Marco Mattioli was born January 1, 1966 in Rome. Marco has been interested in military history since he was a teenager. In 1992 he joined the Italian National Journalist Order, after which he was employed as a writer for several leading Italian history publishers. A contributor to many important Italian history and defense magazines, as well as the author of a number of books on Italian military aviation, he wrote Osprey Aviation Elite Units 38: 53° Stormo and Osprey Combat Aircraft 106: Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units.

Frog was one of the first manufacturers of all plastic model kits in the world, pre-dating most U.S. companies by almost 20 years. Unlike other manufacturers, they did not start off building toys or other items, but rather their first product was the “Interceptor”, a rubber band powered model aircraft. It was distinguished by two things. One is that when those gliders you knew as a kid were being made of balsa wood, the Interceptor was metal. The other is that you did not launch it or throw it, it took off from the ground. Mr. van Lune goes into an extensive discussion of this aspect as it led to the company’s name, FROG, which in various legends came from Flies Right Off the Ground.

Mr. van Lune is obviously devoted to Frog model kits and in this case the Penguin line of Frog kits. He has done meticulous research and has an extensive personal collection of Frog kits as well, so he knows that of which he speaks.

Product/Stock Numbers for each set:

• Generic: 35058
• Electronic Devices: 35065
• Beer: 35064

Direct links for all three sets: