ian_rutland

That's a nice, tidy build. It looks great. I like this kit. Airfix have done a nice job on the old Stuka over the years. The old bagged one looks its age.

Thank you for the review and super clear sprue shots. I have just placed an order. I already have two of the earlier kits unbuilt, so the decals will not go to waste. I feel a Meteor session coming on, to add to my early jet collection. That is a lot of detail for such a small model. Looking forward to tackling it.

That's quite a collection. I like the Dull Green P-47s the best. What a great looking plane.

Considering individual item costs, the sets look good value, especially as we were all given free membership with 15% discount to get the range moving.

This actually caught me out completely. I have been collecting the old Tri-ang and Kitmaster TT3 models with a view to a smallish layout. The quality of the old products is pretty good for something that came out over 60 years ago. The loco wheels were mainly solid back then. The kits are really nice. Here's one I photographed at the weekend. 52420938971_da2f28921a_c.jpg (800×600) (staticflickr.com) Railway Models 2022 | Flickr Mod edit: I have made your links clickable. The middle one didn’t seem relevant to the layout so I have not copied that across. I have the link saved. There is no need with the forum to create new paragraphs, the software does it for you. R-

B&Q have a Pick & Mix section for nuts, bolts and screws. £3 buys you a bag full of steel nuts of all sizes. I use these with Plasticene, or super glue to hold them in place. They have tamed every tail sitter to date, apart from the Revell Shackleton MR3, which needed solid lead. The B-24 can also be a pain when trying to get it up on its wheels. Again, lead was the solution, though the real aircraft had a tail prop to stop it falling back prior to loading up.

That looks like a super kit. I may get one, but have three of the old ones in the stash, plus one almost complete. These take a little work, but still look good when completed. I bought a box of loose parts for this kit for £10, so I was pleased to see almost 3 complete kits, plus extra decals and stores included. The price put me off a bit.

I have just received my new Beagle Basset. It looks tidy, with no sink marks, or out of register decals, but I was under the impression that it had a new sprue included. My moulds look just like the previous release, so I must have heard wrong. The decals are really nice, but only one scheme. with two serial choices. I suppose that this is to match the original classic release. Thanks to Airfix for all these re-releases.

Certainly looking forward to this release. I have the Mossie and Typhoon to do yet, but this will move to the front of the build queue.

Here is a list that is based on my 2019 ideas. To my surprise, Airfix have produced a large number of my Wish List Kits, so I left them off this list. 1/72 AVRO Manchester New Tool 2 Versions. 1/72 Hawker Hunter F6 New Tool Replacement for old tooling. 1/72 Bomber Support Figures New Tool To go with Vehicles 1/72 H.P. Hampden BI New Tool 3 Decal choices. 1/72 DH88 Comet Racer New Tool 3 Versions 1/72 Gloster Javelin FR9/9R New Tool 1/72 Supermarine Spitfire IIa New Decals Spitfire I Kit. 1/72 Bristol Beaufighter NF1 New Decals Gibson / Cunningham 1/72 Hawker Hurricane I New Parts Metal Wing version. 1/72 Douglas DC-3 New Decals BEA / Sabena / New seats 1/48 DH Vampire T11 New Tool 1/48 Supermarine Swift FR5 New Tool 1/48 HP Provost T3 New Tool 1/48 RAF Ground Crew New Tool 1950-1960 to suit Javelin / Hunter 1/48 Land Rover ( RAF ) New Tool 1950-1960 to suit Javelin / Hunter 1/48 DH88 Comet Racer New Tool 3 Versions 1/48 B P Defiant NF1 New Decals 1/48 Hawker Hurricane I New Parts Fabric wing. 3 Versions. 1/48 Austin 'Tilly.' New Tool 1/24 BAe Hawk T1a New Tool 1/72 Reissues. McDonnell Banshee F2 F-27 Friendship Original Aer Lingus Markings Bronco OV 10D Arrow II BAC Strikemaster Douglas Skyray F-105 Thunderchief T-45 Goshawk Tooled but not released. Extra Sprues HP Halifax New Clear Sprue and decals. AVRO Anson New Clear Sprue and decals. SS France Replacement parts for damaged parts. Various Cars etc Sunbeam Rapier Austin Heally Sprite BMC 1100 Dennis Fire Engine Triumph TR4 BMC Maxi Morris Marina Ford Capri Ford Zephyr Ships RMS Canberra Dinosaur Range Wallace and Grommit Sets

The Liner and two tugs, and a Battleship, actually sound like the Tri-ang Minic 1/1200 scale harbour sets that were made in Hong Kong. These have been out of production since the 70's, but are not really rare, many available from Ebay and other sellers. They were quite nice and were based on the original series from 1958 to 62. The battleship would be HMS Vanguard, which often suffers from a moulding defect that ends up causing the model to break into 4 parts. It comes with a Carrier, usually HMS Bulwark, Hermes, or Centaur, plus harbour parts. The liner would be RMS Queen Elizabeth. The HK Kits ( Polystyrene boxes ) are not too valuable, but the original Cardboard boxed ones get a fair price. Note: All HK models had red plastic bases with little rollers.

I have had a few times that I needed to contact Airfix regarding spares. I simply outline the issue and ask if replacements are available. When they are, they usually arrive in a couple of days. In one instance, less than 24 hours. If I make a mess of a model part and can't find a replacement part in my spares box, I explain this and offer to pay for a replacement. This has also been successful.

At DMMS Sword & Lance, we held a Project Airfix. We had 30 Spitfires and all but three were built on the day. The split was about 50/50 between kids between 10 and 15, and adults, many retired, who loved building them. We had 4 tables going flat out. It was a really popular event. Some photos here . . . . . https://live.staticflickr.com/8426/7743337712_a73fb7d1ac_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/8436/7743339616_d64f51407a_c.jpg Two ideas come from this post. Project Airfix may appeal to older folks that have never built models.The easy build 1/72nd Spitfire V and BAe Hawk may be better candidates for these builds. What do you think, Airfix?

I would love a model of the FRANCE ( NORWAY ) though there appears to be an issue with a damaged tool. I wonder if a new sprue could be made to replace the damaged parts. It would certainly appeal to loads of us who missed out. Can anyone provide a full description of the damage?

I have this kit. The SS United States also scales out nearer to 1/600, so all is not lost.

I have just bought ( and built ) the new Tempest. Super kit and a simple build, with some nice features. I liked the decals for the D-Day stripes, but would have liked the upper wing ones to have small gaps where they go over the canon blisters. Hot water and Micro Set and Sol did get them down, but a gap would have been better. It would be easier to paint the bare patches. The yellow leading edge decal would have been better in Top and Bottom stripes, allowing painting along the leading edge. After a little trial and error, I found the fuselage decal was best applied from the bottom, trimming it on the upper joint. Finally, the Sky Band wasn't. Looking too blue. Super kit let down by the usually superb Cartograph decals. Could be an easy fix. One recent find at a show, was a the Airfix Fokker F-27 Friendship for only £10. Three super decal choices, though I would like to do it in the original Aer Lingus scheme. I have only bought 12 Airfix kits this year. Quite a low count for me. I'm waiting for the 1/48th Anson and 1/24th Spitfire IX, plus a few re-releases. Other purchases have been limited to 2 KP Kits, plus some old classics from the cardboard boxes under the show tables. At this rate, I'll be building more than I've bought.

A few manufacturers are making 1/48th German Bombers. Airfix have done quite a few in 1/72, with just the Ju-88A missing. They have looking to British aircraft, as there are still a few holes to fill. Now,a 1/48th Hampden Mk 1 would be a very nice aircraft to add to the range. Maybe the Beaufort MK 1, Beaufighter NF / TF 10 and new tool Mosquito BIV / FBVI could join this in later years. I liked the Lysander idea for 1/48th. This would go very well with other aircraft from the early war years. An upgrade to 1/48th would be super for the Jet Provost T3 / T4. In 1/72nd, the Manchester has been missed. It's a shame, as they did fly in the early years until the Heavies came in. It is also a major stepping stone to the Lancaster. A Manchester would be very popular, especially if two fin variations were issued in the kit. To be honest, this kit could be simply made, without the super detailed interior of the Wellington, which really was a major feature of the kit. I'd love to see a new 1/72nd Hunter F6 appear soon, too. Also in 1/72nd, I would like to see some new hard plastic figures to go with the Bomber Supply sets. 1/48th RAF Figures and a Landrover would make a superb set for use with the Hunters, Javelin, Gnat T1, Vampire, Meteor, Buccaneer, and Sabre kits. Something similar for the Sea Vixen, Bucc and Sea Fury, would also be popular, I think. Who knows, a new 1/48th Phantom FG1 / FGR2 may appear in a year, or two. Ships are a problem. It's nice to issue old 1/600th kits, as quite a few people still like these, but new tools to this scale would start the issue of there being no other kits to support them. Issue a new QE / PoW carrier and you'll need to start making Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 and 26 frigates and Astute subs to go with them. A 1/350th version would be better, as there are plenty of kits already available, though Airfix will lose out on revenue when people buy the Type 23s from someone else. Airfix could bring out a new carrier in 1/700th scale, then later a few others to go with them. The change to 1/700 needs to happen if they feel that ships are a good way to go. The older tools could pop up from time to time, or be leased to someone else. Dapol did it with the railway stuff. I see that our favourite kit maker is bringing in some modified kits with new parts. Great idea. I have a few suggestions. All stuff that I'd like to see, of course, though I do try to consider that they need to sell to keep the money flowing. This is what I reckon. A new metal wing for the 1/72nd Hurricane Mk I. ( Include decals for some of the aces. ) Then a Fabric wing for the 1/48th Hurricane Mk1. Back in 1/72nd, a new horizontal tail and new decals to convert the Beaufighter into a night fighter. Possibly Cunningham's, or Gibson's. As for the super reissues . . . . Fokker F-27 Friendship in original Aer Lingus markings, with extra markings for a Midland aircraft. McDonnell Banshee SRN1 F-84F Thunderstreak What do we dare ask for a 1/24th superkit? Will it be a Corsair, P-40B P-47D, or Tempest? Someone mentioned a Beaufighter. Maybe a jet? Hawk T1 / T1a? Maybe a Hunter F6? I leave you to dream.

The releases looked a bit thin on the ground at first glance, but looking back through them, there are some major releases in there, led by the 24th Spitfire, 48th Bucc and Anson. The new parts issues are nice, too. Lots of red boxes will be headed my way this year. I must thank Airfix for there classic reissues of the F-80c and DHC Beaver. I have been asking for these for ages. Certainly enough to keep me busy this year. I still have all the V Bombers to build. When you look at the actual number of new tools appearing every year, Airfix are still way up there on quantity and quality. What I would like to see is more Airfix products being produced in the UK. Not too happy about price rises, but that seem inevitable across the hobby, with increased material costs and huge transport costs and hold ups. That's my main concern over getting them built here.

AIRFIX had some super model railway stuff, didn't they. They were pocket money prices, could be built simply and quickly, looked great on the layout were always in stock at the local model shop. My layout was absolutely full of Airfix kits of Loco's, rolling stock, bridges and buildings. The little people were also really good. I had a few of their RTR train sets, locos and rolling stock, too. These were for the kids as they went through their Train Set stage. These were really models. I still have a few items kicking around in the attic. The only other railway related models that I bought were the SuperQuick Card models, which are still available now, Card kits are doing very well at the moment, so I had suggested that Airfix produced a few free downloads that could be used to pose their ranges of kits. This would have included railway items, but they are long gone. I feel that AIRFIX, with their Hornby link, could produce some simplified, static locos of famous subjects, such as Tornado and Prince of Wales. These would utilise existing parts, such as loco bodies and Tenders, plus plastic frames and wheels etc.

My Dad bought me the Brand New HMS Victory for Christmas 1956. Mum and Dad always included models in my Christmas and Birthday presents, and when we went shopping, as well, so by 1960 I had quite a collection. Two of my cousins, Dave and John built Airfix kits and showed me how they did the tricky bits of painting. Dad showed me how to add motors. Mum showed me how to make scenic bases from all sorts of odds and ends that would usually end up in the bin, these days. My cousin Kathleen bought me the original B-17G back when it was a new release. It has been battered by exposure to the kids, but it is now being rebuilt back to its original condition, apart from being sprayed this time. All my Airfix kits that came in silver plastic were just polished with DuraGlit before adding the decals. They looked nice that way. They also got a bit of weathering with oil paints and water colours. I saw how to do this in an old Tri-ang handbook from the 50's. The famous artist, Terrence Cuneo, showed how to make your models look weathered. I'm still building Airfix today, and the family still buy me kits.

I would buy them in either scale, but they would go very well with the new Chipmunk and Tiger Moth, and there is a new 1/48th Vampire on the way. My personal favorite in 1/48th would have to be the DH Dragon Rapide. So many variations of schemes.

Yes, shipping has rocketed. Some major issues over empty containers being stuck in ports, as well as the costs for a container now. Still, you get free postage over £20 now, so that helps.

Have just finished the new Chipmunk. Super kit. More photos to be added soon. One little Watch Out for anyone building the all silver trainer. The letter W on the underwing serials doesn't have any carrier film under it. It is best to add the B549 as one piece, then very carefully add the W separately. This will sort that issue. Apart from that the decals are superb. I have two more Chipmunks on their way to me as of this morning. I really can't wait to crack on with another. The all silver will be part of a small diorama, with a couple of figures. This will have the engine bay open, though the others will be closed up. Nice ar Airfix to provide small jigs with some of their releases that help with assembly. Another nice touch on this kit is the 2 sets of undercarriage legs, giving loaded and unloaded versions. The fabric surfaces look super. I went slightly out of sequence with the wing assembly, due to a little warp issue. Careful assembly and clamping will tame this issue. The starboard fuselage developed a twist when removed from the sprue. This was dealt with by cementing the rear half of the fuselage together. When set, it was easy enough persuade the nose to come bach to shape. Making these changes meant a little bit of dry fitting of parts so that they aligned. I was a little careless with the craft knife, so I needed a tiny bit of filler. None was needed anywhere else. It's a shame that the cockpit is all black, as the internal detail is neat, but gets lost in the gloom. Maybe I should add a touch of white to take the edge off the black paint, though the ones I have seen have all been satin black. I didn't use cockpit masks this time, but I will mask the next ones. I'm expecting to build another 4 or 5 of these, plus some more of the old 1/72nd kits. If a 1/24th version appeared, I would have one straight away. So many super schemes for this super little plane. The instrument panels look fine using the kit decals and decal fix. I found that Humbrol Metal Cote Polished Aluminium goes on perfectly and didn't actually need a primer, so long as the plastic is clean of finger prints and grease. Recommended to all. Especially at this value. P.S. The second two kits are perfect. No issues at all. No filler required and very quick to build. I can see me getting some more.

Should Airfix decide on a ship, what would they choose as a subject and scale? It would have to be pretty special. A 1/350th QE or PoW would be very expensive. They wouldn't go back to 1/600, so 1/700 would be a possible, as there are already models of Type 23 and Type 45s out there. It would be a new scale for them. So, what else in 1/350th? The Ark Royal from post war years would be popular, and it would be nice to have a display with Airfix's Ark Royal Air Group, with Phantoms, Buccaneers and Sea Kings. I still can't see it being as popular as their current aircraft releases. Vanguard would be nice, but it was never in service during the war and had a fairly uneventful life. This really doesn't leave that many ships that haven't already been done. Possibly a Warrior starter kit in 1/400 to match Mary Rose in the historic dockyard, or Victory in 1/350th? It would be nice to display it alongside a more modern ship. Or, maybe in 1/400 historic ships range, which could later include SS Great Britain, Discovery and Cutty Sark. How about RMS Queen Mary in 1/600, to go with Airfix's other 50's liners? You see the problem. Very hard to find a scale, range and suitable subject that would be a good seller. Even a modest seller would be hard to find. Remember that any effort to manufacture a complex ship would mean dropping one, or more of the planned subjects from another range that would be a massive seller, keeping Airfix in business.

Nice to see the thinking behind the design of the parts. I always hoped that the axle brakets could be cast with a hole and pin, but this design certainly improves on the Paint and Prise apart method. Strong too. Very good work, Paramjit. I look forward to seeing it on my workbench.