Vol.58 History of Dinosaur Plastic Models 3
In the December 1977 issue of the model magazine "Hobby Japan," the first dinosaur special feature in Japanese model magazine history, "Lost World / Ancient World," was published. This was in response to the release of Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops kits by the British plastic model manufacturer "Airfix." And this Tyrannosaurus was the first serious dinosaur plastic model I ever built. This time, we're looking at Airfix's dinosaur series.
Airfix is a manufacturer famous for its 1/72 scale airplane kits. Unfortunately, their dinosaurs are not in a unified scale, but rather around 30 cm in size. However, as a manufacturer specializing in scale models, they do aim for realism. The series continued until 1982, and some models were later reissued by manufacturers such as "U.S. AIRFIX," "ERTL/AMT," and "HELLER."
To write this article, I decided to return to my roots (?). I built one from my stash for the first time in 32 years. Nostalgia washed over me. It's a good feeling. But my building skills haven't improved much, I guess... The first one I ever built is in the background. Interestingly, in the Hobby Japan article, it said, "The head is a little too broad in the gills, and the tip of the mouth seems too narrow, but this is impossible to correct, so let's just put up with it." Nowadays, I'd retort, "That's fine!" but back then, no one knew about the Tyrannosaurus' binocular vision. This might have been the only Tyrannosaurus with forward-facing eyes in 1977.
Although orthodox, its subtly angled horns make it look quite formidable. Since it's the same scale as the Tyrannosaurus, you can recreate the "traditional confrontation scene."
Released in 1978. I'm bothered by the scales (?) that are too large on the surface. It's stubby and has a big head...
Also from 1978. The armor and spikes are well-made, but the proportions are stubby, and the face is eerily unsettling. It seems this year was not a good one for models.
Released in 1979. The surface molding is also too exaggerated and not good. The facial expression is also somewhat sloppy!?
Made in 1979. When I built this back then, I couldn't stand the sail, which resembled an Edaphosaurus, so I extensively modified it beyond recognition (in the background) by using a sail from a rubber toy and adding putty. Because of that, it couldn't be used as an example this time, so I built a new one straight out of the box. If you don't insist on Dimetrodon accuracy, I think it looks pretty cool.
1980. Aside from the thick and heavy-looking wings, the overall impression is good. The bonus coelacanth might be the world's first miniature model.
1982. The one I made back then was used in a diorama, so please bear with me with this stock photo. The completed model has a rebuilt face and can be seen in Treasure House Vol.17.
Other overseas dinosaur plastic models from the 70s include the "Bottle Dinosaurs" by the manufacturer "ADDAR," released in 1976 (there's an article about them in Treasure House Vol.18). "ADDAR" is known for its Planet of the Apes series of figure kits, but this bottle series seemed to be quite a peculiar manufacturer, making everything from Jaws and ghosts to spaceships and World War I aerial combat models.
In the Hobby Japan article, Tamiya's 1/35 Pteranodon, Photo 9, is introduced. It's described as a non-commercial item distributed at a model exhibition, but according to the book "All the Works of Tamiya Model," it was initially given as a souvenir during factory tours and then sold in limited quantities in January 1981. This kit, along with its base beach, is truly wonderfully made, demonstrating the prowess of Tamiya, who at the time was at the top of the Japanese model industry with their 1/35 military series. When I heard that Tamiya was going to release a dinosaur series, also in 1/35 scale, at the end of '81, my expectations soared...
Next time, we'll look at good old (?) domestic dinosaur plastic models, including Tamiya's.
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