My father was a USAF aircraft crew chief and electronics technician. He taught me how to read instructions, specifically the rather complicated and precise Lindberg motor instructions. Mine always worked, especially after the first one Dad helped me build. He explained that this was a single pole motor and needed a little rotation to get started. In a later career, I had my science students building single pole motors! I Love those Lberg motorized kits.
Lived in the area and worked at a hobby shop in the area. Was always torn between Lindberg and Monogram, both being local companies. Had a family friend that worked for Lindberg, who got me a nice discount on the Blue Devil destroyer.
...also, I got the Lindberg Flying Saucer for Christmas in 1956. The modern re-releases of this model leave out one thing. The two "engines" on the saucer each had a flame exhaust of transparent fluorescent red plastic, that glued into the exhaust ports. Really cool looking.
Thanks for a great trip down memory lane! I built model cars from all of the companies, but I hated those Revell bodies with the three-piece bodies. they always pulled apart when I tried to stretch them over the chassis. Finally, an old timer told me to glue one side on after fitting the body to the side (duh!) I'm 65 now with more than 40 stashed kits. I do a lot of kit bashing with quite a bit of detail so each build takes a while. It'll be a race to finish them all before I fall of the perch!
Great company, thanks for the video. It's the first time I've heard an explanation for the '34 Ford pickup. Now Round 2 has it in the Amt box again. I have one of those Hawk Graf Zeppelin kits, it's huge, so it was produced. I have one of those electric motors in a bag but never tried assembling it. I had the '70s version of the hot rod Ford pickup and noticed it had extra parts like gears and holes in the bed floor and figured it was motorized at one time.
I started making plastic model airplane kits in 1955, when I was 5. I couldn't read yet, but I only had to look as the instructions to see how to assemble the model. Once finished, I'd hang them from my bedroom ceiling with thread and a thumbtack. I was making models until my early teens. Total fun.
Good video, thanks. I learned a lot here. Growing up in the 60s, Lindberg always seemed like a real second-tier company compared with the majors, and we didn't pay that much attention. One correction: not all model kit companies did badly in slot cars: Revell, Monogram, Cox and a few others did very well for a few years. But companies like Lindberg or Hawk, who entered the market timidly and with poorly designed products, never managed to break through, even during the hottest fad period.
Ah, the days when my mom used to drag me to the dime store to buy fabric and sewing supplies. I didn't mind as I had the model aisle waiting on the other side of the store. A bunch of change burning a hole in my pocket and I was one happy kid with a new model to build. Lindberg, Revell, Monogram, Hawk, AMT, MPC to name a few -- I built them all and enjoyed playing with them together with my friends. I've even saved all my old instruction sheets! My first model was the Revell 1:72 Fw 190 / P-51D kit back in 1969. I built the Fw and my father built the Mustang.
We led parallel lives! Often yearn for the days when I built kits for FUN, without worrying about scale, authenticity or other concerns that have stretched assembly/paint times from days into months (at least for me!). Also, no stash...buy 'em, build 'em was the norm back then.
@@richardklug822 [ Penned with a smile on my face ] I vividly remember building a P-40, brush painting it in red, white and blue and being frustrated that the glue and paint weren't dry by the time I was done painting because I was ready to play.
@@pastorrich7436 You know there seems to be a lot more social acceptance in the world for people who have a stash hidden away somewhere than for people who build "toy airplanes" lol. Touchy subject i`m sure but there it is. Somehow i know that feeling by heart. Take care fellow stash builder ;->)
I remember the Squadron stores . Originally owned and operated by WW2 pilots. They accepted dioramas for display . They also had a body putty like car repair companies used for filler. They carried high quality paints, brushes and tools . But there weren't a lot of them , the one for Maryland was in Silver Spring. They closed some time in the mid 70's
As I recall, a lot of odd scale kits were dictated by the size of the boxing and packaging. Also dictated by the original build up leading to a master mold.
I received a Lindberg Line HO scale train set for Christmas 1962. It was an excellent set (especially for its time) that set the hook on me and the HO scale model train hobby. One boxcar from my original set survived and has seen service on every HO layout I've ever built and continues to roll up the miles today! Over the past several years, I also acquired many Lindberg Lines HO train items. Lindberg Line HO trains hold a special spot in my memory.
I remember a lot of those old Lindberg kits. Had the motorized Hood, Bismarck, and Tirpitz. I also remember building those kit motors and they would always wobbel when run. Could never get the winding of the wire correct. Back then we did not care about scale, details, correct colours to paint; they were fun times. Thanks for posting.
@M P Yes, A lot of fun in those old kits. I save for the Bismarck for a long time. I got the Hood as a birthday present. With the ships it was interesting seeing how they got the turrets to rotate.
In the 60's if you were a circle track model builder,there was almost nothing available.Lindberg had a pair of kits called "california sportsman" they were released several times under different names.They were the only kits around of any short track open wheel cars.Lindberg in our area was seldom carried by hobby shops,but usually department stores and drug stores.We would scour every small town drug stores trying to find these kits to either build as issued or for parts source for building sprint cars-great memories!!
Great video! My almost 90 year mom enjoyed watching this, she has seen all the fun us kids had with model kits and even remembers the Lindberg Line name. I have to sub!
A tiny Frankford (chain of grocers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) corner grocery store featured Lindberg's kits circa 1963-1973 or so. This was also in the era when a dime would get any kid a sizable bag of penny candy. I can still picture those model kits and "the Lindberg line" logo in memory.
On my first visit to the United States Air Force museum at Wright Patterson AFB (I think in 1964), I purchased the model of the Winnie May by Lindberg. The box art of Lindberg modeling always caught my attention.
Thanks for the history. When I was growing up Lindberg kits were a staple. I think I built every one of their 1/72 scale WW2 aircraft. I did not have access to a local hobby shop but my local drug store kept me well supplied in Lindberg kits and Testors glue and Pactra paints. There were a number of kits I had never seen before like armor kits. Most of the armor kits I built were the Aurora ones.
Thank you for the video. I started building models around 1964 before I was a teenager. There were 4 stores in town that had kits: a Grants, a stationery store, a luncheonette, and a card store. They carried Revell (and Monogram), Aurora, Lindberg, and UPC, respectively. Lindberg was always the cheapest: 39 cents for the little P-51, Me-109, etc., but they were the worst quality (except for some UPC planes). The motors were not worth the effort. I built a couple that barely worked, but couldn't afford batteries. Circa 1965-68 they came out with about a dozen pretty decent 1/72 WWII planes (He100, Me163, etc). Lindberg ship kits were generally poor, but they had a great variety: aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyer escorts, pt boats, an oiler, an LSD, LST, LCI, and one other landing craft. Lindberg's main criterion for many ship kits is they had to be 12 inches long to fit in the box. Obviously there were many exceptions. Thanks for mentioning the main box artist of the 1950s and 60s. They also had some superb box art by John Steel after Aurora left the market. This is the third video of yours that I have seen and I enjoyed them all.
I loved those huge battleship kits they had with the motors and the robotic plastic beams that controlled the rudder to turn the ship in various patterns
Yes. Bismarck rotated her guns to broadside and elevated them under that same control. I remember the motors you had to build up but iirc this ship used a pre-assembled motor.
Nice to hear "Craft House" in this. I knew of their presence in my town but never knew the company started the "paint-by-number" craze until I read of the guy who perfected the craft that passed away a while back.
I had so many plastic model kits as a farm kid, many of which were Lindbergh. I thought the Revell kits might have been better made, but the Lindbergh and Aurora kits were more fun, and offered more obscure types, such as that Landing Ship shown on the video. It never occurred to me to treat my finished products with respect (setting them afire or blowing them up, etc.) because they were toys to us. *Sigh*
I buildt an Arado 234 in the early 1970th, a little bit later The Lindberg Line disappeared from the market in Germany ! In the late 70th, the Arado 234 was soled by Revell...
My favorite Lindberg kit was the 1/8 scale Exterminator dragster back in the 1960’s.You could build it with either one or two engines.They re issued it years later.
When I was a kid 1967-69 I built a Lindberg Stuka with an electrical motor, and you have to build the motor yourself, Winding Cooper Wire around the ancor magnets which you have to put together And build the motor, it was pure fun and when the propeller starts to spin when I connect the battery 😎 it was totally satisfaction 😀
I got that same Stuka kit but was frustrated that I could not get the motor to work. That was my one and only (disappointing) experience with a Lindberg kit. After that, it was either Revell, Monogram or better yet, one of the Japanese brands: Tamiya, Hasegawa, Nichimo, etc. I particularly liked the Japanese kits as they standardized around using pre-built Mabuchi motors for just about everything.
Yes another good one. Finally, after decades, I find out. I had the Blue Devil Destroyer. It was given to me and I repainted her as USS The Sulivans. I also had those space kits too.
I never cared much for the Lindberg Line of model cars, but I did have "Jersey Bounce" and "Lindy Hop" , both of which were generic hot rod designs. As a pre-teen in the early '60s, those were the models I'd buy when I didn't have enough money to get an AMT or Monogram kit. I always remember the cautionary advice in the paper instructions of any Lindberg model: "Using lacquer paints could craze the surface of the model"... But I did learn how to wind an armature, a skill I still have today! Oh, yeah, there was a dead spot on the commutator which functioned as the on-off switch. Cheesy AF!!
Put me down as someone who did get one of those motors to run. I can't remember the car model (It was a hot rod) but the motor did work. It was pretty hit and miss as the commutator connections were very narrow so you had to give the car a bit of a push to get the motor to spin and get the brushes to make contact. Nice idea but bad implementation. Again, another great video. I must see if I can find a Mindy Lindy model that I made way way back. (It was probably tossed, but who knows.)
I have watched many of your videos. At the most your research and history presentation is greatly done for all modelers. In the 1960's I assembled many two dollar models. Planes and cars. Appreciate your lecture.
We had a Lindbergh plastics plant here in my Northen Michigan Home up until the 1990's. I dont think they were planes. I never realized they were even there until the company I worked for sent me there to pick up a load of plastic pellets for our company. Sad that part of that history is forever gone.
I had Lindberg's Bismarck battleship model in the mid 70's. It had an assembled motor that, ran on a single D battery. I modded mine two take 2 batteries, LOL!
I had several of those lindberg models as a kid including a few of the motorized ones. I always got mine to work though as I also built and fixed rc cars so that kinda helped I guess,lol. My older brother had that Chevy S-10 lowrider,I believe he had all the lowrider cars they made if I remember as he was really into the scene at the time.
I collected many of the Mini Lindy models and even adapted some to run on my Aurora AFX slot car chassis’ . I remember having a ford van that fit pretty well and the kids wondering where I got it...
I am glad to hear that about the motors. I never got one to work. Never. Why wouldn't they work? I thought it was me for all these 40+ nearly 50 years.
My did worked but after about 5 tries. The secret was that the copper wire had to fully scraped where it was attached to the inside parts. If it wasn't completely scaped. It never worked.
@@Edubarca46 Thank you! I bought those models and thought, "oh wow", it has a motor. I had several and none of them worked. I think my dad may have even tried to put one together and it didn't work either. Now I know.
The wire was armature wire with a varnished coating as insulator . If it was compromised during wrap of armature it would short out. If you did not remove the varnish at connection points you would have an open connection . Not many kids has the expertise to build those motors.
I can’t recall which model I received the motor in, but I set it aside, took the magnets out, and threw the rest away. Too hard for me to make, I just wanted to build the model and play with it. As for the magnets, I’m 70 and still play with magnets!
I never had a problem with these motors. If you removed the enamel insulation from the wire, where it connected to the commutator, and twisted it securely...the motors would run. They were NOT designed to be self-starting, however. The commutator had a wide-enough spacing on it, that it would (and did) act as an on/ off switch. They were intended to be "push-started" into operation. Once they were turning, the momentum would carry the commutator past the wide area...and the motor would continue to run. For those so inclined...quickly soldering the wire to the commutator, was the ultimate answer. You had to be quick...and use a TINY amount of solder. They were "flea-powered" little motors, to say the least....but I built a lot of them, and they ran.
I built a Lindberg Vought F-8 Crusader as a kid. Missing from the kit was the hinged frame for the canopy that allowed it to open, and the clear plastic canopy itself. The instructions advised that if any parts were missing, to write the company in Skokie and they would mail replacements. So I did and true to their word, a tiny box arrived in the mail a week or two later and I was able to build the kit. Only years later did I learn what Skokie Nazis were. I’ll always associate Skokie with Lindberg. RIP Mr. Lindberg, wherever you are.
I've must have built approximately 50 or 80 Blue Devil Destroyers in my younger days not one or two for myself but for older guys ( at that time ) that served onboard a Fletcher class Destroyer from W W - 2 , Korea and Vietnam .
I have no idea of the scale of the german armored car. Not only is incredibly innacurate but the car is enormous! I guess close to 1/28. And the 4 figures are dwarves around 1/48.
I grew up near the Lindberg factory in the 60s and met Paul Lindberg. He used to drive around in a little one passenger car with a red leather covered body.
Muchas gracias!!!!!!!!!! Excellent as usual and yes, a very interesting company. You didn't mention Paulette's involvement with Playboy, well............that's another story. I'm referring, obviously to Paulette Lindberg, daughter of Paul. As additional comment, Some Lindberg moulds were also produced by a Mexican company called Pegaso, mostly the very old civil aircraft and the first racers. One wonders where are these moulds today. Keep up the good work and all the very best. EDUARDO
I saw your post on that...gotta keep youtube rules in mind. Besides, once a lot of boys learned about girls they traded kit models for playboy model ;)
Love the use of Ballroom Blitz at the end. Had the 45 rpm record and played it to death while building wood and paper ww 1 models and styrene jet fighters. Drove my parents nuts with it.
Built a number of Lindbergh kits including the Bismark and Blue Devil--which was destroyed by a sibling before it could be sailed. The Me-163 Komet kits always seemed to be missing a window IIRC.
I wonder if the reason for some of the odd scales within the Lindberg range was that the unfamiliar scales related to kits that were originally produced by the other kit companies that Lindberg absorbed or acquired molds from. I mention this because I was watching another historical video that was focusing on Airfix, and the narrator was commenting on some kits that broke the pattern of scales that Airfix normally used. When I was looking at some of the kits that were being shown at the time, these appeared to be kits that have been produced over this side of The Pond by other companies, so again perhaps the uncommon scales were an indication of the provenance of the kit in question. By the way, I'm really enjoying these mini histories, and have shared links to these on the Aurora All Plastic Assembly Facebook page.
I was a Monogram boy. The Lindberg line never caught my attention as a kid although I did build a few the first one was the P-80 that was coated with that aluminum which you had to scrape the edges to get the glue stick.
I stopped making plastic models when the Testors company changed their formula, the new "Sniff Proof" glue would not bond the pieces together. I still have an incomplete model in my closet c.1968
I still have the Bugatti Royale that I built over 50 years ago. when I saw the actual car at the Henry Ford museum, I took a bunch of pictures and compared them to the model. The model is 100% accurate, right down to the four carburetors. It's moulded n the same pale yellow colour as the actual car but the cars paint is faded. Still runs, too.
A very nice addition to your history of models series. I like the music AFTER the story during the “showcase” as in the episode. That lets us appreciate your selection at full volume. Keep up the good work.
In the 60's I had a plastic formula 1 model, but it was unique. The kit came with a wired remote control, batteries went into the control unit, motor was in model. I think it went front/backwards and steered. This was a kit. Anyone remember it? I can't seem to find any references on the internet. I don't remember who made it. Thanks in advance.
I got one of those wretched motors to work later in life as a teen. Once I discovered Tamiya and other Japanese kits that came with pre assembled motors I never looked back.
I actually got one of the build it yourself electric motors to work. (a ship I think) My Dad help build the motor. The biggest issue was winding the armature.
I built plastic in the 1960s, including some Lindbergs. They were always more variable in quality and never quite as nice as their Monogram and Revell competitors.. I especially like the instruction in that Lindberg P-80: "Push the pilot figure down in the cockpit so it doesn't hit the canopy."
Hated the Lindberg German airplane kit I tried to build in the 60's. It was crude, came in this really weird green color and the plastic seemed really soft. Regular model cement would really attack the plastic. Even by 60's standards, the box art seemed dated and made their product appear as being rather dated. Just my take, YMMV.
I was in grade school and the motor was supposed to lend sound effect to the jet fighter model. I believe I did everything right up to the point of soldering the wires onto the commutator. I didn't have access to a soldering gun. Also, looking back at it, I don't recall cleaning coating off the ends of the wires either. I don't believe I understood that is was electrical insulation.
I still got four Linberg models: a tiger I, a Stalin tank (IS-3) and a centurion, all "motorized" with a plastic and rubber band motor that didn't really work and the Statue of Liberty that is still in the box.
Another fascinating video. Such a multiplicity of scales, and diversity of subjects. As for the electric motors, you were expected to wind your own armatures, etc? Thanks Max, great stuff.
Speaking of Lindberg and scales, I'm still po'ed about Lindberg's Monitor and Merrimack kit, which contained the two ships in two totally different scales.
Maxmodels Max: Paul Wilhelm Lindberg was born on either April 27 or 29, 1907, in Omaha, Nebreska. He grew up in the Chicago area. He passed away in Florida in 1977. Do you need more info?
I really appreciate knowing that it wasn't me that fouled up the electric motor in my Stuka kit! I can still see it, and remember well what a disappointment it was that the prop wouldn't spin!
I really appreciate your videos on the companies that made the models I grew up building in the 70s . I never new the history of these companies till now. Do you have a video on Johan models?
Ships, submarines, airplanes, jets, rockets, helicopters, cars, trucks, I even built a model of the creature from the black lagoon. Hahaha enjoyed them all. Then I got into Estes model rockets. Almost 70 now and still building model cars. Life is good.
Great series of videos. Love watching them and learning about these companies. I grew up in the 1960s and 70s building model aircraft. Only one minor critique; your narration volume is very low. I need to turn up my speaker to about 80%, but then at the end you start the music and blow out my eardrums 😉
Great video...! Think about the motor.. used in wooden ship models..! Great.. And bit sad I have only a few kits from Lindberg near me.. the only provider is Amazon India.. hope can find more.. Million thanks for the video...
My father was a USAF aircraft crew chief and electronics technician. He taught me how to read instructions, specifically the rather complicated and precise Lindberg motor instructions. Mine always worked, especially after the first one Dad helped me build. He explained that this was a single pole motor and needed a little rotation to get started. In a later career, I had my science students building single pole motors! I Love those Lberg motorized kits.
Lived in the area and worked at a hobby shop in the area. Was always torn between Lindberg and Monogram, both being local companies. Had a family friend that worked for Lindberg, who got me a nice discount on the Blue Devil destroyer.
...also, I got the Lindberg Flying Saucer for Christmas in 1956. The modern re-releases of this model leave out one thing. The two "engines" on the saucer each had a flame exhaust of transparent fluorescent red plastic, that glued into the exhaust ports. Really cool looking.
Max, I have to say, I *love* your historical mini-documentaries. You make my feel like I'm ten again. Well done, mate. I hope you keep it up!
Due to price point, this was my favorite brand of model. Thanks for the memories
This needs no background music--thanks. And thanks for the time and effort you put into this!
I am removing music from all future videos.
@@maxsmodels
GREAT IDEA.!!!
Thanks.
Thank you for not including background music. It made this trip down memory lane much more enjoyable
Thanks for a great trip down memory lane! I built model cars from all of the companies, but I hated those Revell bodies with the three-piece bodies. they always pulled apart when I tried to stretch them over the chassis. Finally, an old timer told me to glue one side on after fitting the body to the side (duh!) I'm 65 now with more than 40 stashed kits. I do a lot of kit bashing with quite a bit of detail so each build takes a while. It'll be a race to finish them all before I fall of the perch!
Thank you for this awesome great video it’s good to know the history of and how theses plastic models started to get made and coming out
Great company, thanks for the video. It's the first time I've heard an explanation for the '34 Ford pickup. Now Round 2 has it in the Amt box again. I have one of those Hawk Graf Zeppelin kits, it's huge, so it was produced. I have one of those electric motors in a bag but never tried assembling it. I had the '70s version of the hot rod Ford pickup and noticed it had extra parts like gears and holes in the bed floor and figured it was motorized at one time.
I started making plastic model airplane kits in 1955, when I was 5. I couldn't read yet, but I only had to look as the instructions to see how to assemble the model. Once finished, I'd hang them from my bedroom ceiling with thread and a thumbtack. I was making models until my early teens. Total fun.
Good video, thanks. I learned a lot here. Growing up in the 60s, Lindberg always seemed like a real second-tier company compared with the majors, and we didn't pay that much attention. One correction: not all model kit companies did badly in slot cars: Revell, Monogram, Cox and a few others did very well for a few years. But companies like Lindberg or Hawk, who entered the market timidly and with poorly designed products, never managed to break through, even during the hottest fad period.
Excellent research. Great camera work and editing. Outstanding presentation! Bravo!!! Thank you.
Ah, the days when my mom used to drag me to the dime store to buy fabric and sewing supplies. I didn't mind as I had the model aisle waiting on the other side of the store. A bunch of change burning a hole in my pocket and I was one happy kid with a new model to build. Lindberg, Revell, Monogram, Hawk, AMT, MPC to name a few -- I built them all and enjoyed playing with them together with my friends. I've even saved all my old instruction sheets! My first model was the Revell 1:72 Fw 190 / P-51D kit back in 1969. I built the Fw and my father built the Mustang.
So you mean to tell me you didn`t build a huge stash?
@@mybluebelly You're on to me! I only built a huge stash once I got older. Now the basement resembles a hobby shop of my own.
We led parallel lives! Often yearn for the days when I built kits for FUN, without worrying about scale, authenticity or other concerns that have stretched assembly/paint times from days into months (at least for me!). Also, no stash...buy 'em, build 'em was the norm back then.
@@richardklug822 [ Penned with a smile on my face ] I vividly remember building a P-40, brush painting it in red, white and blue and being frustrated that the glue and paint weren't dry by the time I was done painting because I was ready to play.
@@pastorrich7436 You know there seems to be a lot more social acceptance in the world for people who have a stash hidden away somewhere than for people who build "toy airplanes" lol. Touchy subject i`m sure but there it is. Somehow i know that feeling by heart. Take care fellow stash builder ;->)
I remember the Squadron stores . Originally owned and operated by WW2 pilots. They accepted dioramas for display . They also had a body putty like car repair companies used for filler. They carried high quality paints, brushes and tools . But there weren't a lot of them , the one for Maryland was in Silver Spring. They closed some time in the mid 70's
As I recall, a lot of odd scale kits were dictated by the size of the boxing and packaging. Also dictated by the original build up leading to a master mold.
I believe you are correct
Glad to know I wasn't the only one not being able to get those motor kits to work.
I received a Lindberg Line HO scale train set for Christmas 1962. It was an excellent set (especially for its time) that set the hook on me and the HO scale model train hobby. One boxcar from my original set survived and has seen service on every HO layout I've ever built and continues to roll up the miles today! Over the past several years, I also acquired many Lindberg Lines HO train items. Lindberg Line HO trains hold a special spot in my memory.
Those were the days! (i.e. the 50s and 60s). I lament the disappearance of the local hobby shop. 😢
I remember a lot of those old Lindberg kits. Had the motorized Hood, Bismarck, and Tirpitz. I also remember building those kit motors and they would always wobbel when run. Could never get the winding of the wire correct. Back then we did not care about scale, details, correct colours to paint; they were fun times. Thanks for posting.
@M P Yes, A lot of fun in those old kits. I save for the Bismarck for a long time. I got the Hood as a birthday present. With the ships it was interesting seeing how they got the turrets to rotate.
In the 60's if you were a circle track model builder,there was almost nothing available.Lindberg had a pair of kits called "california sportsman" they were released several times under different names.They were the only kits around of any short track open wheel cars.Lindberg in our area was seldom carried by hobby shops,but usually department stores and drug stores.We would scour every small town drug stores trying to find these kits to either build as issued or for parts source for building sprint cars-great memories!!
Growing up in the 50s our house was filled with
model kits... What a great trip down memory lane.
Great video! My almost 90 year mom enjoyed watching this, she has seen all the fun us kids had with model kits and even remembers the Lindberg Line name. I have to sub!
A tiny Frankford (chain of grocers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) corner grocery store featured Lindberg's kits circa 1963-1973 or so. This was also in the era when a dime would get any kid a sizable bag of penny candy. I can still picture those model kits and "the Lindberg line" logo in memory.
On my first visit to the United States Air Force museum at Wright Patterson AFB (I think in 1964), I purchased the model of the Winnie May by Lindberg. The box art of Lindberg modeling always caught my attention.
Thanks for the history.
When I was growing up Lindberg kits were a staple. I think I built every one of their 1/72 scale WW2 aircraft. I did not have access to a local hobby shop but my local drug store kept me well supplied in Lindberg kits and Testors glue and Pactra paints. There were a number of kits I had never seen before like armor kits. Most of the armor kits I built were the Aurora ones.
A bit of unusual Paul Lindbergh trivia: His daughter Linda was a Playboy playmate in the late 1960’s.
She's listed as Paulette, and it's the October 1969 cover.
Thank you for the video. I started building models around 1964 before I was a teenager. There were 4 stores in town that had kits: a Grants, a stationery store, a luncheonette, and a card store. They carried Revell (and Monogram), Aurora, Lindberg, and UPC, respectively. Lindberg was always the cheapest: 39 cents for the little P-51, Me-109, etc., but they were the worst quality (except for some UPC planes). The motors were not worth the effort. I built a couple that barely worked, but couldn't afford batteries. Circa 1965-68 they came out with about a dozen pretty decent 1/72 WWII planes (He100, Me163, etc). Lindberg ship kits were generally poor, but they had a great variety: aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyer escorts, pt boats, an oiler, an LSD, LST, LCI, and one other landing craft. Lindberg's main criterion for many ship kits is they had to be 12 inches long to fit in the box. Obviously there were many exceptions. Thanks for mentioning the main box artist of the 1950s and 60s. They also had some superb box art by John Steel after Aurora left the market. This is the third video of yours that I have seen and I enjoyed them all.
I love all of your videos, well done!
I loved those huge battleship kits they had with the motors and the robotic plastic beams that controlled the rudder to turn the ship in various patterns
Yes. Bismarck rotated her guns to broadside and elevated them under that same control. I remember the motors you had to build up but iirc this ship used a pre-assembled motor.
Fabulous box art - museum worthy.
I was a REVEL kid me and my Dad were in the master model builders club by the time I was 12, I must have built 300 of them, lost art, lots of fun.....
Nice to hear "Craft House" in this. I knew of their presence in my town but never knew the company started the "paint-by-number" craze until I read of the guy who perfected the craft that passed away a while back.
I had so many plastic model kits as a farm kid, many of which were Lindbergh. I thought the Revell kits might have been better made, but the Lindbergh and Aurora kits were more fun, and offered more obscure types, such as that Landing Ship shown on the video. It never occurred to me to treat my finished products with respect (setting them afire or blowing them up, etc.) because they were toys to us. *Sigh*
Neat. I have got a few Lindberg kits in the stash. The HS129, ME163) almost finished, has been like that for years) and the "Winnie Mae.".
I buildt an Arado 234 in the early 1970th, a little bit later The Lindberg Line disappeared from the market in Germany ! In the late 70th, the Arado 234 was soled by Revell...
My favorite Lindberg kit was the 1/8 scale Exterminator dragster back in the 1960’s.You could build it with either one or two engines.They re issued it years later.
When I was a kid 1967-69 I built a Lindberg Stuka with an electrical motor, and you have to build the motor yourself,
Winding Cooper Wire around the ancor magnets which you have to put together
And build the motor, it was pure fun and when the propeller starts to spin when I connect the battery 😎 it was totally satisfaction 😀
you make only the third person I know o get one to work.
@@maxsmodels yea it was really tough
But I made it in the end 😁
I bought the Stuka around 1964, and no, I did'nt get the motor to work !
I got that same Stuka kit but was frustrated that I could not get the motor to work. That was my one and only (disappointing) experience with a Lindberg kit. After that, it was either Revell, Monogram or better yet, one of the Japanese brands: Tamiya, Hasegawa, Nichimo, etc. I particularly liked the Japanese kits as they standardized around using pre-built Mabuchi motors for just about everything.
Yes another good one. Finally, after decades, I find out. I had the Blue Devil Destroyer. It was given to me and I repainted her as USS The Sulivans. I also had those space kits too.
Well researched presentation. Excellent, no background music during narration, enjoyed the musical blast at the end though.
I never cared much for the Lindberg Line of model cars, but I did have "Jersey Bounce" and "Lindy Hop" , both of which were generic hot rod designs. As a pre-teen in the early '60s, those were the models I'd buy when I didn't have enough money to get an AMT or Monogram kit. I always remember the cautionary advice in the paper instructions of any Lindberg model: "Using lacquer paints could craze the surface of the model"... But I did learn how to wind an armature, a skill I still have today! Oh, yeah, there was a dead spot on the commutator which functioned as the on-off switch. Cheesy AF!!
Put me down as someone who did get one of those motors to run. I can't remember the car model (It was a hot rod) but the motor did work. It was pretty hit and miss as the commutator connections were very narrow so you had to give the car a bit of a push to get the motor to spin and get the brushes to make contact. Nice idea but bad implementation.
Again, another great video. I must see if I can find a Mindy Lindy model that I made way way back. (It was probably tossed, but who knows.)
good on ya!
I have watched many of your videos. At the most your research and history presentation is greatly done for all modelers. In the 1960's I assembled many two dollar models. Planes and cars. Appreciate your lecture.
We had a Lindbergh plastics plant here in my Northen Michigan Home up until the 1990's. I dont think they were planes. I never realized they were even there until the company I worked for sent me there to pick up a load of plastic pellets for our company. Sad that part of that history is forever gone.
I had Lindberg's Bismarck battleship model in the mid 70's. It had an assembled motor that, ran on a single D battery. I modded mine two take 2 batteries, LOL!
I had several of those lindberg models as a kid including a few of the motorized ones. I always got mine to work though as I also built and fixed rc cars so that kinda helped I guess,lol. My older brother had that Chevy S-10 lowrider,I believe he had all the lowrider cars they made if I remember as he was really into the scene at the time.
Another good history Max,
And « Ballroom Blitz »!
Keep up the great presentations!
Had my ass handed to me by the electric motor kit when I was a kid....several times. I'm a worthy opponent now.
I collected many of the Mini Lindy models and even adapted some to run on my Aurora AFX slot car chassis’ . I remember having a ford van that fit pretty well and the kids wondering where I got it...
I'd love to see more model railroad kit manufacturer histories like Varney, Lindberg, Athearn, A.H.M., Tyco, etc.
The plastic models were always a way to keep the youngsters happy!
I am glad to hear that about the motors. I never got one to work. Never. Why wouldn't they work? I thought it was me for all these 40+ nearly 50 years.
My did worked but after about 5 tries. The secret was that the copper wire had to fully scraped where it was attached to the inside parts. If it wasn't completely scaped. It never worked.
@@Edubarca46 Thank you! I bought those models and thought, "oh wow", it has a motor. I had several and none of them worked. I think my dad may have even tried to put one together and it didn't work either. Now I know.
The wire was armature wire with a varnished coating as insulator . If it was compromised during wrap of armature it would short out. If you did not remove the varnish at connection points you would have an open connection . Not many kids has the expertise to build those motors.
I can’t recall which model I received the motor in, but I set it aside, took the magnets out, and threw the rest away. Too hard for me to make, I just wanted to build the model and play with it. As for the magnets, I’m 70 and still play with magnets!
I never had a problem with these motors. If you removed the enamel insulation from the wire, where it connected to the commutator, and twisted it securely...the motors would run. They were NOT designed to be self-starting, however. The commutator had a wide-enough spacing on it, that it would (and did) act as an on/ off switch. They were intended to be "push-started" into operation. Once they were turning, the momentum would carry the commutator past the wide area...and the motor would continue to run. For those so inclined...quickly soldering the wire to the commutator, was the ultimate answer. You had to be quick...and use a TINY amount of solder. They were "flea-powered" little motors, to say the least....but I built a lot of them, and they ran.
Now I have this overwhelming urge to order some Lindberg 1/72 scale aircraft kits.
my work is done 😁😜
I built a Lindberg Vought F-8 Crusader as a kid. Missing from the kit was the hinged frame for the canopy that allowed it to open, and the clear plastic canopy itself. The instructions advised that if any parts were missing, to write the company in Skokie and they would mail replacements. So I did and true to their word, a tiny box arrived in the mail a week or two later and I was able to build the kit. Only years later did I learn what Skokie Nazis were. I’ll always associate Skokie with Lindberg. RIP Mr. Lindberg, wherever you are.
I've must have built approximately 50 or 80 Blue Devil Destroyers in my younger days not one or two for myself but for older guys ( at that time ) that served onboard a Fletcher class Destroyer from W W - 2 , Korea and Vietnam .
I have no idea of the scale of the german armored car. Not only is incredibly innacurate but the car is enormous! I guess close to 1/28. And the 4 figures are dwarves around 1/48.
Lindberg never met a scale they didn't put to work😘
Thank you very much........This well done video brought back many memories........
I grew up near the Lindberg factory in the 60s and met Paul Lindberg. He used to drive around in a little one passenger car with a red leather covered body.
That is wild....I wonder what it was
maxsmodels I was just a kid at the time, but I’m sure it was a one of a kind, homebuilt car.
would love to have some of the art work on those boxes for full wall prints..the art work sold a lot of models...
Muchas gracias!!!!!!!!!! Excellent as usual and yes, a very interesting company. You didn't mention Paulette's involvement with Playboy, well............that's another story. I'm referring, obviously to Paulette Lindberg, daughter of Paul.
As additional comment, Some Lindberg moulds were also produced by a Mexican company called Pegaso, mostly the very old civil aircraft and the first racers. One wonders where are these moulds today.
Keep up the good work and all the very best.
EDUARDO
I saw your post on that...gotta keep youtube rules in mind. Besides, once a lot of boys learned about girls they traded kit models for playboy model ;)
@@maxsmodels As far as I know Paulette never appeared inside the magazine. Only on the covers.
@@Edubarca46 Yes, somewhere in my pile of stuff I have here photo.
Love the use of Ballroom Blitz at the end. Had the 45 rpm record and played it to death while building wood and paper ww 1 models and styrene jet fighters. Drove my parents nuts with it.
Excellent video. Round2 has chosen to release the recent Lindberg automotive kits under the AMT brand and aircraft & boats as Lindberg.
Built a number of Lindbergh kits including the Bismark and Blue Devil--which was destroyed by a sibling before it could be sailed. The Me-163 Komet kits always seemed to be missing a window IIRC.
Thanks again for the trip down memory lane
Thanks for another great, informative video!!
I wonder if the reason for some of the odd scales within the Lindberg range was that the unfamiliar scales related to kits that were originally produced by the other kit companies that Lindberg absorbed or acquired molds from. I mention this because I was watching another historical video that was focusing on Airfix, and the narrator was commenting on some kits that broke the pattern of scales that Airfix normally used. When I was looking at some of the kits that were being shown at the time, these appeared to be kits that have been produced over this side of The Pond by other companies, so again perhaps the uncommon scales were an indication of the provenance of the kit in question.
By the way, I'm really enjoying these mini histories, and have shared links to these on the Aurora All Plastic Assembly Facebook page.
I was a Monogram boy. The Lindberg line never caught my attention as a kid although I did build a few the first one was the P-80 that was coated with that aluminum which you had to scrape the edges to get the glue stick.
I stopped making plastic models when the Testors company changed their formula, the new "Sniff Proof" glue would not bond the pieces together. I still have an incomplete model in my closet c.1968
I still have the Bugatti Royale that I built over 50 years ago. when I saw the actual car at the Henry Ford museum, I took a bunch of pictures and compared them to the model. The model is 100% accurate, right down to the four carburetors. It's moulded n the same pale yellow colour as the actual car but the cars paint is faded. Still runs, too.
A very nice addition to your history of models series. I like the music AFTER the story during the “showcase” as in the episode. That lets us appreciate your selection at full volume. Keep up the good work.
In the 60's I had a plastic formula 1 model, but it was unique. The kit came with a wired remote control, batteries went into the control unit, motor was in model. I think it went front/backwards and steered. This was a kit. Anyone remember it? I can't seem to find any references on the internet. I don't remember who made it. Thanks in advance.
I got one of those wretched motors to work later in life as a teen. Once I discovered Tamiya and other Japanese kits that came with pre assembled motors I never looked back.
Very nicely done!
Revell quit putting swastikas on WW2 German plane models as well.
I actually got one of the build it yourself electric motors to work. (a ship I think) My Dad help build the motor. The biggest issue was winding the armature.
I built plastic in the 1960s, including some Lindbergs. They were always more variable in quality and never quite as nice as their Monogram and Revell competitors..
I especially like the instruction in that Lindberg P-80: "Push the pilot figure down in the cockpit so it doesn't hit the canopy."
Had their F-8 Crusader. It had a rubberband catapult ejection seat. You had to add your own parachute to the pilot.
Hated the Lindberg German airplane kit I tried to build in the 60's. It was crude, came in this really weird green color and the plastic seemed really soft. Regular model cement would really attack the plastic. Even by 60's standards, the box art seemed dated and made their product appear as being rather dated. Just my take, YMMV.
So, I wasn't the only kid who couldn't get those electric motor kits to work.
I was in grade school and the motor was supposed to lend sound effect to the jet fighter model. I believe I did everything right up to the point of soldering the wires onto the commutator. I didn't have access to a soldering gun. Also, looking back at it, I don't recall cleaning coating off the ends of the wires either. I don't believe I understood that is was electrical insulation.
@@eugenepolan1750 me too. Back in the 60s when I was a kid I couldn't get that motor to work.
I still got four Linberg models: a tiger I, a Stalin tank (IS-3) and a centurion, all "motorized" with a plastic and rubber band motor that didn't really work and the Statue of Liberty that is still in the box.
I have a monster truck on the shelf from this company
Thanks for the video
When I was a kid back in the sixties, the Lindbergh Line plastic kits never seemed to measure up to AMT and Revell.
You PROMISED "NO MUSIC", right.???
I've to CUT the sound on final.!!!
Had the "Big Red Rod" model. Can't remember what happened to it. Probably parked in a landfill in North 'Jersey.
Another fascinating video. Such a multiplicity of scales, and diversity of subjects. As for the electric motors, you were expected to wind your own armatures, etc? Thanks Max, great stuff.
Speaking of Lindberg and scales, I'm still po'ed about Lindberg's Monitor and Merrimack kit, which contained the two ships in two totally different scales.
Was always find of Lindberg kits but they were very rare in the UK
Nice history!
And the end music slew me!
Thaniks
Maxmodels Max: Paul Wilhelm Lindberg was born on either April 27 or 29, 1907, in Omaha, Nebreska. He grew up in the Chicago area. He passed away in Florida in 1977. Do you need more info?
got it, thanks. More info is always great
I really appreciate knowing that it wasn't me that fouled up the electric motor in my Stuka kit! I can still see it, and remember well what a disappointment it was that the prop wouldn't spin!
Thanks Max!
Thanks Max, well done !
Had to jam the music in somewhere...LOL! Good vid!
I guess the marketing department at Lindbergh didn't proofread that mini Lindy Ford camper box art.
Took me a couple of minutes to figure out what you meant. : )
Right. It pictures a '71 or '72 Chev!
That was a special Ford truck - It was wearing a bow tie!
I really appreciate your videos on the companies that made the models I grew up building in the 70s . I never new the history of these companies till now. Do you have a video on Johan models?
I still think the 3' long Fletcher class destroyer is cool to this day! I might be a new one.
Ships, submarines, airplanes, jets, rockets, helicopters, cars, trucks, I even built a model of the creature from the black lagoon. Hahaha enjoyed them all. Then I got into Estes model rockets. Almost 70 now and still building model cars. Life is good.
Great series of videos. Love watching them and learning about these companies. I grew up in the 1960s and 70s building model aircraft. Only one minor critique; your narration volume is very low. I need to turn up my speaker to about 80%, but then at the end you start the music and blow out my eardrums 😉
The SR-71 box art appears to be a Lockheed A-12.
Great video...!
Think about the motor.. used in wooden ship models..! Great..
And bit sad I have only a few kits from Lindberg near me.. the only provider is Amazon India.. hope can find more..
Million thanks for the video...