Merlin Models Discussion

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KIWI
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by KIWI »

I have a poor picture of the Mitsubishi Ki-8 it appears to be possibly kit no. 102 , the box and its decoration is like that shown for the Rumpler 6B1 . The Vindicator is named as a Merlin kit in a review by Joel Hamm on Modelling Madness.com , as no packaging is shown , not proof positive I realise but it is where I found it . Not sure how I decided the Junkers D1 and Bristol MC1 were Merlin kits save for the fact they both appear to be crude like many Merlin kits of the period , so these may not be Merlin kits . The Rumpler D1 I would also like to see .
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by hampden64 »

Okay, now it is time to go digging in the Merlin stash.Just a note, i have never had the urge to build one.

John
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PaulBradley
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by PaulBradley »

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KIWI
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by KIWI »

Thanks for posting the box tops , I have seen the Vickers FB 5 Gunbus with the same picture printed blue . There is a build article on the Berliner / Joyce XFJ-1 kit by Keith Hudson on the Aircraft Resource Center site .
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by JamesPerrin »

More images from hampden64 (John):

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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Been following this, forgetting I have a few in the stash ....

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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

And, since it's been mentioned, here's a VeeDay;

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mightymikeD
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by mightymikeD »

So many great (and unusual) subjects.. has anyone actually built any of these? Are they all pretty low-quality?
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by MerlinJones »

...And, for such esoteric subjects, there's a lot of overlap between the back catalogues of Merlin, Aeroclub and Pegasus.

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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by KIWI »

There may be some overlap but I would choose an Aeroclub kit first every time , and a later Pegasus as a second choice . All three companies used the same basis equipment for their injection moulding , Aeroclub seemed to have mastered this relatively quickly and their products improved , Pegasus were not quite so quick but over time their products also improved , there seemed to be little attempt at all to improve the products of Veeday / Merlin / Valhalla / Tombo . The problem as far as I can figure out is poor understanding of the equipment and poor quality control , some kits are better than others but I think this has more to do with their masters than production . I understand a variety of people made the masters .
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by KIWI »

7 Feb 2016. Edited against Burns PAK-20; black text is the original list, blue text are changes or notes.

Merlin Kit list .
The first two kits produced by Merlin Models had no numbers marked on their boxes but were :
Halberstadt D.11
Supermarine Swift FR5
No 3 Kawasaki Ki32 Mary
No 4 Albatros W.4
No 5 Supermarine Scimitar ( I believe this was an unauthorised copy of the Frog kit of the Supermarine N113)
No 6 Breguet Br.14 B2
No 7 Boulton Paul P.111A
No 8 L.F.G. Roland D.11
No 9 Gloster Grebe
No 10 North American FJ.1 Fury
No 11 Gloster Meteor F8
No 12 D.H. 5
Numbers 13 and 14 not used
No 15 Grumman XF5F-1 Skyrocket
No 16 Fokker E.V / D.VIII
No 17 de Havilland Vampire T.11
No 18 de Havilland D.H.9A
No 19 Supermarine Spitfire Mk XII
No 20 North American FJ-4B Fury
No 21 Lockheed Orion
No 22 Pfalz Dr.1
No 23 Hawker Woodcock
No 24 Heinkel He280 V3
No 25 Cierva C.30 Rota
No 26 Vickers FB.5 Gunbus
No 27 Junkers J.1
No 28 Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing
No 29 Nieuport 11 Bebe
No 30 Westland Wapiti
No 31 Curtiss JN-4 Jenny
No 32 Gee Bee Racer
No 33 Hansa Brandenburg W 20
Number 34 used twice
No 34 North American O-47
No 34 B.A.C. TSR2
No 35 and 36 double kit . Fokker D.VI & Pfalz D.XII
No 37 Nakajima Kikka
No 38 Bell P.59B Airacomet
No 39 Halberstadt CL.IV
No 40 BE2E
No 41 double kit . Halberstadt D.V. & Albatros D.XI. ( not found ? )
No 42 Arado 66
No 43 Fokker C.I
No 44 FE2B
No 45 double kit . Fokker D.I and D.II
No 46 Piper Enforcer ( A47 ? )
No 47 Curtiss RC3-2
No 48 Roland C.II ( not certain about this one , have yet to see a picture )
No 49 Lockheed Vega
No 50 Fokker D.XVII ( A50 ?)
No 51 Ago C.III ( A51 ?)
No 52 and 53 double kit . Ikarus IK.2 + Arado 76 ( A52/A53 ?)
No 54 Pfalz E.I ( A54 ?)
No 55 Martin Baker M.B.2 ( A55 ?)
No 56 Potez 25 ( A56 ?)
No 57 Fairey III F ( A57 ?)
No 58 Douglas A2D Skyshark ( A58 ?)
No 59 A.E.G. G.IV
No 60 number not used
No 61 Heinkel 162B
No 62 and 63 double kit . Albatros D.IV and Morane A.I
No 64 Breguet 14B2
No 65 Junkers EF126
No 66 Republic XF 91 Thundersceptor
No 67 Fairey Gordon
No 68 Curtiss P.40 Q
No 69 double kit . Aviatik C.I & 30.40
No 70 Heinkel P.1078
No 71 Lockheed 10 Electra
No 72 Fiat CR.40
No 73 Rumpler D.1
No 74 Heinkel 162 D
No 75 D.H. 90 Dragonfly
No 76 Junkers J.2
No 77 Supermarine S.4 Schneider
No 78 Gotha G.IV
No 79 Yokosuka Type 91
No 80 Nieuport 10
No 81 Kawasaki Army Type 92
No 82 Friedrichshafen G.III
No 83 and 84 double kit . Heston Napier Racer and Percival Mew Gull
No 85 Grumman XP-50
No 86 Berliner / Joyce XFJ-1
No 87 Rumpler 6B1
No 88 Focke-Wulf 159
No 89 Aichi EIIAI Laura
No 90 Lockheed Air Express
No 91 D.H. 10
No 92 Yokosuka 90-3
No 93 Messerschmitt 162
No 94 Pfalz D.VIII
No 95 Morane Saulnier 28
No 96 Aichi E10A1 Type 96 Hank
No 97 FE8
No 98 Roland D.XVI
No 99 Mitsubishi Navy Type 10
No 100 Brandenburg G.1
No 101 Kaman HOK-1
No 102 Mitsubishi Ki 8 ( not found ? )

That is it as far as I have been able to find out about the numbered 1/72 injection molded plastic kits . Some of the kits were numbered with an A as a prefix I have seen this on bagged kits mainly but also on at least one boxed kit . (See annotations above.)

The following are the 1/72 injection molded plastic kits produced I believe without kit numbers

Albatros CIII
Boeing 40B
Curtiss Shrike
Curtiss F11C-3
English Electric P.1. (I believe this was another copy of a Frog kit without permission .) ( Might be IM/V/1 and be partly vac-form ? )
Fairey Fulmar
Junkers JU.287
Kawasaki Ki 10 Perry
Lockeed Sirius (spelling mistake on kit lable)
McDonnell FD-I Phantom
Messerschmitt Me.309
Nieuport Ni.27
Nord Griffon II
Rumpler 6B1
Rumpler CIII/4
Sopwith 11/2 Strutter
Thomas Morse S-4C
Vickers Vildebest (spelling mistake on kit lable)
SB2U Vindicator ( not found ? )

Three repilca kits from the pre war Penguin range , made with permission.
Hawker Hart
Hawker Hind
Hawker Osprey

Three white metal 1/72 kits.
Kit No WM 1 Curtiss R3C-2
Kit No WM 2 Curtiss-Wright CW-21
Kit No WM 3 Curtiss F6C-1 Schneider

Nine white metal 1/72 accessories sets:
Set No 1 WW1 (appears to be assortment of engines , seats , guns etc )
Set No 2 WW 1 Seats ( 15 different seats )
Set No 3 WW 11 Seats ( 15 different seats )
Set No 4 Passenger seats ( 15 different civil passenger seats )
Set No 5 Hucks Starter with 5 figures , Hawker gun ring & Lewis gun
Set No 6 WW1 Engines ( 9 dfferent engines )
Set No Six WW2 Aero engines ( 6 different engines )
Set No 7 1920 Rolls Royce armoured car with two pilots & three mechanics
Set No 8 50 assorted WW1 items , bombs , pilots , navigators , seats , guns , camera etc
Set No ? Crossley Tender

Four 1/48 injection molded plastic kits
Kit No Q/1 Albatros D.II
Kit No Q/2 Salmson 2-A2
Kit No Q/3 Roland C2 ( not found ? )
Kit No Q/4 Nieuport 12

Hopefully this is the most complete and correct Merlin Models list to date . I have seen three pictures of completed kits captioned as Merlin kits but as yet no proof that these are actually merlin Models . These are of a Bristol MC1 , Junkers , Junkers D 1 and Miles Master 1 . Please feel free to add or suggest any amendments and or corrections to this list .
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DavidWomby
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by DavidWomby »

I was looking at my Merlin no17 Vampire T11 last night. The box, instructions and decals are all for a T11 but the kit is not a T11 (please, none of the usual jokes about 'nothing Merlin made looked like it should', etc.). If anything it's an NF10 - at least it has a canopy that's meant to be the earlier heavy framed on and it has NF10 fins. Made me wonder if Merlin ever issued it as an NF10.

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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by KIWI »

I do not think the Vampire T11 was ever issued as anything other than a T11 however the new Airfix Vampire T11 comes with both canopies , though neither of the first issue decal options uses the more heavily framed canopy .
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DavidWomby
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by DavidWomby »

KIWI wrote:.....the new Airfix Vampire T11 comes with both canopies .......
Really? I didn't know that. That will make doing an NF10 easier.

David
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lancfan
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Re: Merlin Models Discussion

Post by lancfan »

Maybe Airfix intend to release an NF.10 later, also the earliest T.11s had the framed canopy.

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