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Question about the origins of the Lindberg 1/72 Betty

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  • Member since
    March 2005
Question about the origins of the Lindberg 1/72 Betty
Posted by philo426 on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 9:38 AM

Just picked up a Lindberg 1/72 Betty bomber and it looks like an old Aurora or Revell release from the sixties.Literally no interior detail,no instrument panel,joysticks radio s nothing,just 3 seated crew figures.Also features over size rivets that I had to sand down.True I only paid five bucks but wow worse than an old Airfix kit!On the positive side,it does seem to have the correct general shape.Does seem kind of small so I have to locate the formula to calculate scale to see what's what.I plan on painting it in the surrender scheme of white with green crosses. Any info on this kit?

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: ON, Canada
Posted by jgeratic on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 11:42 AM

Lindberg is an old time brand too, and according to Scalemates had a Betty released back in the 60's and has been reboxed a few times.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/968888-lindberg-576-mitsubishi-g4m2-betty-japanese-bomber

regards,

Jack

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 8:49 AM

jgeratic

Lindberg is an old time brand too, and according to Scalemates had a Betty released back in the 60's and has been reboxed a few times.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/968888-lindberg-576-mitsubishi-g4m2-betty-japanese-bomber

regards,

Jack

 

Either the first or second plastic kit I ever built (I had built some balsa ones) was a GeeBee racing plane by Lindberg.  That was in about 1950.  I have one in my stash now, to build as a good memories project.  The other kit- I don't remember which was first, which was second, was a P-80.

 

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 9:49 AM

Yes that is correct, I am putting it together and everything seems to fit pretty well but putty will be necessary on the fuselage joint.No major deal.

  • Member since
    March 2003
Posted by rangerj on Friday, September 22, 2017 4:31 PM

Lindberg is one of the early plastic kit manufacturers and the Betty is an old kit. As advancements in aircraft were made Lindberg made models. So the early Lindberg models of the F-104, F-8 Crusader, F-11-F 1, F-100, F-7 Cutlass, and AD4 Skyhawk (Aircraft/Douglas) were models of the prototype aircraft, i.e. the test-bed aircraft. Revell and Monogram survive today, as does Lindberg, but Aurora, Hawk, Stromberg,  Comet, Williams Brothers, and several other small manufacturers have gone out of business and their molds have been sold. A lot of Aurora mold were destroyed before they went out of business. Lindberg has some very nice old kits such as the JN4 Jenny, the Locheed Vega, and several old car models.Also of note is that Lindberg models generally scale out very well.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Friday, September 22, 2017 6:25 PM

That's an interesting find, Philo esp. for $ 5.

Lindberg tends to be either love/ hate. I'm in the latter camp but do have respect for the brand. They were inexpensive which was nice. Some of their better old kits have been reissued by Round2 models.

Their Hood and Bismarck were really horrible, but they made a bunch of pretty nice small civilian watercraft in car model scale.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Friday, September 22, 2017 7:57 PM

rangerj

Lindberg is one of the early plastic kit manufacturers and the Betty is an old kit. As advancements in aircraft were made Lindberg made models. So the early Lindberg models of the F-104, F-8 Crusader, F-11-F 1, F-100, F-7 Cutlass, and AD4 Skyhawk (Aircraft/Douglas) were models of the prototype aircraft, i.e. the test-bed aircraft. Revell and Monogram survive today, as does Lindberg, but Aurora, Hawk, Stromberg,  Comet, Williams Brothers, and several other small manufacturers have gone out of business and their molds have been sold. A lot of Aurora mold were destroyed before they went out of business. Lindberg has some very nice old kits such as the JN4 Jenny, the Locheed Vega, and several old car models.Also of note is that Lindberg models generally scale out very well.

 

Williams Brothers is alive and producing.  They have survived Harvey and are back in production.  Lindberg is under Round2 along with AMT.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

Minicraft 1/72 B-24D as LB-30, AL-613, "Tough Boy", 28th Composite Group

  • Member since
    March 2003
Posted by rangerj on Friday, September 22, 2017 10:02 PM

The original Williams Brothers company was sold by the heirs (family) of the Williams brothers. The sale/purchase included the brand name, the molds, and other assets. It is great that the buyers have continued the production of the kits. They made some unique kits.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, September 23, 2017 1:00 AM

The only plastic C-46.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Saturday, September 23, 2017 9:58 AM

GMorrison

The only plastic C-46.

 

And the only current kits for large scale aircraft engine kits!

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Saturday, September 23, 2017 4:19 PM

I have a William's Brothers P-35. It looks like a fun, yet challenging kit. I'm looking forward to the time when I have a proper bench setup so I can enjoy building it. 

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, September 24, 2017 12:16 AM

They are very old kits. I picked up a pair of combo sets. One with the betty and two Hellcats. The other was an He-111 and a pair of thunderbolts. Very cheap, like $5 a set, kits weren't up to Matchbox quality.

  • Member since
    December 2009
  • From: West Chester,Ohio
Posted by roger_wilco on Sunday, September 24, 2017 3:10 AM

My first kit was a Lindberg Models DH Comet Jetliner 50 years ago when I was five. Though simple by today's standards, I still enjoy building them. Their 1/72 World War Two German aircraft series was on par with Revell's series of 1/72 at the time (early / mid-1960's.) I'm grateful that Round 2 is still issuing them to this day.

"Build what YOU want, the way YOU want, and above all have fun!" - RIP Modeler Al. 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, September 25, 2017 11:17 AM

Couple of years ago I picked up a Revell 1/72nd Nakajima G8N Renzan 'Rita' that seemed about the same. Simple interior detail, loads of rivets, but generally looked like photos of the real deal. I think the box was labeled 1972 or thereabouts. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 9:34 AM

Yes it is a simple kit  the hardst part being the masking of the canpy sections.Still it is a quick fun project.As for Williams,I made the Red Lion air racer and it is a very nice kit with good decals,look firward to building the C-46 in the future,perhaos using Alclad to represent a polished aluminum finish.

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Monday, October 2, 2017 10:26 PM

https://postimg.org/gallery/16erg8w3k/

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 2:00 PM

Yes it us not state of the art but still can look good if finished properly.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 4:11 PM

It's actually a pretty good model. It looks like the real thing, more so than the various 1/72 DC-3 models out there do.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Thursday, October 5, 2017 11:29 AM

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, October 5, 2017 11:38 AM

Wow, nice job on her Philo! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Thursday, October 5, 2017 11:46 AM

Thanks! I did not have the decals so I painted it green first taped off the crosses and gave it a couple of coats of Tamiya flat white.

  • Member since
    March 2003
Posted by rangerj on Friday, October 6, 2017 6:49 PM

Very nice job on an old kit. IIRC the white with green crosses was the "surrender" paint sceme.

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Friday, October 6, 2017 9:21 PM

Yes sir!I decided to go with the surrender scheme.

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