Models from old original construction sets

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Model building is a passion that can sometimes cause suffering. Building models from old original construction kits is one such example. But I love building models from these kits. Kits that come to me from estates, clearances, even donations. Nothing here is laser-cut or punched; instead, the components have to be carefully cut out by hand from the printed boards with a scalpel and smoothed down.
When building these models, I try to use as much of the original material from the kits as possible and only replace what is necessary. Mostly these are broken parts or the rubber bands, which are hard and brittle. Below, I list the models I have built in this way, indicating what I found and what was replaced. I will start with the oldest and end with the youngest by year.
And – all models have been flown for years.

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Letna (CZ) 1942
A Czech design, whose blueprint was yellowed and bore the signature of the designer and the year 1942. The kit cannot be dated; it could also be a replica. However, I couldn't find anything about it on the internet. It included wheels and propellers made of wood and plastic, but I only used the wooden parts. Apart from the rubber cord, which was newly manufactured, I used the materials from the kit.

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Letna 1942

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C.B. 6, a French model kit from 1943
in its original packaging and with original contents: the construction plan is yellowed, the rubber bands are crumbling, the wood is dried out, turned wheels, red covering paper, small parts.
80 years have taken their toll. The parts for the propeller, washers and glass beads, wheels, covering paper, and spring steel wire are usable. The rest must be remade, as they are inaccurately printed and, where cut out, also inaccurate and off the lines, and many parts are broken.
The rear wing, vertical stabilizer, all ribs, and edge arches were newly manufactured. In addition, the drive train.

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C.B.6 1943

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Goblin, Veron kit from 1949 (GB)
The packaging, a simple cardboard box with a colored print, still bearing the price sticker of £1.49. The construction plan and instructions, yellowed over the years but still in good condition. The covering paper, also yellowed but usable! The injection-molded parts with casting residues that need to be reworked. The rubber, hard, brittle, and fragile – it needs to be replaced. Balsa wood strips and boards with printed parts – perfectly usable. Also the landing gear wire and the propeller shaft with bent hook for the rubber mount. Everything was used except for the drive train, which was newly manufactured.

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Goblin 1949

[TheLurker]

What a good idea, much better than letting them moulder away in some collection.

Goblin, Veron kit from 1949 (GB)...
The packaging, a simple cardboard box with a colored print, still bearing the price sticker of £1.49.

The sticker dates after Feb. 1971 which is when the UK went over to decimal currency. Couple of possibilities.  A late 1960s issue kit with original shop sticker or the kit was sold on second-hand at a swap/sale meet in the early to mid 1970s.

The box art also seems a bit "flash" for 1949 as well. Britain was stoney broke in 1949 (no change there then) and I would have expected a plainer box which again makes me think a later issue kit. However, I'm sure one of the more *cough* venerable parishioners will be able to provide a much better idea about the likely date.

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@ TheLurker
Thanks for the comments. But then the design is from 1949, as it says on the plan. In 1960 or 1970, the kit was definitely over 50 or 60 years old and the model was a vintage model airplane.

Peter

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The Sentinel, Veron kit from 1949 (GB)
This original kit dates back to the early 1950s. The model was designed in 1949 by Phil Smith. As was customary at the time, it is a complete wooden kit with a handmade propeller, but also includes the first plastic parts (wheels, axle bearings, etc.). It also included covering paper and glazing material, as well as rubber cord. An original kit with the original purchase price still stuck on it: £3.79. All the strips are included in the kit, as well as the boards with the printed ribs, edge curves, reinforcements, etc. Everything is made of balsa wood, which calls for a comment about the wood: The wood is hard, heavy, and splinters easily. The white paper from the kit should be used for covering, but it has yellowed and both sheets are covered with orange-brown spots and splashes. So I determined the grammage (approx. 17 g/m2) and used paper (16.25 g/m2) from my stock. The Celon included with the kit was deformed, yellowed, and broken when reshaping. Blister foil provided a remedy. But: The old rubber was used! And the model made two beautiful flights with it.

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Sentinel 1949

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Nieuport 11, Guillow's kit from 1958 (USA)
This original kit was given to me. Wooden strips, printed balsa boards, vacuum-formed parts,
decals, covering paper, small parts, and accessories—all original. And everything except the decals and rubber was used in the construction.
However, the model was "updated" to the Nieuport 23 type as used by the Swiss Air Force. This resulted in modifications to the front fuselage and engine cowling.

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Nieuport 11

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Gull II, Comet kit from 1963 (USA)
This original kit already had stamped parts and was otherwise complete. The quality of the stamped parts and the wood selection at the time leave something to be desired. However, the decals have yellowed. The rubber is present, but has small cracks, and the black plastic propeller has a bent tip on one blade.
I used everything except the decals, the drive rubber, and the propeller for this model as well.
I recreated the decals on the computer, a new drive train was manufactured, and the propeller came from my stock.

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Gull II