Anyone Remember the MPF History Kits

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Ron Meyer

2008-03-04 14:00:35 UTC

Is there a source besides EBAY that might have any of these old
vintage kits? I'm looking for the old Arfix/MPC kits in HO scale with
the vacuform bases. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,

Ron

eyeball

2008-03-04 21:43:45 UTC

Permalink

Post by Ron Meyer
Is there a source besides EBAY that might have any of these old
vintage kits? I'm looking for the old Arfix/MPC kits in HO scale with
the vacuform bases. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks,
Ron

Have you tried
http://www.rare-planedetective.com/
or
http://www.oldmodelkits.com/

A***@aol.com

2008-03-04 21:54:53 UTC

Permalink

Have you triedhttp://www.rare-planedetective.com/
orhttp://www.oldmodelkits.com/

Keep in mind those kits were 1/76 (OO scale) and not 1/87 (HO scale)
if you are going to use them with model railroad or ROCO items.

Cookie Sewell

frank

2008-03-05 14:10:11 UTC

Permalink

Weren't those solely MPC's creation?

A***@aol.com

2008-03-05 22:37:46 UTC

Permalink

Yup, all they did was combine Airfix military kits, figure sets and
buildings with a vacuformed base. Cheap and effective for its time.

Cookie Sewell

kim

2008-03-06 17:29:11 UTC

Permalink

Post by A***@aol.com
Yup, all they did was combine Airfix military kits, figure sets and
buildings with a vacuformed base. Cheap and effective for its time.

Were they actually kits or the ready-made vehicles Airfix also sold?

(kim)

c***@sprintmail.com

2008-03-06 05:16:41 UTC

Permalink

Weren't those solely MPC's creation?

- Show quoted text -

I loved the MPC Historama kits, and have re-collected all of them - I
had to find mine on Ebay, so I'm sorry I don't have better advice for
the original poster. When I got back into the hobby as an adult, the
MPC Guadalcanal set with the M3 Lee and Japanese Infantry was one of
the first things I tracked down. There was also a series that was
done and sold by Airfix, which predated the MPC sets - but used the
same formula of vacuform base, armor or aircraft model, and a set of
figures.

MPC of course eventually did the giant size sets - Tank Battle at
Alamein, Commandos Strike at Dawn, and two different Normandy sets.
These had multiple vehicles, larger vac bases, and buildings/
emplacements in some cases ("Waterloo Farmhouse" serving as a Normandy
villa).

ESCI and Hasegawa both also dabbled in this formula - the Hasegawa
WWII dioramas were excellent, and the ESCI sets fetch some of the
highest prices on Ebay, due their relative scarcity.

Bless 'em all, they were a ton of fun and play value for a kid, and
we'll probably not see their like again.

Chris
Kansas City

The Old Man

2008-03-06 12:32:17 UTC

Permalink

There was also a series that was done and sold by Airfix, which predated the MPC sets - but used the
same formula of vacuform base, armor or aircraft model, and a set of figures.

There was also a series done by (of all manufacturers!!!) Tonka, the
toy truck concern. I saw a few, a Wright Flyer diorama, a Spirit of
St. Louis and a 1850s railroad diorama, the last od which I have.
These were larger scale, maybe 1:72, although that Pioneer locomotive
appears to be 1:48. I'm not sure offhand which other dioramas were
offered, but I do know that they're were maybe ten in all.

RobG

2008-03-06 20:46:26 UTC

Permalink

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.

I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.

Rob

The Old Man

2008-03-06 22:36:15 UTC

Permalink

Post by RobG

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.
I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.
Rob

There was also a WWI diorama that showed a Sopwith Camel straiffing a
downed German observation balloon.

c***@sprintmail.com

2008-03-06 23:46:30 UTC

Permalink

Post by The Old Man

Post by RobG

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.
I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.
Rob

There was also a WWI diorama that showed a Sopwith Camel straiffing a
downed German observation balloon.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Balloon Buster!! That set actually had the Spad - the Camel was in
the Red Baron set, which also included the Fokker Tripe.

Here's great Airfix site with pictures of the original, Airfix-brand
sets. These are different subjects than the MPC Historama series, but
same concept. Excellent Airfix figure reference site.

http://soli.inav.net/~edzwil/Battlefront.html

Pictures of all the MPC sets (and a ton of other cool stuff) towards
the bottom here:

http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix.htm

Chris
Kansas City

Pat Flannery

2008-03-07 15:30:09 UTC

Permalink

Post by RobG

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.
I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.

There were a whole pile of different ones in the MPC "Historama" series:
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix.htm

Pat

s***@some.domain

2008-03-07 16:37:31 UTC

Permalink

Post by c***@sprintmail.com

Post by RobG

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.
I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.

http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix.htm
Pat

never saw one and i looked at everything.

Pat Flannery

2008-03-07 21:34:14 UTC

Permalink

Post by s***@some.domain

Post by c***@sprintmail.com
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix.htm
Pat

never saw one and i looked at everything.

They are way down towards the bottom of the page:
Loading Image...

Loading Image...

http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist7.jpg
Loading Image...

Loading Image...

Pat

s***@some.domain

2008-03-08 02:03:09 UTC

Permalink

Post by Pat Flannery

Post by s***@some.domain

Post by c***@sprintmail.com
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix.htm
Pat

never saw one and i looked at everything.

http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist1.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist2.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist3.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist4.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist5.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist6.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist7.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/dio-01.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/dio-02.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/dio-03.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/dio-04.jpg
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/dio-05.jpg
Pat

i meant in reel life, ya maroon!

Pat Flannery

2008-03-08 09:21:21 UTC

Permalink

Post by s***@some.domain
i meant in reel life, ya maroon!

They weren't all that hot of kits; the vacuform base was pretty flimsy,
and when they did things like that coast artillery battery, the detail
on it wasn't up to their kits by a long shot.
The German Secret Strongpoint on the other hand had a injection molded
base, and with some work could probably be turned into a pretty nifty
diorama.
ROCO (the "Minitanks" company) did some basic injection molded diorama
bases also, IIRC.

Pat

s***@some.domain

2008-03-08 17:15:41 UTC

Permalink

Post by Pat Flannery

Post by s***@some.domain
i meant in reel life, ya maroon!

never saw those. i' haven't done a lot of diorams and i kept then simple.
a section of autobahn with a partial bridge and a do 335 under with it's
panels open.

m***@netscape.com

2008-03-09 05:22:22 UTC

Permalink

Airfix is ata it again. They have four "Airfield Sets" out recently. I
just received the USAAF set with their so-so P-51D, the old and
wonderful USAAF Figures set, the new Jeep & Trailer and a vacuformed
base which encludes a sandbagged emplacement, a pile of stuff under a
camo net and a nifty Nissen Hut.They also have the Luftwaffe, RAF and
NATO sets. The RAF set includes the Refuelling set that, while in
1/76, is one of the best vehicle sets around.We covered kits released
as dioramas in 1/72-1/76 in ESM 72. Anyone want to know more, just

Post by Pat Flannery
They weren't all that hot of kits; the vacuform base was pretty

flimsy,> >and when they did things like that coast artillery battery,
the detail> >on it wasn't up to their kits by a long shot.> >The
German Secret Strongpoint on the other hand had a injection molded>

Post by Pat Flannery
base, and with some work could probably be turned into a pretty

nifty> >diorama.> >ROCO (the "Minitanks" company) did some basic
injection molded diorama> >bases also, IIRC.> > >Pat> > never saw
those. i' haven't done a lot of diorams and i kept then simple.> a
section of autobahn with a partial bridge and a do 335 under with
it's> panels open.- Hide quoted text -> > - Show quoted text -

Mad-Modeller

2008-03-09 07:14:48 UTC

Permalink

Post by Pat Flannery

Post by s***@some.domain
i meant in reel life, ya maroon!

Lest we forget, Aurora did a few of these types too. "Anzio" and "The
Rat Patrol" are the two that I best recall.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Pat Flannery

2008-03-09 16:28:59 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mad-Modeller
Lest we forget, Aurora did a few of these types too. "Anzio" and "The
Rat Patrol" are the two that I best recall.

Anzio gave you a lot of goodies to play with, although detail was fairly
poor.

Pat

RobG

2008-03-07 19:42:28 UTC

Permalink

Post by RobG

I think my local shop may have had one of those old sets, but I have
not been there since before Christmas.
I remember having a couple of those sets, one was a Pearl Harbor
attack with a Zero model, US soldiers and the dio base had a crashed
US plane. Another one was Normandy with a pill box and either a
Sherman or panzer (prob Tiger). It may have had both tanks, not sure.
Rob

These were the two I remember having:
Loading Image...

My memory was pretty close on both sets.

Thanks for the link.

Pat Flannery

2008-03-07 21:53:55 UTC

Permalink

Post by RobG
http://henk.fox3000.com/Airfix/mpc/hist7.jpg
My memory was pretty close on both sets.
Thanks for the link.

This is a very fun kit also: http://store.foxholetoys.com/arii.html
Although I'm petty sure it's 1/76 scale, not 1/72 scale.
Eidai made a lot of interesting models, including a V-2 launch team that
I had:
http://henk.fox3000.com/arii.htm

Pat