Airfix Polythene R-T-R Vehicles from the 1960s/70s

[eyebrook1961]

Hi, I don't know if anyone else has a stash of these squirrelled away somewhere, but I've been acquiring these HO-OO scale vehicles (I believe dating from late 60s to late 70s) to add to the ones that I'd still got from when I was a child. I'm aware that there were models produced in grey / green plastic, and some were produced in both (the Landing Craft for example), but what I'm trying to find is a database / list / webpage where the variations are all listed

I've tried looking at various wiki and airfix history pages, and although you can find pages to cover the various boxed soldier/figure sets (along with photographs of the contents of each box), I have yet to come across a similar thing for these polythene vehicles.

If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd be very grateful. TIA

 

[E27007]

There is a book, title: Let's Stick Together by Stephen Knight, the history of Rosebud / Kitmaster / Airfix.
I do not have a copy, perhaps the book may help you, does anyone on the forum have a copy to check details of the RTR products?

 

[eyebrook1961]

I've gone down a rabbit hole with these, and have picked up several models via ebay but, from buying these I am now aware that there were variations in the colour plastics use (as in some being done in both grey and green) but I'm trying to get information on a comprehensive list of what models there were and what colours they were in. It's not like there was an enormous number of different models (i'm only interested in the 1/76th / 1/72nd items as opposed to the 1/32nd) so I can't imagine the list would be very long

 

[DerekC]

Posting a picture of one might prompt memories.

 

[barringtoncem]

I don't know if it is still available anywhere not having looked but there was a hardback called 50 years of Airfix by Arthur Ward which may have some pictures in

 

[Whisky Papa]

I had a few of these in the early 1970s, although I doubt I had anything unusual. They were to complement various sets of WWII period Airfix soldiers, and Christmas presents such as the pontoon bridge and gun emplacement sets.

I had the landing craft, a couple of the gun tractors and field guns and a six-wheel US Army open truck with a 'canvas' hood over the load deck - was this moulded on or detachable?

I also had a Centurion tank, which of course was 'out of period' but I can't remeber with certainty if there was another tank, possibly a Sherman, and maybe an armoured car? I also recall a tank transporter, but that may well have belonged to one of my friends, we did combine resources occasionally.

All these were the same shade of quite dark green, I don't remember grey being an option, although the German troops were a dark grey.

I'm not sure at what point they were disposed of, probably by my parents but maybe they did make it to my marital home. Given my parents had lived through WWII as young teenagers, I do now find it surprising that there was such easy acceptance of their children 'playing at war' but I don't think it did us any harm in the long run!

 

[eyebrook1961]

From what I have, there were the following:
Allies - Field Gun & Tractor, Landing Craft, Troop Carrier, Patton Tank, Sherman Tank, Centurion Tank, 155mm Self-Propelled Gun, DUKW, Antar Tank Transport with Trailer, 6X^ Covered Truck
Others - Tiger Tank, Panther Tank, T24 Tank, Half-Track Troop Carrier & Field Gun, Elephant (self propelled) Gun.

The Landing Craft came in both Grey and Green, the 6x6 also (but the grey one is rare and about £90 unboxed). The German Half-Track Troop Carrier & Field Gun is about 90-100 boxed, the Elephant Gun is even more (125 or more)

I thought there might have been something online that provided a definitive list of what vehicles were available in what colours but although there's loads about the soldiers, there's nothing I can really find out online . . .

The soldiers disappeared quite quickly into the sands of Scarborough's North Bay(!), but the vehicles were easy to recover . . . (this was in the 1970's)

Although I knew most of the vehicles, I never knew about the German Half Track Troop Carrier or the Elephant Gun until recently

 

[Whisky Papa]

From what I have, there were the following:
Allies - Field Gun & Tractor, Landing Craft, Troop Carrier, Patton Tank, Sherman Tank, Centurion Tank, 155mm Self-Propelled Gun, DUKW, Antar Tank Transport with Trailer, 6X^ Covered Truck
Others - Tiger Tank, Panther Tank, T24 Tank, Half-Track Troop Carrier & Field Gun, Elephant (self propelled) Gun.

The Landing Craft came in both Grey and Green, the 6x6 also (but the grey one is rare and about £90 unboxed). The German Half-Track Troop Carrier & Field Gun is about 90-100 boxed, the Elephant Gun is even more (125 or more)

I thought there might have been something online that provided a definitive list of what vehicles were available in what colours but although there's loads about the soldiers, there's nothing I can really find out online . . .

The soldiers disappeared quite quickly into the sands of Scarborough's North Bay(!), but the vehicles were easy to recover . . . (this was in the 1970's)

Although I knew most of the vehicles, I never knew about the German Half Track Troop Carrier or the Elephant Gun until recently

Thanks, that has jogged a few memories.

My second tank was the Patton, not Sherman, and I also had the Troop Carrier, 155mm Self-propelled Gun and a DUKW - all the same dark green. Still not sure if the Mighty Antar was actually mine, but my son (now 40) recalls playing with my stuff when he was a child and thought there was a tank transporter amongst it. All these were boxed, and I suspect I sold them to the local toy dealer (also a museum) when I was out of work in the early 2000s. If anyone is struggling to remember, the boxes (in the early 70s at least) were orange and white, with a line drawing of the vehicle inside on one of the white panels.

I didn't buy any German R-T-R vehicles, I'm not really sure why, so my German soldiers had only a kit-built Panther and Panzer IV to back them up, both largely assembled by my older brother, and kept out of the reach of some of my clumsier friends!

 

[eyebrook1961]

Thanks, that has jogged a few memories.

My second tank was the Patton, not Sherman, and I also had the Troop Carrier, 155mm Self-propelled Gun and a DUKW - all the same dark green. Still not sure if the Mighty Antar was actually mine, but my son (now 40) recalls playing with my stuff when he was a child and thought there was a tank transporter amongst it. All these were boxed, and I suspect I sold them to the local toy dealer (also a museum) when I was out of work in the early 2000s. If anyone is struggling to remember, the boxes (in the early 70s at least) were orange and white, with a line drawing of the vehicle inside on one of the white panels.

I didn't buy any German R-T-R vehicles, I'm not really sure why, so my German soldiers had only a kit-built Panther and Panzer IV to back them up, both largely assembled by my older brother, and kept out of the reach of some of my clumsier friends!

I was never a modelmaker - the boxes of soldiers and r-t-r polythene vehicles had to suffice, although for some reason they were only purchased on the twice yearly holidays to scarborough where I was a regular at "WRAYS" a relatively large shop that had a sizable hobby/craft department that stocked Airfix. At 64 I can indulge myself (to an extent) and have been buying bits and bobs that I had as a youth. I'm surrounded at my computer desk by random lots of airfix soldiers, plus about 3-4 dozen boxed sets from various eras. I am regularly called "saddo" by my wife, but I'm happy in my own little world(!)