It is a Guillow's model kit that my dad put together for me when I was 5 years old in 1971 in Boulder Colorado that sparked my love of model building. This is where it all began for me. Guillow's has a special place in my heart. My dad built the Focke Wulf Fw190. I was there as he showed me step by step how to put it together. I studied the box art for hours. To this day I know the plans, and remember his instructions of why and how. He showed me how to take a two dimensional drawing and create a 3D model. The smell of the glue and dope. I smell it now. My dad, who is 94 years old and a WWII veteran is still alive and well in Las Vegas.
I am 69 years old and I remember when I was 5 years old starting building stick and tissue from these kits. Kept my interest kept me with something to do seed out of trouble and I still build them today. Gave me a love of Aviation. Nothing more rewarding than building one of these things and seeing it fly all by itself. Thank you for keeping the business going.
I’ve been building Guillows models since I was about 12 in the early 1960’s. I’m now 73 and I have about 15 of Guillow’s models that I’ll be building now that I’m retired! Loved them as a kid and still love them as an old man. Wish they would bring back some of the older model such as the Banshee and any other older jets they might have produced way back when. Would buy them in a heartbeat!!
Wow. I am 59 years old in 2023 and you just transported me back to 1970 when I was 6 years old building a Guillows Camel Sopwith Biplane that i got for Christmas. I have built many of these stick and paper planes but eventually graduated to the far bigger and more complex RC models. I think I'm gonna build me another Guillows Sopwith. (for old times sake) Thank you for the memories.
Started out building plastic kits as a kid, with my dad, in the late 60’s . He saw that I was skilled enough to graduate to stick & tissue planes by the early 70’s , when I built my first Guillows planes & I subsequently built many of them (some say I’ve built too many model airplanes) ! Thirty years later, I introduced Guillows kits to my own son - I remember how excited he was to see the actual planes that we were building on display & actually flying at an airport / air museum near our home - he was able to identify all them because at the age of six he had already memorized the Guillows catalog ! I hope Guillows lasts for future generations ! True Americana !!!
Over the years I’ve built Sterling, Comet, Guillows, Dumas stick and tissue models, I find the work both relaxing and rewarding! I am 69 yo and still at it!
I have no idea how many of these kits I've built in my lifetime. I'm pretty sure my first one was a cub in the mid '60's. My last one was about four years ago, a Stuka. I build Stuart steam engines, scratch built RC cars and planes, boats, and motorcycles, and currently building a hot rod to cruise the streets. But when one of these planes catches my eye, everything comes to a halt. They're like therapy, takes me back to my childhood.
I've built many a guillows kit. I like to combine scratch building into full scale cockpits in their WWI series. But my best memories with them are spending time with my Dad the last 3 years of his life (he had cancer) We ruined mom's kitchen table with dope, sanding sealer and glue. Dad built the Corsair, DC-3,P-51, P-47, PT-17, SE5A, B-25 and started the B-17. I still have the B-17 and I treasure it greatly. Oneday soon I will finish it and still get to build models with my Dad 1 last time. He passed away 11/25/15 Miss ya Pop.
you probably dont care at all but does anybody know a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can offer me!
@Timothy Ari I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im in the hacking process now. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Guillow’s kits were what we “serious” modelers cut our teeth on, and later picked our teeth with, because after that eventual unsuccessful flight, there were plenty of toothpicks available...
I loved those jet plane gliders. I was so happy to find that they were still being made today, and that my son could have the same experience. Thanks for another great video!
i am 65 now and STILL put these kits together! I have started my son and grandsons on this hobby as well, they have put Guillow's planes together, usually with my supervision. Funny thing is they prefer to leave the tissue non painted, they prefer to see the structure peaking through! I have 6 more down stairs to build, and i now plan to build some for RC conversion! Great video!
I built a Guillow Piper Cub, bought the tissue and dope at our local Sears store. 10 - 15 years later, I was buying software for my Commodore 64 at that same Sears store. Amazing g to see Guillow still prospering while Sears is a shadow of its former self.
I still remember to this day the heart rending "skwatch" of my little Guillows glider as my father's car ran over it in our driveway back in 1971. Love your Gerry Anderson U.F.O. reference at the end. That should be your next video topic, all the Anderson related models i.e. UFO, Space 1999, Thunderbirds, Stingray, etc.
I was living in a room and kitchen "A wee flat" and my guillows builds sold in the weekend market so it payed for the hobby and sum still love all kind of model building
I'm really pleased to see they're still in business. I hope they continue inspiring young uns to build and create. They're the perfect thing these days to keep em busy during the pandemic.
Great video Max! im really liking your model company videos and all of the great info in them. it takes me back to riding my bicycle 9 miles round trip to the model store to spend lawn mowing and chore money on a new model. i remember in the late 70's saying " someday im going to convert these models to RC" and being laughed at and hearing " someday but not in your lifetime!" well i have lived the dream and built many many great flying guillows and other stick and tissue rc conversions. what a great world of technology we live in and to have seen it develop to where it is now! im glad you and many others have been able to experience these wonderfull models and and to feel that peace and accomplishment that comes with building and flying them =D
I loved to build models and one of my favorite durable planes was and is the hand launched glider kits that had the actual air foil on the wings. How they caught the air and circled when they hit a thermal was great. Most importantly was their durability. The glider that I purchased in the early 70s is still with me and I occassionally toss it around in my fields. The stick and paper kits were too labor intensive to have them sacrificed in a crash. I have a partially bult Comet Piper cub kit that I picked up at a garage sale that is awatiing assembly. I may not paper it so I can marvel at the beauty of its wood skeleton.
Great Work! I remember in 1959, just 7 years old, my father buying for me and my younger brother, our first Guillows gliders. He assembled them, for us and we flew them in the Safeway parking lot, in The Bronx. I loved flying them. Didn't build too many of them, until the early 1980s. Building an FW 190, and powering with a CO2 motor. That was great! I also built a couple of Sterling WW1 models, too. Id like to see a story about Sterling models, also. Great Work! Thanks for sharing.
Bought many of their gliders as a kid which led to gasoline powered models and finally to a pilots license and the real thing. A great hobby inspired by those first hand launched gliders.
Started with some of the smaller Guillow models, then started a B-17, with a carved balsa fuse and stick and paper wings, elevators and stab back in the early '60's. The paper was going to be balsa sheets, but a 4-year stint in the US Coast Guard saw the demise of the project. Because life happens, I didn't get back into it until I had to take early medical retirement, and I once again found an all-wood and paper Guillow B-17, and I built it and covered it all in ¹/³² balsa sheet, all driven by 4 electric motors. It has full flaps, ailerons, rudder, and elevators. It came out better than even I ever expected!! She's finished in 8th USAAF colors. Wish I could attach a picture!
3:53 Our family went through many of these simple glider and rubber band toys back in the '60 to '65 period. Dad built one of their 4 foot wingspan gliders in about '63... it lasted one afternoon of flying, then was stuck 60 feet up in a tree where it rotted till winter.
It was fascinating to learn Paul Guillow's history in aviation--thanks! Nicely done, professional video. My pals and I were flying those Jetfires at 7 and 8 years old, back in 1959. Later, I built the S.E.5A and other kits. Nice job building the Steerman--but not so nice flight, looks like.
I’ve “attempted” to build the smaller P-51 by them. Didn’t have much luck guess I’m too much of a plastic modeler. I did have success with the little gliders as a child at least! My father pretty much grew up with them as he grew up after WWII. Two rooms in our house had the ceilings covered in Guillows models. His favorite ones by them were the B-29, FW-190 and P-47.
I was hoping you did Guillows. Boy did I learn a lot about woodworking and planes building those kits! Thank you for these videos! So many great memories!
Fascinating. I can't recall how many Jet Fires my brothers and I stranded on top of neighborhood houses (including our own), in trees or just generally wore out; this was all throughout the 1960s. As a side note, the wind took my Cox helicopter and put it in the tallest reaches of a tree bordering the local field where my brothers and I would fly it. One of my brothers got it back over forty years later in 2012. I didn't get to see it but heard about it.
I would have to say the two greatest inventions that have ever happened to stick and tissue model building is laser cut parts (you all know that those old diecast cut parts were horrible) and the other huge leap forward was the addition of vacuum-formed plastic cowlings, wheel skirts, fairings, and air scoops this made the models more realistic, easier to build, because you didn't have to scratch build those components yourself with Balsa and made the planes lighter...
I loved building Comet and later Guillow kits. It is a favorite of mine after all these years. A lifelong hobby. Really enjoy learning the history of one of my favorite model companies. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
i'm looking at the first guillows kit my grandpa and I built when I was 7, an Aeronica champion 85, the type my grandfather got civil certified on back in the '50s. i'm 23 now and it still has a place on my shelf, bringing fond and fun memories every time I glance in it's direction.
These are some of the greatest kits made. Unfortunately hobby stores are quickly becoming extinct. There are only a few remaining in the large city that I live in. I am a retired pilot and tho I build more plastic kits than wood I still find it a great way to keep my hand in aviation. Unfortunately the younger generation have little or no interest in putting the time into building theses beautiful kits.
I was an avid flying model builder. Guillow kits are on the heavy side and require careful balance on all axis'. The best flying for me was the Sopwith Camel done with rubber power. 100 Yard flights are possible. Thanks for the video.
I can't even guess how many hand tossed and rubber band gliders I have bought and for my kids and grand kids. Stick and tissue is true modeling. Thank you MR G
As a 14-16 year old in the 60's, I think I built a dozen or more Guillows stick and tissue kits. all were flown either rubber powered or as I got more allowance with a cox pee wee 010 glow engine. few lasted more than a couple of flights, but it taught me how to build models and launched a life long love of model aviation.
100% loved these models. My Grandpa was a WWI aviator - US Army flying Spads and Nieuport biplanes primarily. What a great learning experience it was to see physics in action - model planes gliding through the air. Launched by my own hands - and my grandfather's hands next to me. Cherished those days.
Thanks for the video. My childhood friends and I spent our money and countless hours building these flying model kits. A great learning experience and fun hobby.
Fascinating and professional presentation. I never tackled stick & tissue kits but launched dozens of the .10 cent gliders purchased from the corner Mom ‘n Pop store. Glad I found your treasure trove of modeling history. Thanks! P.S. love the ending montage
In the late sixties my Pop (who was an aircraft Engineer) introduced me and my brother to model airplanes that flew - and now we are in the era of DRONE WARFARE as surely as Robt. A. Heinlein foresaw what space travel and societies might look like in the future. That future is HERE now But it is a perilous place, this future. So many rely on things that they have no idea how to produce or repair themselves. Back then, the Boy Scouts of America taught survival skills and also creative crafts of all sorts.... I have no idea now at this point in my life how much practical experience in aircraft (models - but still) and light weight construction, insights into ways and means of fabrication at a grass roots level, awareness of materials and structures that I might never have been shown. I think I owe a huge debt of gratitude to "PAUL", may he have wings of his own now - and THANK YOU
As a kid I built both Guillows and Comet models when Guillows went to die cut parts Comet was done in my opinion Comet did go to die cut parts after a while to this day I have about a hundred balsa kits most of them Guillows in addition to Dumas kits that are high quality and have some cool airplanes such as the Boeing P-26 and the Beech Stagger wing and Be Gee racer I have always liked these models as they use the same construction as the real planes , and teaches you weight and balance and correct rigging .
Funny, I still the Guillow brand rubber band powered gliders for sale in small stores, and I can’t help it but I‘m still a sucker and I buy one and play with it. It doesn’t last long, but it’s worth the childhood memories it brings back.
My first balsa kit was a Comet Hell Diver, that had to be cut from printed sheets. Deemed too young (six) for a hobby/exacto knife I scrounged a double edge razor blade from my father and got some pretty painful cuts in the process never finishing the thing. Guillows die cut parts reinspired me and saved me from countless future mutilations.
Being a World War I fanatic, I built countless Guillow Fokker D VII, D VIII, S.P.A.D. 7, Nieuport 27, 28, kits, plus a few Albatross D V's, Pfalz DIII's and the much sought after Bristol Scout as a kid. Plus at least one static model DeHaviland DH 4. Still have a collection of these and a few Comet and Sterling WWI kits. Of all of them my brother's Curtiss Robin flew the best, so I built a scratch one with his plans. Built many of them to f 'll y, but a good number authenticlly painted as static models. Thank you for posting these great videos on the many model kit makers many of us grew up with.
Built a Guillow’s Cessna 170, 150 and Piper Cherokee in my teens and a Skyraider in more recent years. I loved the variety of their product line. They flew okay but didn’t seem to last beyond a handful of flights. I always had problems with the landing gear being wiped out. I also had their chuck gliders too. Those were fantastic fliers. I wish I had a Guillow’s kit to build right now over the quarantine period.😁
I am 61 - My dentist used to give these to the kid patients after the appointment, with pencils and other goodies, back in the 60s, so Guillows were my first airplanes, before 10 years old, and it lead me to build plastic scale models later, then on to a mechanical engineering career later.
I think you struck a happy nerve with this one. I think we were all weaned with Guillow models and gliders. Loved the Mrs. in the end. LOL. Take care and God Bless, Paul from Florida.
.You are a very good boy Max. I thank you from my heart for these histories. I made one guillowe a P40 where I was first introduced to dope, this was probably 1960. Slow drying glues and being fairly witless I did not gain a lot of satisfaction when my airfix kits (I am in Australia) gave me more REALISM. Guillowes kits here were as expensive as accurate plastic models, English and American, and all these kits had such great box art that the unrealism of the finished balsa kit, despite its possibilities of flying was for me not part of my ongoing delusions.
I have built countless over the years. My father would buy them for me as a kid and I never stopped. I have several hanging in my office from over 35 years ago. This passion for aircraft steered me into my career as an Air-frame and Powerplant mechanic. Still going 63 years later.
I used to fly mine until I got tired of chasing planes that crashed and had to be repaired... now I cover my models with extremely thin balsa sheets to form the skin of my planes, puttied and sanded smooth. Then covered in the tissue (to seal in the wood grain and create a smooth surface) and then I heavily gloss it all, sand smooth and then paint in the aircraft's final color. A lot of work but the results show... and obviously non flying too... but Guillows, when done this way, make into pretty impressive and realistic looking large scale models..
That video was fun! Balsa and glue, tissue and dope - what a vital part of growing up and getting old. Nothing beats opening a kit-box and smelling fresh-cut balsa.
Thanks maxsmodels for this.. I still have two of the bi-planes balsa wood Spade and a Fokker. Folding wing glider, jetfire , and a rubber band powered,all are the slide kit.. Hours of fun as a kid... I've learned how to properly pronounce their name.. thanks to your interest.. God bless them for building those awesome kits.. who knows how many children they inspired in to aviation..
In the late 50s-mid 60s, I built over a dozen of both Comet (my favorite) and Guillow kits. None of them flew well, but that besides the point: building and imagining a real plane. Stick n tissue was the way to go. Today, I still have an interest in these types of models.
Ok, you got me this time. I subscribed and hit the bell. Great vids and sooo much fun to watch. Informative and fun. Thanks for taking the time and effort to keep us entertained.
I've been reading through the comments and some of you say you were fustrated and didn't have enough patience to build a stick and paper airplane. As one of you mentioned, laser cut balsa and CA glue that sets in 5 seconds really is a game changer for construction. The balsa parts fall out of the panel with just a tap of the finger. Guillows sell an American made CA glue that works a treat. I got a 1/4" (6mm) foam board from Hobby Lobby (and they carry the Guillows balsa materials sets for general hobby work) , a box of T-pins and a roll of Seran Wrap to lay over the plans to keep the CA glue from sticking and I was off to the races. You still need your Xacto knife, sharp scissors, tweezers, a stick of Elmers purple school glue, and some sandpaper.. but not much else. A lot of Mom and Pop hobby shops have closed and kits may be hard to find in stores. Ditch Amazon and call Guillows directly. Their number is on their excellent web page. A very nice lady is there to take you call. I wanted green colored paper and Nitrate dope to finish the model. Call Sig Model Products in Iowa and another very nice and helpful lady will fix you right up. Their web page is excellent as well. Several months ago at Christmas I went to the about the last hobby store in Charlotte. A large and very nice store it was... but if you wanted anything besides RC cars or pre-built RC airplanes you were out of luck. I asked the young guy working there if they had any Nitrate dope... he thought I was looking for drugs! He went to the manager who found a shoebox sized box of airplane dope and thinner tins but it wasn't the type I wanted. I left empty handed and ordered it from Sig. Cheers from "I only stuck my fingers together 3 times with CA glue" in NC/USA
Love the Gerry Anderson UFO TV series closing, Max :) Gerry Anderson themed models would be the makings of another UA-cam series LOL. Thanks again for your vids and keep well!
I've built a few , some are more difficult than others. My latest was a Guillows laser cut P 51 D Mustang and even upgraded the rubber motor and prop. It flew pretty good until catching some wind and took a wild turn into a tree and thus snapped a wing. I did repair what I could , but her flying days are over. Now I'm building a 1/24 Airfix Mustang 51-D plastic model. That's turned into quite an undertaking. Identifying parts for that kit is somewhat ridiculous. The design drawings have not been updated since the 70s . Not one of thier best kits. For planes , I think I'll stick to 1/48 or smaller after this. The plane will be beautiful when completed it was just so difficult to assemble "correctly". Thanks for your videos I really enjoy them!
I've only finished ONE balsa & tissue kit. Don't remember now if it was Guillows or Comet but it was a F6F Hellcat. I was about a third of the way through another build when it got wrecked by one of my little brat cousins! Never finished the second one. Maybe now that I'm retired I should find that same kit and build it again!!
Back in the early 60's, my dad would bring home a kit every few months. Loved that quality time on those frigid winter nights, dreaming of spring and flying said models!
I like your SHADOW/UFO music and references! I've always been a Gerry Anderson fan. The Bird Dog was the only balsa aircraft model I made - built it as a regular Cessna 152 (it crashed) Like I said in the Comet video, my brother was much more into that part of the hobby than me. I used mostly used balsa for my HO layout (buildings and other structures) as well as other projects too numerous to mention nor for anyone to be bothered by.
I loved every second of flying the balsa wood gliders and rubber-propelled models in 1966-ish. To this day, every time I remember our house and its huge back yard in the Canal Zone, Panama, the models are there, in the delightfully fond memory. That place and time were Paradise on Earth for a child. Even the smell of balsa wood comes to mind, when I remember the place. I hope I can keep those dearest memories, formed almost 60 years ago, till my last moments.
I'm 67 years old and I can't estimate how many of the balsa wood gliders I bought for a dime each. Adjusting for inflation, I think today it would be a tidy little sum. lol
59 here, to be honest, they were the perfect grab item. Way better than penny candy and it'd keep you going for hours. I remember painting them up and having mock battles in the field. Great exercise too...you'd toss the thing then chase after it to toss it again.
Brings back a lot of fond memories, I grew up with many of these. I even built some of the bigger models. Unfortunately a fire put an end to all my modeling dreams. I have been thinking of getting a kit lately, never knew that they were made in massachusetts, where I grew up. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for the informative video. I’ve built a number of Guillows, and the Fairchild is still one of my favorites, I’ve built 2. Beautiful and a great flyer. I may just have to buy a 3rd. I’ve started collecting some of these stick and tissue kits, and have a few from peck polymers
I spent a small fortune on those slide-together kits. With and without the rubber band prop. Played with them until they couldn't be played with any more. I tried the stick and paper kits a few times but I always ruined the plastic pieces. I could never cut them out of the sheet without having the overwhelming urge to trim them...and it's not quite even so trim it again. And again. And again. And now it's ruined...sigh...
Gallows made some of the greatest scale model airplanes I ever built in my life. I have put several of these together, especially the big ones. P 38. What a beautiful plane P 47 thunderbolt B-17 bomber all of these kits went together beautiful I’ve actually displayed them in some of them museums and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I moved there with my wife and I was a scale model builder at the time. Thanks for such great craftsmanship. I love it every once in a while I get the urge to build another one ha ha but I can’t quit playing guitar long enough to build one ha ha that’s my new hobby now and I love music been doing it longer than I’ve been building models, thanks for your video. Thanks for your wonderful airplanes. Have a great day. Love it.❤️👍😄😎😁🤣
In 2008 (or thereabouts) Guillows planned to offer laser cut kits for their 500 series models. I did the beta test build for their laser cut Stuka. I have no connection to Guillows other than building and flying their models. It was simply a unique volunteer opportunity and a privilege.
I just finished the Cessna 172 making it radio control. The new park motors, receiver's, micro servos are perfectfor these old models. I was given the model and it was pre laser cut which brought back a lot of my building skills. My dad built a slew of these planes back in the 60s and I can remember all of them. They were all built with ambroid glue and tissue. You could only assemble a few parts every night because you had to wait a day for the glue to harden. Today you can build a fuselage and wings in one night with these amazing CA glues. I hope they continue to manufacture these great planes for years to come. I also hope there is a revival of scratch building. Foam don't get you home.
I currently have a Guillows FW-190 that I built into an RC airplane. Electric li-po powered with balsa skin. It flies okay but I break it a lot. I also have smaller rubber band powered FW-190 and p-40. I built probably 10 of them as a kid and those 3 as an adult. The joy is definitely in the building.
I'm 67 and bought mu first Guillows kit when I was ll. It was the Nieuport 11. Cost $2.98 plus shipping. Right now I'm building the P-51 for control line with the Cox .049. Have built about 2 dozen of their kits.
Thanks again.I'm 66 and I rember when I always went to the 5 & dime to buy my model cars & toy cars & balsa airplanes .with rubber band & prop to fly the plane ✈ that was the good old days.👌 👌 and my match box cars .witch I still have.
Hi Max's, Thanks for this history on Guillow's. Yes I've built many of their WW2 stick & tissue kits. My personal favorite was the WW1 Fokker Dr.1 Triplane. I built all of my kits as static models. Cheers, Rich S.
Love MAXMODELS. My first kit was the Aurora p40 flying tiger. 1968 . Been building models ever since. Monogram, Revell. Tamils whatever caught my eye. Even the simplest kits. Putting as much detail as I could... LOVE IT
Laser cutting changed the game. Build time reduced and accuracy increased. With CA glue, you can work as fast as you care to and still get a good result.
I used to love the 10 cent gliders with the plastic pilot/canopy insert in the early 60s. The TG&Y sold one balsa plane for 5 cents that had a plastic piece that was pushed on top of the fuselage and the two wings pushed into it. Didn't have much money as a kid, so the 10 cent Guillow was usually out of my reach, financially.
I built so many of the 16 to 20 inch wingspan kits. I had gut issues and was off work for months and they kept me sane. Whenever I was having a good day I'd walk down to the local train shop and he had an assortment of them upstairs. I had them all on my dresser years later and 2 moves. I was living with 2 guys in a townhouse and one brought over his brother and his kids. The little girl was fascinated with the stuka so I gave it to her...she was about 7 and was tickled pink..... I have to say though pricing them out, they're a little costly now. I think my very first one was a P51 mustang. I botched the canopy completely but as everything, the more practice I had, the better I got.
I spotted the kits by accident in a ”gadget” shop one summer in the 90s. Thought the price was wrong by a factor of 5. ”How can it be so cheap?” Started with the Hurricane. Have been longing for those days ever since, started the rc hobby again a couple years ago. I love how the kits look the same.
I never knew it was pronounced "Gwillows" not "Geelows"... thanks for that! Loved and flew a ton of those, few sucessfully, but had a great time and learned so many skills along the way... Thanks Mr. Guillows!
As a kid, I had several of the simple gliders, like the Jetfire. I had their balsa&tissue F6F Hellcat and Curtiss P-40, and the larger Piper Cub. As an experiment, I built the Hellcat using kitchen aluminum foil instead of tissue. It worked, but was definitely heavier than it needed to be. I remember Guillow's fondly.
Ahh good ol balsa! Many a pyrotechnic adventures after failed attempts at flight. Leftover firecrackers and a downed Guillow on a hot July afternoon! Good times....Good times! Keep them vids flying Max!
Great video as always, Thanks! My favorite Guillows kit was the @26 inch Me109, which was gigantic for a kid used to building 1/72 scale plastic models. I put so much time into building it that I was afraid to fly it. Guillows kits were my favorite balsa kits as they had the most details, but were always too heavy (at least the way I built them!) to fly well, if at all. For Guillows electric conversions that both look and fly great, check out the Jagpanther9 UA-cam channel. He built the B-17, B-24, P-38 and B-29 and a few others and even added retracts, no easy feat on such relatively small models.
I've always loved the simplicity and flying characteristics of guillows kits. However, I've gravitated towards Dumas models for a bit of extra challenge. great video, cheers
It is a Guillow's model kit that my dad put together for me when I was 5 years old in 1971 in Boulder Colorado that sparked my love of model building. This is where it all began for me. Guillow's has a special place in my heart. My dad built the Focke Wulf Fw190. I was there as he showed me step by step how to put it together. I studied the box art for hours. To this day I know the plans, and remember his instructions of why and how. He showed me how to take a two dimensional drawing and create a 3D model. The smell of the glue and dope. I smell it now. My dad, who is 94 years old and a WWII veteran is still alive and well in Las Vegas.
🇺🇸 Cheers to your Dad 🙏
I am 69 years old and I remember when I was 5 years old starting building stick and tissue from these kits. Kept my interest kept me with something to do seed out of trouble and I still build them today. Gave me a love of Aviation. Nothing more rewarding than building one of these things and seeing it fly all by itself. Thank you for keeping the business going.
I’ve lost count how many Guillows kits I’ve built over the years! Thank you Paul!
I’ve been building Guillows models since I was about 12 in the early 1960’s. I’m now 73 and I have about 15 of Guillow’s models that I’ll be building now that I’m retired! Loved them as a kid and still love them as an old man. Wish they would bring back some of the older model such as the Banshee and any other older jets they might have produced way back when. Would buy them in a heartbeat!!
Wow. I am 59 years old in 2023 and you just transported me back to 1970 when I was 6 years old building a Guillows Camel Sopwith Biplane that i got for Christmas. I have built many of these stick and paper planes but eventually graduated to the far bigger and more complex RC models.
I think I'm gonna build me another Guillows Sopwith. (for old times sake)
Thank you for the memories.
Started out building plastic kits as a kid, with my dad, in the late 60’s . He saw that I was skilled enough to graduate to stick & tissue planes by the early 70’s , when I built my first Guillows planes & I subsequently built many of them (some say I’ve built too many model airplanes) !
Thirty years later, I introduced Guillows kits to my own son - I remember how excited he was to see the actual planes that we were building on display & actually flying at an airport / air museum near our home - he was able to identify all them because at the age of six he had already memorized the Guillows catalog !
I hope Guillows lasts for future generations ! True Americana !!!
Over the years I’ve built Sterling, Comet, Guillows, Dumas stick and tissue models, I find the work both relaxing and rewarding! I am 69 yo and still at it!
I have no idea how many of these kits I've built in my lifetime. I'm pretty sure my first one was a cub in the mid '60's. My last one was about four years ago, a Stuka. I build Stuart steam engines, scratch built RC cars and planes, boats, and motorcycles, and currently building a hot rod to cruise the streets. But when one of these planes catches my eye, everything comes to a halt. They're like therapy, takes me back to my childhood.
I've built many a guillows kit. I like to combine scratch building into full scale cockpits in their WWI series. But my best memories with them are spending time with my Dad the last 3 years of his life (he had cancer) We ruined mom's kitchen table with dope, sanding sealer and glue. Dad built the Corsair, DC-3,P-51, P-47, PT-17, SE5A, B-25 and started the B-17. I still have the B-17 and I treasure it greatly. Oneday soon I will finish it and still get to build models with my Dad 1 last time. He passed away 11/25/15 Miss ya Pop.
I love Guillow's stuff, I've been building their kit since the late 50's, I hope they stay in business forever.
Loved them, built them and crashed every one. I'm 63 and I still love them.
@Luke Cheung Mine's a ceiling model!
you probably dont care at all but does anybody know a tool to log back into an instagram account..?
I somehow forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can offer me!
@Armani Ruben instablaster =)
@Timothy Ari I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im in the hacking process now.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Timothy Ari It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much, you saved my account!
Guillow’s kits were what we “serious” modelers cut our teeth on, and later picked our teeth with, because after that eventual unsuccessful flight, there were plenty of toothpicks available...
I loved those jet plane gliders. I was so happy to find that they were still being made today, and that my son could have the same experience. Thanks for another great video!
i am 65 now and STILL put these kits together! I have started my son and grandsons on this hobby as well, they have put Guillow's planes together, usually with my supervision. Funny thing is they prefer to leave the tissue non painted, they prefer to see the structure peaking through! I have 6 more down stairs to build, and i now plan to build some for RC conversion! Great video!
I built a Guillow Piper Cub, bought the tissue and dope at our local Sears store.
10 - 15 years later, I was buying software for my Commodore 64 at that same Sears store.
Amazing g to see Guillow still prospering while Sears is a shadow of its former self.
I still remember to this day the heart rending "skwatch" of my little Guillows glider as my father's car ran over it in our driveway back in 1971.
Love your Gerry Anderson U.F.O. reference at the end. That should be your next video topic, all the Anderson related models i.e. UFO, Space 1999, Thunderbirds, Stingray, etc.
I was living in a room and kitchen "A wee flat" and my guillows builds sold in the weekend market so it payed for the hobby and sum still love all kind of model building
I'm really pleased to see they're still in business. I hope they continue inspiring young uns to build and create. They're the perfect thing these days to keep em busy during the pandemic.
Great video Max! im really liking your model company videos and all of the great info in them. it takes me back to riding my bicycle 9 miles round trip to the model store to spend lawn mowing and chore money on a new model. i remember in the late 70's saying " someday im going to convert these models to RC" and being laughed at and hearing " someday but not in your lifetime!" well i have lived the dream and built many many great flying guillows and other stick and tissue rc conversions. what a great world of technology we live in and to have seen it develop to where it is now! im glad you and many others have been able to experience these wonderfull models and and to feel that peace and accomplishment that comes with building and flying them =D
I loved to build models and one of my favorite durable planes was and is the hand launched glider kits that had the actual air foil on the wings. How they caught the air and circled when they hit a thermal was great. Most importantly was their durability. The glider that I purchased in the early 70s is still with me and I occassionally toss it around in my fields. The stick and paper kits were too labor intensive to have them sacrificed in a crash. I have a partially bult Comet Piper cub kit that I picked up at a garage sale that is awatiing assembly. I may not paper it so I can marvel at the beauty of its wood skeleton.
Great Work!
I remember in 1959, just 7 years old, my father buying for me and my younger brother, our first Guillows gliders.
He assembled them, for us and we flew them in the Safeway parking lot, in The Bronx.
I loved flying them.
Didn't build too many of them, until the early 1980s.
Building an FW 190, and powering with a CO2 motor.
That was great!
I also built a couple of Sterling WW1 models, too.
Id like to see a story about Sterling models, also.
Great Work!
Thanks for sharing.
Bought many of their gliders as a kid which led to gasoline powered models and finally to a pilots license and the real thing. A great hobby inspired by those first hand launched gliders.
Started with some of the smaller Guillow models, then started a B-17, with a carved balsa fuse and stick and paper wings, elevators and stab back in the early '60's. The paper was going to be balsa sheets, but a 4-year stint in the US Coast Guard saw the demise of the project. Because life happens, I didn't get back into it until I had to take early medical retirement, and I once again found an all-wood and paper Guillow B-17, and I built it and covered it all in ¹/³² balsa sheet, all driven by 4 electric motors. It has full flaps, ailerons, rudder, and elevators. It came out better than even I ever expected!! She's finished in 8th USAAF colors. Wish I could attach a picture!
3:53 Our family went through many of these simple glider and rubber band toys back in the '60 to '65 period. Dad built one of their 4 foot wingspan gliders in about '63... it lasted one afternoon of flying, then was stuck 60 feet up in a tree where it rotted till winter.
It was fascinating to learn Paul Guillow's history in aviation--thanks! Nicely done, professional video. My pals and I were flying those Jetfires at 7 and 8 years old, back in 1959. Later, I built the S.E.5A and other kits. Nice job building the Steerman--but not so nice flight, looks like.
Excellent stuff…….thanks Mr G
I’ve “attempted” to build the smaller P-51 by them. Didn’t have much luck guess I’m too much of a plastic modeler. I did have success with the little gliders as a child at least!
My father pretty much grew up with them as he grew up after WWII. Two rooms in our house had the ceilings covered in Guillows models. His favorite ones by them were the B-29, FW-190 and P-47.
I was hoping you did Guillows. Boy did I learn a lot about woodworking and planes building those kits! Thank you for these videos! So many great memories!
Fascinating. I can't recall how many Jet Fires my brothers and I stranded on top of neighborhood houses (including our own), in trees or just generally wore out; this was all throughout the 1960s. As a side note, the wind took my Cox helicopter and put it in the tallest reaches of a tree bordering the local field where my brothers and I would fly it. One of my brothers got it back over forty years later in 2012. I didn't get to see it but heard about it.
I would have to say the two greatest inventions that have ever happened to stick and tissue model building is laser cut parts (you all know that those old diecast cut parts were horrible) and the other huge leap forward was the addition of vacuum-formed plastic cowlings, wheel skirts, fairings, and air scoops this made the models more realistic, easier to build, because you didn't have to scratch build those components yourself with Balsa and made the planes lighter...
I loved building Comet and later Guillow kits. It is a favorite of mine after all these years. A lifelong hobby. Really enjoy learning the history of one of my favorite model companies. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
i'm looking at the first guillows kit my grandpa and I built when I was 7, an Aeronica champion 85, the type my grandfather got civil certified on back in the '50s. i'm 23 now and it still has a place on my shelf, bringing fond and fun memories every time I glance in it's direction.
These are some of the greatest kits made. Unfortunately hobby stores are quickly becoming extinct. There are only a few remaining in the large city that I live in. I am a retired pilot and tho I build more plastic kits than wood I still find it a great way to keep my hand in aviation. Unfortunately the younger generation have little or no interest in putting the time into building theses beautiful kits.
My Father, Brother and I built and flew several of these in the late '60s and early '70s. Thanks for the memories!
I was an avid flying model builder. Guillow kits are on the heavy side and require careful balance on all axis'. The best flying for me was the Sopwith Camel done with rubber power. 100 Yard flights are possible. Thanks for the video.
I can't even guess how many hand tossed and rubber band gliders I have bought and for my kids and grand kids. Stick and tissue is true modeling. Thank you MR G
As a 14-16 year old in the 60's, I think I built a dozen or more Guillows stick and tissue kits. all were flown either rubber powered or as I got more allowance with a cox pee wee 010 glow engine. few lasted more than a couple of flights, but it taught me how to build models and launched a life long love of model aviation.
DEemon, me too. This brings back memories from the 60's too. Thank you
You and me both!!! But for a glorious moment, flight!!!!
100% loved these models. My Grandpa was a WWI aviator - US Army flying Spads and Nieuport biplanes primarily. What a great learning experience it was to see physics in action - model planes gliding through the air. Launched by my own hands - and my grandfather's hands next to me. Cherished those days.
The photo of the kit in its box at the thirty second mark is amazing! What a kick to build that!!!!
Thanks for the video. My childhood friends and I spent our money and countless hours building these flying model kits. A great learning experience and fun hobby.
The best memories of my childhood. Thank you for creating and posting
I'm 83 and still building Guillow;s kits....My all time favorite is the bit SBD5 Dauntless..
Good for you! Am so glad to hear that aeromodeling serves you well as I am also seeing it for myself.
Fascinating and professional presentation.
I never tackled stick & tissue kits
but launched dozens of the
.10 cent gliders purchased from
the corner Mom ‘n Pop store.
Glad I found your treasure trove
of modeling history. Thanks!
P.S. love the ending montage
In the late sixties my Pop (who was an aircraft Engineer) introduced me and my brother to model airplanes that flew - and now we are in the era of DRONE WARFARE as surely as Robt. A. Heinlein foresaw what space travel and societies might look like in the future. That future is HERE now
But it is a perilous place, this future. So many rely on things that they have no idea how to produce or repair themselves. Back then, the Boy Scouts of America taught survival skills and also creative crafts of all sorts.... I have no idea now at this point in my life how much practical experience in aircraft (models - but still) and light weight construction, insights into ways and means of fabrication at a grass roots level, awareness of materials and structures that I might never have been shown. I think I owe a huge debt of gratitude to "PAUL", may he have wings of his own now - and THANK YOU
Thanks for everything ! Love watching and learning.
As a kid I built both Guillows and Comet models when Guillows went to die cut parts Comet was done in my opinion Comet did go to die cut parts after a while to this day I have about a hundred balsa kits most of them Guillows in addition to Dumas kits that are high quality and have some cool airplanes such as the Boeing P-26 and the Beech Stagger wing and Be Gee racer I have always liked these models as they use the same construction as the real planes , and teaches you weight and balance and correct rigging .
Funny, I still the Guillow brand rubber band powered gliders for sale in small stores, and I can’t help it but I‘m still a sucker and I buy one and play with it. It doesn’t last long, but it’s worth the childhood memories it brings back.
My first balsa kit was a Comet Hell Diver, that had to be cut from printed sheets. Deemed too young (six) for a hobby/exacto knife I scrounged a double edge razor blade from my father and got some pretty painful cuts in the process never finishing the thing. Guillows die cut parts reinspired me and saved me from countless future mutilations.
Being a World War I fanatic, I built countless Guillow Fokker D VII, D VIII, S.P.A.D. 7, Nieuport 27, 28, kits, plus a few Albatross D V's, Pfalz DIII's and the much sought after Bristol Scout as a kid. Plus at least one static model DeHaviland DH 4. Still have a collection of these and a few Comet and Sterling WWI kits. Of all of them my brother's Curtiss Robin flew the best, so I built a scratch one with his plans. Built many of them to f 'll y, but a good number authenticlly painted as static models. Thank you for posting these great videos on the many model kit makers many of us grew up with.
Built a Guillow’s Cessna 170, 150 and Piper Cherokee in my teens and a Skyraider in more recent years. I loved the variety of their product line.
They flew okay but didn’t seem to last beyond a handful of flights. I always had problems with the landing gear being wiped out. I also had their chuck gliders too. Those were fantastic fliers.
I wish I had a Guillow’s kit to build right now over the quarantine period.😁
I am 61 - My dentist used to give these to the kid patients after the appointment, with pencils and other goodies, back in the 60s, so Guillows were my first airplanes, before 10 years old, and it lead me to build plastic scale models later, then on to a mechanical engineering career later.
Thanks. So many of us had our first exposure to models that actually flew because of those little gliders and rubber powered planes.
I think you struck a happy nerve with this one. I think we were all weaned with Guillow models and gliders. Loved the Mrs. in the end. LOL. Take care and God Bless, Paul from Florida.
My dad flew in the Air Force, and I learned to build Guillows planes in the 60’s. Loved them. Thanks!
Another good one... thanks Max!
.You are a very good boy Max. I thank you from my heart for these histories. I made one guillowe a P40 where I was first introduced to dope, this was probably 1960. Slow drying glues and being fairly witless I did not gain a lot of satisfaction when my airfix kits (I am in Australia) gave me more REALISM. Guillowes kits here were as expensive as accurate plastic models, English and American, and all these kits had such great box art that the unrealism of the finished balsa kit, despite its possibilities of flying was for me not part of my ongoing delusions.
I have built countless over the years. My father would buy them for me as a kid and I never stopped. I have several hanging in my office from over 35 years ago. This passion for aircraft steered me into my career as an Air-frame and Powerplant mechanic. Still going 63 years later.
I grew up with them....built a bunch.....and love'em all. Great vid..thanks
I used to fly mine until I got tired of chasing planes that crashed and had to be repaired... now I cover my models with extremely thin balsa sheets to form the skin of my planes, puttied and sanded smooth. Then covered in the tissue (to seal in the wood grain and create a smooth surface) and then I heavily gloss it all, sand smooth and then paint in the aircraft's final color. A lot of work but the results show... and obviously non flying too... but Guillows, when done this way, make into pretty impressive and realistic looking large scale models..
i would love to see some pics of those models . kind regards,
speitavino@gmail.com
Like it.
Built many Guillow's kits. Last one was the Zero. I preferred the Sterling kits early on. The best kits ever were made by Airtronics.
That video was fun! Balsa and glue, tissue and dope - what a vital part of growing up and getting old. Nothing beats opening a kit-box and smelling fresh-cut balsa.
Thanks maxsmodels for this..
I still have two of the bi-planes balsa wood Spade and a Fokker. Folding wing glider, jetfire , and a rubber band powered,all are the slide kit.. Hours of fun as a kid... I've learned how to properly pronounce their name.. thanks to your interest.. God bless them for building those awesome kits.. who knows how many children they inspired in to aviation..
In the late 50s-mid 60s, I built over a dozen of both Comet (my favorite) and Guillow kits. None of them flew well, but that besides the point: building and imagining a real plane. Stick n tissue was the way to go. Today, I still have an interest in these types of models.
Might be time to finish the Guillow P-51 me and my dad started years ago. Thanks for the upload!
Ok, you got me this time. I subscribed and hit the bell. Great vids and sooo much fun to watch. Informative and fun. Thanks for taking the time and effort to keep us entertained.
Started building them in the 80s. Still enjoy it.
I've been reading through the comments and some of you say you were fustrated and didn't have enough patience to build a stick and paper airplane. As one of you mentioned, laser cut balsa and CA glue that sets in 5 seconds really is a game changer for construction.
The balsa parts fall out of the panel with just a tap of the finger. Guillows sell an American made CA glue that works a treat. I got a 1/4" (6mm) foam board from Hobby Lobby (and they carry the Guillows balsa materials sets for general hobby work) , a box of T-pins and a roll of Seran Wrap to lay over the plans to keep the CA glue from sticking and I was off to the races. You still need your Xacto knife, sharp scissors, tweezers, a stick of Elmers purple school glue, and some sandpaper.. but not much else.
A lot of Mom and Pop hobby shops have closed and kits may be hard to find in stores. Ditch Amazon and call Guillows directly. Their number is on their excellent web page. A very nice lady is there to take you call.
I wanted green colored paper and Nitrate dope to finish the model. Call Sig Model Products in Iowa and another very nice and helpful lady will fix you right up. Their web page is excellent as well.
Several months ago at Christmas I went to the about the last hobby store in Charlotte. A large and very nice store it was... but if you wanted anything besides RC cars or pre-built RC airplanes you were out of luck. I asked the young guy working there if they had any Nitrate dope... he thought I was looking for drugs! He went to the manager who found a shoebox sized box of airplane dope and thinner tins but it wasn't the type I wanted. I left empty handed and ordered it from Sig.
Cheers from "I only stuck my fingers together 3 times with CA glue" in NC/USA
Just bought the big P-38 to build together with my daughter & then hang up in her 3 year old son's room. Great memories from my youth 😎
I started building balsa model aircraft in 1960 with Guillow's Fokker D.VIII and I've been at it ever since.
Love the Gerry Anderson UFO TV series closing, Max :) Gerry Anderson themed models would be the makings of another UA-cam series LOL. Thanks again for your vids and keep well!
I've built a few , some are more difficult than others. My latest was a Guillows laser cut P 51 D Mustang and even upgraded the rubber motor and prop. It flew pretty good until catching some wind and took a wild turn into a tree and thus snapped a wing. I did repair what I could , but her flying days are over. Now I'm building a 1/24 Airfix Mustang 51-D plastic model. That's turned into quite an undertaking. Identifying parts for that kit is somewhat ridiculous. The design drawings have not been updated since the 70s . Not one of thier best kits. For planes , I think I'll stick to 1/48 or smaller after this. The plane will be beautiful when completed it was just so difficult to assemble "correctly". Thanks for your videos I really enjoy them!
I've only finished ONE balsa & tissue kit. Don't remember now if it was Guillows or Comet but it was a F6F Hellcat. I was about a third of the way through another build when it got wrecked by one of my little brat cousins! Never finished the second one. Maybe now that I'm retired I should find that same kit and build it again!!
Back in the early 60's, my dad would bring home a kit every few months. Loved that quality time on those frigid winter nights, dreaming of spring and flying said models!
I like your SHADOW/UFO music and references! I've always been a Gerry Anderson fan.
The Bird Dog was the only balsa aircraft model I made - built it as a regular Cessna 152 (it crashed) Like I said in the Comet video, my brother was much more into that part of the hobby than me.
I used mostly used balsa for my HO layout (buildings and other structures) as well as other projects too numerous to mention nor for anyone to be bothered by.
I have great childhood memories of the rubber band powered airplanes that we used to buy thanks for that.
I loved every second of flying the balsa wood gliders and rubber-propelled models in 1966-ish. To this day, every time I remember our house and its huge back yard in the Canal Zone, Panama, the models are there, in the delightfully fond memory. That place and time were Paradise on Earth for a child. Even the smell of balsa wood comes to mind, when I remember the place. I hope I can keep those dearest memories, formed almost 60 years ago, till my last moments.
Another wonderful story very well told! Keep 'em coming!
Thanks
I'm 67 years old and I can't estimate how many of the balsa wood gliders I bought for a dime each. Adjusting for inflation, I think today it would be a tidy little sum. lol
i,am old guy to ,great kits ,oh my the good old day,s. old as dirt. ha ha
I'm 63 and remember the wooden gliders and rubber band powered planes! This video takes me way back....
i paid a 100 for my last kit 2 years ago . the corsair large scale
59 here, to be honest, they were the perfect grab item. Way better than penny candy and it'd keep you going for hours. I remember painting them up and having mock battles in the field. Great exercise too...you'd toss the thing then chase after it to toss it again.
I used to suspect the metal nose weights were magnetic. Every one I flew inevitably ended up in the metal rainspouts on our roof!
Brings back a lot of fond memories, I grew up with many of these. I even built some of the bigger models. Unfortunately a fire put an end to all my modeling dreams. I have been thinking of getting a kit lately, never knew that they were made in massachusetts, where I grew up. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for the informative video. I’ve built a number of Guillows, and the Fairchild is still one of my favorites, I’ve built 2. Beautiful and a great flyer. I may just have to buy a 3rd. I’ve started collecting some of these stick and tissue kits, and have a few from peck polymers
Eric Howell The Fairchild is a nice model and flyer. I still have mine.
I spent a small fortune on those slide-together kits. With and without the rubber band prop. Played with them until they couldn't be played with any more. I tried the stick and paper kits a few times but I always ruined the plastic pieces. I could never cut them out of the sheet without having the overwhelming urge to trim them...and it's not quite even so trim it again. And again. And again. And now it's ruined...sigh...
Gallows made some of the greatest scale model airplanes I ever built in my life. I have put several of these together, especially the big ones. P 38. What a beautiful plane P 47 thunderbolt B-17 bomber all of these kits went together beautiful I’ve actually displayed them in some of them museums and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I moved there with my wife and I was a scale model builder at the time. Thanks for such great craftsmanship. I love it every once in a while I get the urge to build another one ha ha but I can’t quit playing guitar long enough to build one ha ha that’s my new hobby now and I love music been doing it longer than I’ve been building models, thanks for your video. Thanks for your wonderful airplanes. Have a great day. Love it.❤️👍😄😎😁🤣
Nice to know they still around and not absorbed by another company. Digging the UFO theme.
;)
In 2008 (or thereabouts) Guillows planned to offer laser cut kits for their 500 series models. I did the beta test build for their laser cut Stuka. I have no connection to Guillows other than building and flying their models. It was simply a unique volunteer opportunity and a privilege.
I just finished the Cessna 172 making it radio control. The new park motors, receiver's, micro servos are perfectfor these old models. I was given the model and it was pre laser cut which brought back a lot of my building skills. My dad built a slew of these planes back in the 60s and I can remember all of them. They were all built with ambroid glue and tissue. You could only assemble a few parts every night because you had to wait a day for the glue to harden. Today you can build a fuselage and wings in one night with these amazing CA glues. I hope they continue to manufacture these great planes for years to come. I also hope there is a revival of scratch building. Foam don't get you home.
Awesome video, I still collect these and built and fly them, thanks for sharing
I currently have a Guillows FW-190 that I built into an RC airplane. Electric li-po powered with balsa skin. It flies okay but I break it a lot. I also have smaller rubber band powered FW-190 and p-40. I built probably 10 of them as a kid and those 3 as an adult. The joy is definitely in the building.
I'm 67 and bought mu first Guillows kit when I was ll. It was the Nieuport 11. Cost $2.98 plus shipping. Right now I'm building the P-51 for control line with the Cox .049. Have built about 2 dozen of their kits.
Thanks again.I'm 66 and I rember when I always went to the 5 & dime to buy my model cars & toy cars & balsa airplanes .with rubber band & prop to fly the plane ✈ that was the good old days.👌 👌 and my match box cars .witch I still have.
Hi Max's, Thanks for this history on Guillow's. Yes I've built many of their WW2 stick & tissue kits. My personal favorite was the WW1 Fokker Dr.1 Triplane. I built all of my kits as static models. Cheers, Rich S.
Love MAXMODELS. My first kit was the Aurora p40 flying tiger. 1968 . Been building models ever since. Monogram, Revell. Tamils whatever caught my eye. Even the simplest kits. Putting as much detail as I could... LOVE IT
Laser cutting changed the game. Build time reduced and accuracy increased. With CA glue, you can work as fast as you care to and still get a good result.
I used to love the 10 cent gliders with the plastic pilot/canopy insert in the early 60s. The TG&Y sold one balsa plane for 5 cents that had a plastic piece that was pushed on top of the fuselage and the two wings pushed into it. Didn't have much money as a kid, so the 10 cent Guillow was usually out of my reach, financially.
I built so many of the 16 to 20 inch wingspan kits. I had gut issues and was off work for months and they kept me sane. Whenever I was having a good day I'd walk down to the local train shop and he had an assortment of them upstairs.
I had them all on my dresser years later and 2 moves. I was living with 2 guys in a townhouse and one brought over his brother and his kids. The little girl was fascinated with the stuka so I gave it to her...she was about 7 and was tickled pink.....
I have to say though pricing them out, they're a little costly now.
I think my very first one was a P51 mustang. I botched the canopy completely but as everything, the more practice I had, the better I got.
I spotted the kits by accident in a ”gadget” shop one summer in the 90s. Thought the price was wrong by a factor of 5. ”How can it be so cheap?” Started with the Hurricane. Have been longing for those days ever since, started the rc hobby again a couple years ago. I love how the kits look the same.
I never knew it was pronounced "Gwillows" not "Geelows"... thanks for that! Loved and flew a ton of those, few sucessfully, but had a great time and learned so many skills along the way... Thanks Mr. Guillows!
Just making my way through your series of documentaries. Very Good! However, I did not expect the UFO theme to end the Guillows vid. nice touch!
As a kid, I had several of the simple gliders, like the Jetfire.
I had their balsa&tissue F6F Hellcat and Curtiss P-40, and the larger Piper Cub. As an experiment, I built the Hellcat using kitchen aluminum foil instead of tissue. It worked, but was definitely heavier than it needed to be.
I remember Guillow's fondly.
Are you related to that famous family?
@@donolinger6904 Which family? Revell Models isn't a family name, but a derivation of a French word. I have no connection to the company.
Ahh good ol balsa! Many a pyrotechnic adventures after failed attempts at flight. Leftover firecrackers and a downed Guillow on a hot July afternoon! Good times....Good times! Keep them vids flying Max!
Great video as always, Thanks!
My favorite Guillows kit was the @26 inch Me109, which was gigantic for a kid used to building 1/72 scale plastic models. I put so much time into building it that I was afraid to fly it. Guillows kits were my favorite balsa kits as they had the most details, but were always too heavy (at least the way I built them!) to fly well, if at all.
For Guillows electric conversions that both look and fly great, check out the Jagpanther9 UA-cam channel. He built the B-17, B-24, P-38 and B-29 and a few others and even added retracts, no easy feat on such relatively small models.
I have seen it. He is way better than me.
Love the BSG reference “Frak”!!
The outro music reminds me of a 1960’s show “Fireball XL-5”.
Same maker, Gerry Anderson, UFO
😁 was thinking of the Ryan "Fireball". Legion that was gone by my time.
I've always loved the simplicity and flying characteristics of guillows kits. However, I've gravitated towards Dumas models for a bit of extra challenge. great video, cheers