News:



  • March 18, 2025, 01:52:06 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Help identifying old kits?  (Read 601 times)

Offline Jack Goff

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • New Pilot
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Help identifying old kits?
« on: March 12, 2025, 08:50:57 PM »
I bought some old kits from an estate, and I've never seen some of the manufacturers.  Two in particular are really stumping me.  The one in the yellow box with the manufacturer U-Control, and the other in the green box named Schmitt's.  Both are old, and appear to be Japanese.  I actually have three of each, and they are all mint!  Does anyone have any info on these?

Thanks!

Offline Dave Hull

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 2080
Re: Help identifying old kits?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2025, 12:50:14 AM »
No real info, but I had the U-Control Zeke kit from Japan. Got it when I was a kid because "it was a big plane" and the least expensive. It had a lot of interesting features. The plans were in Japanese, but it came with an onionskin sheet of "translations."  I still remember being instructed "...to mix the powdered bones."

The wheels were solid hard rubber. The fuel tank (supplied) was a clear plastic like you might find on takeout food. The "rising suns" we printed red paper. The balsa was amazingly light, which I did not appreciate at the time since it made planking the fuselage so much more difficult. As I recall, some or all of the bulkheads were 3-ply luan? I think the wing spar was as well, at least out to the landing gear. The real attraction was a spun aluminum cowling. Spiffy!

I still have the plane. It never did really fly very successfully. A Torp.09 Greenhead was never going to be up to the job no matter what the box might have said.

Good luck with your kits,

Dave

Online Dan McEntee

  • 25 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 7365
Re: Help identifying old kits?
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2025, 09:53:02 AM »
  I have never seen the Schmitts brand before but looks interesting. The U-Control I think is more or less the same and the early Kyosho kits and the Aristo-Craft kits that the Polk brothers imported in the 50's and 60's. I think I have one or two like that also.
  It's odd that a Japanese company would have a name like Schitts!!  The models on the cover look interesting though!!

  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)

Offline Ty Marcucci

  • Moderator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 786
Re: Help identifying old kits?
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2025, 11:06:13 AM »
Some enterprising soldier there on occupation duty took the opportunity to go in business with a Japanese company..  I served with a CPO  that did that with a Japanese motorcycle company.. He got a special dealership with them... D>K
Look under the word "Spitfire"  under the photo, and you can see the Chinese writing used by the Japanese. I know that sounds strange  but that's  what they call it.

Occupation ended right after the Korean war, so those kits are more than likely  from the mid  50's to early 60's.
Ty Marcucci

Tags: