What was your very first model?

I think it's only fair I share my own story, so here goes.

I remember my first model I "built" was of the USS New Jersey. I laugh whenever I think about it.

I don't remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was no more than eight years old at the time. My father bought the kit and some paints, but let me put it together by myself. I think he did this to keep me occupied and away from the plastic kits for the train layout we had.

Putting it together wasn't a problem - aside from the large amounts of glue everywhere. However, what makes me laugh was the paint scheme. I recall I only had a few basic bottles of paint to work with; black, red, blue, yellow, green and a few others. The bottom part of the hull was red, the upper portion was blue (I guess that was supposed to be the half above the waterline). The deck was bright yellow!! At some point I recall a bit of bright orange made it on there somewhere also.

As silly as it may have looked, I do recall being proud of that ship.

My first model was something from star wars, i don't remember what.
I believe it was a skill level 1 At-St walker.

About 2 months ago, I was in the local Hobby Lobby getting a poster frame and saw a Tamiya NSR500 kit. Happened to be the Valentino Rossi version. I had no idea they made kits this cool!

Never had built a model in my life and I proceeded to tear the thing to shreds.I would be ashamed for anyone to see the finished product but I had a good time messing with it.

I don't regret the crappy looking models I've turned out so far. I just regret not getting involved in such a great hobby years ago...

Be Honest, Huh? OK -- let's start with the fact that I am 47 (soon to be 48) so that will explain the following, as some of our younger memebers may not remember things like this.

My first model was a B-59 kit that was entirely made of wood (except for four pieces of wire used to help strengthen the landing gear and hold on the propellers. Many parts needed to be cut out of stock pieces of wood, glued together and sanded into shape, then painted.

I was about 8 years old at the time (around 1962). While I'm sure the kit didn't look very professional when it was done, I remember clearly the fun I had doing it, and for me that's what it's all about.

>>TimK

My very first model was a Me 109 in 1:72 from Airfix in the early 70's. I think,
I was eight years old. Now I'm 37 and still modeling all the time. I'm living in Germany. My favourits are aircraft 1:48, and military 1:35.

My very first model was an Airfix Spitfire, back in the early days of Airfix My First when coming back to the hobby a million years later was a SAS Pink Panther Land Rover.
Mal

1/72 Airfix F4--Dad helped me build it

My first model was Revell's Space Shuttle. It came in the markings for any of the 5 shuttles including the gone Challenger. I built that one when I was around the age of eight. (actually I'm 22)

I remember it only required two colors: a red one for the drop tank and a glossy black for the shuttle and the booster rockets. For the black one, I used a broad marker my dad had in his office; and for the red one, I used one of my mom's red nail enamel...LOL!

It also had a base which I didn't even paint. Soon, the model was literally destroyed by the maid...

Cheers,

Ricardo Rueda

First ever kit: Dragon 1/144 F-14A Tomcat of VF-84 Jolly Rogers. Really messed up with that kit. Given to me by my dad. I thought the decals were stickers and I tried peeling them off from the paper backing. I used superglue to glue the pieces - including the canopy! I removed the parts from the sprue tree by twisting it. It's still here, as a source of spare parts for other 1/144 F-14 kits.

My first model was a Hasewaga F-14 Tomcat in 1/144, I don´t remember the date of building, but sure was a 10 years of age. Not Painting, not putty...my first kit was a excellent...i a very fun builded.

My first model was a 1/48 F4U Corsair. I was 9 and limited on patience so I slapped it together as quickly as I could. Seeing the plane come together was exciting and being so young I rushed the entire plane. After it was built I took it for its first flight off the barn roof. It didn't fly so good. But I sure did have fun!

My first model, the USS New Jersey, didn't last long either. It ended up in the swimming pool. Ships belong in water don't they.

Tough to remember back 50 years but that's when I started building models. My best guess is that the model was a Strombecker Douglas 558. I used to model cars then and give to girl friends.

Whoa, we're talking ancient personal history, aren't we? My first model was a racing car (Lotus or Lola, I can't exactly recall) that was at least partly a snap-together kit made by Aurora. I was only 5 or 6, and had to ask my mother to help. I can still remember whining at the kitchen table with all the pieces, and good ol' mom putting the car together.
No, I no longer ask mom (or the Mrs.) to help me with trying tasks like canopy masking and poor-fitting fuselage halves.

Lets see...
the first kit I can remember was a 1/48 scale Zero, (think it was Monogram). It was a beautiful kit with a natural metal finish with lots of rivets and working landing gear. I was only 8, (this would have been about '66) so my Dad helped me build it. Man, that thing took as much punishment as a die cast toy. The first ship that I built was that sub from "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" , if that counts as a ship. Never really built armor back then but I had a whole army of ROCO Minitanks. Now I split my time between 1/72 scale armor and aircraft.

My first kit was a dragster station wagon type thing. I can't remember who made it or the scale. All I know was I was really little, like 5 or 6. My dad helped me a lot to put it together. We didn't paint it but I got to put the decals on.
I remember putting the whole sheet of STP, Goodyear and Edelbrock stickers in the bowl of water and watching them all come off the sheet. Then sticking them all over. Some here, some there, some on the roof. It was a blast!
Happy Modeling,
Pat

Thank you all for sharing your stories. I think it's safe to say that we had some pretty good memories of our first models (regardless of how long ago it may have been ). Couldn't have been too bad seeing that you're all still active in the hobby.

i rember my first model clearly it was a tamiya 1/35 Hunting Tiger it looked pretty good when it was all togeather but being young and not dairing at all, i was afraid to paint it. It must have sat in my grandfathers baseme for a month before i built up the courage to paint it. My grandfather and father helped me describing what it would have looked like during the war he was the one that inspired me to get into model building my grandfather and I still talk about doing it and he is 84 years old boy does he churn out a good lookin model........as for the paint job well...............lets not get into that.

My first model was a 1/72 gazell helicopter from Heller:

I just turned 30 and I can still vividly remember the first kit I built when I was 7.

It was Monogram's 1/72 snap together F-4 Phantom. Not five minutes home from the toy shop, I was into the box, twisting parts off the sprues. I had the thing slapped together in probably under 10 minutes (a personal modeing construction speed record I've yet to equal or better) ;-)

I "flew it around the house for a couple of weeks, then decide maybe I should paint it (No, I still don't like to talk about that) :-)

After painting, I hung it from my bedrom ceiling. I was bitten by the modeling bug and that Phantom was joined by Revell/Crown's 1/144 B-52 Stratofortress and Revell's old 1/48 F-16 Fighting Falcon in my bedroom's stratosphere. There were also many others that I don't remember so well.

I no longer have any of those old kits, but I've seen that old Phantom kit re-issued a couple of times and, If I had kids who wanted to take a crack at this hobby and that kit was out there somewhere, I'd probably try to get them to cut their modeling teeth on it. It may not be the "best" Phantom kit ever made, but the fun factor is there. :-)

My first "model" was the old Mattel Spinwelder F15 eagle. I was probably 6 or 7, but my grandfather got me something to keep me busy one summer (and off of his award winning Railroad layout)

Bright blue plastic with "welds" all over it, really ugly, but I was so proud of it.:)

A 1/48 scale P6 Curtis Hawk. That was about 1970. I don't remember who the manufacturer was. I just remember the flashy decals and those spadded wheels.

It was 30 years , it was a helicopter , may be an UH-1 , but I can not remember its scale and brand name . ( the colour of plastic was olive drab , may be it was a 1/100 scale Tamiya's kit. )

If my memory serves me right I'm pretty sure it was a Bell X-1 in most probably 1960 or 1961. I was 5 or 6 years old. It was molded in white plastic. I built it in the kitchen on my parents old 50's art deco chome table with red vynal cushions. I painted it with a brush and a small Testors type jar of silver paint. I got silver paint all over the place and held up dinner cleaning up the mess.

Kind of an age giveaway, but I was 8, and it was a Strombecker P-51 Mustang with about 6 parts. My dad, who flew U-control gas engines, gave me a little advice and I slapped it together in about 5 minutes, glue fingerprints and all.

My very first model was a Matchbox 1/72nd scale Alpha Jet. I was 5 years old. My dad built most of it for me. It was simple and straight forward. I basicly played with it until it broke.

Recently while at a model trade show I found the exact Matchbox kit, I had to buy it and basically I have just put it away unbuilt. I don't know if I'lll ever build it.

My first model was a 1/72 Phantom. I was about 7 when i built it. I can't remember what the brand was. I remember painting the whole thing olive drab except for the landing gear which was silver and black for the tires. It broke about 1 week later.

But before that i helped my dad build his models. He passed them onto me and i have them sored in a cuboard at home.

Laters

How long ago has that been? Somewhere around 1948/9 I think. It was an Me109 and I don't remember much about it except it was molded in red plastic. No paint and lots of glue. But I was proud of it at the time.

My first was a Stuka JU-87. I did a horrible job with it... glue marks everywhere, botched canopy, sloppy decal placement.. I was upset after watching my dad put together (to me) museum quality motorized tug boats and shrimp boats with virtually no effort. Why couldn't I do that?

I tried to make up for quality by quantity, and by the time I hit high school I had a dozen German planes hanging from my ceiling... they were harder to see up there. Good thing as I had no knack for the hobby, but they looked cool hanging around.

30 years later and I'm trying again. With a vengence. I have great tools, much better kits, lots of "how-to" books and a lot of patience. I'm slowly developing good technique, and am producing some nice kits. Eventually, I hope to have results I'll be proud to show off, instead of hanging from a high ceiling.

Edgar in Sardinia