Ewan-1252051 Posted June 23, 2022 Share Posted June 23, 2022 Hello, As a primary school teacher, am looking to do an 'airfix' club or 'model' club with children at the school next year. There are a few kids I know of already building at home and I can imagine a club like this would go down a storm and maybe inspire some of the next generation. There used to be a big set of 15 models, paints, brushes and glues that you could buy called "project airfix" exactly for these types of projects. These don't seem to be available anymore. Does anyone know if they are, just on direct contact? If not, where might one find them or find something similar with which one could do a school club build, or is it now just a case of raiding Aldi at dawn when it's Airfix time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorman Posted June 23, 2022 Share Posted June 23, 2022 Hi Ewan,You've made an interesting suggestion there. I've whipped off an email to the powers that be. Perhaps they can suggest something. It might also be something they could consider for the future. I know they did have it in the past. Perhaps they could create something similar in the future.Good luck with the kids. You'll probably be best off buying kits in the starter set range. They come complete with brushes and paints. Do help them post pictures of their builds on this site. I'm sure they'll get a kick out of seeing them here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Innes Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 There are currently three sets of kits on sale. They come under the banner of Airfix Challenge. Each contain 15 kits along with paints, brushes and cement. They also contain wrist bands. They are all First World War subjects. The Fokker Triplane, Sopwith Camel and "Male" tank. They are each £49.99 so, assuming that you're a Club member they would be £44.99 each with your 10% discount. The fifteen kits come in bags with header cards. Of course they may be a bit "fiddly" for primary school children but, at that price, it's not terribly expensive for what you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewan-1252051 Posted June 26, 2022 Author Share Posted June 26, 2022 Thanks guys.I had missed the challenge sets. Perhaps the Sopwith would be the most achievable. The older ones could even use my rigging line if they felt up to it.I'll try to find some build videos. Good to see they're still making something of the type (even if I was hoping for a good old spit or 109 kit). I did a survey of the school on all the different clubs that could be run next year from sports to sewing. After a football club run by our local team, sewing and airfix came out top, beating a video game club, programming and a whole load of sports and others. They clearly want to have opportunities for some patient creative skill based work, which I'm pleased to see. I guess I've got to run one now.Only a little concerned, are these the original tools? From... the late 50's/early 60's? How buildable is this set? Is that the meaning of 'challenge'?Perhaps the Fokker is actually the most simple and easily buildable looking at the builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null_null981707818191 Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Just a suggestion - but have you tried e-mailing Customer Services at Airfix direct with a proposal along the lines of "We are a bona fide educational organisation, and we'd like to buy a dozen or so Spitfires for a group build project for children at wholesale prices - or better still, free as a community supporting project!". Sometimes a direct approach bears fruit... But speaking as an ex-teacher (33 years in front of the blackboard!) I wish you luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewan-1252051 Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 Just a suggestion - but have you tried e-mailing Customer Services at Airfix direct with a proposal along the lines of "We are a bona fide educational organisation, and we'd like to buy a dozen or so Spitfires for a group build project for children at wholesale prices - or better still, free as a community supporting project!". Sometimes a direct approach bears fruit... But speaking as an ex-teacher (33 years in front of the blackboard!) I wish you luck.I'll give that a try, can't hurt to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Innes Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 I think that the Sopwith Camel and WW1 tank moulds date back to 1967 and the Fokker Triplane is from 1976. That said, the 'planes are small, "fiddly" and have very little detail. I think that the main issue with the tanks would be the "rubber band" tracks. I agree that the Spitfire and Me 109 (I think they did the Folland Gnat and Hawker Hurricane as well but I'm not sure of that) were good sets to get for groups. i bought a load of them at the time for the ATC squadron where I was a Civilian Instructor. Most of them, to be honest, ended up in the bin (some of the cadets were a bit "easy come easy go") but a few of the boys and girls "got the modelling bug" and went on to make some decent kits, so I think that it was worth it in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Innes Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Hi Ewan. Just a thought. You might consider getting some of the "Mystery Bundles". The Aircraft bundle is currently retailing for £22:99 for kits valued at £35:97. They change them around every now and then, but at the moment I think you'd get three 'planes, a Warhawk, an FW 190 and the Hawk 100 (all 1/72). With the Club discount, each set would be £20.69 or, if you can wait for a while, they sometimes offer "double discount" at 20% off which would come to about £18.40 for each set I think. Good luck with it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_rutland Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 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.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/8436/7743339616_d64f51407a_c.jpgTwo 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg-scout Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 There are currently three sets of kits on sale. They come under the banner of Airfix Challenge. Each contain 15 kits along with paints, brushes and cement. They also contain wrist bands. They are all First World War subjects. The Fokker Triplane, Sopwith Camel and "Male" tank. They are each £49.99 so, assuming that you're a Club member they would be £44.99 each with your 10% discount. The fifteen kits come in bags with header cards. Of course they may be a bit "fiddly" for primary school children but, at that price, it's not terribly expensive for what you get.My Scouts built the Sopwith Camel set back in 2020. The kit is certainly showing its age (I remember my father building it when I was a child and I'm now 65), with the fit being awful. As a scheme to encourage young people into modelling it was a very poor choice of kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Like most on here, biplanes would seem to be too hard for novice modellers, but a few years ago the Make & Take tables at shows had them and they were very popular with the kids. Defies belief! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewan-1252051 Posted July 27, 2022 Author Share Posted July 27, 2022 Thanks all. Think i'll initially try a direct email in September and ask if they'll do a pack of spits or similar at wholesale for a project. If not I'll probably go for the fokker, it looks simpler fit despite having three wings and has some better words written about it. Nice easy paint scheme too. Does seem a shame they're offloading positively outdated kits on these project kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkpen Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 I liked, and still do, the old Airfix/Revell/ESCI WW1 fighters. OK, the more recent moulds from a wide range of manufacturers enable us to produce 'better' models, but they are generally challenging builds.One of my favourites was the Airfix Roland which although a biplane featured an upper wing which attached to the upper fuselage and nice broad inter-plane 'struts'. Two great figures accompanied the kit, and as the plastic matched the colour of the recommended finish [light blue] a good model resulted irrespective of modelling skills!And the impossibility of completing a Revell DH2 - look at a picture of the aircraft - never detracted from undertaking the kit!Those were the days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert-366120 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Hi Ewani'm an engineering Technician for a secondary school and i too am looking at the "club" possibilities will see what happens we have had a lot of enquiries from the Students to do a modelling club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren-345957 Posted September 10, 2023 Share Posted September 10, 2023 There are three "airfix challenge" sets currently available. The Sopwith camel, Fokker Dr.1 triplane and WW1 male tank. All sets have 15 kits with brushes glue and paint. If you search in "shop" by scale (1:72) you'll find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marto Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 To be fair, biplanes and even the old tank are a poor choices of model for this scheme. It should be one of the starter set models that are very accurate, easy to make and have clear instructions for those not used to modelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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