I remember in my childhood (1970´s), my late dad had a 1/1 flintlock rifle in styrene. Great for me and my brother to play with. We also had some Airfix 1/12 scale figures, namely Julius Caesar and Henry VIII. now I wonder which was the first ever model kit released?
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Did Godzilla,King Kong,Wolfman,Creature,and Mummy as a kid in the mid 60’s
My first kits as an adult in 1982 were Tamiya’s Panzer IV D it was gray with the short gun? and Tamiya’s T-34/76
My bad,read the post quickly,thought you wanted to know the 1st kit that we worked on,which would make a good topic too.
Sorry
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The first plastic model kits were produced in the UK in 1936 by Frog, and were 1/72nd scale models called “Penguin”. The kits were primarily intended for educational purposes and use in schools.
The "Penguin"kits were the non flying kits
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Frog kits in 1936.
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1932? Wow that is early! I remember Frog airplane kits in plastic bags with a cardboard top.
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1932 FROG Interceptor Mk 4 :
F.R.O.G was an anacronym for “Flies Right Off Ground”, and was the company’s selling feature when it commenced business in 1932.
More pics : https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30084255
H.P.
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100 year anniversary isn’t that far away.
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Easy. The Aurora SSN Seawolf. My mom helped me with it while my stepfather was out at sea on a real nuke boat, the Flasher. I was four or five.
It survived to move back to CONUS, only to meet it’s demise on the rear deck of our Grabber while moving from one house to the other in Florida.
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And I though it was named after the amphibian. 
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I was around 8 years old, and a fan of the “Dukes of Hazard”.
I can still
Remember the Orange smell of the Testors plastic cement that my dad bought for me to put the kit together.
Full disclosure; I wasn’t as sharp then as I am now when it came to putting the kit together.
But that kit sparked the flame.
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I was a tad older, but also a fan. I built my own 1:1 version. Sort of.
I know it may seem hard to believe, but I used to do some asinine things with that car.
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I do not know the answer to the question but suspect the first model kits were made of clay and/or wood, appeared in ancient Rome or earlier, and depicted buildings, carriages, and ships.
Many architectural models and dolls have survived from ancient times. Toy blocks with letters existed in 1594. Building blocks came somewhat later. Tin soldiers were invented around 1730. It is fairly easy to imagine an architect, merchant, or toy maker inventing clay and/or wooden models for rich clients long before the modern era. On the other hand, leisure time was a rare commodity until Victorian times. The printing press may be a prerequisite for instruction sheets.
Card models definitely predate plastic models by a few decades.
It is a really interesting question.
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I misread the question. When i answered I could have sworn it said First Model Kit Ever Built?
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Whatever it was, it was built ten years after it was bought as it require time to season; thus the stash was born…
Cheers,
M
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I am fairly certain my very first model was a Lindberg Focke Wulf 190, Heinkel He 100, Heinkel He 162, or Messerschmitt Me 163, purchased at a Woolworths store near Omaha. There were 4 models in the series, definitely including a He 162, Me 163, and something German with straight wings. I was very young and the models were really cheap. After convincing the parents to purchase one, I remember going back for the others over the next few weeks. I am almost certain the He 163 was the first. My dad really liked German World War II planes so he probably gave the green light.
Also, ScaleMates is awesome, giving me the tools to figure that out.
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i seem to remember something about a tractor company in the UK who issued models of their fatm vehicles snd one of the salesmen realised that the farmers kids like these model tractors that had to be assembled…this might be the beginning story for Frog/Airfix, i just saw something about on some antique show here in the UK.
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B&W salesmen used to carry working models with them. I don’t know if they were kits or not. Given their complexity I suspect not.
Similar to military desk models given to the brass - here’s what you’re buying.
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Meccano started in 1901
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1968, somebody gave me an AMT semi dump trailer.
My second model was a lunar lander set, but it’s got me stumped. I swear it was 1/72 and it had Eagle and the command module, and a moon base. On the old site I had a photo of the base, including the manufacturer’s name molded into the bottom of it. I swear it was Monogram. Thing is now when I Google it, the only Monogram lunar lander set I find is 1/48. None of the other company sets had a moon base that looks like what I remember.
My third model is easy to remember. Revell 1/32 Bf 109G.
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