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Vintage Model Kit Archive
For the benefit of all the aeromodeling community, I have been
collecting images of vintage airplane, helicopter, and boat kits which have appeared
on
eBay and
WorthPoint. Over time, it has been a very
good source of photos of it boxes and labels, plans, and all the included kit components
- balsa, plywood, hardwood, music wire, canopies, and hardware. Hyperlinks to external
websites is kept to a minimum because pages disappear frequently. Copyrights, if
any, are hereby acknowledged.
People
are paying amazing prices for a piece of model aviation history. This 1968 era Graupner
Weltmeister Cirrus sailplane kit recently sold at auction on eBay for $2,500. You
might think for that price the seller would pick up the shipping cost, but evidently
not. According the the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Inflation Calculator, that $2,500 in 2020 money is the equivalent of $505 in
1968.
The Graupner Weltmeister Cirrus (kit #4229) has a wingspan of 3000 mm (3 meters).
The box states, "True-to-scale R/C soarer for tow launching, slope soaring and conversion
to powered glider. Accommodates multi-channel or proportional R/C equipment with
2 - 6 channels for rudder, elevator and aileron control. Wingspan is 118 1/8" "
The fuselage appears to be constructed of four sections of molded ABS plastic. My
guess is that packet of " A look at the kit contents shows lots of metal parts,
including an aluminum main former for the power pod assembly. Lots of balsa and
hardwood parts are required for the big wing and empennage components. There appears
to be two canopy frames and three canopy covers - not clear why, maybe spares from
other kits?
The following thumbnail images were retrieved from eBay, Worthpoint, and other
websites. Hyperlinks to the originals are provided.
Posted April 11, 2020
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