1/180 Great Western In-box Review

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SS Great Western was launched in 1837; a wooden-hulled paddle-wheel steamship with four masts, the first steamship purpose-built for crossing the Atlantic. She was the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. Designed by British civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Great Western proved satisfactory in service and was the model for all successful wooden Atlantic paddle-steamers. She could make record Blue Riband voyages as late as 1843. Great Western worked to New York for eight years until her owners went out of business. She was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and was scrapped in 1856 after serving as a troopship during the Crimean War.

This is a re-issue of the 1966 Airfix Classic 1:180 ship. Dimensions are 400mm x 97mm with 208 parts. Skill Level is 4 and 4 Flying Hours are printed on the box. Unlike modern kits, the parts are not moulded on frames, but come in light tan styrene on several runners. 

A vacuum formed sheet provides a set of ‘blown’ sails and a red ensign is printed, for those who wish to depict the ship under sail. 

The country of manufacture is India. Detail quality is typical of the 1960s; quite basic. The hull is remarkably smooth for a wooden hull ship, but as far as I know only Orel make a 1/200 scale plastic kit of this ship. Airfix also made a small 1/440 scale kit of this ship, which Heller issued as Atlantic Star’.

Instructions are printed in a 12-page, A4 booklet. 

In addition to the previous instructions is a full colour paint guide. A rigging frame and two spools of thread are provided to form ratlines and shrouds. A written and illustrated guide is included in the instructions for how to use these.

Paints advised:

12 Metallic Copper

16 Metallic Gold

33 Matt Black

62 Matt Leather

64 Matt Light Grey

65 Matt Aircraft Blue

103 Matt Cream

These are not included in the kit.

RRP £34.99

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Just for comparison, here is my 2006-7 boxing.

Bought second hand it only has one reel of thread and is moulded in a darker brown plastic.

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I was surprised that Airfix re-issued this classic sailing ship. It had been introduced in 1966, (although it did not appear in the 4th Edition catalogue, or on the price list), and was sold in Type 3J packaging with Roy Cross artwork and the product code 802 until 1972. Airfix Craft Master sold it in the U.S.A. from 1966 to 1969, and Plasty sold the kit in Europe. In 1973 the U.K. packaging was updated to Type 5K and the product code changed to 08252-3 and was withdrawn in 1976. The tooling had cost over £10,000 – my 1975 price list has the RRP at £1.59. The 14th Edition catalogue and the 1st & 2nd 1977 Price Lists included 08252-3, but it was not available. It reappeared as 08252-3 in 1979, briefly. In 1987 it was reissued as 08252 in Type 10K packaging and remained available until 1991. It reappeared in the 2006 catalogue as a Themed Gift Set (08252G) but was withdrawn the following year. I managed to win one of these 08252G sets on e-bay three or four years ago. I like to build two of each ship – one full hull and the other water-lined – this one will be full hull.

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81F - see the sails, they're vacuum formed.