Early Matchbox Gnat Boxing

[dr_gn]

Might be of interest to any nostalgia junkies: Picked this up at Cosford for the daughter (easy to build, one colour to paint). It wasn't until I tried to open the end of the box that I realised it was a very early top-opening box. Dated 1972, Matchbox kits first appeared on sale in 1973. These boxes lasted less than year before being replaced, initially by the end-opening with window style. The parts appear to have never been removed from their bag, but the plastic looks better quality than many kits (more opaque and harder, very similar to the even older Merit Alfa Romeo I've got in the stash):















Matchbox clearly took their multi-coloured concept to extreme lengths: Orange and red on an all-red aircraft...I remember building this very kit with my dad back in about '74 or '75; we put too much glue on the fuel tanks and they melted.

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

That is a lovely first model for her to get into, hope she decides to 'do' the Red Arrows scheme

The Training command scheme is daunting me and I have one to build soon

Sadly not this nice little Lesney model but the Airfix one

Which fortunately is the later moulding not the old XP503 one

Will we get to enjoy a build with her or will it become too much of a chore I wonder?

I don't think so - she watched the boy and I building the Skyservant and wanted to glue stuff together and paint too. For the sake of £4 I thought it might keep her quiet - at least painting - for a while.