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Bristol Britannia. The Whispering Giant

FROG 1957

FROG 350P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, International Model Aircraft, 1957


Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957

Over the counter

"First " giant " plastic solid to be made in this country is the Frog Britannia. Following it quite shortly —probably in early February—will be another B.O.A.C, " giant " also to 1/96 srale. This is the Douglas D.C.7 Seven Seas, another collectors' item."

Model Aircraft, february 1957 года"


Over the counter

"International Model Aircraft are by no means sitting back and letting the grass grow under their feet, having launched their range of polystyrene plastic models. The Britannia and D.C.7 have been held up at the tooling stage in getting things just right, but there are lots of other prototypes queueing up to follow on the production line.

Model Aircraft, апрель 1957 года"

Bristol 175 Britannia Srs.100 Scale 1/96

350P1957-1964C1} (25000)BOAC
F3501964-1967C1 BOAC
W331968-1970J315000 1xRAF

Two alternative fin colour schemes were covered by the decals for the BOAC aircraft. The design of the kit was purposely kept simple since large quantities were on order to BOAC to be used as display models.

FROG model aircraft 1932-1976, R. Lines, L. Hellstrom

Trade notes

"Under course of construction we also have Messrs. Frog's two super plastic assembly kits, the "Britannia" and the DC-7C both of which retail at 17s. 6d. These really are luxury kits with full sets of transfers, fully illustrated instructions, plastic cement and paint and precision moulding of the highest quality.

Latest of the Frog plastic models to reach the market are the Fairey Gannet and English Electric P.1A, price 8s. 6d. und 6s. 9d. respectively. Both are right in the top class of plastic moulding, only criticism being the scale pilot size, especially on the Gannet."

AeroModeller, October 1957


International Model Aircraft are by no means sitting back and letting the grass grow under their feet, having launched their range of polystyrene plastic models. The Britannia and D.C.7 have been held up at the tooling stage in getting things just right, but there are lots of other prototypes queueing up to follow on the production line.

Model aircraft, april 1957


Plastikiticism

"- Airliners without transparent cabin windows are inexcusable... Frog spoil the otherwise excellent Britannia and DC.7c this way...-W. R. Matthews"

"- This method was adopted because of the great difficulty in achieving satisfactory results by any other way, bearing in mind that these models were also factory-built in large numbers for B.O.A.C., and the only practical method of applying the transfers is after the fuselage halves are assembled and painted.—FROG."


A critical comment by reader W. R. Matthews, with kit manufacturers' observations
Aero Modeller May, 1960

Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Декали FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Инструкция FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957 Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, IMA, 1957

FROG F350 The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner, International Model Aircraft, 1964


 Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner  Коробка FROG 350.P The B∙O∙A∙C Bristol Britannia Jet-prop Liner
FROG 1957

Tri-ang FROG 350P Bristol Britannia, Meccano Tri-ang S.A., 1965


Коробка Tri-ang 350P Bristol Britannia французского филиала Схема окраски с коробки Tri-ang 350P Bristol Britannia французского филиала
Unbranded Rovex 1965 Hawker Hunter

Unbranded W33 Britannia Whispering Giant Transport, 68-70, Rovex Ltd, 1968


Unbranded bagged W33 Britannia C.Mk.1 mod.253, Header card
Unbranded bagged W33 Britannia C.Mk.1 mod.253, Header card Unbranded bagged W33 Britannia C.Mk.1 mod.253, Header card Unbranded bagged W33 Britannia C.Mk.1 mod.253, Header card

BRITANNIA REVIVED

THE 1:96 scale kit of the Bristol Britannia put out by Frog about ten years ago has recently come to light again in new markings in an 'unbranded' package. This time it has Royal Air Force Transport Command insignia for aircraft XL637 of No 99 Squadron.

In its day, this kit was by any standards one of the best on the market. Its detailing was superbly clean and, although there were minor inaccuracies it made up into an excellent model along with a Comet 4, Caravelle, Vulcan and Victor in the same range. Unfortunately the model depicted in the kit is not the same as that used by Transport Command. This version has a longer fuselage which becomes evident when looking at the transfer sheet with the revised model as the number of fuselage windows is wrong.

It is a pity that the manufacturers have not taken into consideration these simple points. Basically the kit is a very good one and at 10s 9d is good value, but discerning modellers will not be able to use the good transfers supplied and will need to find a finish applicable to a short fuselage Britannia. Our sample came from Ernest Berwick Ltd, 11a Newland Street, Kettering.
Alan W.Hall

Airfix Magazine april 1969


W331968-1970J315000 1xRAF

The kit is quite incorrect for an RAF aircraft, since they used Srs.200 aircraft only, these being 4.12 metres (13'6") longer than Srs.100.

FROG model aircraft 1932-1976, R. Lines, L. Hellstrom

Ярославский химический завод « Луч »

Yaroslavl's Chemical Plant "Lootch" (Beam), 1980-90


Yaroslavl's scale model kit «Tansport aircraft» (F350 Bristol Britannia in fact), 1983 Yaroslavl's scale model kit «Tansport aircraft» (F350 Bristol Britannia in fact), 1985 Yaroslavl's scale model kit «Tansport aircraft» (F350 Bristol Britannia in fact), 1986 Yaroslavl's scale model kit «Tansport aircraft» (F350 Bristol Britannia in fact), 1990

In the USSR, the fate of the Whispering Giant proved to be quite unenviable. The moulds were transferred to the Luch factory in Yaroslavl. No boxes, decals or manuals were ordered for this model by NOVO Toys Ltd, catalog number was not assigned and the kit was never delivered to the UK. Apparently, it was waiting for better times, but those times never came for this British passenger airplane model. From the early 1980s the model was made only for the Soviet market, and was packed in unusually ugly boxes of loose thick light brown recycled cardboard in the post-war style. A label was glued to the top of the whole box lid. The drawing on the box was of some kind of four-engine plane (sometimes even shown with red stars). The kit got a meaningless name: "Transport aircraft scale kit". All this, together with a rather high price of 2 roubles, made the Bristol Britannia the most unpopular of the ex-FROG models on the domestic Soviet market. Worse, even with the flourishing of private activity in the early 90's none of the decal makers were able to produce a decal for this model and the kit disappeared from the shelves of model shops for many years.

For some time the model was sold at a considerably higher price of 2 roubles 40 kopecks. The Yaroslavl Chemical Plant managed to negotiate the right to label this model with the USSR quality mark, which automatically increased the price of the product. The appearance of the USSR quality sign on the label had no effect on the quality of the model itself. Scratched nacelles, sinks and flashes in places remained exactly as on the model for 2 rubles. The model was selling with the same ugly boxes and the same instructions with weird drawings. On the one hand, Luch was able to increase the profit for a model with a high production cost, but on the other hand, the increased price tag probably made the airliner's kit even less popular with customers. In the end, the quality label was withdrawn after all and the price was reduced again.

Инструкция Ярославский химический завод ''Луч'' Bristol Britannia Инструкция по сборке Ярославский химический завод ''Луч'' Bristol Britannia

Восточный Экспресс

96001 лайнер Бристоль 175 «Британия» Airliner Bristol 175 Britannia Cubana de Aviacion, Eastern Express, 2012-


 Удлинение фюзеляжа Britannia Mk.102 до модели Mk.253

It's a blessing in disguise. The unpopularity of the kit has saved the tooling to this day in excellent condition. The kit is now sold under the Eastern express brand. Considering the size of the model, it has comparatively low price. Eastern express offers the model in two variants of design - 96002 Command Post ‘Britannia’ R.A.F. Command Post Bristol ‘Britannia’ and 96001 Airliner Bristol 175 ‘Britannia’ in Cubana de Aviacion livery. Unfortunately to both variants everything said about FROG's model W33 applies, but the low price and availability of the kit makes it easy to modify the fuselage and decals by assembling the correct variant from two kits and placing the windows from both decals in the right places on the fuselage. Fuselage cuts and inserts locations are shown in the diagram for clarity.

Коробка Eastern express 96001 лайнер Бристоль 175 «Британия» Airliner Bristol 175 Britannia в варианте оформления Cubana de Aviacion Декаль Eastern express 96001 лайнер Бристоль 175 «Британия» Airliner Bristol 175 Britannia в варианте оформления Cubana de Aviacion

Despite the kit's not bad condition, it still hasn't escaped the typical problems that plagued former FROG models in the USSR, even compared to the mouldings for NOVO Toys Ltd. After the restorations, the upper part of the fuselage above the cockpit got sinks and flashes, the cockpit transparencies has lost thin frames and looks rough and toy-like.

  • 02.09.2017

  • Bristol Britannia, Sebel, 1959


    Model Talks
    BASIC BRITANNIA:

    I understand that the solid scale plastic model is a new departure for Sebel Products. One of their first efforts a 1/144th scale Britannia has reached me and has been examined with interest. Respectfully I offer some advice to the Sebel company. For the price of 8s. 9d. which he has to pay, the modeller expects transparent plastic windows at least for the flight deck. He also expects the forward ends of the engine nacelles to be moulded to the correct angle and not to terminate in an ugly step which needs considerable filing to remove. Among the minor improvements he would also like to see are propellers with the correct " twist " and shape and not four flat slithers of plastic stuck on to a cone.

    In these respects the Sebel Britannia is disappointing. Nevertheless, the industrious modeller should be able to make a realistic job out of what is basically a good kit. Full marks go to the makers for supplying the weights necessary for keeping the tail off the ground.

    RAF Flying Review September 1959 Vol XV, No.1


    Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Limited, 1957


    Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958
    Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958 Коробка Lincoln 106 Bristol Britannia, Lincoln International Ltd, 1958
    Over the counter

    Additions to the Lincoln range, coming along shortly, are the Bristol Britannia (ready some time March), Handley Page Victor, Vickers Valiant and Boeing 707—same price again.

    Starting in May, Guiterman's will also be getting in the first of the Lincoln-Hawk plastics (the American Hawk designs manufactured in Hong Kong by Lincoln).

    LINCOLN PLASTIC KITS

    THE Lincoln series of plastics are Empire made—actually produced in Hong Kong where labour and tooling costs are very much lower than in this country or America. Thus these kits can be manufactured and imported at a highly competitive price. British distributors are Guiterman and Co., of Soho Square, London, W.I.

    The first model to appear in this series was the Lockheed Starfire, 8½ in. span and fully detailed in the American manner. The original price was 3s. 11d., subsequently increased to 4s. 11d., re-boxed and including a plastic stand, this price being maintained for the four additional models in the range. These others are the Canberra (8 in. span) and three airliners—the D.C.7 (9¼ in. span); the Constellation (10½ in. span); and the Vickers Viscount (9¼ in. span).

    All these models are extremely easy to build. The Starfire is probably the easiest, and makes a most impressive first model. The airliners have a sparsity of detail, but this is in keeping with their reduced scale, and they still look most attractive when finished.

    The detail lines are somewhat coarser than some of the contemporary plastic models, and the fits perhaps a little less accurate in one or two places. On the Viscount, for instance, one side of the tailplane has an exaggerated dihedral angle, but this can be taken up. But for the price, they represent extremely good value. All the airliners have nicely moulded airscrews, mounted on pins in the engine cowlings (trim off the ends of the pins before fitting the cowlings in place). The decals are printed on cellophane and must be cut out and stuck on with a rubber solution, which is perhaps a little more tedious than transfers. But again, the results are generally good, with care.

    These models will undoubtedly have most appeal to the younger enthusiast and their price makes it possible for him to build up a collection, rather than having to invest his " capital" in a limited number of more elaborate kits. For the youngster, too, the smaller number of parts in the kit will be a further advantage.

    Model aircraft, april 1957 года, No.190, Vol.16