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Old Heller Kit
daredevil
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California, United States
Member Since: May 22, 2003
entire network: 54 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 01:51 PM UTC
I just spent the better part of my Sunday afternoon fine tuning (actually doing major adjustments) an old Heller 1:35 kit "Hommes Grenouilles" -- three frogmen in a rubber boat. I bought it :second hand" and it had no instructions (and, sadly, no head for the third frogman); needless to say though not overly complicated, an instruction sheet would have saved me some fiddling. I know it's got to be a fairly old kit because it is pretty substandard compared to the kits I see today! I'm hoping to bury some of the flaws with putty and increase its visual value by putting it in a small vignette.
Does anyone know how old this kit is?
--daredevil
Sabot
Member Since: December 18, 2001
entire network: 12,596 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,557 Posts
Posted: Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 02:04 PM UTC
I bought a set of them almost 20 years ago in the Testors box. I also bought a set when I was stationed in Germany. It was in an Italeri box and was probably around 1988. It's been out for probably close to 30 years.

If I ever run across one of the frogmen's heads I'll give you a holler.
daredevil
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California, United States
Member Since: May 22, 2003
entire network: 54 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 03:51 PM UTC
Well, now I know that I am starting to have too much stuff--I actually came across the instructions for the frogman kit buried on the bottom of a drawer full of modeling stuff! I never did find the head for the third frogman, but I did have another Heller kit. So I took one of the heads and I'm modifying it with Milliput. It looks fine and is good enough to suit me. These are truly dreadful kits but they are good to teach me patience and problem solving. I've been out of modeling for so long that I need all the practice I can get!
--daredevil
Sabot
Member Since: December 18, 2001
entire network: 12,596 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,557 Posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2003 - 10:48 AM UTC
I actually found two of the divers heads, #19 with the mask on top of the head and #34 with the mast on the face. Also found a pair of legs (24 & 25) and several hoses (26, 41, 42).
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