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{{More footnotes|date=August 2014}}
'''VEB Plasticart''' was a [[toy]] manufacturer established in 1958 in [[Zschopau]], [[East Germany]].
{{Infobox company
| name= Mastermodell GmbH
| former_names = {{plainlist|
* Kunststoff-Verarbeitung Zschopau (1958–69)
* Modell-und Plastspielwaren Kombinat Annaberg-Buchholz (1969–73)
* VEB Plasticart Zschopau (1973–89)
}}
| logo= Plasticart Spielwaren Zschopau VEB Logo.svg
| logo_size = 100
| type= [[privately held company|Private]]
| fate = Fell from bankruptcy in 1993, sold to Manfred Wader which moved the factory to Elterlein, Saxony
| foundation = 1958
| founder =
| defunct = {{end date and age|1993}}
| location= [[Zschopau]], [[East Germany]]
| num_employees=
| industry= [[Toy]], [[collecting]]
| homepage=
| revenue=
| products = [[Scale model]] [[model aircraft|aircraft]], [[model car|cars]]. [[spacecraft]]
| owner =
| subsid =
| brands =
}}
'''Mastermodell GmbH''' (also known as '''VEB Plasticart''') was a [[plastic model]] and [[toy]] manufacturer established in 1958 in [[Zschopau]], [[East Germany]].


The old VEB Plasticart produced 40 different kits and a few games (e.g. the [[mancala]] game "Badari") made of plastic. Most kits were static models and used scale 1/100 for airliners, 1/50 and later 1/72 for smaller aircraft. They also produced a model of the Soviet spaceship [[Vostok spacecraft|Vostok]] (scaled 1/25) and the [[Energia]] rocket with the Soviet space shuttle [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran]] (1/288). Many of them are today valued collector items.
VEB Plasticart produced around 40 different kits and a few games (e.g. the [[mancala]] game "Badari") made of plastic. Most kits were static models and used scale 1/100 for airliners, [[1:50 scale|1/50]] and later [[1:72 scale|1/72]] for smaller aircraft. They also produced a model of the Soviet spaceship [[Vostok spacecraft|Vostok]] (scaled 1/25) and the [[Energia (rocket)|Energia]] rocket with the Soviet space shuttle [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran]] (1/288). Many of them are today valued collector items.{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}}


== History ==
THE COMPANIES:
VEB Plasticart was established in 1958 in Zschopau, [[East Germany]]. VEB was a Communist-era designation, meaning [[Volkseigener Betrieb]] - "company owned by the people". The company was called KVZ (for "Kunststoff-Verarbeitung Zschopau") from 1958–1969, MPKAB (for "VEB Modell -und Plastspielwaren Kombinat Annaberg-Buchholz") from 1969–1973, VEB Plasticart Zschopau from 1973–1989 and Mastermodell GmbH from 1989-1991. After a two-years break the company was sold in 1993 by the German [[Treuhand]] (an organization which privatized state owned enterprises of the GDR) to Manfred Wader. It is today called Plasticart. In 1993 the company had only 37 workers left. A new factory was constructed in Elterlein, [[Saxony]], and now the company counts over 70 workers. They no longer make kits, but playthings for toddlers.
VEB Plasticart was established in 1958 in Zschopau, East Germany. VEB ([[Volkseigener Betrieb]]) was a Communist-era designation, meaning "company owned by the people". The company was called ''KVZ'' from 1958-1969, ''MPKAB'' from 1969-1973, ''VEB Plasticart Zschopau'' from 1973-1989 and ''Mastermodell GmbH'' from 1989-1991. After a two-years break the company was sold in 1993 by the German [[Treuhand]] (an organization which privatized state owned enterprises of the [[East Germany|GDR]]) to Manfred Wader. It is today called ''Plasticart''. In 1993 the company had only 37 workers left. A new factory was constructed in Elterlein, [[Saxony]], and now{{When|date=August 2014}} the company counts over 70 workers. They no longer make kits, but playthings for toddlers. In late 2012 German company ''Reifra'' has resumed production of the some former Plasticalt model kits.


The “VEB” title was applied to a range of small semi-autonomous businesses in the GDR that made goods especially for export. The GDR needed to export as much as possible to earn foreign “hard” currency as its own “soft” [[Ostmark]] was not freely convertible and could only be obtained and used within the GDR. Consequently, VEB PlasticArt was able to sell cheap, but well designed, plastic construction kits to the Western countries in exchange for much-needed Western currencies.
The "VEB" title was applied to a range of small semi-autonomous businesses in the GDR that made goods especially for export. The GDR needed to export as much as possible to earn foreign "hard" currency as its own "soft" [[East German mark|Ostmark]] was not freely convertible and could only be obtained and used within the GDR. Consequently, VEB Plasticart was able to sell cheap, but well designed, plastic construction kits to the Western countries in exchange for much-needed Western currencies.


The factory was located in August-Bebel Strasse 2, 936 Zschopau, [[German Democratic Republic]].
The factory had an official address as follows:


For a long time the name "VEB" has stood with modelers for plastic construction kits from East Germany. The company changed its name several times.
VEB PLASTICART Zschopau, August-Bebel Strasse 2, 936 Zschopau, [[German Democratic Republic]]
;KVZ ("VEB Kunststoff-Verarbeitung Zschopau"): This name lasted until 1969 and is translated as "Plastic Processing Zschopau". The kits had very nice packaging, usually made of thicker cardboard and a great cover image. The company logo was at that time the snake.
;MPKAB ("VEB Modell -und Plastspielwaren Kombinat Annaberg-Buchholz"): This very long name was used from 1969-1973 and stands for "VEB model and plastic toys combine Annaberg-Buchholz". The kits of this period, were packed in the classic familiar blue standard boxes, but, no company logo.
:In this era the combined company released 1:87 scale die-cast car and military vehicle models. "ESPEWE MODELLE" logo was used on the package.<ref>[http://smallscaleworld.blogspot.jp/2009_03_01_archive.html Small Scale World, March 11, 2009]</ref>
;VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Buchholz: This name was used for die-cast vehicle models. "PLASTICART modelle" logo was used on the package.
;VEB Plasticart Zschopau: That was the last name as "VEB" from 1973 to 1989, the packaging was the same as from 1969/70 but from 1973 they then received a company logo. From 1987, some kits appeared in a very novel black box, with a picture of a constructed model on the cover.
;Mastermodell GmbH: From 1989 to 1991 they were produced as a limited company under that name.


In addition to these company names, two more brand names were used by UK importers: "Playfix" from the mid-1980s and "Nu-Bee" from the early 1990s.<ref>John W. Burns, ''The Collectors Value Guide for Scale Model Plastic Kits'', Sixth Edition, 1994, P.134 and P.142</ref>
For a long time the name "VEB" has stood with model collectors for plastic construction kits from the former [[Soviet Union]] or East Germany. This VEB enterprise had three official names during the late 50s to late 80s:


== Product lines ==
CPC: This name lasted until 1969 and is translated as “Plastic Processing Zschopau”. The kits had very nice packaging, usually made of thicker cardboard and a great cover image. The company logo was at that time the snake. If a snake is seen on the package, then it points to that kit must be from before 1969/70.
[[File:Metal toy bird made by VEB Plasticart in the G.D.R..jpg|thumb|Metal wind-up bird]]
Starting with an [[Ilyushin Il-14]] airliner in HO scale, following it with a 1/40th scale [[Aero 45]] twin engine low wing monoplane, Plasticart soon produced a scale model of the [[Baade 152]], the first jet turbine airliner to be produced by the GDR and the last development in a line of aircraft that sprung from the former [[Junkers]] works in [[Leipzig]] and [[Dresden]] (both then in the GDR). Next up was the stalwart of Interflug's European network, the four-engined [[Ilyushin IL-18]] turboprop.


The first of the famous Soviet airliner series to appear, in 1963, was the [[Tupolev Tu-104]], the first medium haul jet aircraft to go into regular sustained airline service. The early Plasticart Tu-104 set the standard for all the kits that followed. It was scaled at 1:100 which whilst not common for aircraft kits at the time, was close to [[Frog (models)|FROG models]]' 1:96 scale and matched contemporary East German [[TT scale|TT]] trains such as [[Berliner Bahn]]. In addition, the kit set a standard for being simple to assemble, with a minimal number of parts, sturdy landing gear and a full decal sheet. Instructions, often printed in German, Russian, Polish and Czech, were aimed squarely at consumers in the [[Comecon]] countries, where Plasticart kits were both affordable and plentiful. They included exploded diagrams, but no English instructions.
MPKAB: This very long name was used from 1969-1973 and stands for “VEB model and plastic toys combine Annaberg-Buchholz”. The kits of this period, were packed in the classic familiar blue standard boxes, but, no company logo.


Because the drawings were easy to obtain, Plasticart began to introduce a comprehensive range of detailed models of Soviet airliners and other [[Warsaw Pact]] aircraft. Whilst the Tu-104 had only been available with [[Aeroflot]] markings, the new introductions mostly came with Interflug decals – markings of the state airline of the GDR.
Plasticart Zschopau: That was the last name from 1973 to 1989, the packaging was the same as from 1969/70 but from 1973 they then received a company logo.. From 1987, some kits appeared in a very novel black box, with a picture of a poorly constructed model on the cover.


[[File:Ehri Kombi.jpg|thumb|left|Ehri Kombi]]
MASTER MODEL: From 1989 to 1991 they were produced as a limited company under that name.
The latest airliners soon made it into the range, including the [[Tupolev Tu-134]], [[Tu-154]], Ilyushin's [[Ilyushin Il-62|Il-62]] long range airliner, the Antonov design bureau's [[Antonov An-24|An-24]] twin engine short hauled feeder-liner and the Czech-built [[Let L-410 Turbolet]] twin prop commuter aircraft. Later additions included the remarkable [[Yakovlev Yak-40]] tri-jet short-haul "hot & high" jet and the [[Tu-144]] supersonic jet, known by NATO as the Charger or popularly as "Concordski". A mix of Soviet fighter aircraft and especially, helicopters, was also produced including the giant [[Mil Mi-10]] flying crane, the famous [[MiG-21]] "Fishbed" (1/100) and [[Sukhoi Su-7]] "Fitter" fighters (1/72 scale).


But it is the Western airliners that are most sought after by collectors today. The eclectic choice commenced with a very large kit of the [[Douglas DC-8]]-54 series. The DC-8 was in early [[KLM]] stripes livery and is today very sought after. It was subsequently re-issued with an updated KLM decal sheet. The box art for the [[De Havilland]] [[De Havilland Comet|DH106 Comet 4]] airliner depicted it departing from [[Hong Kong]] [[Kai Tak airport]]. Full [[BOAC]] decals are included. The [[Sud Aviation Caravelle|SE210 Caravelle]] was also released in this era, in the markings of a French prototype destined for [[Air France]]. Then the [[Boeing 727-100]] got the Plasticart treatment with box art in [[Pan-Am]] colours. Plasticart then added the [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]] initially in [[British European Airways]] colours, but later in [[British Airways]] livery, and then the unsuccessful [[Dassault Mercure]] of which only 11 units were built, all going to French domestic airline [[Air Inter]].
In addition to these Company Names, two more brand names were used on the later issue boxes: "Playfix" from the mid-1980s and "NuBee" from the early 1990s.


Later models, such as the 1/72 scale [[Junkers G 24|Junkers G23/24]] tri-motor corrugated aluminium airliner were detailed and well moulded. Western fighter jets also made an appearance with the introduction of the delta-wing [[Saab Draken]] in 1/100 to complement the MiG-21. Along with the aircraft and helicopter kits, VEB Plasticart also produced a model of the first crewed spaceship [[Vostok 3KA]] (1/25) and the Soviet [[Energia (rocket)|Energia]] rocket with Buran (1/288). The Vostok kit is almost the same size as [[Revell]]'s Vostok, and the box artwork is also very similar, but the two are completely different. Revell's Vostok is actually 1/24 scale and it was initially released in the late 1960s.<ref>''Revell Catalog 1969''</ref>


===List of Plastic Models===
THE MODELS:
==== Civil aircraft (Eastern) ====
[[File:Veb plasticart tupolev model 1-100.jpg|thumb|Tupolev TU-114]]
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Ilyushin Il-14]] "Crate" (1/87) 1958
*Aero 45 (1/50) 1959
*Dresden Baade 152 (1/100) 1960
*[[Ilyushin Il-18]] "Coot" (1/100) 1961
*[[Antonov An-2]] "Colt" (1/75) 1962
*[[Antonov An-12]] "Cub" (1/100) 1963
*[[Tupolev Tu-104]] "Camel" (1/100) 1963
*[[Tupolev Tu-114]] "Cleat" (1/100) 1963
*[[Tupolev Tu-134]] "Crusty" (1/100) 1963
*[[Aero L-60 Brigadýr]] (1/100) 1965
*[[Ilyushin Il-62]] "Classic" (1/100) 1965
*[[Yakovlev Yak-40]] "Codling" (1/100) 1967
*[[Tupolev Tu-144]] "Charger" (1/100) 1969
*[[Tupolev Tu-154]] "Careless" (1/100) 1973
*[[Let L-410]] Turbolet (1/100) 1975
*[[Antonov An-24]] "Coke" (1/100) 1975
*[[Antonov An-14]] "Clod" (1/72) 1988
{{div col end}}


==== Civil aircraft (Western) ====
Starting in a modest way with a stalwart Antanov [[AN-2]] biplane in HO scale, then dabbling in the odd 1/40th scale for an [[Aero 45]] twin engine low wing monoplane Plasticart soon progressed to something more ambitious, a scale model of the first jet turbine airliner to be produced by the GDR. This was the extraordinary Dresden [[Baade 152]], the last development in a line of aircraft that sprung from the former [[Junkers]] works in [[Leipzig]] and [[Dresden]] (both then in the GDR). A strong contender for “Ugliest Passenger Jet Ever Built”, the two prototypes were both unsuccessful and were quietly broken up in 1962, [[Interflug]] choosing Soviet tried and tested jet designs instead. The kit disappeared around the same time, the much heralded Dresden 152 proving to be a monumental embarrassment to the Communist leadership.
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*Douglas DC-8-54 (1/100) 1963
*Sud Aviation SE210 Caravelle (1/100) 1963
*de Havilland DH106 Comet-4 (1/100) 1964
*Boeing 727-100 (1/100) 1968
*Hawker-Siddeley HS121 Trident 2 (1/100) 1973
*Dassault Mercure (1/100) 1975
*Junkers G23/24 (1/72) 1987
{{div col end}}


==== Military aircraft ====
Next up was the stalwart of Interflug’s European network, the four-engined [[Ilyushin IL-18]] piston prop. This aircraft was configured similarly to the [[Douglas DC-7C]], [[Lockheed Electra]] and the [[Bristol Britannia]]. They were a common site across the communist bloc, operated by Interflug from [[Berlin Schonefeld]] and Leipzig, the type was also in service with [[LOT Polish]] Airlines, [[Tarom]] of [[Romania]], [[Malev]] in [[Hungary]] and CSA ([[ Československé Státní Aerolinie]])in [[Czechoslovakia]].
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15]] "Fagot" (1/50)
*[[Ilyushin Il-28]] "Beagle" (1/100) 1970
*[[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21]] "Fishbed" (1/100) 1973
*[[Saab 35 Draken]] (1/100) 1973
*[[Sukhoi Su-7]] "Fitter" (1/72) 1973
*[[Tupolev Tu-20]]/95 "Bear" (1/100) 1975
*[[Beriev Be-6]] "Madge" (1/72) 1975
*[[Tupolev Tu-2]] "Bat" (1/72) 1977
{{div col end}}


==== Helicopters ====
The first of the famous Soviet airliner series to appear, in 1963, was the [[Tupolev Tu-104]], the first medium haul jet aircraft to go into regular sustained airline service. The early Plasticart Tu-104 set the standard for all the kits that followed. It was scaled at 1:100 which whilst not common for aircraft kits at the time, was close to [[FROG models]]’ 1:96 scale and matched well with contemporary East German TT trains such as [[Berliner Bahn]]. In addition, the kit set a standard for being simple to assemble, with a minimal number of parts, sturdy landing gear and a full decal sheet. Instructions were a let-down though – often printed in German, Russian, Polish and Czech, these were aimed squarely at consumers in the [[Comecon]] countries, were Plasticart kits were both affordable and plentiful. There was an exploded diagram, but no English instructions.
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
Because the drawings were easy to obtain, Plasticart began to introduce a comprehensive range of detailed models of Soviet airliners and other [[Warsaw Pact]] aircraft. Whilst the Tu-104 had only been available with [[Aeroflot]] markings, the new introductions mostly came with Interflug decals – markings of the state airline of the GDR.
*[[Mil Mi-1]] "Hare" (1/100) 1967
*[[Mil Mi-4]] "Hound" (1/100) 1967
*[[Mil Mi-6]] "Hook" (1/87) 1967
*[[Mil Mi-10]]K "Harke" (1/100) 1968
*[[Yakovlev Yak-24]]P "Horse" (1/100) 1968
{{div col end}}


==== Spacecraft ====
The latest airliners soon made it into the range, including the [[Tupolev Tu-134]] (Replacement for the Tu-104), [[Tu-154]] (similar to Boeing’s 727 tri-jet), Ilyushin’s [[IL-62]] long range airliner, which resembled the [[Vickers VC-10]], the Antanov design bureau’s [[AN-24]] twin engine short hauled feeder-liner, based on the [[Fokker F27]] / [[Handley Page]] [[Dart Herald]] configuration and the Czech-built [[Let L-410 Turbolet]] twin prop commuter aircraft. Later additions included the remarkable [[Yakevlov]] [[Yak-40]] tri-jet short-haul “hot & high” jet which could offer jet service from a grass runway and the awesome [[Tu-144]] supersonic jet, known by NATO as the Charger, but by the rest of the World as “Concordski”, the first supersonic airliner to fly and the very last supersonic passenger plane in service ([[NASA]]/[[Boeing]] used a Tu-144LL Flying Laboratory for high-speed research. The aircraft was finally withdrawn in 2006 and is preserved in Russia.).
*Vostok 3KA (1/25)
A very interesting mix of Soviet fighter aircraft and especially, helicopters, was also produced including the giant [[Mil]] [[Mi-8]] flying crane and the famous [[Mig-21]] “Fishbed” (1/100th) and [[Sukhoi Su-7]] “Fitter” fighters (1/72nd scale.)
*Energia/Buran (1/288) 1988


== References ==
But it is the Western airliners that are most sought after by collectors today. These had to be scaled from other manufacturer’s models, photographs and measurements made on their rare visits to East German airports, as drawings were not available to Plasticart. The eclectic choice commenced with a very large kit indeed, the [[Douglas DC-8]]-54 series. The DC-8 was in early [[KLM]] stripes livery and is today very sought after. It was subsequently re-issued with an updated KLM decal sheet, although by then, KLM were phasing out their DC-8s in favour of the wide-bodied [[DC-10-30]] series.
* [http://www.arnes-modellbauseite.de/History/plast.htm Plasticart - Scale modeling sets from the GDR] (in German)
One of the most pleasing box arts was completed for the [[De Haviland]] [[DH106]] [[Comet 4]] airliner, depicted departing from [[Hong Kong]] [[Kai Tak airport]], as a junk is seen in the Harbour. Full [[BOAC]] decals are included which when built make this kit almost identical to the contemporary FROG model.
* [http://www.cartula.ro/forum/VEB-PLASTICART-DDR-t6350.html VEB Plasticart collector and modelling] (in Romanian)
* [http://www.veb-plasticart.com/ Plasticart Models] (in Russian)
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
Then the [[Boeing 727-100]] got the Plasticart treatment with good box art in [[Pan-Am]] colours. This was an easy choice as these aircraft operated into [[Berlin Tegel]] airport down the designated air corridors set up by the [[Potsdam Agreement]] in 1945. Since the Agreement only allowed the Occupying Powers to fly commercial flights into Berlin over GDR territory, the flights had to be operated by USA, UK and French airlines. So it was that Plasticart then added the [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]] (by then part of [[Hawker Siddeley]] and serving with [[British Airways]] and in the [[Warsaw Pact]] arena with CAAC [[Civil Aviation Administration of China]]) and the [[Dassault Mercure]] of French airline [[Air Inter]] (a bizarre choice, as only 10 were ever built of this proposed challenger to the [[Boeing 737]]). The SE210 [[Caravelle]] was a much better choice to fly the flag for France, having been widely exported and operating into the Soviet bloc with [[Finnair]], [[Scandinavian Airline System]] (SAS), [[Alitalia]], [[Air France]] and [[Swissair]].
{{commons cat}}
* [http://www.reifra.de/ Reifra GmbH], successor


{{Scale model brands}}
Later models, such as the 1/72 scale [[Junkers]] [[G23/24]] tri-motor corrugated aluminium airliner were detailed and well moulded. Western fighter jets also made an appearance with the introduction of the delta-wing [[Saab Draken]] in 1/100 to complement the Mig 21. What a pity nobody thought to combine these two classic cold war jets into a “Dogfight Double” like [[Airfix]]!
VEB Plasticart produced in all 40 different kits and a few games also made of plastic. Although most kits were scale 1/100 for airliners and later 1/72 for smaller aircraft, they also produced a model of the Soviet spaceship [[Vostok]] 3K (scaled 1/25) and the [[Energia]] rocket with the Soviet space shuttle [[Buran]] (1/288). The Vostok kit, being the world’s first manned space ship and featuring a nicely detailed figure of [[Yuri Gagarin]], was later taken on and re-issued by [[Revell]] Inc. It retained the Plasticart artwork, but with Revell branding added.


==See also==
* [http://www.arnes-modellbauseite.de/History/plast.htm Plasticart - Scale modeling sets from the GDR] (in German)
* [http://www.cartula.ro/forum/VEB-PLASTICART-DDR-t6350.html VEB Plasticart collector and modelling](in Romanian)


[[Category:Model manufacturers]]
[[Category:Model manufacturers of Germany]]
[[Category:Toy brands]]
[[Category:Toy brands]]
[[Category:Volkseigene Betriebe]]
[[Category:Volkseigene Betriebe]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1958]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1958]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in East Germany]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in East Germany]]

Latest revision as of 22:51, 12 February 2024

Mastermodell GmbH
Formerly
  • Kunststoff-Verarbeitung Zschopau (1958–69)
  • Modell-und Plastspielwaren Kombinat Annaberg-Buchholz (1969–73)
  • VEB Plasticart Zschopau (1973–89)
Company typePrivate
IndustryToy, collecting
Founded1958
Defunct1993; 31 years ago (1993)
FateFell from bankruptcy in 1993, sold to Manfred Wader which moved the factory to Elterlein, Saxony
HeadquartersZschopau, East Germany
ProductsScale model aircraft, cars. spacecraft

Mastermodell GmbH (also known as VEB Plasticart) was a plastic model and toy manufacturer established in 1958 in Zschopau, East Germany.

VEB Plasticart produced around 40 different kits and a few games (e.g. the mancala game "Badari") made of plastic. Most kits were static models and used scale 1/100 for airliners, 1/50 and later 1/72 for smaller aircraft. They also produced a model of the Soviet spaceship Vostok (scaled 1/25) and the Energia rocket with the Soviet space shuttle Buran (1/288). Many of them are today valued collector items.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

VEB Plasticart was established in 1958 in Zschopau, East Germany. VEB (Volkseigener Betrieb) was a Communist-era designation, meaning "company owned by the people". The company was called KVZ from 1958-1969, MPKAB from 1969-1973, VEB Plasticart Zschopau from 1973-1989 and Mastermodell GmbH from 1989-1991. After a two-years break the company was sold in 1993 by the German Treuhand (an organization which privatized state owned enterprises of the GDR) to Manfred Wader. It is today called Plasticart. In 1993 the company had only 37 workers left. A new factory was constructed in Elterlein, Saxony, and now[when?] the company counts over 70 workers. They no longer make kits, but playthings for toddlers. In late 2012 German company Reifra has resumed production of the some former Plasticalt model kits.

The "VEB" title was applied to a range of small semi-autonomous businesses in the GDR that made goods especially for export. The GDR needed to export as much as possible to earn foreign "hard" currency as its own "soft" Ostmark was not freely convertible and could only be obtained and used within the GDR. Consequently, VEB Plasticart was able to sell cheap, but well designed, plastic construction kits to the Western countries in exchange for much-needed Western currencies.

The factory was located in August-Bebel Strasse 2, 936 Zschopau, German Democratic Republic.

For a long time the name "VEB" has stood with modelers for plastic construction kits from East Germany. The company changed its name several times.

KVZ ("VEB Kunststoff-Verarbeitung Zschopau")
This name lasted until 1969 and is translated as "Plastic Processing Zschopau". The kits had very nice packaging, usually made of thicker cardboard and a great cover image. The company logo was at that time the snake.
MPKAB ("VEB Modell -und Plastspielwaren Kombinat Annaberg-Buchholz")
This very long name was used from 1969-1973 and stands for "VEB model and plastic toys combine Annaberg-Buchholz". The kits of this period, were packed in the classic familiar blue standard boxes, but, no company logo.
In this era the combined company released 1:87 scale die-cast car and military vehicle models. "ESPEWE MODELLE" logo was used on the package.[1]
VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Buchholz
This name was used for die-cast vehicle models. "PLASTICART modelle" logo was used on the package.
VEB Plasticart Zschopau
That was the last name as "VEB" from 1973 to 1989, the packaging was the same as from 1969/70 but from 1973 they then received a company logo. From 1987, some kits appeared in a very novel black box, with a picture of a constructed model on the cover.
Mastermodell GmbH
From 1989 to 1991 they were produced as a limited company under that name.

In addition to these company names, two more brand names were used by UK importers: "Playfix" from the mid-1980s and "Nu-Bee" from the early 1990s.[2]

Product lines

[edit]
Metal wind-up bird

Starting with an Ilyushin Il-14 airliner in HO scale, following it with a 1/40th scale Aero 45 twin engine low wing monoplane, Plasticart soon produced a scale model of the Baade 152, the first jet turbine airliner to be produced by the GDR and the last development in a line of aircraft that sprung from the former Junkers works in Leipzig and Dresden (both then in the GDR). Next up was the stalwart of Interflug's European network, the four-engined Ilyushin IL-18 turboprop.

The first of the famous Soviet airliner series to appear, in 1963, was the Tupolev Tu-104, the first medium haul jet aircraft to go into regular sustained airline service. The early Plasticart Tu-104 set the standard for all the kits that followed. It was scaled at 1:100 which whilst not common for aircraft kits at the time, was close to FROG models' 1:96 scale and matched contemporary East German TT trains such as Berliner Bahn. In addition, the kit set a standard for being simple to assemble, with a minimal number of parts, sturdy landing gear and a full decal sheet. Instructions, often printed in German, Russian, Polish and Czech, were aimed squarely at consumers in the Comecon countries, where Plasticart kits were both affordable and plentiful. They included exploded diagrams, but no English instructions.

Because the drawings were easy to obtain, Plasticart began to introduce a comprehensive range of detailed models of Soviet airliners and other Warsaw Pact aircraft. Whilst the Tu-104 had only been available with Aeroflot markings, the new introductions mostly came with Interflug decals – markings of the state airline of the GDR.

Ehri Kombi

The latest airliners soon made it into the range, including the Tupolev Tu-134, Tu-154, Ilyushin's Il-62 long range airliner, the Antonov design bureau's An-24 twin engine short hauled feeder-liner and the Czech-built Let L-410 Turbolet twin prop commuter aircraft. Later additions included the remarkable Yakovlev Yak-40 tri-jet short-haul "hot & high" jet and the Tu-144 supersonic jet, known by NATO as the Charger or popularly as "Concordski". A mix of Soviet fighter aircraft and especially, helicopters, was also produced including the giant Mil Mi-10 flying crane, the famous MiG-21 "Fishbed" (1/100) and Sukhoi Su-7 "Fitter" fighters (1/72 scale).

But it is the Western airliners that are most sought after by collectors today. The eclectic choice commenced with a very large kit of the Douglas DC-8-54 series. The DC-8 was in early KLM stripes livery and is today very sought after. It was subsequently re-issued with an updated KLM decal sheet. The box art for the De Havilland DH106 Comet 4 airliner depicted it departing from Hong Kong Kai Tak airport. Full BOAC decals are included. The SE210 Caravelle was also released in this era, in the markings of a French prototype destined for Air France. Then the Boeing 727-100 got the Plasticart treatment with box art in Pan-Am colours. Plasticart then added the Hawker Siddeley Trident initially in British European Airways colours, but later in British Airways livery, and then the unsuccessful Dassault Mercure of which only 11 units were built, all going to French domestic airline Air Inter.

Later models, such as the 1/72 scale Junkers G23/24 tri-motor corrugated aluminium airliner were detailed and well moulded. Western fighter jets also made an appearance with the introduction of the delta-wing Saab Draken in 1/100 to complement the MiG-21. Along with the aircraft and helicopter kits, VEB Plasticart also produced a model of the first crewed spaceship Vostok 3KA (1/25) and the Soviet Energia rocket with Buran (1/288). The Vostok kit is almost the same size as Revell's Vostok, and the box artwork is also very similar, but the two are completely different. Revell's Vostok is actually 1/24 scale and it was initially released in the late 1960s.[3]

List of Plastic Models

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Civil aircraft (Eastern)

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Tupolev TU-114

Civil aircraft (Western)

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  • Douglas DC-8-54 (1/100) 1963
  • Sud Aviation SE210 Caravelle (1/100) 1963
  • de Havilland DH106 Comet-4 (1/100) 1964
  • Boeing 727-100 (1/100) 1968
  • Hawker-Siddeley HS121 Trident 2 (1/100) 1973
  • Dassault Mercure (1/100) 1975
  • Junkers G23/24 (1/72) 1987

Military aircraft

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Helicopters

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Spacecraft

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  • Vostok 3KA (1/25)
  • Energia/Buran (1/288) 1988

References

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  1. ^ Small Scale World, March 11, 2009
  2. ^ John W. Burns, The Collectors Value Guide for Scale Model Plastic Kits, Sixth Edition, 1994, P.134 and P.142
  3. ^ Revell Catalog 1969
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