A quick look at the Heller brand which has managed to survive since 1957. The song I did not use, but almost did given the Airfix/Heller 'issue": • THE FRENCH BREXIT SONG...
I’m loving these histories you’ve been producing. Yes, I’m a lady modeller, currently obsessed with 1940, and looking at several Heller boxes in the kit stash covering the French air force of the period. Anyway, the Heller Ferguson is a new tooling and nothing to do with Airfix's one. The real Ferguson - known as "the little grey Fergie" to we Brits, and "petit gris" in France - was licence-built in France, so an apt kit for a French kit maker. I’ve built one, and it makes a lovely model, ripe for super-detailing if you want.
Small tractors like the "petit gris" were borrowed from local farmers by the Parachute Infantry and glider units to clear and operate landing zones for re-supply behind enemy lines in the days following D-Day in Normandy. The tractors were used to pull often damaged gliders off the LZ to clear it for the next one. At the height of glider operations about a week into the invasion they could land a CG-4A about every two minutes all day long.
The tractor that (among other things) transformed Sweden. I spent many hours as a kid on my grandfather's TE20. In fact, four generations of my family have driven that little tractor. In Sweden, they are called "Grålle" ("grey one") like you would call a grey draft horse (with the brown ones being "Brunte"). Pardon my self-indulgence, there's just a lot of feelings connected with it.
french guy here . obviously, french is not your first language, but you did not "butchered it" (well, I understood -mostly) thanks and congrats. many memories with this brand !
Once upon a time building wooden ships with small brass fittings was popular, but plastic models offered so much more. A buddy bought the Heller Soleil Royal. A huge sailing ship with wonderful molding. He spent years drooling over the details and rigging, but passed away before he ever tackled it. The kit was not for the faint of heart. There are some beautiful pictures available online. I am an experienced armour modeller, and I would not attempt it. No photo etch, but serious amounts of string and sails. I'd love to weather it though, as even the wood texture was beautiful duplicated.
While Heller didn't participate in the Slot Car Craze of the 1960's, one of their designers did, Philippe de Lespinay. He did most of the design work in the late 1960's and moved to the USA in the early '70 to work with US Companies to develop slot cars. He now is the one overseeing the Los Angeles Slot Car Museum.
I bought Heller kits when on holiday in France as a kid. Because they were the only manufacturer that made 1:35 figures with French Adrian helmets. I needed those for WW1 dioramas. I made copies of those helmets using homemade silicon moulds.
Fun fact: the very first kit I ever built was a group of three German soldiers from Heller when I was like 7 years old. 40 years later, with some help from the internet community, I managed to track down the very same kit and built it as it should be built, ie by someone with 40 years of experience. That said, the kit was strange. It had some goodies, like straps molded to the heads that were surprisingly well sculpted, but the figures lacked equipment, and the two gasmask canisters that were privided were smooth, without the ridges, and the figures were quite short compared to newer figures. I did however find a use for one of the figures, as a young soldier at the end of the war in a diroama, so the money were not wasted. And it was really fun to see what I faced back then.
2:10 Canon anti-chars = anti-tank gun. 1/43 is a weird scale for plastic modellers, but it's a common scale for die-cast model cars. I like their kits. A bit basic they might be, but they made loads of cool stuff no-one else did. Thanks for the vids Max, I've been waiting for this one.
My first kits were ofc Heller as I grew up in France. I remember they had a very good customer service and would send you replacement parts without any questions asked, it wasn't the most accurate kits when it comes to 1/72 scale tanks but a good way to get started. They made packages with a scale model, a couple brushes and the necessary enamel paint.I have fond memories of their kits and the plastic and molding was of good quality. And yes the kits were affordable.
I got my very first model kit from my parents a long, long time ago. It was the Heller X15. I distinctly remember that while my father was struggling with the kit, i was sitting next to him, totally absorbed by a gelatinous green bulb of glue. Long story short: I squeezed it so hard the bulb blew, and spewed glue all over the kit my father was trying to put together. Happy memories. Thanks
Re: the various scales: Heller originally issued its kits in 'decimal' scales (1/200, 1/100, 1/75, 1/50, 1/40 etc) as opposed to the Anglocentric 'Imperial' scales (1/144, 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, 1/24), however towards the middle of the 1960s they shifted towards Imperial as it proved more popular. However, many of the original kits remained in their catalogue, hence the wide variety of scales used. As to the Ferguson kit: the Heller Ferguson TE20 is a new mould which was issued in 2015 as part of a wave of new kits (it's 1/24 scale, consisting of 128 parts). It is not related to Airfix' 1949 kit (1/20 scale, 50-ish parts), especially as the wereabouts of the Airfix kit's moulds are unknown (last issued 1959 and presumed lost/destroyed).
I had the opportunity to build and paint an English cabbie 1/24 scale and I was surprised at the amount of detail that was put into it like in the engine alone you needed to work out a spark plug wires plan ! The instructions helped ! Turned out to be Really nice ! 🌊🐺
I built a Heller Trident. it looked like something out of Thunderbirds. It came with a neat Heller enamel badge but my Mum wouldn't let me wear it because she thought it sounded like a swear word!
Hello from France, your french is good..smile. Thank you for sharing the video ; love the diagram at 7:34 (sometime the things are like this ). I am a rookie in this hobby and i started to glue at the start of the lockdown ; this hobby helped me to rewind my mind. Happy Modelling and All the Best.
The attraction for me (in the 70s) was the low cost of the kits. I found the quality acceptable although some were very basic (like the Trident research aircraft). Back then modifying kits to make other things was a big part of the hobby (not least thanks to Airfix Magazine, still worth a read 50 years later) and the Cadet Frelon helicopter made a nice basis for my sci-fi transports with a strip over the top rotor hole and a new tail.
I have some very fond memories of building Heller kits in the 1970's and 80's. I still have a few in my stash, including a (Buzzco) issue of the Trident, that I have yet to build. I think my favorite Heller aircraft kit was the Me-163 Komet, that not only had a decent interior, but also came with ground-handling equipment. Thanks for posting this!
I liked Heller 1/72 aircraft kits in the 80's and 90's. Their simplicity and interesting subjects kept me coming back. They were hard to find (pronounced Squadron mail order) until I moved somewhere with a real LHS. They just never kept up with new kits. Great coverage MAx.
I have just discovered Hellers 1/400 scale ships series ( late to the party, I know ). This scale suits me perfectly. It gives me more display room than 1/350 but has enough detail to make a reasonable looking kit right out of the box. Only problem is finding Heller kits here in Australia.
Fantastic video on the history of Heller. I was aware of Airfix reboxing a few Heller kits under their brand. But was unaware of Heller reboxing Airfix kits under the Heller brand in France......or the fact Humbrol, Airfix & Heller all had the same parent company. I just learnt something new today about both Airfix & Heller. As for the Heller kits, they turn into decent models with basic detail. There great for beginners, and for advance modellers give a nice shell to converter, scratch build or super detail. Built a few Heller Aircraft kits and one of their 1/35 scale tank kits. I've had no real issues with these kits so far.
It sure takes me back several decades.. Thanks for your serie, very good endeed. I built several Heller aircrafts in the late 70s, early 80s... It was cheap, but I have to admit that Monogram, Hasegawa or Italieri models were more detailed and more expensive also ( at least in France). Thanks
I had the Heller Dewoitine, and really enjoyed building it. The tail was done up in yellow, as I remember--- replicating the box cover illustration (a different one from that pictured.) I always had my hooks out for Heller models of French planes--- to round out my WW2 collection.
I've built some Heller aircraft kits over the years. The kit that resulted in one of my all time favourite passenger aircraft is their Lochead Super Constellation 1049H in TWA livery with wing tip tanks also on first equal favourite the smaller 049 type dressed using Pan AM decals.
One last thing. I am a hospice care nurse. One of the patients I had privilege of help care for, had a wonderful collection 1/48 scale aircraft models. He must of had over 200 that he had built in his hobby room. His wife said that he had over 1500 unbuilt kits in their garage. I loved visiting him before he passed and just talking about his kits and which type of aircraft we admired the most/
Your time is the greatest gift you could have given him. My mom did hospice for decades before her passing. You have my utmost respect.....sooo, with that out of the way....what of the models ;)
My grandma was French so, of course, toujours vive la France ! 😄 Jokes aside, this firm presented me with hours of fun and very well made kits. I remember with nostalgy the Breguet Atlantic, the Jeanne d'Arc and, most of all, an absolutely beautiful F6F Hellcat and a gorgeous P-51 D-25 Mustang! The kits i can remember were better than Airfix and Revell ones and rivalled with Tamiya's and Hasegawa's.
Very good, thanks. I remember Heller kits being sold at Polk’s Hobby Shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, along with Joeuf trains and lots of other foreign stuff. Didn’t really find them any place else in New York.
When Heller came out with their 1/72 scale Lockheed 0749 Constellation with Air France and TWA decals back in the early 1980s, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as the "Connie" was and still is my favorite aircraft!
@@dalecomer5951 I up loaded on UA-cam 7 years ago this circa 1955 Lockheed promotional film on building the Super Constellation. Maybe you dad's in it: ua-cam.com/video/UTmgaaq8sMc/v-deo.html
@@WAL_DC-6B Thanks Dan. That film is so "fifties." Didn't see anyone who looked like my dad but given the time frame of the film he certainly would have known most if not all of the workers shown in the final assembly building. In late '55 he was working in Bldg. 82 and at Van Nuys airport on what would later become known as the U-2A but at the time had no type designation. One of the last Super Connies he worked on was the first L-1049G.
@@dalecomer5951 Yes, the Lockheed film is indeed "so fifties." If it's any help to you, according to the book, "Lockheed Constellation" by Curtis K. Stringfellow and Peter M. Bowers, the first Super "G" Constellation (L-1049G) flew on December 7, 1954.
@@WAL_DC-6B I was tempted by the Heller VC-121C kit if only for the boxart. Also the TWA "Super G" for the prospect of a nice large scale model. Bid on a few on eBay with no joy. Had no knowledge of Heller kit quality at the time.
Another great one, and so many questions! I too had to go to the beauty parlor with my mom, but I didn't fall asleep listening to the hair dryers. I'd get bored and my mom would give my a whole 25 cents to walk around the corner to buy myself an ice cream cone, usually strawberry. At five years old, most parents today would have a panic attack if their kids were out of sight for more than a minute, but those were the 1960's and thankfully my mom wasn't worried. I always thought Heller kits were okay. The few I've had were shaped accurately, but the raised panel lines were pretty heavy. I noticed that the early 737 boxart in the music section depicted the original blow-in doors on the JT8 nacelle! I'd be interested to see the kit. Brings back memories of Air California flying out of the Bay Area.
Yeah, they tried to toss a woman in jail here in the USA for letting her 8 year old go to the park alone. I walked home 1 mile unescorted every day from when I was 6. Different times I guess.
Thanks for this video. I had really no knowledge of Heller's history and only acquired and built a couple of their kits. A kit in 1/35th scale, a Willy's jeep,trailer and figures, and a " Redoubtable" nuclear sub in 1/600th. I had a couple of their 1/72nd aircraft but never built them. They seemed like decent kits , if a little basic. Kind of like Airfix kits if you ask me. Their 1/35th armour kits were sought after because of the unusual subject matter that Noone else did in any scale. The AMX-13 in particular was one I never did get but wanted due to an obsession with the armour of the middle-east wars. Anyways, glad you are back in the saddle, producing content like this. Keep it coming buddy!
Thank you for this nice story ! I'm 59 and I grew up with Heller. 60's kits were quite a nightmare to adjust correctly. I remember building a 1/50 jaguar, a fishing boat, 3 french battleships, and some ww2 french aircrafts. Almost everyone says heller is a pain (soft plastic, raised panels, old moulds, flashes, bad matching, etc...) but there is still a hype and I know some recent ir old good kits that let us all give them a second chance... Well, an eternal second chance ! The video posted by the new owner provides lots of hope and confidence for the future. Imagine new molds for all their great catalogue of french machines ! It would be fantastic.
Great documentary! Thanks for the French Beatles at the end. I've built Heller kits of prewar and WWII French planes for years (plus their US P-47.) Their Amiot and LeO bomber kits and the "eccentrique" Couzinet 10 Arc-en-Ciel are fascinating and fun.
I build a lot of Heller cars in 1/24 and 1/43 scale. They have wonderful thin body panels and a lot of good detail, but often include one especially bad shape unless it is a model of a French car. Then all is perfect! Also a note to Max about 1/43 scale. It is the European standard for automotive modeling, and traces its history to O gauge model railroading, where the cars work for scenery.
Shortly before I graduated from college in the summer of 1971, the Woolco store in Charlottesville, VA, had three AMT double-kits that were made by Heller. I bought the Ferrari 330 P4 / Porsche 907 kit and the Matra F-2 / Brabham F-3 kits. I regret not buying the Renault Alpine double-kit. The detail on the kits was very good, although AMT included decals on the Ferrari / Porsche kit that were more appropriate to a southern dirt-track junker. And the greenhouse on that 907 long-tail was warped, so I cut it off, truncated the long tail, and built it as a makeshift bergspyder.
Great video again, Max! Some of their kits were available in Czech Šmer boxes. Very interesting French topics, some curiosities (Me-108, Me-109K) and some basic but exact kits of jets (Draken, F-104, F-8, Étenderd) some of their kits were quite unreasonably inferior to their contemporaries (Mustang, Mirage III and F-1) I really hope they will find their way like Airfix did... as there are still some interesting French topics left on the table by Modelsvit...
I purchased my first Heller kit about 2 years ago. It was a 1/24th scale 1961 Jaguar E-Type convertible. It is a pretty well engineered model kit, except for the rudimentary simulated wire wheels. Nice soft rubber-like tires however. I liked that kit enough that I purchased my second Heller kit...another Series 1 Jauguar E-Type, but the coupe model. The molding in both kits is crisp. The sensuous body of the Jag appears pretty accurate and has a scale thickness. I would try another Heller kit if the automotive subject appealed to me.
For a brief time in the middle 1970's Aurora imported some Heller kits to America. Many of their 1/72 scale kits were quite good and a good number have not been superceded.
I remember Heller was one of the first companies to offer 1/35 accessories--in mid to late 79s. A set of jerry cans in a clear polythene envelopw on a car about 3 x 4 inches; also a tow cable, and some chain. They had a kist of french small arms, too. They also beat Tamiya by having a "Famous Generals" kit--the figures were all one-piece, in a tea leaf green semi-hard plastic.
Thanks again for another informative and entertaining video. But no mention of the Heller/Aurora connection that seemed to start the year Aurora went out of business? It looked like the two companies had an agreement that Heller would add the Aurora name to its kits for coming into the American market. Heller's box art in the 60s and 70s was crazy good, but what should one expect from a country with such a long appreciation of the fine arts? I had only 3 Heller kits. A 1/50 Alouette helicopter was a gift when I was about 10. It was not on my wish list, but it seemed fine. It had vinyl tires. About 15 years ago I bought a 1/72 F4U and a P39. Both were better than older American kits: good fit, right shapes, good detail, nice decals. Thanks again.
I built one, maybe two, Heller models. The first was an Apollo Lunar Module (prob. 1:100 scale) that I got in the gift shop of the then-new National Air and Space Museum on the Mall in DC. Lasted for quite a few years before succumbing to the usual wear and tear of a preteen boy's ownership; its parts went into making a science-fiction spaceship of my own "design" which I hung onto well into "adulthood." The second, which may have been an Airfix (or, given what I just learned, an Airfix rebox of a Heller) 1:72 Magister which came with decals for the Patrouille de France.
I built the Charles De Gaulle at the 1/400, a Lafayette frigate, and a De Grasse cruiser. I was happy to have found a De Grasse, a good quality kit, no longer manufactured, and with PE from L'Arsenal (guardrails, stairs, radars), a bit scratch, this model is just great, and not expansive. I am thinking of buying a an ancient vessel next time, a Superbe for example.
I like the photo of the guy holding the plastic kits. He has a 3-ink pen in his shirt pocket. I used to use those as well back then. If I was any older, I would have had a slide-rule as well in my shirt pocket being an Engineer. :-)
I liked Heller for their "own drummer" offerings... the DC6 and Connie families in 1/72 scale were a pleasant surprise... Would have been cool for them to expand that series of '50s-60s prop driven airliners. Plenty of DC3s and AFAIK only the Mach II Convair... Revell Germany finally did their great C54/DC4 some decades later.
I built a Heller Bugatti, in around 68, but I was also making a Monogram Duesenberg. The Monogram was streets ahead, never made Heller again, probably a bit harsh but kids are really judgemental - did buy a fair number of Solido stuff - living in Hong Kong we were close to Vietnam, given that half of my friends were American, many Australian and a few Vietnamese - to model conflict in the area, it had to be France engaged in a Colonial War - approval all round from my crew - using mainly Solido models of French fighting vehicles c 1950s though Airfix HO scale soldiers. These series is brilliant, during all this lockdown stuff being taken back through my life thru the models I have been obsessed and/or besotted with - C'est san pariel, c'est magnifique!!!! PS You're beginning to get me with the music too, this one just made me laff out loud, any chance of any Credence? Stylistically it may not be your choice, but whatever you chose is cool by me, as before, thank you, keep up the brilliant work, big respect for your efforts
Heller? A good model company. I built many of their planes, warships, and sailing ships, and mostly I would say they were pretty good. Vive la France! I am glad they are still around.
I have a ton of Heller model ships and a few aircraft. Some of the best kits ever made including the La Reale, the HMS victory, the Le soliel Royal, and etc. The Santa Maria remains my favorite.
Probably the most unusual, yet uniquely cool Heller kit in my stash is the Breitling Orbiter III Balloon, which did the first round the world flight. I really need to build it.
Heller kits are quite nostalgic - their ships are mythic. Their kits vary quite a lot in quality through the ages, from excellent to almost crap. But you get the subjects that most others don't do. I don't like very much the heller airplanes but their tanks, cars and ships are very good, generally. I suppose the modern Heller kits are very good, but I have not yet build one.
I built that when it first came out, not a bad model along with some of the figure sets. Nice easy model not like todays. Can't see the small parts anymore. And the arthritis won't let me hold on. Still keep track of modeling .
I have one of those, along with the 1/16 DS sedan and convertible, and a few of their 1/24 Citroen kits. For the longest time, the only kit manufacturer a Citroeniste like me could turn to.
Yet another company I not heard of. This was interesting. The thread I seen in your series is that typically the successful companies are created and run by a small number of passionate individuals. The problem with that is people get old, sick, and die. The problem with the model business is when business men take over the model company goes South.
I bought several of their french Colonial troops in 1/35. They were used with a scratch built FT 17 in a diorama. I'm not to sure about the historical accuracy but it was an interesting project.
For years Heller was the only source for 1/35 plastic soldiers from France and its N. African colonies in the 1930-40's. They were also the only ones producing non-resin French WWII armor until Bronco, Hobby Boss and Tamiya joined in with better kits years later.
Thanks Max! I knew very little about Heller, in spite of the fact that three their 1/100 ship mold were sold to the Soviet Union in 1975. These were «Pourquoi Pas?» steam bark, «Brigantine», and «Occident» steam wheeler. They were produced in Georgia by Siharuli factory. In 1990's Zvezda obtained and restored the molds and now all three ships are available from Zvezda. There's one more manufacturer that deserves video - Nichimo of Japan. Their armor kits in 1/30 and (later) 1/35 scale were very popular in 1960's-70's.
Loved your "brief history" of Heller. I have a large number of Heller kits (some unbuilt), gotta love the French pre war planes, like -the Amiot 143. But, fun fact, I have a Heller kit of the ship Maille -Breze, which the real ship was used in the movie Dunkirk.
Tres bien encore Max !!! Well done for disentangling that one, as always my experience is mainly of their car models, the first I was aware of was the 1/20th scale Renault 16, I suspect there was manufacturer collaboration here judging by the timing & quality although I've never seen one in the flesh (sorry plastic..), I had but didn't build most of the 1/24th scale racing cars, I remember them as very accurate and well detailed but a very fiddly build, some of these (and the aforementioned R16) reappeared under the Union label (as did some of IMC's cars). The VW Beetle glimpsed in your vid was interesting, I've never seen or heard of that one before, I'm wondering if it was related to the US issued Premier kit ? Re the grey Ferguson I'm 99.9% certain it's not the famous old Airfix model but looks from pictures very impressive in it's own right, must dig out the remains of my old Airfix one..... I was never aware of the Joustra connection either, they produced some fine tinplate and later plastic ready made cars in 1/18th scale long before it became a diecast car standard !
I visited the Heller factory in Trun in 1996, allthough produktion seemed be running, we saw no lonly soul..just some shed full of moulds and mashines...the administration building seemed deserted, exept some glas cabins with built up Heller models, nothing to see...was kind of creepy and in 2004, closed (but i can't remeber the weekday) we were there for the scrapyard full of german WW2 stuff anyway :-)
Max your French is quite excellent. I have a few of the rarer Heller kits, the Super Broussard twin turboprop and the early Frelon helicopter. Oui, I’ve had good experiences with their kits. Their Parca missile kit is extremely rare and I have yet to ever see it show on my saved search on eBay.
I still have my France by Heller with me. The only model that survived as did make so many from so many different companies. I would have loved to have the Caravelle just for the fact that it looked so nice like their Mirage III.
Since I only build ship models Heller comes in at average. Right now I’m building a 1/400 HMS Illustrious. No one else makes this British carrier in that scale so I bought it. I wish Trumpeter would make it in 1/350. When comparing Hellers ship offerings such as HMS Hood, German battleships Scharnhorst and Bismarck and French capital ships Richelieu and Strasbourg Trumpeter, Hobby Boss and Tamiya developed kits with much better detail for just a little more money. If you’re going to survive in this business you’ve got to retool. If Heller does fold I hope Atlantis purchases their ship molds.
Interesting sidenote, the german revell webshop now sells Heller models. ;) Thanks for the links, having a cold war cultures course and I have to look at a topic for a presentation, and yeah since scale modeling is a hobby of mine I'm thinking about it, sadly the sources, you aside, are quite scarce. You're doing good work looking into some of the less known parts of the hobby, like the soviet stuff. Other ideas are motorsports and bits of aviation, or other transports like railways...........sadly I have to jam all of this into a cultural perspective.
If you need any info on kit model companies I am happy to share what I have. BTW, I grew up and served during the cold war so I agree it permeates a person's perspective. I might use you post as a lead in on the cold war perspective in model bnuilding.
@@maxsmodels Thank you for the reply and your of help, it is much appreciate and I will keep this in mind. The problem with the cultural perspective would be to see how the issues in wider societies affected scale modeling overall, like the criticism of most kits in Revell's Porfolio being military set before the Backdrop of the Vietnam War, that you mentioned in the Revell Models story. Or what you mentioned in the Soviet Era, about the youth Organisations liking functional but not display models. Spent today search for sources into that regard, but right now I'm not really finding much. The next problem is getting such a topic past the profs............they tend to regard this as great for a research project but not for coursework. ;) The sources situation for me looks a bit better for Railways and Motorsports right now. But you never know until you've tried. Your sources on the companies are impressive though, especially catalogues or the photgraphs of the aurora Molds. That John Cuomo is not related to the family of politicians though, or is he? (Asking as I recently found out that Artem Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was the brother of Anastas Mikoyan, who was part of the Politburo that "took over" from Stalin and got Beriya executed.) The forced Merger of the Moscow toy makers that screwed over the Young Technicians, really is a good example of soviet industrial philosophy. Are there any sources on scale modeling history that you can recommend? As for Revell, as I'm german, Revell kits are what I was raised on, most of the times the shops used to have just revell, especially if it was not a specialized scale railway and modeling shop, and the last proper one in my city that doesn't do just RC died about ten years back. Maybe you'd occasionaly get some Italeri stuff, but nothing like Eduard or Tamiya. (Funnily enough the main masking tape they stock is Tamiya! ;) Much better value proposition than Revell's masking tape 8 meters (roughly 24 ft*) more and costs half as much. ;) Took a long indadvertent break, started to build a 1/32 Scale FW-190 D-9 (Hasegawa rebox) and time got tight, which meant it went unfinished for years, with me only building intermittedly..........well Corona intervened and I thought to finish it. Still working on it. As for Heller it is interesting, as it has those interesting rare kits, like the Canadair CL-415 or the Jaguar E-Type........really eyeing those for a build..........now if only someone could make some Bentley Continental R Type and Speed 8 kits. Steered a friend from simracing in their direction when he sought some cars to build, and they have an interesting collection. *Thank god for Combat flightsims, which tought me to somewhat think in imperial............though more in knots and nautical than in statute miles.
Heller have some great kits, I think I am correct in saying that their 24th scale aircraft are the Airfix molds though. One Heller kit I don't like is their 1/72 Spitfire MK1. It's a dog, and an ugly one at that. Their Spitfire MKXVI however is a lovely kit. Great episode Max, nice work.
Many thanks for all yours videos , they are great ! Currently the Heller kits are available on the Revell web store (revell.de) ; for information i am not pay to say that ! .. Haha. I am just a french rookie in this hobby who started with the Revell Easy click kits and i became a fan of this brand. I also discovered the Ukrainian company ICM ( i love some of theirs models). Happy Modelling and All the Best.
Heller makes good kits - particularly their army kits. I had no idea that the 25 mm cannon was so old. It is a very nice model. The 25mm was actually an anti tank gun and very close in capability to the 37mm. (Char roughly translates to tank) I have found their plastic a but soft and you need to use glue sparingly because the plastic melts easily but makes for an excellent weld.
I haven't bought a Heller armor kit in over 20 years. I agree with your assessment about the quality of plastic used, but the biggest turn-off for me were the thick, stiff vinyl tracks. It was extremely difficult to first assemble then install them on the vehicle without bending or breaking the drive or idler wheels. Had to replace the axles with brass tubing to make it work.
I think you might be right. I never built any tracked vehicles, just artillery and wheeled vehicles. as well as their figure sets. I think their figures are quite well detailed. @@richardklug822
@@kellybreen5526 Also agree re: their figures, particularly those from the 1930-40's period. Still have a number of unbuilt sets in my stash...love their camels!
Hi max.thanks again for a fine history lesson.about other models.made in different countries.ive never thought about around the countries.hi from Ohio.thanks again max.
I have built one of their jaguar in 1/24 scale and it was a pain in the butt to assemble, their tooling is outdated and many hobby stores in France have a stash of Heller's kits that they can't sold because no one wants them..
Great video! I recently reviewed a Heller Peugeot 206 on my channel and I think they are good for the beginner and you can get a lot of fun out of them. I think they still use Humbrol paints in their sets? I'm not sure, but the paint codes are identical to the ones in Airfix sets.
I have a Heller Humbrol 1/72 Fieseler Storch that i haven't begun to put together...(someday.) But looking at the parts, I'd say it's a decent kit and should be fun to build.
Man! I love your videos. It is one of my regrets in life that I haven't build a plastic kit in a decade, because I am building an actual 1:1 scale airplane, The Spodplane. Up in my man-cave I have the only Heller kit I ever built, the SBC-4 Helldiver, a particular favourite. It was actually a fairly shitty kit, but I just loved the concept of a biplane with retractable gear. Those damn innovative Ummericans... When the Spodplane is finished, well... Novo beckons!
Hello Sir. Great video! 👍 I have four Heller kits, three 1/72 kits (Bf109, yak3 and the first german experimental jet) and a willys jeep in forrest fire patrol scheme. This one includes Hummbrol paints and glue. Take care and stay safe.
I had the Heller Cadet series when I was bout 10 years old. I had the Frelon, Mystere and Fiat G91 (still one of my favourite jets even now). I have a Heller Mirage IV 1/72 scale in my stash to do. Only one I think on the market.
I’m loving these histories you’ve been producing. Yes, I’m a lady modeller, currently obsessed with 1940, and looking at several Heller boxes in the kit stash covering the French air force of the period. Anyway, the Heller Ferguson is a new tooling and nothing to do with Airfix's one. The real Ferguson - known as "the little grey Fergie" to we Brits, and "petit gris" in France - was licence-built in France, so an apt kit for a French kit maker. I’ve built one, and it makes a lovely model, ripe for super-detailing if you want.
It looked new but I just couldn't resist 😜
Small tractors like the "petit gris" were borrowed from local farmers by the Parachute Infantry and glider units to clear and operate landing zones for re-supply behind enemy lines in the days following D-Day in Normandy. The tractors were used to pull often damaged gliders off the LZ to clear it for the next one. At the height of glider operations about a week into the invasion they could land a CG-4A about every two minutes all day long.
The tractor that (among other things) transformed Sweden. I spent many hours as a kid on my grandfather's TE20. In fact, four generations of my family have driven that little tractor. In Sweden, they are called "Grålle" ("grey one") like you would call a grey draft horse (with the brown ones being "Brunte"). Pardon my self-indulgence, there's just a lot of feelings connected with it.
@@maxsmodels their fouga magister kit is a great little kit.. I have a few examples of it.
french guy here . obviously, french is not your first language, but you did not "butchered it" (well, I understood -mostly)
thanks and congrats.
many memories with this brand !
Thanks and you are correct, I do not speak French, I can barely speak 'Merican 😜
@@maxsmodels For a 'Mericun you show admirable dedication to get pronunciation right.
Once upon a time building wooden ships with small brass fittings was popular, but plastic models offered so much more. A buddy bought the Heller Soleil Royal. A huge sailing ship with wonderful molding. He spent years drooling over the details and rigging, but passed away before he ever tackled it. The kit was not for the faint of heart. There are some beautiful pictures available online. I am an experienced armour modeller, and I would not attempt it. No photo etch, but serious amounts of string and sails. I'd love to weather it though, as even the wood texture was beautiful duplicated.
While Heller didn't participate in the Slot Car Craze of the 1960's, one of their designers did, Philippe de Lespinay. He did most of the design work in the late 1960's and moved to the USA in the early '70 to work with US Companies to develop slot cars. He now is the one overseeing the Los Angeles Slot Car Museum.
I bought Heller kits when on holiday in France as a kid.
Because they were the only manufacturer that made 1:35 figures with French Adrian helmets. I needed those for WW1 dioramas. I made copies of those helmets using homemade silicon moulds.
I've enjoyed making their kits. The Saab j21 was excellent. They had kits not made by other brands.
Yes, their choise of unusual aiplanes is great! I've built Fouga Magister and Saab Tunnan J-29. Both were great kits.
Fun fact: the very first kit I ever built was a group of three German soldiers from Heller when I was like 7 years old. 40 years later, with some help from the internet community, I managed to track down the very same kit and built it as it should be built, ie by someone with 40 years of experience.
That said, the kit was strange. It had some goodies, like straps molded to the heads that were surprisingly well sculpted, but the figures lacked equipment, and the two gasmask canisters that were privided were smooth, without the ridges, and the figures were quite short compared to newer figures. I did however find a use for one of the figures, as a young soldier at the end of the war in a diroama, so the money were not wasted. And it was really fun to see what I faced back then.
These videos on the history of model kit companies are excellent.👍
2:10 Canon anti-chars = anti-tank gun. 1/43 is a weird scale for plastic modellers, but it's a common scale for die-cast model cars. I like their kits. A bit basic they might be, but they made loads of cool stuff no-one else did. Thanks for the vids Max, I've been waiting for this one.
1/43,5 is also a common scale for model railroads exp in France Belgium and Louxemburg in the rest of Europe it is 1/45
My first kits were ofc Heller as I grew up in France. I remember they had a very good customer service and would send you replacement parts without any questions asked, it wasn't the most accurate kits when it comes to 1/72 scale tanks but a good way to get started. They made packages with a scale model, a couple brushes and the necessary enamel paint.I have fond memories of their kits and the plastic and molding was of good quality. And yes the kits were affordable.
I got my very first model kit from my parents a long, long time ago. It was the Heller X15. I distinctly remember that while my father was struggling with the kit, i was sitting next to him, totally absorbed by a gelatinous green bulb of glue. Long story short: I squeezed it so hard the bulb blew, and spewed glue all over the kit my father was trying to put together. Happy memories. Thanks
Re: the various scales:
Heller originally issued its kits in 'decimal' scales (1/200, 1/100, 1/75, 1/50, 1/40 etc) as opposed to the Anglocentric 'Imperial' scales (1/144, 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, 1/24), however towards the middle of the 1960s they shifted towards Imperial as it proved more popular. However, many of the original kits remained in their catalogue, hence the wide variety of scales used.
As to the Ferguson kit: the Heller Ferguson TE20 is a new mould which was issued in 2015 as part of a wave of new kits (it's 1/24 scale, consisting of 128 parts). It is not related to Airfix' 1949 kit (1/20 scale, 50-ish parts), especially as the wereabouts of the Airfix kit's moulds are unknown (last issued 1959 and presumed lost/destroyed).
Some of that Heller box art you shared at the end is truly magnificent (magnifique!) - and this is a British guy saying it so it has extra weight :-).
I had the opportunity to build and paint an English cabbie 1/24 scale and I was surprised at the amount of detail that was put into it like in the engine alone you needed to work out a spark plug wires plan ! The instructions helped ! Turned out to be Really nice ! 🌊🐺
I built a Heller Trident. it looked like something out of Thunderbirds. It came with a neat Heller enamel badge but my Mum wouldn't let me wear it because she thought it sounded like a swear word!
I hope you still have it.
Hello from France, your french is good..smile. Thank you for sharing the video ; love the diagram at 7:34 (sometime the things are like this ). I am a rookie in this hobby and i started to glue at the start of the lockdown ; this hobby helped me to rewind my mind. Happy Modelling and All the Best.
glad people are getting in to it
The attraction for me (in the 70s) was the low cost of the kits. I found the quality acceptable although some were very basic (like the Trident research aircraft). Back then modifying kits to make other things was a big part of the hobby (not least thanks to Airfix Magazine, still worth a read 50 years later) and the Cadet Frelon helicopter made a nice basis for my sci-fi transports with a strip over the top rotor hole and a new tail.
Been a while but liked their kits. Last built the Potez 63. Thanks again for another informative and fun history.
Merci beaucoup This was awaited! The 1/24 series are reboxed Airfix's I think. I have the P51D Mustang .
It is (re-boxed in 2006).
Thanks for all these histories, it fills in alot of gaps. Founded in the year I was born 1957...well I never, what a great year 😉
I have some very fond memories of building Heller kits in the 1970's and 80's. I still have a few in my stash, including a (Buzzco) issue of the Trident, that I have yet to build. I think my favorite Heller aircraft kit was the Me-163 Komet, that not only had a decent interior, but also came with ground-handling equipment. Thanks for posting this!
Nice kit . I built it.
This is a great series of historical videos. Nice Job!
I liked Heller 1/72 aircraft kits in the 80's and 90's. Their simplicity and interesting subjects kept me coming back. They were hard to find (pronounced Squadron mail order) until I moved somewhere with a real LHS. They just never kept up with new kits. Great coverage MAx.
I have just discovered Hellers 1/400 scale ships series ( late to the party, I know ). This scale suits me perfectly. It gives me more display room than 1/350 but has enough detail to make a reasonable looking kit right out of the box. Only problem is finding Heller kits here in Australia.
Fantastic video on the history of Heller. I was aware of Airfix reboxing a few Heller kits under their brand. But was unaware of Heller reboxing Airfix kits under the Heller brand in France......or the fact Humbrol, Airfix & Heller all had the same parent company. I just learnt something new today about both Airfix & Heller.
As for the Heller kits, they turn into decent models with basic detail. There great for beginners, and for advance modellers give a nice shell to converter, scratch build or super detail. Built a few Heller Aircraft kits and one of their 1/35 scale tank kits. I've had no real issues with these kits so far.
Once again thank you for informative insight in these model companies it's like King Minos Labyrinth with all its twists and turns👍
It sure takes me back several decades.. Thanks for your serie, very good endeed. I built several Heller aircrafts in the late 70s, early 80s... It was cheap, but I have to admit that Monogram, Hasegawa or Italieri models were more detailed and more expensive also ( at least in France). Thanks
I had the Heller Dewoitine, and really enjoyed building it. The tail was done up in yellow, as I remember--- replicating the box cover illustration (a different one from that pictured.) I always had my hooks out for Heller models of French planes--- to round out my WW2 collection.
I've built some Heller aircraft kits over the years. The kit that resulted in one of my all time favourite passenger aircraft is their Lochead Super Constellation 1049H in TWA livery with wing tip tanks also on first equal favourite the smaller 049 type dressed using Pan AM decals.
One last thing. I am a hospice care nurse. One of the patients I had privilege of help care for, had a wonderful collection 1/48 scale aircraft models. He must of had over 200 that he had built in his hobby room. His wife said that he had over 1500 unbuilt kits in their garage. I loved visiting him before he passed and just talking about his kits and which type of aircraft we admired the most/
Your time is the greatest gift you could have given him. My mom did hospice for decades before her passing. You have my utmost respect.....sooo, with that out of the way....what of the models ;)
@@maxsmodels Went to ebay
My grandma was French so, of course, toujours vive la France ! 😄 Jokes aside, this firm presented me with hours of fun and very well made kits. I remember with nostalgy the Breguet Atlantic, the Jeanne d'Arc and, most of all, an absolutely beautiful F6F Hellcat and a gorgeous P-51 D-25 Mustang! The kits i can remember were better than Airfix and Revell ones and rivalled with Tamiya's and Hasegawa's.
Very good, thanks. I remember Heller kits being sold at Polk’s Hobby Shop on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, along with Joeuf trains and lots of other foreign stuff. Didn’t really find them any place else in New York.
When Heller came out with their 1/72 scale Lockheed 0749 Constellation with Air France and TWA decals back in the early 1980s, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as the "Connie" was and still is my favorite aircraft!
My dad worked on the L-1049 final assembly line in Burbank off and on for several years.
@@dalecomer5951 I up loaded on UA-cam 7 years ago this circa 1955 Lockheed promotional film on building the Super Constellation. Maybe you dad's in it: ua-cam.com/video/UTmgaaq8sMc/v-deo.html
@@WAL_DC-6B Thanks Dan. That film is so "fifties." Didn't see anyone who looked like my dad but given the time frame of the film he certainly would have known most if not all of the workers shown in the final assembly building. In late '55 he was working in Bldg. 82 and at Van Nuys airport on what would later become known as the U-2A but at the time had no type designation. One of the last Super Connies he worked on was the first L-1049G.
@@dalecomer5951 Yes, the Lockheed film is indeed "so fifties." If it's any help to you, according to the book, "Lockheed Constellation" by Curtis K. Stringfellow and Peter M. Bowers, the first Super "G" Constellation (L-1049G) flew on December 7, 1954.
@@WAL_DC-6B I was tempted by the Heller VC-121C kit if only for the boxart. Also the TWA "Super G" for the prospect of a nice large scale model. Bid on a few on eBay with no joy. Had no knowledge of Heller kit quality at the time.
Another great one, and so many questions! I too had to go to the beauty parlor with my mom, but I didn't fall asleep listening to the hair dryers. I'd get bored and my mom would give my a whole 25 cents to walk around the corner to buy myself an ice cream cone, usually strawberry. At five years old, most parents today would have a panic attack if their kids were out of sight for more than a minute, but those were the 1960's and thankfully my mom wasn't worried. I always thought Heller kits were okay. The few I've had were shaped accurately, but the raised panel lines were pretty heavy. I noticed that the early 737 boxart in the music section depicted the original blow-in doors on the JT8 nacelle! I'd be interested to see the kit. Brings back memories of Air California flying out of the Bay Area.
Yeah, they tried to toss a woman in jail here in the USA for letting her 8 year old go to the park alone. I walked home 1 mile unescorted every day from when I was 6. Different times I guess.
Thanks for this video. I had really no knowledge of Heller's history and only acquired and built a couple of their kits. A kit in 1/35th scale, a Willy's jeep,trailer and figures, and a " Redoubtable" nuclear sub in 1/600th. I had a couple of their 1/72nd aircraft but never built them.
They seemed like decent kits , if a little basic. Kind of like Airfix kits if you ask me. Their 1/35th armour kits were sought after because of the unusual subject matter that Noone else did in any scale. The AMX-13 in particular was one I never did get but wanted due to an obsession with the armour of the middle-east wars.
Anyways, glad you are back in the saddle, producing content like this.
Keep it coming buddy!
Thank you for this nice story ! I'm 59 and I grew up with Heller. 60's kits were quite a nightmare to adjust correctly. I remember building a 1/50 jaguar, a fishing boat, 3 french battleships, and some ww2 french aircrafts. Almost everyone says heller is a pain (soft plastic, raised panels, old moulds, flashes, bad matching, etc...) but there is still a hype and I know some recent ir old good kits that let us all give them a second chance... Well, an eternal second chance !
The video posted by the new owner provides lots of hope and confidence for the future. Imagine new molds for all their great catalogue of french machines ! It would be fantastic.
Just note that armoured and motorbikes kits were far better than aicrafts in quality.
Great documentary! Thanks for the French Beatles at the end. I've built Heller kits of prewar and WWII French planes for years (plus their US P-47.) Their Amiot and LeO bomber kits and the "eccentrique" Couzinet 10 Arc-en-Ciel are fascinating and fun.
I build a lot of Heller cars in 1/24 and 1/43 scale. They have wonderful thin body panels and a lot of good detail, but often include one especially bad shape unless it is a model of a French car. Then all is perfect! Also a note to Max about 1/43 scale. It is the European standard for automotive modeling, and traces its history to O gauge model railroading, where the cars work for scenery.
I had seen one or two of those kits. Loved "I want to your hand" in French lol
Shortly before I graduated from college in the summer of 1971, the Woolco store in Charlottesville, VA, had three AMT double-kits that were made by Heller. I bought the Ferrari 330 P4 / Porsche 907 kit and the Matra F-2 / Brabham F-3 kits. I regret not buying the Renault Alpine double-kit. The detail on the kits was very good, although AMT included decals on the Ferrari / Porsche kit that were more appropriate to a southern dirt-track junker. And the greenhouse on that 907 long-tail was warped, so I cut it off, truncated the long tail, and built it as a makeshift bergspyder.
Thx for this! I have a Heller CL415 I am starting to build!
Never even seen a Heller kit. All new to me.
Great video again, Max! Some of their kits were available in Czech Šmer boxes. Very interesting French topics, some curiosities (Me-108, Me-109K) and some basic but exact kits of jets (Draken, F-104, F-8, Étenderd) some of their kits were quite unreasonably inferior to their contemporaries (Mustang, Mirage III and F-1) I really hope they will find their way like Airfix did... as there are still some interesting French topics left on the table by Modelsvit...
I purchased my first Heller kit about 2 years ago. It was a 1/24th scale 1961 Jaguar E-Type convertible. It is a pretty well engineered model kit, except for the rudimentary simulated wire wheels. Nice soft rubber-like tires however. I liked that kit enough that I purchased my second Heller kit...another Series 1 Jauguar E-Type, but the coupe model. The molding in both kits is crisp. The sensuous body of the Jag appears pretty accurate and has a scale thickness. I would try another Heller kit if the automotive subject appealed to me.
For a brief time in the middle 1970's Aurora imported some Heller kits to America.
Many of their 1/72 scale kits were quite good and a good number have not been superceded.
I remember Heller was one of the first companies to offer 1/35 accessories--in mid to late 79s. A set of jerry cans in a clear polythene envelopw on a car about 3 x 4 inches; also a tow cable, and some chain. They had a kist of french small arms, too. They also beat Tamiya by having a "Famous Generals" kit--the figures were all one-piece, in a tea leaf green semi-hard plastic.
Thanks again for another informative and entertaining video. But no mention of the Heller/Aurora connection that seemed to start the year Aurora went out of business? It looked like the two companies had an agreement that Heller would add the Aurora name to its kits for coming into the American market. Heller's box art in the 60s and 70s was crazy good, but what should one expect from a country with such a long appreciation of the fine arts? I had only 3 Heller kits. A 1/50 Alouette helicopter was a gift when I was about 10. It was not on my wish list, but it seemed fine. It had vinyl tires. About 15 years ago I bought a 1/72 F4U and a P39. Both were better than older American kits: good fit, right shapes, good detail, nice decals. Thanks again.
got past me
I have the Heller 1/35 Super Frelon helicopter. Great challenging kit if you can find it. Huge when built too. Takes a whole shelf.
I built one, maybe two, Heller models. The first was an Apollo Lunar Module (prob. 1:100 scale) that I got in the gift shop of the then-new National Air and Space Museum on the Mall in DC. Lasted for quite a few years before succumbing to the usual wear and tear of a preteen boy's ownership; its parts went into making a science-fiction spaceship of my own "design" which I hung onto well into "adulthood." The second, which may have been an Airfix (or, given what I just learned, an Airfix rebox of a Heller) 1:72 Magister which came with decals for the Patrouille de France.
I built the Charles De Gaulle at the 1/400, a Lafayette frigate, and a De Grasse cruiser. I was happy to have found a De Grasse, a good quality kit, no longer manufactured, and with PE from L'Arsenal (guardrails, stairs, radars), a bit scratch, this model is just great, and not expansive.
I am thinking of buying a an ancient vessel
next time, a Superbe for example.
I was in an antique store, and I bought an original Fouga Magister with the same box art as the one in 0:53. Its a nice build to say the least.
I posted a link to your history videos in my scale modelling facebook group. They certainly bring back memories. The link got a bunch of thumbs up. :)
thank you
I like the photo of the guy holding the plastic kits. He has a 3-ink pen in his shirt pocket. I used to use those as well back then. If I was any older, I would have had a slide-rule as well in my shirt pocket being an Engineer. :-)
I liked Heller for their "own drummer" offerings... the DC6 and Connie families in 1/72 scale were a pleasant surprise... Would have been cool for them to expand that series of '50s-60s prop driven airliners. Plenty of DC3s and AFAIK only the Mach II Convair... Revell Germany finally did their great C54/DC4 some decades later.
nicely said
One of my bucket list items was to fly in a B-17. My wife gave that to me 3 years ago. Took men to go up in them things day in and day out.
I built a Heller Bugatti, in around 68, but I was also making a Monogram Duesenberg. The Monogram was streets ahead, never made Heller again, probably a bit harsh but kids are really judgemental - did buy a fair number of Solido stuff - living in Hong Kong we were close to Vietnam, given that half of my friends were American, many Australian and a few Vietnamese - to model conflict in the area, it had to be France engaged in a Colonial War - approval all round from my crew - using mainly Solido models of French fighting vehicles c 1950s though Airfix HO scale soldiers. These series is brilliant, during all this lockdown stuff being taken back through my life thru the models I have been obsessed and/or besotted with - C'est san pariel, c'est magnifique!!!! PS You're beginning to get me with the music too, this one just made me laff out loud, any chance of any Credence? Stylistically it may not be your choice, but whatever you chose is cool by me, as before, thank you, keep up the brilliant work, big respect for your efforts
thanks
Heller? A good model company. I built many of their planes, warships, and sailing ships, and mostly I would say they were pretty good. Vive la France! I am glad they are still around.
I have a ton of Heller model ships and a few aircraft. Some of the best kits ever made including the La Reale, the HMS victory, the Le soliel Royal, and etc. The Santa Maria remains my favorite.
Another good history lesson. Thanks Max.
Tres bien missure monsieur Max! Built there oddly scaled space station 1/125 ...not bad for a subject with limited detail info at the time.
The Heller 1/8th scale motorcycles are truly excellent; and especially the 750 Mach IV H2 Kawasaki triple are commanding high prices.
Probably the most unusual, yet uniquely cool Heller kit in my stash is the Breitling Orbiter III Balloon, which did the first round the world flight. I really need to build it.
I am surprised you didn't mention the 1/8 scale Citroen traction Avant --- I got one and took me months to do it really is a wonderful kit
I have one as well, but since I bought it off eBay (where else?), the kit is complete, but no instructions!!
The box art on the first tool kits is just superb , no other brand could touch these
Heller kits are quite nostalgic - their ships are mythic. Their kits vary quite a lot in quality through the ages, from excellent to almost crap. But you get the subjects that most others don't do. I don't like very much the heller airplanes but their tanks, cars and ships are very good, generally. I suppose the modern Heller kits are very good, but I have not yet build one.
Canon Anti-Chars 25mm is an anti tank gun not anti-aircraft.
I thought it looked too horizontal. Not sure how I made that error but at least I know the class is paying attention. 😂
I built that when it first came out, not a bad model along with some of the figure sets. Nice easy model not like todays. Can't see the small parts anymore. And the arthritis won't let me hold on. Still keep track of modeling .
Too much French Liqueur, perhaps? :) (grin)
Another great video! Thanks for mentioning slot cars! Some of the Heller bodies are well suited for slot car conversion! Keep 'em coming!
Thanks
Just remembered their mighty 1/8th scale Citroen Traction Avant, a mighty model indeed.....
I have one of those, along with the 1/16 DS sedan and convertible, and a few of their 1/24 Citroen kits. For the longest time, the only kit manufacturer a Citroeniste like me could turn to.
Yet another company I not heard of. This was interesting. The thread I seen in your series is that typically the successful companies are created and run by a small number of passionate individuals. The problem with that is people get old, sick, and die. The problem with the model business is when business men take over the model company goes South.
I might get around to building the Heller ME-108! The sport plane that was used as a stand in for it's big brother the BF-109 in some war movies!
I bought several of their french Colonial troops in 1/35. They were used with a scratch built FT 17 in a diorama. I'm not to sure about the historical accuracy but it was an interesting project.
For years Heller was the only source for 1/35 plastic soldiers from France and its N. African colonies in the 1930-40's. They were also the only ones producing non-resin French WWII armor until Bronco, Hobby Boss and Tamiya joined in with better kits years later.
Thanks Max! I knew very little about Heller, in spite of the fact that three their 1/100 ship mold were sold to the Soviet Union in 1975. These were «Pourquoi Pas?» steam bark, «Brigantine», and «Occident» steam wheeler. They were produced in Georgia by Siharuli factory. In 1990's Zvezda obtained and restored the molds and now all three ships are available from Zvezda.
There's one more manufacturer that deserves video - Nichimo of Japan. Their armor kits in 1/30 and (later) 1/35 scale were very popular in 1960's-70's.
I have Nichimo on the list but cannot find enough information for a video. Same fro Nitto and Imai.
Loved your "brief history" of Heller. I have a large number of Heller kits (some unbuilt), gotta love the French pre war planes, like -the Amiot 143. But, fun fact, I have a Heller kit of the ship Maille -Breze, which the real ship was used in the movie Dunkirk.
Tres bien encore Max !!! Well done for disentangling that one, as always my experience is mainly of their car models, the first I was aware of was the 1/20th scale Renault 16, I suspect there was manufacturer collaboration here judging by the timing & quality although I've never seen one in the flesh (sorry plastic..), I had but didn't build most of the 1/24th scale racing cars, I remember them as very accurate and well detailed but a very fiddly build, some of these (and the aforementioned R16) reappeared under the Union label (as did some of IMC's cars). The VW Beetle glimpsed in your vid was interesting, I've never seen or heard of that one before, I'm wondering if it was related to the US issued Premier kit ? Re the grey Ferguson I'm 99.9% certain it's not the famous old Airfix model but looks from pictures very impressive in it's own right, must dig out the remains of my old Airfix one..... I was never aware of the Joustra connection either, they produced some fine tinplate and later plastic ready made cars in 1/18th scale long before it became a diecast car standard !
I visited the Heller factory in Trun in 1996, allthough produktion seemed be running, we saw no lonly soul..just some shed full of moulds and mashines...the administration building seemed deserted, exept some glas cabins with built up Heller models, nothing to see...was kind of creepy and in 2004, closed (but i can't remeber the weekday) we were there for the scrapyard full of german WW2 stuff anyway :-)
Max your French is quite excellent. I have a few of the rarer Heller kits, the Super Broussard twin turboprop and the early Frelon helicopter. Oui, I’ve had good experiences with their kits. Their Parca missile kit is extremely rare and I have yet to ever see it show on my saved search on eBay.
I still have my France by Heller with me. The only model that survived as did make so many from so many different companies. I would have loved to have the Caravelle just for the fact that it looked so nice like their Mirage III.
Back in say 198somthing, my favorite hobby shop was dominated with Heller models. In Denver. I still have a heller's model SBC.4/Helldiver No. 285.
Heller some really interesting kits , mediumpriced i remember mostly maritime subjects including lots of french foch class ships
Since I only build ship models Heller comes in at average. Right now I’m building a 1/400 HMS Illustrious. No one else makes this British carrier in that scale so I bought it. I wish Trumpeter would make it in 1/350. When comparing Hellers ship offerings such as HMS Hood, German battleships Scharnhorst and Bismarck and French capital ships Richelieu and Strasbourg Trumpeter, Hobby Boss and Tamiya developed kits with much better detail for just a little more money. If you’re going to survive in this business you’ve got to retool. If Heller does fold I hope Atlantis purchases their ship molds.
Interesting sidenote, the german revell webshop now sells Heller models. ;)
Thanks for the links, having a cold war cultures course and I have to look at a topic for a presentation, and yeah since scale modeling is a hobby of mine I'm thinking about it, sadly the sources, you aside, are quite scarce.
You're doing good work looking into some of the less known parts of the hobby, like the soviet stuff.
Other ideas are motorsports and bits of aviation, or other transports like railways...........sadly I have to jam all of this into a cultural perspective.
If you need any info on kit model companies I am happy to share what I have. BTW, I grew up and served during the cold war so I agree it permeates a person's perspective. I might use you post as a lead in on the cold war perspective in model bnuilding.
@@maxsmodels Thank you for the reply and your of help, it is much appreciate and I will keep this in mind.
The problem with the cultural perspective would be to see how the issues in wider societies affected scale modeling overall, like the criticism of most kits in Revell's Porfolio being military set before the Backdrop of the Vietnam War, that you mentioned in the Revell Models story.
Or what you mentioned in the Soviet Era, about the youth Organisations liking functional but not display models.
Spent today search for sources into that regard, but right now I'm not really finding much.
The next problem is getting such a topic past the profs............they tend to regard this as great for a research project but not for coursework. ;)
The sources situation for me looks a bit better for Railways and Motorsports right now.
But you never know until you've tried.
Your sources on the companies are impressive though, especially catalogues or the photgraphs of the aurora Molds.
That John Cuomo is not related to the family of politicians though, or is he?
(Asking as I recently found out that Artem Mikoyan of Mikoyan-Gurevich was the brother of Anastas Mikoyan, who was part of the Politburo that "took over" from Stalin and got Beriya executed.)
The forced Merger of the Moscow toy makers that screwed over the Young Technicians, really is a good example of soviet industrial philosophy.
Are there any sources on scale modeling history that you can recommend?
As for Revell, as I'm german, Revell kits are what I was raised on, most of the times the shops used to have just revell, especially if it was not a specialized scale railway and modeling shop, and the last proper one in my city that doesn't do just RC died about ten years back.
Maybe you'd occasionaly get some Italeri stuff, but nothing like Eduard or Tamiya. (Funnily enough the main masking tape they stock is Tamiya! ;) Much better value proposition than Revell's masking tape 8 meters (roughly 24 ft*) more and costs half as much. ;)
Took a long indadvertent break, started to build a 1/32 Scale FW-190 D-9 (Hasegawa rebox) and time got tight, which meant it went unfinished for years, with me only building intermittedly..........well Corona intervened and I thought to finish it. Still working on it.
As for Heller it is interesting, as it has those interesting rare kits, like the Canadair CL-415 or the Jaguar E-Type........really eyeing those for a build..........now if only someone could make some Bentley Continental R Type and Speed 8 kits.
Steered a friend from simracing in their direction when he sought some cars to build, and they have an interesting collection.
*Thank god for Combat flightsims, which tought me to somewhat think in imperial............though more in knots and nautical than in statute miles.
Heller have some great kits, I think I am correct in saying that their 24th scale aircraft are the Airfix molds though. One Heller kit I don't like is their 1/72 Spitfire MK1. It's a dog, and an ugly one at that. Their Spitfire MKXVI however is a lovely kit.
Great episode Max, nice work.
Many thanks for all yours videos , they are great ! Currently the Heller kits are available on the Revell web store (revell.de) ; for information i am not pay to say that ! .. Haha. I am just a french rookie in this hobby who started with the Revell Easy click kits and i became a fan of this brand. I also discovered the Ukrainian company ICM ( i love some of theirs models). Happy Modelling and All the Best.
Excellent video.
Heller makes good kits - particularly their army kits. I had no idea that the 25 mm cannon was so old. It is a very nice model. The 25mm was actually an anti tank gun and very close in capability to the 37mm. (Char roughly translates to tank) I have found their plastic a but soft and you need to use glue sparingly because the plastic melts easily but makes for an excellent weld.
I haven't bought a Heller armor kit in over 20 years. I agree with your assessment about the quality of plastic used, but the biggest turn-off for me were the thick, stiff vinyl tracks. It was extremely difficult to first assemble then install them on the vehicle without bending or breaking the drive or idler wheels. Had to replace the axles with brass tubing to make it work.
I think you might be right. I never built any tracked vehicles, just artillery and wheeled vehicles. as well as their figure sets. I think their figures are quite well detailed.
@@richardklug822
@@kellybreen5526 Also agree re: their figures, particularly those from the 1930-40's period. Still have a number of unbuilt sets in my stash...love their camels!
Hi max.thanks again for a fine history lesson.about other models.made in different countries.ive never thought about around the countries.hi from Ohio.thanks again max.
I have built one of their jaguar in 1/24 scale and it was a pain in the butt to assemble, their tooling is outdated and many hobby stores in France have a stash of Heller's kits that they can't sold because no one wants them..
Heller had wonderful paintings on the box, I had a heller amx30 tank.
I have it from an inside source at Humbrol that a lot of those moulds were "damaged" before they left France unfortunately.
Great video! I recently reviewed a Heller Peugeot 206 on my channel and I think they are good for the beginner and you can get a lot of fun out of them. I think they still use Humbrol paints in their sets? I'm not sure, but the paint codes are identical to the ones in Airfix sets.
always enjoyed building their kits
I have a Heller Humbrol 1/72 Fieseler Storch that i haven't begun to put together...(someday.) But looking at the parts, I'd say it's a decent kit and should be fun to build.
I do like their cars, tractors and lorries in particular
Damn, I have passed through Trun - ate some good, French food and drank the Normandy cider there. But had no idea that Heller´s been there..
Their Porsche 917 K and McLaren M7B expanded my vocabulary of specific obscenities
Man! I love your videos. It is one of my regrets in life that I haven't build a plastic kit in a decade, because I am building an actual 1:1 scale airplane, The Spodplane. Up in my man-cave I have the only Heller kit I ever built, the SBC-4 Helldiver, a particular favourite. It was actually a fairly shitty kit, but I just loved the concept of a biplane with retractable gear. Those damn innovative Ummericans... When the Spodplane is finished, well... Novo beckons!
Hello Sir. Great video! 👍
I have four Heller kits, three 1/72 kits (Bf109, yak3 and the first german experimental jet) and a willys jeep in forrest fire patrol scheme. This one includes Hummbrol paints and glue.
Take care and stay safe.
I built Heller's Breguet Alize and Dassault Mirage IV, which had disappointing molds, and their later 727-200 which was quite good.
I had the Heller Cadet series when I was bout 10 years old. I had the Frelon, Mystere and Fiat G91 (still one of my favourite jets even now). I have a Heller Mirage IV 1/72 scale in my stash to do. Only one I think on the market.