Russ1707821018

The only thing is that the listed number of parts, 116, is not consistent with either Airfix kit. The only Skyhawk kit in 1/72 that has close to that number of parts is the Fujimi kit, depending on which sprues are included.

You're thinking of the Mitsubishi F-1. The F-2 was derived from the F-16 but is larger in pretty much all dimensions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_F-2

The best option for a 1/72 kit of the A-4F (actually the only option) with the big intakes is the Fujimi kit. They did have a specific "Super Fox" release that includes everything needed to model the Top Gun Skyhawks. The current Airfix A-4B only superficially resembles the aircraft in the original movie. Additionally, the kit of Maverick's F/A-18 Hornet should include a kit of the F/A-18E version. This is a completely different aircraft than the F/A-18A/prototype version that the Airfix kit represents. Seriously, the only reason the E and F versions of the Super Hornet retained the F/A-18 designation was because it was easier to sell the program to Congress as an upgrade of the earlier aircraft rather than the complete redesign it actually was. Sure, the legacy Hornet looks more like a Super Hornet than an F-15 but so what. A Mitsubishi F-2 looks like an F-16, and obviously used the Falcon as the inspiration for its design, but they are not the same aircraft. Please clarify what model kit you are putting in the new Top Gun Hornet kit A00504.

It's possible that when the molds were located for these kits, they were found to require more refurbishment than the budget allowed; the Concorde in particular had not been in production since 1975. The most recently available kit, the SM.79, was last available nearly 13 years ago in 2007. There is always the second hand market.

One other thing I would suggest is take a look at some of the build videos on YouTube. There are videos for all levels of modelers but you might in particular enjoy Quick Kits, Model Minutes, and Model Meltdown. These are targeted more at beginners, but I've still picked up a number of useful tips over the course of watching them.

The Concorde was last available in 1975, the P-61B in 2000, and the SM.79 in 2007. Another possibility that's been floated in various forums is that the molds have become damaged through improper storage during their many changes of hands. It's unlikely Airfix will say explicitly what has happened to these releases, unfortunately. However, the Black Widow and Sparviero are relatively easy to acquire on the second hand market so there is that option if you really want one. The Concorde is more difficult to come by, but nowhere near as rare or expensive to acquire as some other Airfix kits; in particular some of the 1/32 modern car series (well they were modern in the 60s and 70s) like the Jaguar 420, Victor Estate, Ford Zodiac, Bond Bug, and Beach Buggy go for silly money when they do turn up.

There's nothing definitive, but the consensus gleaned from various other sites based on conversations had with the Airfix staff at Telford is that the kit is tooled for both types of exhaust. That does not mean they will both appear in the first release. In fact, I think it unlikely.

One thing you might think about is that modelling is not a single skill; it takes many skills to complete a model from trimming and flying parts, to hiding seams and restoring panel lines, to painting, decalling, and weathering. Like any skills, these take time and repetition to acquire so you shouldn't feel to discouraged if your first attempts on your return to modelling are not what you hoped to achieve. That said, it sounds like you are trying to build kits that are quite challenging. I'm familiar with the available P-51A kits and if you were building the one I'm thinking of based on your description, that is a very difficult kit to complete to a high standard. I've been building kits, more on than off, for close to 50 years and I still make mistakes. Experience means that I can usually figure out a way to hide or fix my screw-ups and, for me, that's part of the challenge of modelling I enjoy. I'm not building for anybody but me, for the most part and I'm usually satisfied wother the finished product, but it took a long time to get to this point.

The Sea Hurricane is based on the earlier Mk II tooling and has nothing in common with the rag-wing Mk.I. This is a good thing because all the kits based on that Mk.II are horribly inaccurate. You can get something that looks like a Hurricane out of it, but everywhere you look there are problems: the horizontal stabilisers are too small and not the right shape, the prop is too small, the standard carb intake is horrible, the wing airfoil profile is wrong, the canopy and windshield shape are suspect, there is no cockpit interior to speak of. There was a lot of hope when this kit was released that it would be the definitive model of the Mk.II Hurricane but it would be best if Airfix completely retooled it.

Note that the Hornby and Scalextric clubs are up and running so hopefully it won't be too long before there is definite information on the re-launch of the Airfix club.

I'm actually happy that the old mould is being re-released. It has a value as a nostalgia piece that is IMHO greater than it's accuracy as a scale model. Hopefully the decals provided will be much higher quality than provided in the original release. This kit will lend itself well to what-if paint schemes. Most companies that have been around a long time keep releasing these older kits because they are a valuable source of revenue to support the development of new tools. If the moulds are still functional, why shouldn't they.

My list: 1/72 Hawker Tempest Mk.II/V/VI 1/72 Gloster Gauntlet 1/72 Blackburn Roc 1/72 Bristol/DAP Beaufort 1/72 Douglas SBD Dauntless 1/72 Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger/Tarpon 1/72 Avro Lincoln 1/72 Fokker D.VII 1/72 Airco D.H.4 1/48 Westland Whirlwind (WWII fighter) 1/48 HS Buccaneer 1/48 Fairey Gannet

The street price of the Hasegawa B-24J in Japan is £31.78. It really isn't all that expensive in its home market.

That's why lozenge pattern decals were invented .... Real lozenge camouflage was printed onto the fabric covering so decals are more representative than painting on the pattern as well.

Most of the egregious problems, except for the undersize tail surfaces, can be fixed with this set of parts from Valiant Wings: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/936577-valiant-wings-mw0008-hawker-hurricane-mkiic It includes a new correct size prop, cannon barrels, wheels, exhausts, standard carb air intake (the kit part is horrible) and a pitot mast (which is completely missing from the kit).

The MiG-15's, especially the two-seater UTI are also reasonably good, although not much cheaper than the excellent Eduard kits if you go for a Weekend Edition boxing. The Spitfire Vb's are okay except for the horrible canopy.

I have to say that the club has worked out fairly well for me. In 2016, I traded the £20 voucher on club kits only for a £15 general voucher and essentially got my £15 Download only - Club Membership fee back. I've saved over £60 with the 10% club discount, and I've got a number of kits using flying hours.

There have have been numerous 1/72 kits - Revell, FROG, Heller, Matchbox and Academy. Revell even did one in 1/144. Plus there's the two 1/48 kits Marine mentions. The newest of the 1/72 kits you mention is the Academy, and that's close to 20 years old now. There is also the Special Hobby Tempest Mk.II in 1/72 which is less than 10 years old. Still, a new kit would be welcome at this point, especially if it allowed the Mk.II and Mk.VI variants to be modelled. While we're on the subject of forgotten fighters, a new and accurate kit of the Tempest's close cousin, the Sea Fury, would be nice in 1/72 and 1/48

There have actually been two injection molded kits of the Tempest in 1/48. The first, by AMT, dates back to the 1970's or '80's and is, by all accounts, a poor representation of the aircraft. It seems to get rereleased occasionally, but if you want an accurate model it is probably not worth the effort. Then there is the kit by Czech company Eduard. This was first released in the mid-1990's and was re-released again within the last year or two. The kit was produced in short run molds so does not have the same level of fit as the newest Airfix kits (or even many of the old ones) but, other than a fuselage that is slightly too short it builds into a reasonably accurate model. I believe Eduard have retired this old tooling so it won't be rereleased again, but they may be working on a new kit of the subject. Airfix could certainly fill a niche by giving us a new kit. In addition to the Mk.V, I'd like to see them do the Centaurus powered Mk.II as well. If you don't mind working in 1/32 scale, Special Hobby will be releasing a series of Tempest kits in the near future.

I would definitely support this!

If you look on ebay, check the prices of SOLD kits. There are usually a lot of listings asking ridiculous prices that never sell. Typically, the actual selling prices vary quite a bit. what usually seems to happen is one kit will sell for a high price and then other sellers flood the market trying to cash in and the end prices drop a lot. The exceptions are the truly rare and not just OOP kits. You also have to factor in the cost of shipping when comparing ebay prices as this can vary greatly depending on where the seller and buyer are located. If I were going to use ebay to estimate value, I would look up the last 10 or so sales, throw out the highest and lowest selling prices, then average the remainder.

You can redeem yourself by adding the 1/600 MV Free Enterprise II to KitStarter instead. ;)

Airfix should come up with a better way to do seat belts in Aircraft and vehicles. Look at Eduard's new fabric seatbelts for example. Next, how about including masks for clear parts, at least on kits designed using CAD. The canopy being a focal point of an aircraft, a neatly painted one really sets off a model and masks are a useful aid for modellers of all skill levels to do that. If you do canopy masks then wheel masks are a no brainer. That or make the hubs separate for easy painting

Third!

Definitely would like to see this one back.