Warbird Information Exchange

If you follow the model kit industry you might already know this, but I have only learned it, so I thought I'd share...

With Revell/Monogram under new ownership, it seems some changes are in the wind. The new manager has sold some ancient molds that were just gathering dust in their old factory.I

Atlantis models is an American firm and will produce the kits in the U.S. (wow, what a concept! ). So far, they are using old box art. But they do have expanded, and I hear quality, decals.

So far, the few aircraft kits released are from the ancient mid-50s period. They include:
-The Revell "box scale"...smaller than 1/72...
B-24J and early B-25.
-The Aurora 1/48 Piasecki H-25/HUP.

The firm's website says the Aurora 1/72 DC-9 with Hughes Airwest and TWA markings will be coming as will the old Revell Mercury rocket/capsule and launch complex.

An internet modelling magazine reports the Revell Seamaster jet and Aurora HH-3 Holly Green Giant are coming soon. Also the kit of the Allison turboprop engine.

Now the reason why some of these kits haven't been reissued in years is some like the B-24 is woefully obsolete (odd scale, too many huge rivets), but others, like the HH-3, are late Aurora offerings and is better than the contemporary competing Revell offering of the same aircraft in the same scale.
Others, like the DC-9 and H-25 are not found in the scale anywhere else (there was an expensive French kit of the helicopter, but nothing readily available). Back in the day a friend took two DC-9 kits and built a great C-9 (...the kit is of the -10 and the C-9 was a stretched -30 airframe) .


Hopefully, more will be coming.
At low prices, they'll be fun for nostalgia builds for older modellers, or good entry-level kits for beginners who can't afford some of today high kit prices.
I'd love to see the old Aurora H-21 and H-19 arrive as well as the excellent AH-56 Cheyenne.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

I believe the old Revell B-25 is about 1/64--suitable for display with the old Lindberg B-17, JU-88, B-58, and so forth.

I just checked, you're correct the B-25 is 1/64th, and the B-24 is 1/92nd.

I received an email today, they confirmed the old story of some Aurora molds being wrecked in a train crash, that will limit the re-release of the ex-Comet general aviation types, but today's email said they do have the molds for the Aero Commander.

With today's technology, couldn't they take an unbuilt old kit and make new molds from it?

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Fabulous news! I've wanted one of those for decades!

Now if they can just find the molds for the Cessna 310 and the Twin Beech. You can put me down for at least two of each.

I bought a H-25 off Amazon, (yes, I should support local hobby shops, but they didn't have any) at MSRP and free shipping, it seemed a deal.

I'm set to get it tomorrow, I'm curious about the state of the molds.
I have an original circa 1954 example of the kit by its originator, Helicopters for Industry...the folks who sold the molds to Aurora.

It will be fun to compare the two after Aurora used the molds for years (about 10 I figure, you didn't see the kit much after the mid-60s), and almost 50 years in storage.

Snake45, I agree, I hope the 310 is re-released. There are 1/72 kits of the Beech 18, but none of the Cessna.
I'm especially happy the kit is of the classic straight-tail A-C. Too bad they never made it in 1/48th.

The Aero Commander is a mid-50s example, a straight-tail, chunky nacelle type.
I've always wanted a longer, later Strike with thin nacelles, pointed nose and a swept tail.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

I still want one. Got to ride in an Aero Commander to the Midland airshow way back in maybe 1995 or 98 or something like that and I've been getting to look at this beauty at CAF HQ lately...

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

An update...
The old Renwall kit of the Allison turboprop will be released in September.
They also list the Revell 1/135 scale B-52/X-15 as another kit.
Also, the Revell P-3A ( The old story about Revell irreparably modifying the Electra kit must be true) and P6M Seamaster are due soon.
As is the large (53rd scale) Aurora early Grumman S2F.

On their website/blog they show photos of some of their molds...one they opened just out of curiosity was the ancient Revell box scale B-36.
I'm not sure if they know what all they have.

If you have any requests, you might want to send them an email.
May or may not help. Can't hurt. Also, you can sign up to get email updates from them.
(Please bug them about the Cessna 310 and Aero Commander kits. ).

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

An update...
The Allison turboprop (1/10th scale)
P-3A (115th scale), ex-Revell.
727-100 in Pan Am decals (1/96th), and ex-Aurora.
are due out in September, 2019.

October, 2019:
Grumman S2F (1/54), ex-Aurora
Martin P6M Seamaster (1/136) ex-Revell
Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1/72 the Aurora kit, better than the Revell in the same scale...no rivets and retractable gear).

First Quarter of 2020:
Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne (1/72, a very nice kit). Ex-Aurora.

Second Quarter of 2020:
Convair B-36 (1/181 scale...ex-Revell. Remember when this was the only B-36 kit?...aside from the even smaller Aurora...a bit before my time).

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Thanks for this info!! A friend of my Father gave me his assembled Allison turboprop engine kit when I was a kid, around 1968 or so. It is long gone, but I've always wished I still had it. I've ordered the kit off of this site! Thanks again for the information!!

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Rod Schneider
Ball Ground, Ga

Another update:
The Revell 1/46 P-39 is inbound as is the Monogram 1/104 scale PBY-5A.
The P-39 comes with the usual Atlantis updated multiple decal options.

The P-39 I know only from later reissues of Revell kits with original boxart that shows its availability.

I don't ever recall seeing the PBY on store shelves as a kid, so I'll say the kit was out of the Monogram catalog by the mid to late '60s, so they haven't been seen in more than 50 years. I know their 1/72 kit arrived circa 1969, so my timeline is s pretty close.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

One more is inbound...
as I briefly mentioned back in September, the old Revell 1/180 (or 185, not that it matters much) B-36 is due soon.

For years this was the only kit of the aircraft aside from a very small .49 cent 1/333 scale Aurora offfering.

As was common for the time, it's a display kit, no landing gear is provided and as you would expect from that scale, there isn't a lot of surface detail, but what there is is etched lines. Also, decal placement areas are raised.

It comes with its original small solid Revell stand, and also a new Atlantis version of the large clear "Revelling" swiveling stand...a huge improvement.

SAC B-36s were pretty boring color wise, this one comes with the early small "United States Air Force" markings as opposed to the later "U.S. Air Force" titles the Convair saw later in its career.

A fun idea might be a fantasy piece. It would really look wild in Vietnam green-green-tan-gray camoflague.
I have a USAF paint guide tech order and in it there are two camo schemes for many types that never were camouflaged...like the B-58 and C-124 (The C-124 looks like a bowl of tossed salad). The '36 isn't in that T.O., but it gave me the idea.
If you want to try some scratchbuilding, you could turn it into a C-99 or weirder yet, one of the proposed, but never built, airline versions.

Anyway, at about 20 bucks, it would be a fun piece.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Reminds me that back in the glory days of usenet, there was a whole huge thread on a what-if board about the B-49 combat usage in Vietnam, and Desert Storm, with a tracking of all of the models and subsequent upgrades

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

An update...
Lately they've been busy with non-aviation subjects, but if they help keep the bills paid and lights on, I'm good with that. Between Aurora, Monogram and Revell...plus others...they have the power to re-release all kinds of old/rare/unusual stuff, so it's in our best interest to keep them solvent.

If you're interested; they've done old Aurora figures, a flying saucer from the old Invaders TV show and they have announced a reissue of the classic Godzilla and some ancient Pyro western and Native American figures from the '50s (when Westerns ruled TV).

On a more harmonious note, in time for Christmas they'll have the (now expensive on the collector market) snap together Monogram Snoopy kits from the 70s including...Snoopy in his Sopwith Camel with battery operated prop on a neat stand (see, I got around to aviation content).
Hopefully, that will be a big seller, and you might want to get one for your kids/grandkids/inner kid.
It might be fun to paint it correctly like a real RFC machine. Note: I understand the RFC did not let Beagles fly combat...unless they came from a very good family...so you'll have to make up your own individual markings.

The kits I previously mentioned (B-36, HH-3, P-3, P6M, S2F) are in the stores and online. Hint, if you want one, download a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon and shop there if you have a local store. With 40% off the kits would cost $12, so if you don't want to build it yourself, it might make a good starter kit for a young person. Also, HL also has a decent paint selection, so keep that in mind.

Atlantis has recently announced the acquisition of more old molds from the successors to Lindbergh, Pryo, Renwall and the like, so there should be lots of aviation stuff there.

And on their Facebook page, in response to a question they said they have the old Revell P2V-7 Neptune molds....great news because that's a nice kit. True, alternative decals for the box scale kit might be a bit of an issue, but there are plenty of great Neptune schemes out there.
No word on a release date, but they are very active on Facebook.

I'll let you know when more aircraft enter the pipeline.
And no, I don't have a financial interest in the firm...and I'm not getting paid, I just want to see more old kits released.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Do you happen to have any links etc?

Sorry to hear your google died.

https://atlantis-models.com/