De Havilland Comet 4C|FROG 356P The BOAC Comet 4C|FROG F356 Comet 4C|NOVO F356 Comet 4C|FROG model kit|Сборная модель НОВО

The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner

FROG 1957

FROG 356P The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner, Model Aircraft International, 1958-62


Коробка FROG 356P The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner
Декаль FROG 356P The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner
356P1958-1964C2} (25000)BOAC
F3561964-1966C2BOAC

Scale 1/96

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



Triang 1963 logo

Tri-ang 356P D.H.106 Comet 4, Lines Freres S.A., France (to mid-1964)


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?

"Old" Style
356P D.H.106 Comet 4

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


Unknown brand in poly bag D.H.106 Comet IV, 1964


Unknown no. 1
Period: 1964

The 1964 production records contain a reference to a "356 Special In Poly Bag" produced in 800 pieces. This does in al probability refer to some special batch supplied to a customer who wanted to use the kits for promotional purposes. The logical choice would be an airline, but which one? At the time, a number of airlines were in the process of acquiring Comets and perhaps one of these wanted some kits as give-aways. If so, they may perhaps have included new decals.

Another theory is that the entry was a misprint for 351 instead of 356. If so, it might refer to the Martinair issue of the DC-7 (which see).

D.H.106 Comet IV

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


FROG 1957

FROG F356 The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner, Model Aircraft International, 1964-66


Коробка FROG F356 The BOAC Comet 4C Jet Airliner
FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing
Unbranded Rovex 1965 Hawker Hunter

W30 Comet 4 jet transport or trooper, 1968-70


Лепесток W30 Comet 4 jet transport or trooper
W30 1968-1970J3150001xRAF

Scale 1/96

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



NOVO F356 Comet 4C Jet Airliner, Cat.No.76096, NOVO Toys Ltd, 1977-1980


Коробка NOVO F356 Comet 4C The BOAC Jet Airliner Cat.No.76096
FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing
76096 D.H.106 Comet 4 (BOAC) 160000

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



The NOVO kit Cat.No.76096 Comet 4C Jet Airliner was included in the first catalogue of the newly established company. After the tooling was handed over to the USSR, its mould was sent to the Tashigushka Trust factory in Tashkent along with other 1/96 airliner models and its ruthless exploitation was started. This was the price of the deal with the British side.

In order not to waste the country's precious currency, Nikolai Semenovich Patolichev, Minister of Foreign Trade of the USSR gave preference to compensation deals in contracts with Western countries, under which the USSR paid for the provided technology and equipment with manufactured products. A similar deal was struck with the company whose property was the FROG moulds.

There is no doubt that this was a win-win deal. But the harsh conditions and the low prices for incoming kits from the USSR required ruthless exploitation of the tooling provided. In just two years of existence, 160,000 Comet 4C kits were donated to NOVO Toys Ltd (compared to 40,000 produced in Britain in fifteen years!!!).

Ташигрушка

Ташкентская Комета 1/96


FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet backing

By 1980, when was decided to terminate NOVO Toys Ltd, the tooling of the kit was probably thoroughly worn out. The quality of the mouldings of the cheaper polystyrene for the Russian domestic market had declined dramatically. Nevertheless, the kit continued to be sold in the USSR, although each year the kit's parts looked worse and worse.

Probably by the mid-80s the kit was already off the market, and by the 90s it had become an expensive rarity. Now the prices of the Tashkent kits without any decals and boxes on "Avito" or "MeshOK" auctions can exceed the average UK price on an eBay auction for an original NOVO kit by several times. FROG 322P Westland S55 Whirlwind, IMA, 1956 waterslide transfers, decal sheet

  • 16.05.2018