I built 3 Visible V-8 s and one Chassis in my lifetime , thought they were the greatest models ever made . Thanks for the trip down memory lane . I'm a 63 year old kid .
Another quality video. 40-odd years ago, I built the Revell version of the V-8. That one had the battery powered starter that turned the engine (the Renwal reissue). Even though my late father worked for Hydra-Matic, the Automatic Transmission division of GM at the historic Willow Run Plant, I had NO clue how an engine worked... We never fixed cars at my house, we bought new ones. Building this model probably changed my life. Computers were 'the thing' then, but mechanics (and electronics & airplanes) were my passion. A couple years later, while poking around a storage room at an old middle school, I found an unopened Renwal V-8 kit. Those had separate boxes for each color. They let me have it, but I don't think I ever built it! And here were are now... Retiring soon from a lifelong career in Nuclear Power Electric Generation (and former Reactor Operator USS Enterprise CVN-65). All because I thought machines (and cars, airplanes, and ships) were cool... And like most in my generation, did that with only a HS Diploma!
My dad helped me build, or let me help build, the self propelled Howitzer when I was 4 years old, some 63 years ago. The memory is very vivid and has kept me interested in plastic models for all this time. Bravo Renwal. I have a re-pop in my train room.
@@larrydee8859 I always thought so to. When I was 4 I remember looking at all those pieces and my dad turned them into a great looking vehicle. It was Magic
My dad built the Skysweeper AA gun when I was a tot and I kept it around for a long time through a couple moves. The number of separate parts (such as the twin magazines with individual shells) and the realistic proportions even on moving parts amazed me for years, considering what most other model companies were doing at the time. "As educational as it was fun." -- I remember when the mere act of reading the instructions for a model kit offered insight into how the real-world object worked.
Thank you Max for another great presentation! As a young modeler, I always felt that Renwal kits were a step above all the other model companies. At the time, their detail work was second to none. Their early box-art was fantastic and prompted younger minds like mine to visualize military situations in their heads, and eventually to purchase the kit. I built many of their models, but am most proud of having built their visible V-8 which I got to work. I have a mint boxed Renwal, not Revell, Visible V-8 in my model collection. I never knew about the Cosmorama model kit until watching this video and was floored by it! I learn something all the time. Thank you again!
I discovered Renwal's Navy Ship Models around 1964-65. I'd already built many AMT cars, Aurora figures & planes and Revell Military Planes. 1st was a Destroyer, it' name eludes me. The detail and amount of parts in those models was - amazing!! I painted below the water line in red and fully decaled and hung the flags on black thread strung as the instructions suggested!! That ship was displayed in the front window of our Living Room for years!!! It was the 1st model I put there!!! I built other Renwal ships, cruisers, aircraft carriers etc. All got placed in that window!!! I remember my Dad brought home a Renwal catalog once around 1966 - it probably came from Polk's in NYC. The whole line was shown. One of these days I'll buy and build the Visible Sub model!!!!!
My brother and I put together that George Washington sub for a science fair in 3rd grade....well mostly my brother as he was much older than me. I remember it wowed them at the fair! It started me down the path...
This is a great video. Thanks. Packed away in a box I have an Ontos, a Skysweeper, and a Walker Bulldog. Forgot what kits they were. Great series of memories!!
Another great presentation. I remember Renwal very well. Loved the kits. The working actions and moving parts were just awesome to a kid. I had the 4 different SSBNs. Loved firing the missiles from the launch tubes. Adding the figures to the various areas of the ship made for great details. Also had a lot of the army vehicle kits which had play action. I tried a couple of those "aero-skin" kits but could never get them right, and they ended up a gluey mess. One kit I always wanted was the Atomic Cannon and never got one when I was a kid. I did manage to get the "re-pop" that came out a couple of years ago. Once again thanks for doing the work of research and putting this video together; much appreciate.
I bought the Revell reissue of the Visible V-8 for my wife's little brother when he was nine. He and their father put it together. Kody can fix anything now. One of my cousins had a Nike kit which he built in the mid 70s; I only got to watch. Decades later I took the full Nike museum tour at the Marin Headlands out here in California. I knew a lot of the facts because Tim let me read the instruction sheet facts after he was done. And, as always, NICE music! :)
I very much enjoy your vids on the kit manufacturers so far. I mostly only do Airfix, Revell and Frog with a smattering of other brands, but I very much remember the day in 1972 (I was 10) when my Dad handed me "The Andrew Jackson" Fleet Ballistic Missile Sub Renwal kit No.654 in 1/200 scale, still have it now although it is in severe need of rebuilding. I was surprised that everything fitted first time and that the Polaris missile launched. Keep the vids coming sir.
I remember wanting the massive Atomic Cannon kit, was kind of my holy grail... and found an original 1958 kit back in 1995 and paid an, at the time, staggering sum of $150 for it....then some 17 years later Revell reissues it for $60.00. I just never expected it to be reissued, or just wasn’t patient, I guess... Max, thanks for researching Renwal, they were somewhat of a mystery to me.
Same here, only I never did get one back then. managed to snag the "re-pop" that came out a couple of years ago. Retail price in Canada was 50 bucks CDN. I have seen the "re-pop" on the internet for ridiculous prices.
I did something very similar ... I had the idea that I wanted a retro space display. I would put up stills from Disney's Man on the Moon and the Collier's articles. Thus I needed a 1957 Strombecker RM-1 and the Nuclear Space Station. I saw Glencoe had re-issued it. About 5 years ago I could not find the RM-1 .... searched the web ... found one in Australia. Bought it and paid to ship it here (USA). Two years later everyone had them here ... bought a second ... still waiting to be built.
Yes Mike. my mother helped me build some of these models and turn them into great masterpieces in the mid and early 1960s. I didn't realize till a little later on, that they seemingly were post world war 2 models. It's amazing how when our parents help us, these pieces all come together into beautiful models.
They did that to the General. A civil War locomotive. I built and stored the original, then saw it reintroduced a few years ago. I never got rid of mine as it took many awards for the details I added to mine including real ballast on the tracks and detailing the wood such that it looked real.
That atomic cannon was a stunner! I remember it begin prominently displayed at a Naperville, IL hobby shop circa 1965. I definitely wanted to build it. I recall the price was super-sized as well as the kit! (but perfectly in line given what you were getting). I wonder how many Renwal sold?
David R Lentz, USA Thank you again, Max, for your outline of the early days of model kits. During my boyhood, my family and I had been terribly poor, so I lacked the means to buy a lot of model kits. I would see Renwal kits of World War Two and postwar combat ships that I very much had desired, though they were well beyond my reach. I now wish I could find them, though decades on, I still would not be able to afford them, due to physical disabilities, some since birth.
I remember Renwal's US Navy Destroyer. I don't remember the name but I liked it. I always wanted to paint the details. I grew up in a small inland valley agricultural town in my elementary school years. Yes, we had a hobby shop for a short time, but their focus was probably model cars. I know that they had brass HO locomotives and balsa wood airplanes (they also had Pactra paints). Most of my models came from Sprouse-Ritz 5 & 10 (Monogram, Revell, Pyro, Hubley) or the local drug store (Hawk, Aurora, UPC). The selection varied often.
Many years ago when i was 9, somebody gave me the Renwal 'Human Skeleton' model for Christmas. A very 'sneaky' model that had educational value , but that glow in the dark color it was molded in was just about the coolest thing I ever seen. I had it on display on my dresser in my bedroom for years until our cat destroyed it! A great FUN model.
I built several Renwal kits in the late 1960s/early 1970s, before they were acquired by Revell. The M-50 Ontos, M-55 self propelled arty vehicle, M-47 tank, USS George Washington sub, and USS King and USS Dewey destroyers. More recently I have acquired some of the recent reissues of these kits. Detail isn't up to modern standards, but they are still fun old kits.
Their visible line was just terrific.Had a blast building the the visible chassis and V-8.You don’t see anything like that out today.Another great model company gone.
Thank you for another fine video about plastic models. My very first models were Renwals, but I was too young to build them on my own. When I was 5, my mother tried to get me interested in doing something creative, and bought me those tiny ship models, but she hovered over me when building them. Four years later when I started to build models again, Renwal was hard to find even though I lived only 20 miles from the factory. I was excited to discover the North Carolina model, a very cool looking battleship. I have different opinion from you on the hull. It was better than Revell's flat bottom US vessels, but nearly as accurate as Revell's Bismark/Tirpitz, Arizona/Pennsylvania, Hamilton Coast Guard cutter, etc. In 1968 Revell advertised in Boys Life a "new" North Carolina. The prototype photo was mouthwatering, but when I opened the box I was bummed. Yes the underwater hull was better than Renwal's, but everything else was worse: 16-inch gun barrels too small, 5-inch mounts mis-shaped, poor fitting parts. I also built Renwal and Revell 1/72 WWI planes after the movie Blue Max came out. It is hard for me to decide which company had better planes; I liked both.
Hi Max...Love your take on Renwal, always enjoyed their kits and still do! I do 'O' scale model R.R.ing, scale is 1/48, and have 5 of the 1/48 Packards and others...they build up beautifully...very detailed and accurate. The last one I bought, paid $5 for it in the box, new, with the instruction sheet! Almost a shame to build it but, like they say, "No guts, No glory" ✌😂
GREAT summary of Renwal history! I was always partial to the Visible kits, especially the anatomical series and I DID paint flesh tones on the nose and lips of the Visible Head!
I never built one, but I remember seeing an Aero skin kit once in about 1967. I remember it had a window in the box top showing off the 'skin'. My oldest brother had a Renwal atomic power plant kit.
@@maxsmodels He found it somewhere for cheap in the early 80's. I remember him saying it was worth a bunch even back then, but he was such a science nerd, he built it.
I got a 66 Stutz as a xmas gift and found the build very pleasing. In the mid 70s Renwal issued a 2pack of 1/87 cars which like the Revival kits did not last long.
I had the Renwal Stutz Revival. They made it as a slot car too. That's how I bought it. I'd ordered it at WT Grants (like a Woolworths) and many months later, long after I'd forgotten it, I got a phone call that it had come in. A beautiful model, but an overly heavy slot car. (An unbuilt one just sold on eBay!) Decades later, I bought another Virgil Exner creation: a used 1958 DeSoto Firedome. It cost a lot more. That's when I learned about Exner.
The Visible Man kit was educational and had so much detail I bought it as a kid, then again for my children. Later, there was an assembled model with soft plastic guts that was interesting as well, but I don't recall the brand name. Renwal put a lot of effort into the kits.
This company was gone by the time I started modeling, but I recognize some of the products that Revell re-released. I enjoyed building the cutaway George Washington sub. and the V8 engine was neat, I had one of those for a long time.
When I was kid, Renwal was my preferred model company. THe parts seemed to fit better than Revell and I built many of the visible models. Wish I had the airplane engine. I did enjoy the visible man, woman, head and V8 engine, which at that time was motorized. Great stuff.
An excellent historical overview as ever, Max. The only Renwal kit of which I have any experience is their Visible Man; which I still think is one of the best scale models ever released
If I had to pick one brand, it would be Renwal. I was fortunate to buy an un-assembled Atomic Cannon kit 2 years ago including the metal parts and springs.
I built the 1-12 th scale Mercedes Benz 300 S L Gullwing coupe many years ago. Excellent kit, everything worked. I made the headlights and tail lights work and added flocked carpeting to the interior. I still have it in my man cave!
Renwal made a lot of fun kits. The Visible Man was an early kit I built as a kid. Their submarine models were well detailed and looked great. Renwal also made models of the Visible Pigeon and Visible Trout which are rather scarce these days.
I did not know they made an invisible trout. I sometimes to try and see if I can leave all of the bones to my fish dinners in one piece so they would look like fossils. Yes, I am a child.
When I was ten years old the individually elevating guns on the battleships and cruisers were just the coolest things ever! Loved those kits . . . the tanks with the opening hatches and elevating guns although I remember thinking that whoever designed the crew figures had only a vague acquaintance with human anatomy. Also remember the aeroskin kits and brain-damaging glue they came with to stick the aeroskin to the plastic. Still a nice idea to recreate colorful First World War schemes that were way beyond my painting skills at the time!
I like the fact that those companies innovated and took risks; If everything didn't come together perfectly, at least they were trying. I don't think I ever built an aeroskin kit. Sounds like it would be fun to put together.
What do I feel about Renwal?? Perhaps one of the finest. That Aircraft radial engine and the ever popular V8 car engine are classics. Although Revell has made the V8 engine several times, they have never launched the radial engine (as far as I know) which is most unfortunate. If you find one on Ebay it costs Bill Gates' fortune and a bit more. Thanks for excellent video.
Revell reissued the Visible Radial Engine in the early 80's, minus the electric motor and working spark plugs. I know, as I built the Renwal original in 1962 and the Revell re-hash (which sits in a dedicated oak-and-glass display case in my office) in 1981.
I had that Patton II model. I also built Elliott White Springs' Se5a which was a Renwal kit. I recall a rumor that the Navy was upset when they saw the George Washington class submarine model because of its accurate internal details.
Yeah, the boys at Lindberg actually got a visit from the FBI. They had to show the magazine articles that they used as references. Revell's was inaccurate enough that no one cared.
There s a story that the Soviet embassy in D.C. bought those kits by the carton when they were released. And I don't think it was because they were bored with nothing to do. :-)
I built many of their kits on armor including the Atomic cannon. I played for hours with those kits. As a military brat ,when he moved, I had to give my models away to my friends.
I always had a hard time building Renwal, I built the submarine and the V8. If I had been older and had more knowledge of fit, they probably would have come out better
The Sky Sweeper was my favourite non-aeroplane model when I was a kid and I built two of them over the years. I recently bought a NOS one on E.bay and I intend to build it.
Finding information about the kit i was building as a kid long long time before the internet was half of the fun. My collection of books started at about the time i took building model kits seriously. Have a great day everyone.
I saw a few of these but none kf them interested me. I remember my brothers getting the see through engine one year for Christmas. I stuck to the popular plastic model kits of the day. I built models up till I was 17, then got back into them later in life, even getting my children involved.
I Love the Aero Skins. Gottem all Sealed and the Poster. Thanks. When I was a Poor Kid. Ya buy one, didnt need paint or glue. Everything Ya could want. I've build a few of them. Thanks again!!!
I bought a Cosmorama when I was 12. It was a fascinating planetarium kit and when assembled, you were supposed to be able to see the control panel match what you were seeing on the skylight. It would've worked except that many of the plastic parts were warped. It's still cool as heck.
Did you know the best car on the market is actually, a Hot Wheels. It'll last several lifetimes, it's affordable, has zero repair costs. Can be purchased with cash. And they do indeed, have, Hot Wheels. Which makes the marketing 100% accurate. None of those things can be said to be true, about any actual cars. No one's ever been killed in one. And Ralph Nader has never had a reason to sue them.
My late (never on time) little brother (or bother) and I were both avid model builders. I had the Stutz, and he the Visible V8, which led him to a lifelong occupation with anything automotive. Wanted the Ontos, which when I had the funds, couldn't find. There was quite the kerfuffle when the First Polaris model was introduced, seems security was not followed, and what was supposed to be a speculative design was in fact very real. Narragansett Bay.
Love these model history videos. BTW, "The Orville" will be returning but it will be on Hulu and probably not until early 2021. Doug Drexler is heading up the VFX for the series and it is currently on hiatus (for obvious reasons).
I built quite a few renwal kits. The nike was the first line of defense for the "allied" half of my room. Have you ever seen what a nike can do to a TIE fighter.
I think I have all of their 1/48 scale cars. They look good next to my 1/48 scale planes. It just everything a sense of scale. Also, I remember building the visible dog back in the 60s.
I remember building the George Washington, seemed huge at the time. My local hobby shop had an assembled Atomic Cannon on display. On the paper skin Renwal had, I think they were just a bit ahead of the technology curve. I know that Wing Nut Wings kits have lozenge decals that cover the entire model, I guess they have developed the cutting technology well enough to function.
I had both the visible V8 and the aircraft engine. I don't think I still have the aircraft but I still have about 3/4 of the V8 model left. I also have the the George Washington, but not the clear half. A friend of mine had the Atomic Cannon and the Walker Bulldog. I had never seen the cars, I would liked to have had a few of those. I'll have to see if any are around.
Having assembled many plastic scale model kits, I say Renwal had the overall best. Their US Navy ship kits were all in 1:500 scale, so you could "build" a fleet of ships which each were in perfect relative size to one another. You could also cement them so that the cement never showed outwardly. Better than Monogram, Aurora, Lindbergh, or even Revell.
I had the V8 model and upgraded the motor by replacing the battery pack with the transformer from my slot car track. Ran REALLY fast but eventually the mount for the electric motor cracked. Seems like there used to be a kit called ‘House on Fire” ..did Renwal make that or was it by someone else? I saw ads for it but never saw it in any store..
Renwal also made working model kits for H O trains House on fire, gantry crane, coaling station and a toy tank truck used on an American Flyer unloading flat car, They made other toys too.
I fondly remember growing up and always to build the "Visible Chassis" model. A douple years ago, I went digging around to find one of those kits and read the Renwal had a really bad habit of shorting parts in their kits. A kit that has been thoroughly checked for all parts were going for $1000 on ebay. A little rich for my blood......
Renwal was kind of an odd company, but yes, they had a reputation for detail and they took on some unusual subjects. I bought most of their Aeroskin planes and some of their warship kits.
I want to thank you for this one: I draw a futuristic comic strip, "21st Century Fox." I've got to use those Revival Car designs. That's got the really cool style I love. Thanks for the Inspiration!
@Dan Uscian - I'm curious as to why you "hated" it? I built the visible man and the original visible V8, which had an electric motor and flashing (in proper order) spark plug lights. I learned a bit about the human anatomy as well as the workings of an auto engine in building these.
@@Loulovesspeed The Renwal Visible V-8 I would have loved much like the Monogram Phantom Mustang (P-51) I had and built as a kid. But, as educational as the Visible Man kit was, it just wasn't "my cup of tea." Never had much interest in biology.
I had the US Fleet diorama kit and, in fact, I still have a destroyer from this issue sitting in my bedroom. A miniature fragment of a distant past. Hope you are getting along swell Max.
My feeble brain mixed Monogram with Renwal on different post. Renwal's howitzer was superb imo, and also built the tanks and Ontos (little Greek lesson there). Wanted to get atomic cannon, but think it was a spendy $6 or so. And where to display it?
I had been thinking about those Aeroskin models just the other day, wondering who had made those kits. I built a number of them, as I really liked WW1 planes.
I built the visible V8 - a great kit and pretty realistic, particularly the firing of spark plugs. I always liked their kits; I thought they were high quality for a reasonable price. I also thought they covered kits not carried by other producers. And of course, I always wanted to build the atomic cannon! (although I don't know where I would have displayed it - it wasn't exactly "space efficient"!)
they released a U.S.S. Shangri-La (CVA-38) after the upgrade mods. My retired off the Shang in 1968 and wished I had bought the model when it was released.
I had a lot of fun blowing the dog snot out of the imaginary VC with My Ontos model. It could hide behind a broom or the couch and inundate the enemies of Liberty! I built the Essex class aircraft carrier kit several times. Renwal was great fun. I still have a few 1/72 Aero-skin fighters in my collection. Thanks Max!
Yeah, I met a few marines who enjoy'd blasting the crap out of the real ones. They loved that weird little machine. I don't know what acid trip the designers were on, but it worked.
I have two Revell Human Skull models which were originally a Renwal mold, not mentioned here. Also the Renwal human skeleton. The glow in the dark plastic glows no more.
Thanks for this topic.I have the invisible woman .and two kits of the invisible V8 engines.still in box's.not finished.never took time to finish building them.
My neighbor had both the Invisible Man and V8 that I coveted. As a youngster, somehow I too possession of their cutaway Submarine that I cherished and probably lost all the missiles and torpedoes. My brother built on of their fantastic Howitzer tank. I dreamt of owing the Atomic Cannon but that dream was never realized☹️.
I built 3 Visible V-8 s and one Chassis in my lifetime , thought they were the greatest models ever made . Thanks for the trip down memory lane . I'm a 63 year old kid .
I built the visible V8 also. I don't think I had as much fun building any model as I did that one!
I'd forgotten how many Renwal kits I'd built until I saw this. Thanks!
That atomic cannon model was so cool.
Another quality video. 40-odd years ago, I built the Revell version of the V-8. That one had the battery powered starter that turned the engine (the Renwal reissue). Even though my late father worked for Hydra-Matic, the Automatic Transmission division of GM at the historic Willow Run Plant, I had NO clue how an engine worked... We never fixed cars at my house, we bought new ones. Building this model probably changed my life. Computers were 'the thing' then, but mechanics (and electronics & airplanes) were my passion. A couple years later, while poking around a storage room at an old middle school, I found an unopened Renwal V-8 kit. Those had separate boxes for each color. They let me have it, but I don't think I ever built it! And here were are now... Retiring soon from a lifelong career in Nuclear Power Electric Generation (and former Reactor Operator USS Enterprise CVN-65). All because I thought machines (and cars, airplanes, and ships) were cool... And like most in my generation, did that with only a HS Diploma!
My dad helped me build, or let me help build, the self propelled Howitzer when I was 4 years old, some 63 years ago. The memory is very vivid and has kept me interested in plastic models for all this time. Bravo Renwal. I have a re-pop in my train room.
I too remember, building the Ticonderoga, The Forestall, and other Renwal, post WW2 models, back in the 1960s.
I'm About the same age .
Great models!
@@larrydee8859 I always thought so to. When I was 4 I remember looking at all those pieces and my dad turned them into a great looking vehicle. It was Magic
My dad built the Skysweeper AA gun when I was a tot and I kept it around for a long time through a couple moves. The number of separate parts (such as the twin magazines with individual shells) and the realistic proportions even on moving parts amazed me for years, considering what most other model companies were doing at the time.
"As educational as it was fun." -- I remember when the mere act of reading the instructions for a model kit offered insight into how the real-world object worked.
Thank you Max for another great presentation! As a young modeler, I always felt that Renwal kits were a step above all the other model companies. At the time, their detail work was second to none. Their early box-art was fantastic and prompted younger minds like mine to visualize military situations in their heads, and eventually to purchase the kit. I built many of their models, but am most proud of having built their visible V-8 which I got to work. I have a mint boxed Renwal, not Revell, Visible V-8 in my model collection. I never knew about the Cosmorama model kit until watching this video and was floored by it! I learn something all the time. Thank you again!
I discovered Renwal's Navy Ship Models around 1964-65. I'd already built many AMT cars, Aurora figures & planes and Revell Military Planes. 1st was a Destroyer, it' name eludes me. The detail and amount of parts in those models was - amazing!! I painted below the water line in red and fully decaled and hung the flags on black thread strung as the instructions suggested!! That ship was displayed in the front window of our Living Room for years!!! It was the 1st model I put there!!! I built other Renwal ships, cruisers, aircraft carriers etc. All got placed in that window!!!
I remember my Dad brought home a Renwal catalog once around 1966 - it probably came from Polk's in NYC. The whole line was shown. One of these days I'll buy and build the Visible Sub model!!!!!
My brother and I put together that George Washington sub for a science fair in 3rd grade....well mostly my brother as he was much older than me. I remember it wowed them at the fair! It started me down the path...
This is a great video. Thanks. Packed away in a box I have an Ontos, a Skysweeper, and a Walker Bulldog. Forgot what kits they were. Great series of memories!!
Keep them safe. They are worth a few $$$$
I confess to not having heard of them but I am mightily impressed by the quality and inovation of what I have seen here.
Another great presentation. I remember Renwal very well. Loved the kits. The working actions and moving parts were just awesome to a kid. I had the 4 different SSBNs. Loved firing the missiles from the launch tubes. Adding the figures to the various areas of the ship made for great details. Also had a lot of the army vehicle kits which had play action. I tried a couple of those "aero-skin" kits but could never get them right, and they ended up a gluey mess. One kit I always wanted was the Atomic Cannon and never got one when I was a kid. I did manage to get the "re-pop" that came out a couple of years ago. Once again thanks for doing the work of research and putting this video together; much appreciate.
I did 1 aeroskin model...we don't talk about it anymore.
Another great video, explaining the story behind a brand I bought & built as a kid, back when gas still had lead in it! Thank you, Max!
I bought the Revell reissue of the Visible V-8 for my wife's little brother when he was nine. He and their father put it together. Kody can fix anything now.
One of my cousins had a Nike kit which he built in the mid 70s; I only got to watch. Decades later I took the full Nike museum tour at the Marin Headlands out here in California. I knew a lot of the facts because Tim let me read the instruction sheet facts after he was done.
And, as always, NICE music! :)
I remember that the George Washington sub was pretty detailed. It even had a pin-up poster molded onto one of the bulkheads in the crew's quarters!
Me too. What a surprise it was finding the pinup molded in the bulkhead. The revel George Washington only had 8 Polaris tubes.
Yeah , that was pretty cool for the time!
I remember having a heck of a time gluing the tiny ham into the freezer.
I very much enjoy your vids on the kit manufacturers so far. I mostly only do Airfix, Revell and Frog with a smattering of other brands, but I very much remember the day in 1972 (I was 10) when my Dad handed me "The Andrew Jackson" Fleet Ballistic Missile Sub Renwal kit No.654 in 1/200 scale, still have it now although it is in severe need of rebuilding. I was surprised that everything fitted first time and that the Polaris missile launched. Keep the vids coming sir.
Brings back memories. I built many Renwal kits back in the day.
I had the Stutz and the George Washington. These were the best model kits. Great detail. Fond memories building them.
I remember wanting the massive Atomic Cannon kit, was kind of my holy grail... and found an original 1958 kit back in 1995 and paid an, at the time, staggering sum of $150 for it....then some 17 years later Revell reissues it for $60.00. I just never expected it to be reissued, or just wasn’t patient, I guess...
Max, thanks for researching Renwal, they were somewhat of a mystery to me.
Same here, only I never did get one back then. managed to snag the "re-pop" that came out a couple of years ago. Retail price in Canada was 50 bucks CDN. I have seen the "re-pop" on the internet for ridiculous prices.
I did something very similar ... I had the idea that I wanted a retro space display. I would put up stills from Disney's Man on the Moon and the Collier's articles. Thus I needed a 1957 Strombecker RM-1 and the Nuclear Space Station. I saw Glencoe had re-issued it. About 5 years ago I could not find the RM-1 .... searched the web ... found one in Australia. Bought it and paid to ship it here (USA). Two years later everyone had them here ... bought a second ... still waiting to be built.
Yes Mike. my mother helped me build some of these models and turn them into great masterpieces in the mid and early 1960s.
I didn't realize till a little later on, that they seemingly were post world war 2 models.
It's amazing how when our parents help us, these pieces all come together into beautiful models.
They did that to the General. A civil War locomotive. I built and stored the original, then saw it reintroduced a few years ago. I never got rid of mine as it took many awards for the details I added to mine including real ballast on the tracks and detailing the wood such that it looked real.
That atomic cannon was a stunner! I remember it begin prominently displayed at a Naperville, IL hobby shop circa 1965. I definitely wanted to build it. I recall the price was super-sized as well as the kit! (but perfectly in line given what you were getting). I wonder how many Renwal sold?
David R Lentz, USA
Thank you again, Max, for your outline of the early days of model kits.
During my boyhood, my family and I had been terribly poor, so I lacked the means to buy a lot of model kits. I would see Renwal kits of World War Two and postwar combat ships that I very much had desired, though they were well beyond my reach. I now wish I could find them, though decades on, I still would not be able to afford them, due to physical disabilities, some since birth.
I remember Renwal's US Navy Destroyer. I don't remember the name but I liked it. I always wanted to paint the details. I grew up in a small inland valley agricultural town in my elementary school years. Yes, we had a hobby shop for a short time, but their focus was probably model cars. I know that they had brass HO locomotives and balsa wood airplanes (they also had Pactra paints). Most of my models came from Sprouse-Ritz 5 & 10 (Monogram, Revell, Pyro, Hubley) or the local drug store (Hawk, Aurora, UPC). The selection varied often.
Many years ago when i was 9, somebody gave me the Renwal 'Human Skeleton' model for Christmas. A very 'sneaky' model that had educational value , but that glow in the dark color it was molded in was just about the coolest thing I ever seen. I had it on display on my dresser in my bedroom for years until our cat destroyed it! A great FUN model.
I built several Renwal kits in the late 1960s/early 1970s, before they were acquired by Revell. The M-50 Ontos, M-55 self propelled arty vehicle, M-47 tank, USS George Washington sub, and USS King and USS Dewey destroyers.
More recently I have acquired some of the recent reissues of these kits. Detail isn't up to modern standards, but they are still fun old kits.
Their visible line was just terrific.Had a blast building the the visible chassis and V-8.You don’t see anything like that out today.Another great model company gone.
Thank you for another fine video about plastic models. My very first models were Renwals, but I was too young to build them on my own. When I was 5, my mother tried to get me interested in doing something creative, and bought me those tiny ship models, but she hovered over me when building them. Four years later when I started to build models again, Renwal was hard to find even though I lived only 20 miles from the factory. I was excited to discover the North Carolina model, a very cool looking battleship. I have different opinion from you on the hull. It was better than Revell's flat bottom US vessels, but nearly as accurate as Revell's Bismark/Tirpitz, Arizona/Pennsylvania, Hamilton Coast Guard cutter, etc. In 1968 Revell advertised in Boys Life a "new" North Carolina. The prototype photo was mouthwatering, but when I opened the box I was bummed. Yes the underwater hull was better than Renwal's, but everything else was worse: 16-inch gun barrels too small, 5-inch mounts mis-shaped, poor fitting parts. I also built Renwal and Revell 1/72 WWI planes after the movie Blue Max came out. It is hard for me to decide which company had better planes; I liked both.
I built several Renwal kits, including the Atomic Cannon. They had a great look, when finished, were a source of pride to any builder in our circle!
Thank you for your work...thanks for the audio fix too
yeah, thatw as on me for not doing a watch before posting. Sometimes the processing glitches.
Hi Max...Love your take on Renwal, always enjoyed their kits and still do! I do 'O' scale model R.R.ing, scale is 1/48, and have 5 of the 1/48 Packards and others...they build up beautifully...very detailed and accurate. The last one I bought, paid $5 for it in the box, new, with the instruction sheet! Almost a shame to build it but, like they say, "No guts, No glory" ✌😂
Built all the kits in the Renwal Invisible Series. Think they're all still in my parents' old house but no one can find them.
Great video! Looking forward to the next one!
GREAT summary of Renwal history! I was always partial to the Visible kits, especially the anatomical series and I DID paint flesh tones on the nose and lips of the Visible Head!
This brings back lots of memories! I would like to see those "Renwal Revival" car kits made available, again . . . .
And another entertaining video by the Marvelous Maximus!!!!
I never built one, but I remember seeing an Aero skin kit once in about 1967. I remember it had a window in the box top showing off the 'skin'. My oldest brother had a Renwal atomic power plant kit.
Those atomic power plant kits are rare and expensive now
@@maxsmodels He found it somewhere for cheap in the early 80's. I remember him saying it was worth a bunch even back then, but he was such a science nerd, he built it.
I got a 66 Stutz as a xmas gift and found the build very pleasing. In the mid 70s Renwal issued a 2pack of 1/87 cars which like the Revival kits did not last long.
I had the Renwal Stutz Revival. They made it as a slot car too. That's how I bought it. I'd ordered it at WT Grants (like a Woolworths) and many months later, long after I'd forgotten it, I got a phone call that it had come in. A beautiful model, but an overly heavy slot car. (An unbuilt one just sold on eBay!) Decades later, I bought another Virgil Exner creation: a used 1958 DeSoto Firedome. It cost a lot more. That's when I learned about Exner.
The Visible Man kit was educational and had so much detail I bought it as a kid, then again for my children. Later, there was an assembled model with soft plastic guts that was interesting as well, but I don't recall the brand name. Renwal put a lot of effort into the kits.
Now, that's a little better. You do have interesting videos.
Thank you,
👍. 😷.
This company was gone by the time I started modeling, but I recognize some of the products that Revell re-released. I enjoyed building the cutaway George Washington sub. and the V8 engine was neat, I had one of those for a long time.
I love these model company history videos.
When I was kid, Renwal was my preferred model company. THe parts seemed to fit better than Revell and I built many of the visible models. Wish I had the airplane engine. I did enjoy the visible man, woman, head and V8 engine, which at that time was motorized. Great stuff.
An excellent historical overview as ever, Max. The only Renwal kit of which I have any experience is their Visible Man; which I still think is one of the best scale models ever released
If I had to pick one brand, it would be Renwal. I was fortunate to buy an un-assembled Atomic Cannon kit 2 years ago including the metal parts and springs.
I built all of Renwal’s armored vehicle and submarine kits. It was thrilling for me as a kid and teenager. 👍
I built the 1-12 th scale Mercedes Benz 300 S L Gullwing coupe many years ago. Excellent kit, everything worked. I made the headlights and tail lights work and added flocked carpeting to the interior. I still have it in my man cave!
Renwal made a lot of fun kits. The Visible Man was an early kit I built as a kid. Their submarine models were well detailed and looked great. Renwal also made models of the Visible Pigeon and Visible Trout which are rather scarce these days.
I did not know they made an invisible trout. I sometimes to try and see if I can leave all of the bones to my fish dinners in one piece so they would look like fossils. Yes, I am a child.
When I was ten years old the individually elevating guns on the battleships and cruisers were just the coolest things ever! Loved those kits . . . the tanks with the opening hatches and elevating guns although I remember thinking that whoever designed the crew figures had only a vague acquaintance with human anatomy. Also remember the aeroskin kits and brain-damaging glue they came with to stick the aeroskin to the plastic. Still a nice idea to recreate colorful First World War schemes that were way beyond my painting skills at the time!
I like the fact that those companies innovated and took risks; If everything didn't come together perfectly, at least they were trying. I don't think I ever built an aeroskin kit. Sounds like it would be fun to put together.
After 9 patrols I finally had my fill of SSBN's. Gee, thanks, Renwal-Revell
Diesel Boats Forever!
thanks Max ... I do enjoy your videos!
thanks for watching
What do I feel about Renwal?? Perhaps one of the finest. That Aircraft radial engine and the ever popular V8 car engine are classics. Although Revell has made the V8 engine several times, they have never launched the radial engine (as far as I know) which is most unfortunate. If you find one on Ebay it costs Bill Gates' fortune and a bit more. Thanks for excellent video.
Revell reissued the Visible Radial Engine in the early 80's, minus the electric motor and working spark plugs. I know, as I built the Renwal original in 1962 and the Revell re-hash (which sits in a dedicated oak-and-glass display case in my office) in 1981.
The radial engine was re-released in the "Classic Model Series" back in the 80's.
i liked the Aeroskin models...no way i could that those stripes on their Albatross DV with a paint brush...great video.
I had that Patton II model. I also built Elliott White Springs' Se5a which was a Renwal kit. I recall a rumor that the Navy was upset when they saw the George Washington class submarine model because of its accurate internal details.
Yeah, the boys at Lindberg actually got a visit from the FBI. They had to show the magazine articles that they used as references. Revell's was inaccurate enough that no one cared.
There s a story that the Soviet embassy in D.C. bought those kits by the carton when they were released. And I don't think it was because they were bored with nothing to do. :-)
I built many of their kits on armor including the Atomic cannon. I played for hours with those kits. As a military brat ,when he moved, I had to give my models away to my friends.
I always had a hard time building Renwal, I built the submarine and the V8. If I had been older and had more knowledge of fit, they probably would have come out better
Always enjoyed the kits they tooled!
I regret that I have only one upvote to give. Every time I get to the credits, I want to upvote again.
Renwal was an excellent company that produced authentic models with operating parts.
Really loved the North Carolina.Have one built and one in the box.👍
The Sky Sweeper was my favourite non-aeroplane model when I was a kid and I built two of them over the years. I recently bought a NOS one on E.bay and I intend to build it.
Finding information about the kit i was building as a kid long long time before the internet was half of the fun. My collection of books started at about the time i took building model kits seriously. Have a great day everyone.
I still have some of the military kits in the original boxes. Sooooo many kits so little time. I have seen your vids. I saw the ontos inrl.
If you're not gonna build em, put em up for sale on eBay. Or let me know, maybe I'll by em!
Loved the kits, just picked up the Military Wrecker at a hobby show!
I saw a few of these but none kf them interested me. I remember my brothers getting the see through engine one year for Christmas. I stuck to the popular plastic model kits of the day. I built models up till I was 17, then got back into them later in life, even getting my children involved.
I Love the Aero Skins. Gottem all Sealed and the Poster. Thanks. When I was a Poor Kid. Ya buy one, didnt need paint or glue. Everything Ya could want. I've build a few of them. Thanks again!!!
I bought a Cosmorama when I was 12. It was a fascinating planetarium kit and when assembled, you were supposed to be able to see the control panel match what you were seeing on the skylight. It would've worked except that many of the plastic parts were warped. It's still cool as heck.
Did you know the best car on the market is actually, a Hot Wheels. It'll last several lifetimes, it's affordable, has zero repair costs. Can be purchased with cash. And they do indeed, have, Hot Wheels. Which makes the marketing 100% accurate. None of those things can be said to be true, about any actual cars.
No one's ever been killed in one. And Ralph Nader has never had a reason to sue them.
Wow, that brings back some memories--buying kits from a genuine "five and dime" too.
My late (never on time) little brother (or bother) and I were both avid model builders. I had the Stutz, and he the Visible V8, which led him to a lifelong occupation with anything automotive. Wanted the Ontos, which when I had the funds, couldn't find. There was quite the kerfuffle when the First Polaris model was introduced, seems security was not followed, and what was supposed to be a speculative design was in fact very real. Narragansett Bay.
Love these model history videos. BTW, "The Orville" will be returning but it will be on Hulu and probably not until early 2021. Doug Drexler is heading up the VFX for the series and it is currently on hiatus (for obvious reasons).
Thanks. I love that show
Great presentation!👍
I built quite a few renwal kits. The nike was the first line of defense for the "allied" half of my room. Have you ever seen what a nike can do to a TIE fighter.
I think I have all of their 1/48 scale cars. They look good next to my 1/48 scale planes. It just everything a sense of scale. Also, I remember building the visible dog back in the 60s.
I remember building the George Washington, seemed huge at the time. My local hobby shop had an assembled Atomic Cannon on display. On the paper skin Renwal had, I think they were just a bit ahead of the technology curve. I know that Wing Nut Wings kits have lozenge decals that cover the entire model, I guess they have developed the cutting technology well enough to function.
I had both the visible V8 and the aircraft engine. I don't think I still have the aircraft but I still have about 3/4 of the V8 model left.
I also have the the George Washington, but not the clear half.
A friend of mine had the Atomic Cannon and the Walker Bulldog.
I had never seen the cars, I would liked to have had a few of those.
I'll have to see if any are around.
Having assembled many plastic scale model kits, I say Renwal had the overall best. Their US Navy ship kits were all in 1:500 scale, so you could "build" a fleet of ships which each were in perfect relative size to one another. You could also cement them so that the cement never showed outwardly. Better than Monogram, Aurora, Lindbergh, or even Revell.
I had the V8 model and upgraded the motor by replacing the battery pack with the transformer from my slot car track. Ran REALLY fast but eventually the mount for the electric motor cracked.
Seems like there used to be a kit called ‘House on Fire” ..did Renwal make that or was it by someone else? I saw ads for it but never saw it in any store..
Renwal also made working model kits for H O trains House on fire, gantry crane, coaling station and a toy tank truck used on an American Flyer unloading flat car, They made other toys too.
Built the military wrecker/crane...flash aside it built into a highly detailed and functional model....wish I could find more!
I fondly remember growing up and always to build the "Visible Chassis" model. A douple years ago, I went digging around to find one of those kits and read the Renwal had a really bad habit of shorting parts in their kits. A kit that has been thoroughly checked for all parts were going for $1000 on ebay. A little rich for my blood......
wow
Renwal was kind of an odd company, but yes, they had a reputation for detail and they took on some unusual subjects. I bought most of their Aeroskin planes and some of their warship kits.
Very enjoyable and informative 🙂 I also want that Cosmorama!! 😄
Me 2. What is it?
@@maxsmodels well, apparently it's a model planetarium, which makes it even cooler🙂
I want to thank you for this one:
I draw a futuristic comic strip, "21st Century Fox."
I've got to use those Revival Car designs. That's got the really cool style I love.
Thanks for the Inspiration!
I hope it helps.
I got the Visible Man kit as a Christmas gift from my much older cousin who was an M.D. at the time. Absolutely hated it and never built it either!
@Dan Uscian - I'm curious as to why you "hated" it? I built the visible man and the original visible V8, which had an electric motor and flashing (in proper order) spark plug lights. I learned a bit about the human anatomy as well as the workings of an auto engine in building these.
@@Loulovesspeed The Renwal Visible V-8 I would have loved much like the Monogram Phantom Mustang (P-51) I had and built as a kid. But, as educational as the Visible Man kit was, it just wasn't "my cup of tea." Never had much interest in biology.
I had the US Fleet diorama kit and, in fact, I still have a destroyer from this issue sitting in my bedroom. A miniature fragment of a distant past. Hope you are getting along swell Max.
My feeble brain mixed Monogram with Renwal on different post. Renwal's howitzer was superb imo, and also built the tanks and Ontos (little Greek lesson there). Wanted to get atomic cannon, but think it was a spendy $6 or so. And where to display it?
Fond Memories, Thanks for Sharing !
I remember this company, and back in the stone age I think got the visible submarine. Good memories.
I had been thinking about those Aeroskin models just the other day, wondering who had made those kits. I built a number of them, as I really liked WW1 planes.
I built the visible V8 - a great kit and pretty realistic, particularly the firing of spark plugs. I always liked their kits; I thought they were high quality for a reasonable price. I also thought they covered kits not carried by other producers. And of course, I always wanted to build the atomic cannon! (although I don't know where I would have displayed it - it wasn't exactly "space efficient"!)
they released a U.S.S. Shangri-La (CVA-38) after the upgrade mods. My retired off the Shang in 1968 and wished I had bought the model when it was released.
I remember building the Atomic cannon, the Ontos, the Hawk and Nike missiles. They were very good kits even for a kid like I was then.
I had a lot of fun blowing the dog snot out of the imaginary VC with My Ontos model. It could hide behind a broom or the couch and inundate the enemies of Liberty! I built the Essex class aircraft carrier kit several times. Renwal was great fun. I still have a few 1/72 Aero-skin fighters in my collection. Thanks Max!
Yeah, I met a few marines who enjoy'd blasting the crap out of the real ones. They loved that weird little machine. I don't know what acid trip the designers were on, but it worked.
@@maxsmodels My Uncle Rick was a Vietnam Marine. God rest Him. He knew what an Ontos was, but didn't share very many stories. An Honorable Man.
I had the Visible V-8, Visible Man, and Visible B-17. Not sure if the B-17 was Renwal...
Monogram...
Great video max. I dig them kits.
I have two Revell Human Skull models which were originally a Renwal mold, not mentioned here. Also the Renwal human skeleton. The glow in the dark plastic glows no more.
Thanks for this topic.I have the invisible woman .and two kits of the invisible V8 engines.still in box's.not finished.never took time to finish building them.
Disappointed to not see a mention of the House on Fire.
That one got past me darn it
???
IIRC, around 1966, they introduced a line of model cars with a "display case"...
My neighbor had both the Invisible Man and V8 that I coveted. As a youngster, somehow I too possession of their cutaway Submarine that I cherished and probably lost all the missiles and torpedoes. My brother built on of their fantastic Howitzer tank. I dreamt of owing the Atomic Cannon but that dream was never realized☹️.
Cool. Thanks for sharing