FROG 325P De Havilland D.H.110 Sea Vixen

Inside Story 17

Terrence Marriot
De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2

Frog originally produced a kit of the DH110 in the late 1950's, a very simplified affair as compared to today's high-tech offerings. It lacked wheel weIIs, had a pilot's head moulded to the top fuselage hulf as its sole cockpit detail and included a couple of lead weights that fitted into slots within the nose to balance it on poorly formed landing gear units. Yet, for all this the outline was surprisingly accurate, and with the resources available to today's modellers this kit could be turned into an absolute musterpiece. It is a much sought after kit today, more so by the modeller rather than collector, no matter what state the model might be in.

Scale Aircraft Modelling Vol16 n°08

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?

Kit numbers were the same as those used in Britain. However, many of the kits can be found with a C-prefix to this (e.g. C.334P). This was also used on other Lines products manufactured in France and stood for Calais. It seems to have been used up to mid-1963 or so and then deleted from future boxes printed. Some kits can therefore be found both with and without the C-prefix. When IMA changed from a suffix-P to a F-prefix in 1964 the French followed suit for a short period. Kits already in production were not changed, however.

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

Tri-ang/Frog (NZ)
Lines Bros. (N.Z.) Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand (to Feb. 1969);
Tri-ang Pedigree (N.Z.) Ltd.. PO Box 14-146, Panmure, Auckland 6, New Zealand (from Feb. 1969)
Period; 1967?-1972?

In February 1969 the company name was changed and subsequent new kit releases had a new style of box with new artwork for some kits. Decals were standard Frog. The Canberra and V-bombers used a common box titled "Bomber Series" which had illustrations of all four aircraft, the contents being indicated by a sticker on the box end. Most Victors had left-over Rovex instruction sheets and decals. The earlier kits in production retained their old boxes.

In 1971 the company was dis-associated with Britain and certain product ranges dropped. This included plastic kits which were soon discontinued.

The ultimate fate of the moulds has not been conclusively established. They are said to have been sold to another NZ toy manufacturer in 1977, but no details are known. Rumour has it that they were bought by Lincoln Industries Ltd. and shipped to Lincoln in Hong Kong, but that they were lost or destroyed while en route. This is unconfirmed, however.

Tri-ang Pedigree did, for all practical purposes, cease to exist in 1978 and all their records have been destroyed.
"New" Style

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