Airfix Poly Tank Nostalgia

[Heedless Horseman]

How many of us, in those long gone, carefree days, played with the Airfix range of soft plastic Poly(thene) Tanks and vehicles?
Ready Built! No suspension and tracks! And cost pennies!     
By 1970s, I had a load and was just beginning, (Allowed! ), to paint... so about a dozen Israeli Centurions in Airfix Sand, Duked it out on Dining Room carpet, with Arab T62s...(M60'Pattons' with cupola pulled off)... also Sand, BUT with Gloss Dark Brown Camo!  (All I had!). . 155 SPGs and trucks there, also, but Did not bother with Inf much... Airfix Brit Paras for Israeli and US Marines for Arabs... Airfix Russians would not stand up on Carpet!
No 'Rules', then... hits by rolling Marbles!   

Couple of years and the Panthers, Tiger (warped hull!), trucks and 25pdr made it onto early Table wargames... with Dice!  Sadly, the T34 and Sherman came out too late to be of interest... and never saw the Elephant and towed ATG!

Will still be there, somewhere... no fun to shoot with an airgun as they did not 'explode'! 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Converted some of the 432's with Crusader sub turrets to represent the Peak turret.

[steve_holmes_11]

I remember those. Great for us kids.

Older wargamers grumbled (some things never change) that the selection were poor choices to accompany the ww2 figure sets.

They were right of course, but my 25pdr almost always destroyed the evil tiger, and I loved my tank transporter.

[Orcs]

... and never saw the Elephant
 

I got £32 on ebay for the elephant in reasonable condition about 15 years ago.

[fred.]

I had a number of these, the first from the play sets, then some of the later ones bought for first actual wargames. Always seemed to have loads of DUKWs. Painting them was hard work as it always seemed to flake off the shiney soft plastic. 

I do recall that I sold a number of them on eBay for good prices - but not quite £32 a pop. 

[jimduncanuk]

Polythene hadn't been invented when I was a kid.

My tanks were made of Bakelite.

[Ithoriel]

All we had were chariots of baked clay drawn by clay donkeys. 


 

[paulr]

Were Phil's made of bluestone

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Yes the were carved from solid. Doesn't he still do that ?   

[Heedless Horseman]

Mocketh not the Aged, Kiddies. As a kid, I remember a 'Batrep'... either in a book or Miniature Warfare' Mag. Eastern Front. Very basic terrain. Vehicles, a mix of Airfix and Roco... but including what appeared to be 'hand crafted' Plaster of Paris Tigers! 

Do not forget the strivings of those who have gone before... their efforts have forged the World of Plenty in which We now live. 

Seriously... even at the time, I thought "Why bother? But, then, I reconsider the traumas invoked by Airfix Suspensions, to life-long effect. 

There is, also, the Ancient Chinese adage...
" Are you STILL messing about with those ****** little men? Just get upstairs and tidy your room, NOW!" 

[Aksu]

I still have my DUKW with some of the original red housepaint I used to paint the camo left in some hard to reach nooks. Lost the tarp though.
Oh, happy memories,
Aksu

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Gawd I had those.the panther and starship especially and the landing craft...
Sold for a pittance I remember.

[kustenjaeger]

Hmm.

I think I had a T-34, a DUKW, a landing craft, a 25pdr and a couple of 432s. I have faint memories of an M-48 but it might have been a friend's.  I think the T-34 and the DUKW are in the garage somewhere.

Edward

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

There was an M-48, and GMC 2 1/2 tonners. Added floors to those friom the 1/2 track trailer.