HMS Torquay Anti-Submarine Frigate

HMS Torquay
Scale 1/500

Also see "The Sea Wolves!" set (1965).

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

Tri-ang/Frog (France)
Lines Freres S.A., Route de Dunkerque, Calais, France (to mid-1964);
Meccano - Tri-ang Lines Freres S.A., 70-88 Avenue Henri Barbusse. 93 Bobigny. France (from mid-1964)
Period: 1962?-1972?

Early in 1964 Lines Bros, bought the Meccano group and - almost as a bonus - also got control of their French branch. Meccano was already a well-established name in France - much more so than Tri-ang - and the two companies were therefore quickly integrated, the Meccano name being worked into the Tri-ang brand name on most products. The existing Meccano manager became the new managing director for France. He had no objection to the name Frog - indeed, he thought it a good joke! - and their kit range was thus renamed Frog/Tri-ang.

A new box style and new artwork was adapted for new releases. For reasons unknown, these also reverted to the old suffix-P. Kits already in production were not changed, apart from getting a sticker indicating the colour series when appropriate (red for the Attacker etc.). There is no known example of an old kit being given a new box. The fact that the Britannia was released in this style is admittedly confusing, but probably only indicates that it was never issued in the early style for some reason.

By 1966, kit production was becoming uneconomical and was consequently terminated before long. This was partly caused by poor sales and partly due to problems in planning the mould swapping programmes. In early 1967 some 50000 standard Frog boxes were sent over from Britain and most remaining Tri-ang stocks reboxed - in some cases this was done by simply putting a new box over the existing one. But for certain kits, such as the ships, airliners and small-scale WWII bombers, no new boxes were available and old stocks of these were still sold as Tri-ang in the early 1970s.
"Old" Style

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

UPC
Universal Powermaster Corporation, New York 10, NY. USA
Period: 1967-1970?

Compared to most other kit companies, UPC is something of an oddity. They had a very large number of kits in their range - more than 150 at one time or another - but they never made any moulds of their own. Instead they repacked kits from countless other manufacturers and sold these under the UPC label. The company was apparently more or less a "one-man show" under the management of Mike Tager.

The first Frog kits bought were the ten ship kits, in quantities of 15-25,000 pieces each. The R.100, Gannet, Barracuda, Beaufort and Lancaster followed in 1968 with the rest of the aircraft in 1969. Quantities varied between 10,000 and 20,000. The 5,000 Jaguar kits were scheduled for 1968 but eventually delayed until the following year. Most kits had new artwork but used stock decals supplied by Rovcx. Instruction sheets were standard Frog, except for a change of logotype.

The R.100 came without the cardboard base of the Frog issue. A UPC R.100 with kit number 6040 has been reported elsewhere, but this is probably just a misprint.

For four of the aircraft kits the situation is a bit unclear. UPC ordered 10,000 pieces each of these, and apparently at least some were produced by Rovex of all except possibly the Mosquito, but their issue by UPC is still not confirmed. Were they in fact issued, they probably got kit numbers in the 51 xx range.

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

OVER THE COUNTER

Competitions to stimulate sales are so commonplace nowadays as to be almost mandatory in some trades, one might imagine, to produce any sales at all. However, when one can have the chance of three days with the Royal Navy simply for assembling and painting plastics which one would have built anyway—it becomes well worth " having a go." International Model Aircraft Ltd. announce an out-of-the-rut approach in their " Frog Navy Competition." This is in conjunction with their kits for the Hawker Sea Fury,Westland Wessex aircraft and H.M.S. Exeter, Torquay, Undine and Revenge ship models. Competitiors are required to purchase either the new " Sea Wolves " pack (which contains four Frog kits, with paint, brushes and cement) or any four of the above-mentioned individual kits. This does require, of course, an interest in marine models as well as naval aircraft—but there are doubtless many to whom this will apply. The 36 lucky prizewinners will spend their three days with the Navy visiting a R.N. submarine and a R.N. air station, after which they will actually put to sea in a Warship. . . . Your local model shop has entry forms.

Model Aircraft MAY, 1965

WIN THREE DAYS WITH THE ROYAL NAVY
FROG competition with over 500 prizes

Visit a real submarine
Inspect a naval air station—planes and all
Put to sea in a warship
and lots of other exciting things

All this for 36 lucky 1st prize winners and there are 500 smashing 2nd prizes of Frog Ship Kits

Here is your chance—the chance of a lifetime... and this is all you have to do.

First, get your entry form from your local toyshop. Now all you have to do is write about what you consider to be the role of any one of the following in to-day's Royal Navy: Helicopter, Strike Fighter, Anti-Submarine Frigate, Cruiser. Collect four box tops from the list of kits on the entry form, to send in with your entry. Complete details are on the form. Winners will be taken from boys in two age groups: 11-13 and 14-18.

Don't delay! Somebody's going to win, so it might as well be you. Besides, it's easy! This is too good to miss, so get cracking!

Model Aircraft Апрель, 1965

HMS Torquay
Scale 1/500

Also see "The Sea Wolves!" set (1965).

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

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