I've got that An-24 model when I was a kid. As for inaccuracy - it was intentional. Security and all that kind of stuff. We even had civilian road maps that were incorrect in purpose. Distances between towns were very inaccurate for example. Reason - security.
Speaking of flying models: there were also a network of "Young Technician" stations in every town, where kids could make models under supervision of professional teachers. This stations had a good supply of materials and equipment, full set of machinery like small lathes, drill press, milling machines, etc. Some stuff was only available through this facilities, like balsa wood, radio controls, certain types of model engines. They would also organize modeling competitions and fly-ins between those clubs. And it all was totally free. Was visiting such club, when I was a kid twice a week, after the school and at Sundays. Those clubs also had car and ship modeling sections. The car section, apart from building models were also building motorized go-karts.
@@SQSNSQ The same fun or the same program? I had read that the Y.P. was organized as similar to the American Boy Scouts- but that may simply be misidentification.
@@BeachsideHank Well, yes, Young Pioneer organization was largely based on the Boy Scout organization. In the 1920-s it was actively used to propagate education and literacy (together with the Communist ideas, obviously) among youth and also played a big role in giving the moral anchors to a huge number of foster kids - a result of WWI, civil war and anarchy of the early post-revolutionary years. But, by the early 1960-s it largely turned into a formal organization with rituals and rules, but no real meaning. Buy what I wrote in the previous post, "it was both", I mean, that to be a member was almost mandatory. All kids from age 9 were accepted to the organization through their school branches, although, they did little (at lest in my case) as members and the organization did little to the kids through this school branches. From other hand, it did sponsor many different youth activities, including modeling through organizing and financing competitions, model shows, stuff like that. Or, any other activities and events for children below 16y.o. So, I was a Y.P. member, while attending this modeling club. It was kind of integral part of the Soviet childhood. And should my school grades would be low, the Y.P. organisation from my school could suspend my membership in the modeling club until the grades would become better. Although, I never heard of such instances, to be honest, in my times. One of my classmates was a die-hard F-grader and he was attending the same club no problem. Well, at least until he messed some tools and equipment really badly and was kicked out. :-)
@@SQSNSQ Thanks for that background information. My two boys were members of The Boy Scouts and went all the way up to Eagle rank, which is prestigious accomplishment, but then came the sex abuse scandals and I don't think it ever recovered from that debacle; my wife and I were very active with the troop and I was an Assistant Scoutmaster, so we kept a close eye on all activities. I hope The Y.P. didn't have such damaging behaviors in the ranks, it sounded like it was a good thing for children. The fatal flaw in the B.S.A. system was the sponsorship by and of churches, who it was assumed, were not capable of such behavior but history tells a different story.
Two things. First, flying models seem to look about the same no matter what country they come from. Second, young people share the hobby with similar enthusiasm everywhere it exists, which is a positive for all of us. Great piece.
You are right, the aircraft modeling was an important part in the USSR. I participated in the plane model building at the Palace of Pioneers in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Palace of Pioneers was established for pupils to participate in extracurricular activities. We built wooden airplane models, but without kits (We cut the pieces). Additionally, we had a hobby shop "Constructor's House" in Tbilisi. All wooden airplanes were made in the USSR (the one you see in the photo @ 0.52 yellow plane, I used to work on it). On the other hand, plastic planes and all train models were from East Germany (@ 6:47 PLASTICART). The Soviet-made plastic plane and boats were very limited. I am talking about after 1973 (I was 9 years of age), and I don't know what was on the market before that. I enjoyed your video. Remembering childhood is always sweet.
I would love to have seen the Soviet version of Monopoly. Pass 'Go', collect one sack of potatoes. 'Get out of gulag free' and 'Report to tractor factory' cards, etc.
As a late 1980s kid in Soviet Ukraine it's nothing like I remember. 1:72 plane models were freely awailable, but there were like 20 of them in existence, so you couldn't get nothing new. Packaging for the same models was two types, bleak cardboard or glossy colorful "export" ones. Later I learned that single FROG stampings were produced at like 10 different factories all over USSR for no apparent reason. Occupied Donetsk had a toy factory producing several of this NOVO series, I had flashy one of Swordfish Mk.1 of NovoExport. Supplied glue was some poisonous toxic substance. Late Perestroika air force propaganda magazine Kryl'ya Rodiny had a hilarious article about plastic modeling in USSR, main bureaucrat apparatchik complained mighty Soviet Union had no capabilities to make new plastic toy models for kids and other motherland loving patriots.
A very interesting history lesson. All I every saw back in the days long ago was the old kit from the Eastern Bloc countries and never did know the names. A special thanks to Sergey for providing this "lost" information. Never knew how big model building was in the USSR.
That would be very interesting. I only know of two. Highplanes (I have their Pika and Jindivik models) and Horizon with their superlative space kits of which I have a few. I would be interested to know if someone does a model of the Australian Perenti Landrover.
@@crazybrit-nasafan . Well Horizon models was unknown to me until you just informed me. In the nineties there was a model company called FM MODELS AUSTRALIA they only produced one vac form 1/32 CAC Boomerang and washed up before their second kit a vac form 1/32 CAC Wirraway. Red Roo models produces conversion kits and decals I have a Revell Great Britian F-111C kit that has the box top printed in Australia
@@maxsmodels . Now I'm confused. Send you some information or make my own video. I can't produce anything near the productions you do with only my phone
We covered only Krugozor kits here. The 1/50 scale An-2 (as well as 1/72 scale I-16) was manufactured by Kiev toy factory. This is another story and I hope our Ukrainian viewers will tell it.
@@Banner_Bearer_of_Eternity прессформа модели И-16 досталас СССР от фирмы Revell в обмен на прессфорсы немецких самолетов фирмы FROG от выпуска которых отказались по идеологическим соображениям (Bf-110 и He-219(?)).
@@user-xh8ju2ir4t Киевский ишак имеет кресельные корни, это понятно. Но производился он, как и Ан-2, киевской фабрикой, не Кругозором. Это видео исключительно про модели Кругозор (ранее МЗМПИ/Юный Техник). Про кипрскую фабрику стоит сделать отдельный материал.
@@Banner_Bearer_of_Eternity Видео называется "Kits models in the USSR" то есть "Сборные модели из СССР" и человек который не знает английского языка, это я про себя, глядя его смотрит модели СССР и вспоминает то, что он видел в своем детстве и то, что видео посвящено исключительно истории "Кругозор" а не развитию производства моделей в СССР не уловил.
@@user-xh8ju2ir4t да, все правильно. Макс решил назвать видео так, хотя скрипт я писал только о Кругозоре. Кстати, в тексте я сделал одну ошибку, в видео говорится, что первой моделью KVZ/Пластикарт был Baade 152. Это не так, первой моделью был Ил-14. Эта ошибка исправлена в видео про историю Plasticart на этом же канале. Со временем сделаю еще про Огонек.
Another awesome episode Max. Superb and highly educational. I have a few plasticard kits in the loft. The Briev BE6, TU20 (TU95) Bear. TU154,, IL62 and the big MIL helicopter..
I built models from the late 60s on. I'm 58 now and still have several model cars and planes it built. I learned a lot about cars, some of the old model cars you had to build the engines, block, heads, exhaust manifolds, intake carbs, they were so cool. Great years to be a kid back then. Thanks for posting this, building models taught me a lot. 👍👍
I absolutely love your posts telling the history of model kit manufacturers. As a Brit, they often address brands I've never seen before and your US audience can enjoy that same feeling with this episode 😁. Other Glue Tubers occasionally take on the same subject but though you're imitated, you're never bettered!
In the 70s and 80s I longed for a decent model of Soviet aircraft and rockets. Outside the monogram MiG 15 there was very little. What I would have given for one of those IL or Tu kits!
Good presentation comrade Max. These early model makers did the best they could , like the ones in the West. I build zeveda kits. There are not bad. A few drawbacks but countur putty does the trick.
Back in 1995 I had a friend who owned a model shop. He got a batch of kits made in East during cold war. He asked me to translate this I-16 Kit that was as good as a 60s Airfix kit. I told him it was made in Kiev soviet socialist replic. I ended up buy an East German Kit a 1/100 TU95 Bear. It was moulded in white but I got some Humbrol paint that made it look like natural metal. It scrubbed up well and I still have it. Later Trumpeter made models of the Bear in 1/72. I felt no desire to replace my East German Kit with one.
I always thought many of the 1970s airliner plastic model kits from the Soviet Union were a simple re-boxing of the East German VEB Plasticart kits. I see I was wrong and thanks for setting the record straight. I had that Soviet TU-104 jetliner kit in its very plain, flimsy cardboard box and totally useless "decals." Sold it long ago ( but, wish I hadn't now due to its scarcity. Well, at least I still have my Plasticart TU-104 and IL-14).
The Lindberg Mig-19 was based on illustrations in an article on the Mig-19 in an early 1950's issue of Air Trails magazine. Most of the early illustarations of Soviet jets were conjecture and fantasy because of a lack of real information.
Hi. Would not consider selling it. ? Im from the order side of the iron curtain. I used had 1 of those. I like to give it to may brother as a memory presents. We leave way apart like 20000km apart .
@@maxsmodels The detail is similer to an airfix 1/144 airliner kit. The fit was pretty bad and it had quite a lot of flash. I'd say the worst bit was the actual plastic which doesn't seem to take to the glue very well and is really brittle. I do also have the Plasticart 1/72 Be-6 which looks to have much better fit and detail. I do still want to get more of these kits though as they offer unusual subjects and are very cheap for what they are.
I discovered this channel today. And I want to say, " Good lad! Keep up the nice work." (Pardon me, I must be way younger than you, but you know, the sentiment matters)
Quite a number of years ago I picked up a Plasticart Tupolev Tu-154 (Soviet equivalent of the Boeing 727) at the local hobby shop... To say it is (I still own it) crude would be the understatement of the week. It would make Lindberg look like Tamiya in comparison. Reason I kept it was as a curiosity, I suppose as an example of how good we have in the west for our hobby or something. It is pretty minimalistic, comes with a worthless sheet of decals, and a tube of glue. Because of this video, I went on eBay to see if there were any for sale, and I was floored at the prices they are commanding! LOL! I paid less than $5 for it back around 1989... they are running about $100 or so currently! LOLOL!
The Aeroflot logo on the MIG21 probably means it's a kit that could be bought from a souvenir shop in the airport. There are many items that could be found with Aeroflot logo. I've personally seen headsets,cigarettes and plastic toys for kids
TANKU! ( I spotted a tank there at the end. ;o) I can't get enough of the fascinating History of the Hobby that we enjoy. Looking forward to hearing about ACE.
When I was a kid (8-10 years old) we didn't have anything else to do (@pocket money prices) except build Airfix kits, I never had enough paints, brushes or even glue to build them to a high standard. However it did 'make me' a bit obsessed about the kits which I could never afford and subsequently I have bought hundreds of kits since (obtaining gainful employment) but I'm still not confident building them ! One of the many models which I posses is the spaceship featured in your last shot (bottom left) I think it maybe a soyuz. Slightly crazily I bought a large Revell model of the Saturn 5 which was a special for it's 25 year anniversary, it got started, then delayed and now I've owned it for 28 years doubling the anniversary years lol !
A few months ago I picked up a very old kit of a MiG-17 with cyrillic lettering on box and instructions and built it with my friend, we weren't able to make out any information on how old exactly and from where it was though...
What a surprisingly good & informative video to randomly appear in my feed. Would be most interested to see one on the ships etc. that you mentioned. Subbed without hesitation x
Worth noting, there was a pretty large selection of papercraft kits in ludicrously large scales. There was at least one Polish monthly(?) magazine, and domestic paper "kits" of all kinds of stuff in the 80s.
Yes, this was Polish magazine called Maly Modelarzh (Small Modeler) published monthly after 1955. The scale was usually 1/33 for the aircraft. Ships and other subjects came in different scales. Strange, but this paper modelling sect still exists, and they think plastic is not a serious guy's choise. A friend of mine is a designer of plastic tractor models. The final result looks like this: img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/480548/28355670.59/0_c2660_2a62bf50_orig img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/480479/28355670.59/0_c2663_f7f0d461_orig
@@user-tx2gk5qs2h That's impressive! You can still buy those magazines on ebay and such. It's a different skillset, but they can be very detailed. And you can make your own really easily!
Thanks again.max .another fine job done.sometimes I like to go over other videos that you did.it's very enjoyable to watch over and confronting to 👀 thanks again
Hi, there again! Thanks for this other piece of model's history! I did not know a word about the ex Soviet Union models in any way. I love to know these kind of things. Unfortunatly I was raised and I still live in a small country that despite it old age, has no expression in what comes to modelling as well as other things I love. To bad...
Макс, пусть у нас и было мало, не хватало на такую страну и территорию таких наборов, пусть даже и в неприглядных коробках, но у нас в СССР было множество кружков, клубов творчества где развивались и навыки работы на станках, и навыки сборки моделей своими руками и в масштабе и действующими! Я сам занимался 5 лет в автомодельном кружке. Делал и модели копии, и скоростные модели машин... Изготавливал детали и на токарном и на фрезерном станках. Развивалось умение пользоваться многими инструментами и материалами... И это в школьные года, учеба с 11 лет до 15 лет... С удовольствием смотрю Ваши ролики об развитии разных фирм. Но этот ролик меня задел... Вы же не знали наше детство. А наше детство было счастливое в СССР... Вы упоминаете журнал Юный Техник. А Вы в курсе, что многие идеи Советских школьников были украдены западом? Знаете, что японские радио конструкторы воплощали схемы и идеи в радиоэлектронике с советских журналов Радио и Техника Молодежи?.. Знаете, сто батарейки - таблетки придуманы в СССР? Да и современный вид батареек - это Советский дизайн... Я Вам выкладываю посмотреть ролик, действующая модель танка ИС-2 из пластилина... Может Вы поймете, что я хотел Вам сказать... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0nj_4z_O4oU.html Автор этой модели постарался её сделать ко Дню Победы. Max, even if we had few, there weren’t enough such kits for such a country and territory, even in unsightly boxes, but in the USSR we had a lot of clubs, creative clubs where both machine tool skills and model assembly skills developed hands and scale and acting! I myself studied for 5 years in a self-made club. He made both copy models and high-speed models of machines ... He made parts on both turning and milling machines. The ability to use many tools and materials developed ... And this is in school years, studying from 11 years to 15 years ... I am happy to watch your videos about the development of different companies. But this video hit me ... You didn’t know our childhood. And our childhood was a happy one in the USSR ... You mention the magazine Young Technician. Do you know that many of the ideas of Soviet schoolchildren were stolen by the West? Do you know that Japanese radio designers embodied circuits and ideas in radio electronics from the Soviet magazines Radio and Youth Technology? .. Do you know one hundred batteries - tablets were invented in the USSR? Yes, and the modern look of the batteries is Soviet design ... I am putting it to you to watch a video, the current model of the IS-2 tank from plasticine ... Maybe you will understand what I wanted to tell you ... www.youtube.com / watch? v = 0nj_4z_O4oU The author of this model tried to make it for Victory Day.
Андрей, спасибо за ваши идеи. На самом деле статья была написана журналистом российского модельного журнала (Сергей). Я посмотрю видео, которое вы прикрепили, и спасибо за ваши комментарии. Я перешлю их Сергею. И еще раз спасибо, я люблю получать больше информации, и я буду включать ваши наблюдения в моем следующем видео обновлений. Andrey, thank you for your insights. The article was actually written by a Russian kit model magazine reporter (Sergey). I will watch the video you attached and thank you for your comments. I will forward them to Sergey. And thank you again, I love getting more information and I will include your observations in my next updates video.
@@user-tx2gk5qs2h Я написал так ,как в конце услышал что с моделями в СССР - задница, оформление коробок - там же, декали - не далеко отодвинулись от этого. Я английский слабо понимаю, Но если Вы его написали, Можете его под роликом на руссом выложить? Конечно, с моделями было тяжеловато.. Но к нам поступали модели и ГДР VERO, а так же формы FROG сделанные для СССР. но только первая их партия моделей, если не ошибаюсь, отправлялась на западный рынок. А к моменту выпуска моделей для СССР - штампы узе устали, имели и потертости и другие дефекты. Да и пластик не всегда был хорошего качества. Но СССР пыталась наладить выпуск таких моделей.Но западу конкурентов не надо. Поэтому такая была обстановка. вот вспомнил что покупал и парусник фирмы HELLER, Пурку а Па вроде назывался... и собирал этой фирмы то ли танкер, то ли сухогруз... Модели были, но за ними надо было побегать... Обойти много магазинов... yadi.sk/d/jI43Z_xFdarLuA Вот что у меня осталось ещё с 80- годов...
Это все хорошо, друзья мои. Мы все любим модели. Многое часто теряется в переводе. Я восхищаюсь работой восточного модельера, который часто обладал лучшими навыками во время менее коммерческих вариантов. У меня есть модель румынского пилота MIG-21, сделанная для меня. Его навыки невероятны. Мы все любим модели. Я видел видео танка JS2. очень хорошо. It is all good my friends. We all love models. Much often gets lost in translation. I admire the work of eastern model builders who often had better skills due to less commercial options. I have a model a Romanian MIG-21 pilot made for me. His skills are incredible. We all love models. I saw the video of the JS2 tank. very nice.
@@ANDREY1564 Андрей, давайте по порядку. Вы действительно не все поняли в этом ролике. Видео было данью ностальгии по старым кругозоровским моделям первую из которых я построил в 1969 году. Пожалуйста, не вините Макса. Он делает очень хорошие, качественные видео об истории модельных фирм. Да, дизайн коробок был тогда не на высоте и этой правда. Глупо с этим спорить. Да, модели были такими, какими они были. И мне они нравились тогда и нравятся сейчас. Я многое отдал бы, чтобы снова получить мой Як-18 от Юного Техника (тогда еще не Кругозора). Журнал "Юный Техник" вообще не упоминался в видео. Речь шла о заводе с таким названием, скорее всего, Вы его просто не помните. Я рад, что Вы смотрите видео Макса, они действительно этого стоят. Это видео о старых добрых временах и о моделях тех времен. Я собираюсь сделать для Макса видео о моделях Огонёк и о Plasticard. Предлагаю Вам принять участие в этом. Моя почта: newokb@yahoo.com Пишите!
Fascinating video. Personally I like the BAADE 152, I have a 1/72 model of one, as well as an old tinplate one which was made in the DDR. I have many of the VEB/Plasticart airliners still unboxed/unbuilt. Their Tu134 is very good considering the kit is so old.
I worked so much to make a living that I missed this. Born in 52 ,still working. Haven't the time to build the models I've been given. Time to start. ? Earth fun before HE returns!
What were they thinking with Aeroflot having a MiG-21? Maybe someone saw a cartoon from a US newspaper that jokingly featured an F-4 Phantom II flying for Pacific Southwest Airlines.
It may sound wild, but Aeroflot actually operated a small fleet of unarmed IL-28 bombers named IL-28P. They were used to deliver express mail and printing plates for daily newspapers all across the USSR.
It's a common Soviet deception tactics, military planes with civilian markings, although not fighters. Ka-50 and An-71 where in development as "civilian", Il-76 carried with them bombsights in cargo at all times, military reconnaissance An-26 (?) were exclusively "Aeroflot".
Takes me back to the old days 40 years ago when you’d see multiple ads in the back of magazines from Soviet modellers desperate to engage in exchanging kits with westerners. I didn’t take the bait because I knew their kits were garbage. Some of the Ogonek kits were interesting though
But you know what, they would have treasured a good quality aircraft kit, and likely spent a lot of time making it as well as they could. And also have a very good impression of a people they've been told were not worth regarding and it would be a very nice goodwill gesture overall. Heck, you could have asked they add some newspapers and other soviet era items to the kit they wanted to trade. I know if I had been into the scene at the time and had the money to spare I would have! Just to have a model kit from the soviet union would have been cool.
Я родился в прекрасной стране СССР,но с людьми не повезло,как и многим творческим людям было сложно пробиваться через людскую ненависть и зависть!на этих моделях мы росли! А художник гений,он талантлив,модели прекрасны !проклятая славянская ментальность погубила все!
An interesting follow up to this would be histories of the Alan, Alanger and Eastern Express companies. While often crude by 21st Century standards, they produced armor kits in the 80-90's of many subjects not available from other manufacturers. Their greatest drawbacks were the oily black mold release agent that often coated their sprues (taking several hard scrubbings to remove) and the very flimsy cardboard used in their packaging.
Poors Kids in the Ancient URSS, I built Scale Models, I believed Frog & Lindberg was the worst. Greetings from Venezuela. Sorry for my terrible English language. Thanks for the vídeo.
The Yak -3 and IL-2 were pretty crude but not much worse than the Hawk F-84. I scratch built a cockpit and landing gear for them. They did not look that bad. The only real issue was the scale. 1/57? What the heck???
Ah, the so called box scale! The reason for the umpteen different, seemingly randomly picked scales for a lot of early model kits is because of using just a couple of standard sized boxes/packagings, many manufacturers had their kits to be of a certain size so they'd fit in the boxes they used, as opposed to making models in certain scales and making the packaging fit them.
Those 1960s and 1970s 'native' models were rather crude. 'Frogs' were much more interesting as in their originals (much less known 'in masses' than native aircrafts) and in the detailing. (Those were also packaged as 'sea fighter' (hellcat) or 'frontline fighter' (spitfire) or 'sea bomber' (whitley) but still retained those enigmatic markings like 'F.433' on their 'stems' (?)). If you lived in a provincial city and hadn't had access to 'club knowledge' then you'd knew what you'd just bought only after opening the box and doing a bit of research. )))) But pretty cheap, yeah. 60 kopecks for Ryan, I think, and like 70-80 (?) for Whitley. East Germans were better manufactured, but expensive (2 to 3 roubles for a passenger plane in 1/100) and you just couldn't get a military planes, only passenger's.
I was an avid fan of FROG models (still am) and was gutted when they ceased trading as FROG in 1976. However, it was a pleasant surprise to find them re-emerging as Soviet produced "Novo" kits for the rest of the 1970s. The Novo era was quite short - it was mainly to generate hard currency so that the Soviet government could pay the liquidator of FROG using "proper" money. Novo kits tended to have softer plastic than their FROG forbears and the decals were next to useless. Once the Novo era ended, pure Soviet boxings started arriving in the UK and they were even worse. I'm currently working on a Soviet era boxing of a FROG Whitley. The plastic is OK but the flash is abysmal. I built a Soviet produced ex-FROG Canberra B(I)8 a while ago and the plastic was impervious to polystyrene cement. God knows what they were using.
That was very interesting. Thanks for this nice vid. Btw. Was expecting the soviet aviation march in some funny remix. But this one sounds just as good. 😉
Hi Max! I have built 3 VEB Plasticart! A MiG 21, a Mi 1, and an Aero L-60, all 1:100. They were... how to say... funny? I think I also still have the small thurdy boxes!
Another great insight into modelling around the globe. You did miss the old F.R.O.G. cars that were made in the U.S.S.R. though. The BMC 1100, the Ford Mk1 Cortina, and the Vauxhall Victor Estate.