Contrail

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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Contrail

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

KIWI wrote:Packaging .
In an attempt to add a order to the list , a bit about how the kits were presented .
The first kits were bagged with strong coloured headercards with white lables stuck on . Pink , orange blue green and black were colours used , and the kits mentioned so far appeared like this . Next ( 1975 ) I think for a short time a white not so sturdy box with a hand drawn , printed lable . The Horsa , Welkin and Ju 290 might have been boxed like this , some of these also included plans which appear to be from Aircraft of the Fighting Powers . Then I think a return was made to bagged with header cards , this time with paler colours and a printed lable , some with a picture . A sturdy brown corrigated cardboard box with a printed lable with an outline drawing I think came next , followed by bagged with a blue headercard and outline drawing . Basicly I think that is how it went .
May I propose, for simplicity sake, that we define packaging in Type # from the above:
Type 1: Bagged with strong coloured header cards with white labels stuck on. Pink, orange, blue, green, and black colours were used.
Type 2: White not so sturdy box with a hand drawn, printed label.
Type 3: Bagged with header cards, this time with paler colours and a printed label, some with a picture.
Type 4: Sturdy brown corrugated cardboard box with a printed label with an outline drawing.
Type 5: Bagged with a blue header card and outline drawing.

I have a several in a whitish, but strong, box. 24th SE5a, 48th Vildebeest, 72nd Hyderabad, Bombay, Lerwick. Unsure if this is a variation on the above or a new type; it definitely isn't a "Type 2" or "Type 4", rather a mix/combo of the two.
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KIWI
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Re: Contrail

Post by KIWI »

jRatz wrote:
KIWI wrote:Packaging .
In an attempt to add a order to the list , a bit about how the kits were presented .
The first kits were bagged with strong coloured headercards with white lables stuck on . Pink , orange blue green and black were colours used , and the kits mentioned so far appeared like this . Next ( 1975 ) I think for a short time a white not so sturdy box with a hand drawn , printed lable . The Horsa , Welkin and Ju 290 might have been boxed like this , some of these also included plans which appear to be from Aircraft of the Fighting Powers . Then I think a return was made to bagged with header cards , this time with paler colours and a printed lable , some with a picture . A sturdy brown corrigated cardboard box with a printed lable with an outline drawing I think came next , followed by bagged with a blue headercard and outline drawing . Basicly I think that is how it went .
May I propose, for simplicity sake, that we define packaging in Type # from the above:
Type 1: Bagged with strong coloured header cards with white labels stuck on. Pink, orange, blue, green, and black colours were used.
Type 2: White not so sturdy box with a hand drawn, printed label.
Type 3: Bagged with header cards, this time with paler colours and a printed label, some with a picture.
Type 4: Sturdy brown corrugated cardboard box with a printed label with an outline drawing.
Type 5: Bagged with a blue header card and outline drawing.

I have a several in a whitish, but strong, box. 24th SE5a, 48th Vildebeest, 72nd Hyderabad, Bombay, Lerwick. Unsure if this is a variation on the above or a new type; it definitely isn't a "Type 2" or "Type 4", rather a mix/combo of the two.
I would suggest that those kits are in a "Type 4a", they are relatively late in production and are definitely not "Type 2" which was an early part of the production . There are oddities for example I have opened a "Type 3"and found a "Type2" lable included in with the instructions.
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PaulBradley
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Re: Contrail

Post by PaulBradley »

This hobby sometimes reminds me of archaeology....!
Paul

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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Contrail

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

OK, I'll buy Type 4a.

If you want oddities, my collection has a number of (kitchen-) bagged kits with any number of combinations .... :grin:
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Contrail

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

With the discussion above, I have amended our packaging scheme to be:

Type 1: Bagged with strong coloured header cards with white labels stuck on. Pink, orange, blue, green, and black colours were used.
Type 2: White not so sturdy box with a hand drawn, printed label.
Type 3: Bagged with header cards, this time with paler colours and a printed label, some with a picture.
Type 4: Sturdy brown corrugated cardboard box with a printed label with an outline drawing.
Type 4a: Like Type 4, but with an off-white box.
Type 5: Bagged with a blue header card and outline drawing.
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KIWI
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Re: Contrail

Post by KIWI »

I have seen two kits in a wider plastic bag with two header cards stapled across the top , possibly this is how they were sold . Type 1
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Contrail

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Based on discussion in the box art topic, I have amended our packaging scheme to be:

Type 1: Bagged with strong coloured header cards with white labels stuck on. Pink, orange, blue, green, and black colours were used.
Type 2: Thin, not so sturdy white box with a hand drawn printed label.
Type 3: Bagged with header cards, this time with paler colours and a printed label, some with a picture.
Type 4: Sturdy brown corrugated cardboard box with a printed label with an outline drawing.
Type 4a: Like Type 4, but with an off-white box.
Type 4b: Like Type 4, but with a less sturdy white box.
Type 5: Bagged with a blue header card and outline drawing.
John Ratzenberger :???:
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gordon stevens
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Re: Contrail

Post by gordon stevens »

A small point in your search for accurate history regarding the start date of
Sutcliffe Productions. You will find the very first advert in the Classified Ads
at the back of Airfix Magazine August 1971. This is for a 'Heavy Conversion
Unit' to convert a Lancaster into a Manchester, a Halifax and Stirling into
transports and included parts for a Hereford and Beaufighter MkII. All were
presumably moulded onto a vacuum-formed sheet.

So John Burns is incorrect in saying that Gordon Sutcliffe was operational
in 1970. He came along two years after I sold my first RAREplanes to the
IPMS London members in August 1969. And was one of my earliest mail-
order customers.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Contrail

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Thank you for that, Mr Stevens.
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