Skybirds

Lore & Background

The kits were intended to educate their assemblers about the aircraft and were designed to be built similarly to real aircraft construction. They were supposedly approved by 'educational and air-minded organisations'. Subjects ranged from First World War to Second World War military aircraft, plus a number of inter-war period civilian types. The company endorsed the foundation of clubs specifically for model-making, which together formed the Skybird League. The League had its own magazine published four times a year. Photographs of completed models could be submitted into competitions for display in the windows of the Hamleys toyshop in London. Customers marvelled that a photograph of a properly finished model looked identical to the original article, a feat somewhat easier to achieve in the 1930s due to monochromatic photography. The kits encouraged photographers to experiment with scale and trickery to make the model seem more like an actual vehicle. Modellers were also encouraged to produce a diorama of their completed vehicle, setting it amidst scratch-built accessories. During the Second World War, modelling became a vital part of morale for children, who could participate within the dogfights above them during the Battle of Britain. It is possible that model making popularised the Supermarine Spitfire, despite it being statistically out-performed and out-numbered throughout the conflict by the more-successful Hawker Hurricane.

Reader's Guide

Skybirds holds a significant place in model aircraft history as the first series of kits produced to a constant 1:72 scale, a standard that would later be adopted by major manufacturers such as Frog and Airfix. The kits were designed not merely as toys but as educational tools, with construction methods mirroring real aircraft assembly. The Skybird League and its quarterly magazine fostered a community of modellers who submitted photographs and competed for display at Hamleys, a prominent London toyshop. The monochromatic photography of the era allowed modellers to create images that were nearly indistinguishable from photographs of actual aircraft, encouraging experimentation with scale and perspective. During the Second World War, model building served as a morale-boosting activity for children, allowing them to engage imaginatively with the aerial battles overhead. The range's influence extended to popularising aircraft types; it is suggested that Skybirds may have helped popularise the Supermarine Spitfire despite its statistical inferiority to the Hawker Hurricane in the conflict. Manufacture ceased in 1942, and the company closed in 1945 but was soon relaunched under new management. However, the Skybirds range did not survive the company's acquisition by Zang shortly afterwards.

Did You Know?

• Skybirds were the first model aircraft kits in the world made to a constant scale of 1:72.
• The kits were designed by pilot and aviation journalist James Hay Stevens.
• Photographs of completed models could be displayed in the windows of the Hamleys toyshop in London.