In Box Review of Air Lines 1/72nd Scale
Miles Magister Primary Trainer
Kit no. 3900
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
HISTORY:
The Miles M.14 Magister is a British two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft built by the Miles Aircraft Co. for the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. Affectionately known as the Maggie, the Magister was based on Miles' civilian Hawk Major and Hawk Trainer and was the first monoplane designed specifically as a trainer for the RAF. As a low-wing monoplane, it was an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots. Its sister design, the Miles Master was an advanced trainer also built by Phillips & Powis at Woodley.
SPECIFICATIONS:]
Role: Trainer
Manufacturer: Miles Aircraft
Designer: G.H. Miles
First flight: 1937
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm
Number built: 1,303
The Miles M.14 Magister is a British two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft built by the Miles Aircraft Co. for the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. Affectionately known as the Maggie, the Magister was based on Miles' civilian Hawk Major and Hawk Trainer and was the first monoplane designed specifically as a trainer for the RAF. As a low-wing monoplane, it was an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots. Its sister design, the Miles Master was an advanced trainer also built by Phillips & Powis at Woodley.
SPECIFICATIONS:]
Role: Trainer
Manufacturer: Miles Aircraft
Designer: G.H. Miles
First flight: 1937
Primary users: Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm
Number built: 1,303
THE KIT:
This kit has a copyright date of 1964.
Air Lines is Lines Bros., once based in New York, NY.
This kit came in a tray and lid type box in which the tray and lid are hinged together. It was not shrink wrapped but held shut with strips of Scotch tape.
The box art shows an above view of a Magister flying above the clouds. It is in a wave pattern of dark green and light earth above a light grey undercarriage. It has yellow wing flaps, elevator flaps and rudder flap. There is a red letter A on the sides of the nose and a red fuselage code of G-AFBS before the fuselage roundel. This code is repeated below both wings.
No unit is mentioned.
One side panel has a color side profile of the box art subject.
The other side panel lists features of the kit: pilot figure, movable propeller and wheels, authentic R.A.F. markings, box bottom collector's cards, Air Lines Testor free kit offer (see box bottom), Testor paint manual, display stand.
On the box's bottom is one of the collector's cards. You cut this out. It has a color box art of Air Line's kit no. 4905, a Percival Proctor IV Trainer.
To the right of this card is the FREE KIT offer of a Testor paint set, worth .79 cents in the 1960's for sending in 12 different collector's cards or a kit of your choice for 24 collector's cards.
This kit has a copyright date of 1964.
Air Lines is Lines Bros., once based in New York, NY.
This kit came in a tray and lid type box in which the tray and lid are hinged together. It was not shrink wrapped but held shut with strips of Scotch tape.
The box art shows an above view of a Magister flying above the clouds. It is in a wave pattern of dark green and light earth above a light grey undercarriage. It has yellow wing flaps, elevator flaps and rudder flap. There is a red letter A on the sides of the nose and a red fuselage code of G-AFBS before the fuselage roundel. This code is repeated below both wings.
No unit is mentioned.
One side panel has a color side profile of the box art subject.
The other side panel lists features of the kit: pilot figure, movable propeller and wheels, authentic R.A.F. markings, box bottom collector's cards, Air Lines Testor free kit offer (see box bottom), Testor paint manual, display stand.
On the box's bottom is one of the collector's cards. You cut this out. It has a color box art of Air Line's kit no. 4905, a Percival Proctor IV Trainer.
To the right of this card is the FREE KIT offer of a Testor paint set, worth .79 cents in the 1960's for sending in 12 different collector's cards or a kit of your choice for 24 collector's cards.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 2 silver-grey parts trees, 2 silver-grey fuselage halves, a clear windscreen part, the decal sheet, instructions and a painting guide. Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 6 1/4" x 8 " page format. Folded to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions has a lone exploded-drawing for assembly purpose. It has text to walk modelers through the build.
This kit contains 2 silver-grey parts trees, 2 silver-grey fuselage halves, a clear windscreen part, the decal sheet, instructions and a painting guide. Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single sheet printed on both sides in 6 1/4" x 8 " page format. Folded to fit the box.
The face side of the instructions has a lone exploded-drawing for assembly purpose. It has text to walk modelers through the build.
The opposite side of the instructions has the history of the Magister and a 3-view for marking and painting instructions. The bottom of the page says MADE IN USA Lines Bros. address in New York, New York.
The AIRCRAFT PAINTING GUIDE & INSTRUCTION BOOKLET accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 4" x 5 1/4" page format.
Page 2 to the top of page 6 shows color illustrations of 9 other aircraft kits that Air Lines marketed:
Kit no. 12900 A N.A. Mitchel Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 7906 A Airspeed Oxford Trainer as a 3-view.
Kit no. 12901 A Vickers Vimy as a 2-view.
Kit no. 7907 A Bristol Beaufort Torpedo Bomber as a 3-view.
Kit no. 12902 A Martin Maurader II Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 4900 A Supermarine S6B Racer as a 2-view.
Kit no. 9800 A Martin Baltimore Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 4902 A Morane Sualnier 406 Fighter as a 3-view.
Kit no. 4901 A Blackburn Skua Dive Bomber as a 2-view.
Plus a list of a lot of other kits and an illustration of a Testor's paint rack.
Air Lines was associated with Testors in Vernon Hills, IL at one time. Air Lines or Lines Bros. went out of business.
Page 7 has PLANNING & PREPARATION instructions.
Page 8 has CARE OF PAINT & BRUSHES.
Pages 9 and 10 have PAINTING instructions.
Across the tops of these 4 pages are illustrations of a man doing various assembly and painting tasks. The bottom of page 10 shows a 2-part display stand that is not in the kit.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. No part number tabs are on the trees next to the parts. This means extra careful work to get the right parts for assembly. Bad move Air Lines.
The first silver-grey tree holds: wing halves and flaps, rudder flap, elevator halves and their flaps (11 parts)
The AIRCRAFT PAINTING GUIDE & INSTRUCTION BOOKLET accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 4" x 5 1/4" page format.
Page 2 to the top of page 6 shows color illustrations of 9 other aircraft kits that Air Lines marketed:
Kit no. 12900 A N.A. Mitchel Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 7906 A Airspeed Oxford Trainer as a 3-view.
Kit no. 12901 A Vickers Vimy as a 2-view.
Kit no. 7907 A Bristol Beaufort Torpedo Bomber as a 3-view.
Kit no. 12902 A Martin Maurader II Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 4900 A Supermarine S6B Racer as a 2-view.
Kit no. 9800 A Martin Baltimore Bomber as a 2-view.
Kit no. 4902 A Morane Sualnier 406 Fighter as a 3-view.
Kit no. 4901 A Blackburn Skua Dive Bomber as a 2-view.
Plus a list of a lot of other kits and an illustration of a Testor's paint rack.
Air Lines was associated with Testors in Vernon Hills, IL at one time. Air Lines or Lines Bros. went out of business.
Page 7 has PLANNING & PREPARATION instructions.
Page 8 has CARE OF PAINT & BRUSHES.
Pages 9 and 10 have PAINTING instructions.
Across the tops of these 4 pages are illustrations of a man doing various assembly and painting tasks. The bottom of page 10 shows a 2-part display stand that is not in the kit.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. No part number tabs are on the trees next to the parts. This means extra careful work to get the right parts for assembly. Bad move Air Lines.
The first silver-grey tree holds: wing halves and flaps, rudder flap, elevator halves and their flaps (11 parts)
The second silver-grey tree holds: the other wing halves, seats, tail wheel, pitot tube, propeller, main wheels and their struts, cowl front and pilot figures (14 parts)
Next are the 2 silver-grey fuselage halves.
The clear tree held 2 windscreens as one time, but it looks like I lost one of them. A new one would be easy to construct from clear plastic though.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
This is a neat British trainer aircraft. I bought my kit at a department store in town that went out of business years ago.