Tour de Airfix

And now looking great on its new ‘Mastertools’ display stand 😊

Have just found this excellent little stand for my B-17 from eModels, no holes or slots required. Unfortunately it's made in China but that is still the way of things. I’m thinking of stocking up on a few more as they seem to have great versatility to fit most models

Agreed Warhammer don’t reuse the plastic in their new kits either but are researching opportunities here. The plastic is used instead for other lower quality products. It is after all something all responsible manufacturers need to start doing. Perhaps kits should be issued with all larger pieces off the sprue and just leave small delicate bits attached. Something needs to be done as our hobby cannot continue this day and age to produce such levels of waste.

Interesting update from Warhammer ... could be the start (?) https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/03/07/recycling-trial-announced-new-life-for-old-sprues/

I figured my empty sprue would be ideal for recycling so included them with my plastics. The collecting team left a label on my un-emptied bag with the words "No toys" 🤷‍♂️ I'm thinking that just as those Nespresso Coffee Pods seem to be actively recycled, Airfix and other model makers would be keen to have our plastic back to be recycled. I can't believe how much I'm now placing in the landfill bin at a time when we all know how damaging plastic is now becoming to our planet ... over to you Team Airfix, time to lead the way as you always have in this industry 😊

I’ve had to run a little filler along the wing to fuselage join, nothing serious, just a bit of cosmetic touching up. I’ve also constructed the bombs for one and fitted the bomb and missile racks under the wings. Then, using the cutaway pieces from the gun bays and unused wheels covers to mask the painted areas, I’ve given both a covering of grey primer. All being well, and I see no need for more filler or sanding, I can move onto the fun bit of starting on the canopy masking and camouflage 😊

I recently built 4 of these. The 3 documented versions and then the SAS one for which there are no instructions … all hush hush the SAS lot 😉😂

The clubs represented put on some great displays, some were even very keen to have a chat about their builds, something I love to do 😊 I’ve picked up a sizeable stash of Airfix AFVs in the past 6 months and so was really keen to see how others had finished and displayed theirs. I do love a diorama! Having recently finished my B-17s it was great to see this “G” variant finished in silver foil, something I’ve never tried myself. And that P-47 chequerboard cowling was masked! Good reason I thought for me choosing a P-47 wearing a single coloured band when I painted mine! These were a few favourites from my old club members. The Sherman diorama depicts a scene from the Band of Brothers. I do love a backstory. There was, understandably, good D-Day coverage. I’ve made all of this in the past and some will know I’m just working through the top left one now 😊 Finally, a few great base boards and backgrounds. I’ve picked up a number of great ideas 👌👍

Dropped in at the Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton on my way home from the Yeovil Scale Model Show and couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures of their L2301 Walrus. I’m just going to have to build one of these some day. It’s just a shame that the museum doesn’t sell any scale models of its aircraft on display, as there is no way I’d be able to resist buying one!

These Typhoons are starting to look a bit more like aircraft as this afternoon I got to fit wings and ailerons. It's at this stage that one has to decide on payload and whether to have the cannon ammunition ports open or closed. Decisions decisions ... For one of the kits, I've gone for all ports open and rockets as the payload. This required the careful use of a blade to cut out a section of the upper wing and the drilling of 4 holes in the lower wing to mount the rockets. For the other, having repeatedly broken off the tail wheel (note - this is very fragile) I'm now going for a wheels up Typhoon and will have it airborne flying above the D-Day Air Assault diorama, so naturally all ports will be closed, and I'm going to have to remember to install a pilot! I've also drilled just the 2 holes in the lower wing, as this Typhoon will be heading off on a bombing mission.

Well I wasn’t going to but I have … I couldn’t resist in the end giving the cockpit a coat of interior green. I know it’s painted even if you can’t see it and the same for the instrument panel decal which, and I’ve said it before, it would be more useful if Airfix provided harness decals instead 🤷‍♂️ I found joining the two fuselage halves together required the arms of an octopus but it still went together beautifully even with just the two hands 😁

Excellent. One of my old stomping grounds 👍

Salute 2024 will be a hard one to beat!

@paul71 oh my! I’m with you there. I have a 7 shelved IKEA glass cabinet with multiple 1:72 scale kits on most shelves but now have two Lancasters and a B-17 which have to have their own shelf each! What now worries me is that I have the new B-24 on pre order and where is that going to go? 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️😂😂

@paul71 I’m hoping to have another session on them this afternoon so I will definitely keep you posted. 👍

Ah the brother kit to mine! I was also tempted to pick one of those up, so look forward to following how you get on. Haynes seem to do a book these days for every eventuality. This D-Day Operations Manual is the 75th Anniversary edition but it was first published in 2013 so I would hope the library would have one somewhere out there. It’s quite an informative book, particularly for the sea and ground forces. Less so for the airforce.

Fabulous! I look forward to seeing pictures and hearing how it went, and if you succumbed to any bargains 😁 Which venue do they use?

True … even Heathrow’s Concorde on a stand had her wheels down

So Yeovil this weekend and Poole the week after … living the dream! 😁 Is anyone else going to one of these or perhaps another if closer to home ?

😂😂 I’d love to see a B-17 gate guardian! I wonder what aircraft has provided the largest gate guardian 🤔

Oops … you’re right 🤦‍♂️ I’m currently scanning squadron archives checking on their D-Day activities. Most interesting and enlightening. More later 😊

Good advice Ratch. I follow a similar routine, though probably waste far more paint than I should as I find getting it back into those dropper bottles can be challenging! One other useful tip I’ve learned recently with my H&S brushes is that the little half moon hole seen to the side of the nozzle can get blocked restricting airflow. The handy needle tool that many of us may have is shaped perfectly to clear any obstruction in this area. I also give this a check from time to time, probably in the deep clean phase of your schedule.

How have you kept her nose on the ground. I’ve found the B-24 to be a real tail sitter and when I’ve loaded the nose with sufficient weight, the nose wheel hasn’t taken it well 🤦‍♂️

I’m kicking off my D-Day 80th Anniversary builds with two of Airfix’s 1:72 scale Hawker Typhoons. One from the 2024 Airfix Club D-Day Duo set A73016 and the other from the 75th Anniversary D-Day Air Assault Set A50157A. Both use Airfix’s 2013 tooling and it’s a kit I’ve previously enjoyed building so am keen to see how my finishing skills may have improved with age! These come with decals for 245 Squadron’s ZY-Y MP126 and 245 Squadron’s MR-B MN265, the latter having actually joined the squadron to replace another lost on D+1, so may not have actually been present on the day itself but we won’t hold that against it. What strikes one first on opening the boxes is the different colour plastic now used by Airfix. The feel and level of flash across both kits is however the same. The instructions are the same pictorially but the recommended painting instructions differ, probably due to the larger D-Day kit having to keep to the colours supplied in the little starter pots. Having built this before, I’ll not be wasting time painting the interior as I did before, as with a pilot installed, none of it can be seen. Then again, may be I should this time build these without using the pilots 🤔 Im starting to remember there’s a lot of great detail included in this little kit 😊

I’m thinking I need to make a start on a D-Day 80 inspired build or two. On raiding my stash I’ve unearthed the D-Day Air Assult kit and naturally for us Airfix Club members, we have this year’s limited edition set including another Hawker Typhoon and PR Spitfire. I remember first making the Typhoon together with a little pink PR Spitfire as one of my lockdown projects 4 years ago, so I’m having a bit of a deja vu moment here 😊 Is anyone else planning on doing something for the D-Day anniversary?