyn-based Consolidated-Burkard kits is detailed on the first page of Vintage Kits on this website - they had incorporated carved parts in their "Deluxe" kits early in the 1940s. Some more of their carved kits will be shown here along with a few others that are not so well known.
Enterprise was another of the Brooklyn-based model companies, located at 5107 Ave. D by 1952. The kit being offered here is a F-51 Mustang in 1/4" scale. The pre-carved fuselage is touted as "AUTHENTI-CARVED" to exact 1/4" scale. This kit came out in 1952 amongst a heavily contested market. The kit features all-balsa and has decals. The box rates an "8."
Some solid kits of the WWII period featured a carved fuselage and perhaps nacelles on multi-engine aircraft. As the manufacturers entered the competitive post-war era, they struggled for ways to become dominant in a shrinking market - many of the companies dropped out of the business by the 50's and not necessarily for lack of quality. Diversity was attempted with wider product ranges incorporating flying models, U-control, race cars, and improved solid models but the marketplace couldn't absorb the production. The better known model companies spiffed up their solid kits with pre-carved parts and/or added metal or plastic detail fittings - the Monogram Super Kits, the Dyna Models kits, Fernday, StromBecKer and others soldiered on through the 50's with wood or wood and plastic/metal kits that eventually lost the battle with the plastic brigades.
Own this nice example of a pre-carved kit for $75.00.
CLEVELAND PLAN FOR 1932 BERLINER JOYCE P-16
This is an original Cleveland plan for Kit SF-39 dated 1933. This plan is not a modern copy, but was purchased from Cleveland Model & Supply Co. at 4506-12 Lorain Ave., Cleveland 2, Ohio around 1960. The plan is in nearly new condition and it is for the 1932 Berliner Joyce P-16 kit in 3/4" scale. Portions are shown below - the plan was shipped folded. The plan, including shipping, is priced at $18.00.
CLEVELAND MODEL and SUPPLY CO. - WHAT'S IN A NAME?
By 1965, an information letter accompanying some SE plans, the letterhead was for the Cleveland Model and Supply Company at 4506 Lorain Avenue, but signed under the name of "Cleveland Antique Aircraft Classics Division" which was also the mailing title to 4510 Lorain Ave. The February 1967 plan catalog listed the company as Cleveland Model & Supply Co. at 4506 Lorain Ave., a Division of Cleveland Model Products Co. The 1955-56 catalog carried the same name, Cleveland Model and Supply Co., at 4506-12 Lorain Ave., as did the 1949 catalog; this is the name that the company had used since the 1930s - in many cases, the "Co." was followed by "Inc.", but not always. The 4506-12 indicates the period that the company occupied most of the store fronts in the block; a shipping label from that period is shown below. Note the reference to "Profitkrafts Division", a division name that is rarely mentioned.
Cleveland model kits were sold under several variations of the Cleveland name over the years since their beginning, particularly following WW2. Some of the postwar company names and addresses are sorted out below along with a short company history; the following short history article was written by E.T. Packard on February 22, 1961 and was printed in the catalog for the Cleveland-Peerless Antique Model Co., Division of Cleveland Model and Supply Co. (address of 4510 Lorain Ave.). The name, Cleveland-Peerless Antique Model Co., was used on their September 1963 catalog as well. Previously, the September 1960 sales sheet listed the company as Cleveland Model Products Co. at 4506 Lorain Ave., but a June 15, 1960 catalog (the first Cleveland-Peerless) listed the company as "The Newly Organized Cleveland Peerless Antique Model Company (Div. of Cleveland Model & Supply Company)" at 4510 Lorain Ave. To further compound the identification maze, the company also had the "Cleveland Historical Model Association" and enthusiasts were invited to visit the "Headquarters and Museum" at 4506 Lorain Ave. and also were informed that "National officers to be elected." Dues for the C.H.M.A. were $5.00. By September 1964, the "Peerless" name was dropped, with the following comment: "You have been asking too, where Peerless figured in the picture to be included within the firm name. It didn't, so in the future the division shall be known as Cleveland Antique Aircraft Classics Division."
The Lorain street facility was occupied in late 1937 which eventually included a separate company store. In 1958, Will Packard, a brother of Ed, started a wholesale business with the name Cleveland Hobby Supply Company, totally separate from the manufacturing company that he had worked at for twenty-five years with his brother, Ed Packard. Ed Packard departed the Lorain Avenue facility in 1968 to relocate to 10307 Detroit Avenue, thus ending the long history on Lorain Avenue.
How Cleveland-Designed models got their start. With a very modest beginning, I started selling strips of wood which I had cut at a local cabinet shop, rubber bands, wire fittings which I fashioned by hand, hand carved propellers, "Japanese rice paper" tissue (of course there is no such thing as rice paper, but that's what it was called) and acetone, collodion and "banana oil" from local pharmaceutical houses, hand maade wooden parts for larger scale models - and there you have the start of Cleveland Model & Supply Company which began about March 1st of 1919, which at this writing is about 42 years ago.In all those years, my love for aircraft and good model building never died. Time was, from those early days when I wanted to learn to fly, with the meager World War I information found in old newspaper clippings and what magazines I could locate and afford to buy, I also atempted designing my own lightplanes. There were several - two of which I had fuselages, landing gear and tail surfuces entirely constructed of white pine, ash and basswood, since model manufacturing didn't occupy very much time because of too few possible prospects, whom I had to help create through new model clubs I established, using the club rooms of the Cleveland Public Library and it's various branches.
In 1922 I saw a second very fine model hook and ladder fire engine (the first one I saw in 1912). With all its great detail, and loving model detail as much as I did, I decided to make a fire engine for a younger brother in 1923, but it was entirely too close to Christmas and not having reckoned with the amount of time required, this work continued through most of 1924. When it was already well under way, realizing there was such a great amount of time being taken to build it and not having accurate drawings, etc., (having built everything to roughly estimated dimensions and sketches) it was decided this should be more like a scale model which could be used for display purposes to become better known as an active modeling house in this area at least. It was first publicly shown at the 1926 Cleveland Automobile Show.
This model, inexcellent condition still, I gave to my son, Donald E., age 6, December 25, 1960. Donald agreed to likewise carry on the tradition of allowing the model to be used for fire prevention displays, etc. It's equipment consists of 36 total feet of ladder, probing "hooks", lanterns, hats, boots, ropes, hose nozzles, buckets, celler hoses, long handled sledge and driving hammers, small sledges and light hammers, cold chisels, chains, fire axes, tarpoulins, small hatchet, carbide lights, siren, driving and spot lights. The ladder extends to 9 feet and will swing a complete 360 degree circle. (Note: A photo of this model is on page 14 of the book, "Aviation's Great Recruiter").
It was the great time required to build this model, more than any other thing, that caused me to vow that any scale model that would thereafter be madde by my firm, the Cleveland Model & Supply Co., would not be simplified and toy-like, but made authentically and accurately to scale size. This ideal has made the firm internationally famous for the designing of authentic models, aircraft especially, and S gage (originally called C-D gage) railroad items in kit form.
This reputation of extremely fine operating model building has always been carried on to what was then the N-th degree of perfection. It is the reputation for which the firm is still held in such high esteem by so many millions to date, for we have turned out operating flying models with such exquisite detail they have become museum pieces - yet they actually flew and gave a very creditable performance in each and every case.
There were many who did not wish to make an extremely fine line of large models like out famous Master line of SF models, so the Dwarf line was introduced in 1935. Thereafter, for the simplicied models being requested, following the CB's, F and FL lines, I introduced the T, IT, R, E and EZ's and later lines of models.
All Cleveland-Designs are as super-detailed as it was possible to prepare them at the time of their designing and numerous redesigns, taken from wht is probably the first comprehensive aircraft design research anywhere. It was done almost exclusively by me, usually within a space of time ranging from a few months to less than two years after the appearance of the aircraft or through early extensive study of aviation books and publications (when photos, descriptions and outline drawings were exceedingly rare) at the Cleveland and other public libraries, through photo services and constant surveillance of all possible papers, old and current aviation and mechanical publications, etc.
Very often, during World War II, with military aircraft being classified material, I found that American citizens were denied almost anything requested of various Washington agencies, whreas it was later found possible to acquire the needed outlines, dimensions and exterior detailed information through foreign publications who had ready access to all that was needed through diplomatic exchange courtesies.
Fortunately, we are located near the Cleveland Airport, where the Thompson Trophy Races were usuall held. I also enjoyed the friendship of the airport manager who always took interest in my model work and always made it posssible for me to gain access to famous racers and many visiting non-military planes, whenever I requested, so I could take close-up photos, dimensions, and literally climb all over them to make my design notes.
My dedicated, consciencious drive to produce only the finest flying models for aviation enthusiasts, always made CLEVELAND designs the standard of modeling perfection everywhere.
The 1961 Cleveland catalog also announced the formation of "Packard Air-Motive Co.", formed to supply the needs of full scale airplane "home builders." The following information appeared in the catalog:
Prior to 1925, there was little to do at Cleveland Model, so besides designing and building three lightplane designs, he (Ed Packard) built a "Cyclecar" (Today it's Karts) among other projects. He was then connected with the Glenn L. Martin Co., working in assembly, wood, metal, welding and fabric shops; at the Fokker Aircraft Corp., in asembly, upholstering, covering and doping; in addition to several other firms. He was active in Glider flying and was secretary of both the Cleveland Glider Club and the later formed Cleveland Glider Association. He also wrote a 35,000 word treatise on basic aerodynamics and model aircraft design. He was personally acquainted with many aviation notables, some of whom were the early pioneers of flying, the "Top Names" of the industry. With many of these pioneers he often discussed early lightplane and glider construction and activities. All this, he believes, will constantly prove to be of continuous basic assistance to the newly organized division - the PACKARD AIR-MOTIVE COMPANY.
GAS MODEL PROPS - Vintage
A bargain! Here are some old wood gas model props that are over 50 years old. These props are unfinished so you can varnish them yourself. Four props for only $5.00 for the foursome. The four propellers will vary in size from around 14" to 8" and are all unused.
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