New Spitfire IIa from Airfix

[THX1138]

What is it with those awful panel lines?!?
I can also get a new Spitfire kit from Hobby Boss, for less than a fiver. Lots more are available for less than£6.

You can but you'll end up with a kit that has no cockpit detail, prop blades like matchsticks, a misshapen canopy wider than the fuselage and no undercarriage legs. You could buy the Academy XIV and get a kit with a monstrously overblown nose. You could buy the Revell Vb and have a kit with no gull centre section.

Puts the "problems" of the new Airfix Spits into perspective doesn't it?

[MerlinJones]

"Monstrously overblown"?

Puts the "problems" of the new Airfix Spits into perspective doesn't it?

To answer that specific question...
Not really...the Airfix is a brand new tool.
Real Spits were on hand to measure up, (as I saw Our Trev running a tape measure over the Valiant at Cosford).
The other kits were not publicised/heralded as evidence of a new, improved, dynamic and modern kit company.
The target market apparently cares not for internal detail and likes to build the kit in-flight.

Regards,
Bruce

Interesting choice of film as a Username, by the way.

[THX1138]

"Monstrously overblown"?

Check out some of the reviews, the nose on the Academy kit is much too beefy and there are other issues.

To answer that specific question...
Not really...the Airfix is a brand new tool.

And so were the Hobby Boss, Academy and Revell kits when they were released.

Real Spits were on hand to measure up, (as I saw Our Trev running a tape measure over the Valiant at Cosford).

The Spitfire is a well enough published subject for Hobby Boss, Academy and Revell to have not made some of the gross errors and omissions they perpetuated in their kits. A modern day kit of the Spitfire with no gull centre section? That's basic Spitfire 101 stuff there. They can't be both better kits and then have a host of problems that can be dismissed or overlooked because they didn't have Spits to "hand to measure up".

The other kits were not publicised/heralded as evidence of a new, improved, dynamic and modern kit company.

So these adverts that were published in the British, European and American modelling magazines are just figments of our imaginations?

The target market apparently cares not for internal detail and likes to build the kit in-flight.

The target market for what defined by whom?

Man up mate you cited some kits as being either superior or better value that clearly are not for a variety of reasons that can be easily defined.

[MerlinJones]

And I believe that you're spoiling for an argument and joined up for that purpose. On the basis of that belief, my interaction with you on this subject is now over.

Regards,
Bruce

[Martin R]

And I believe that you're spoiling for an argument and joined up for that purpose.

Bruce,

Perhaps. However, I am not and did not, and I thought that THX1138 made some reasonable points.

Modelling is a broad church (hopefully) of course, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. If I read your posts correctly, you were disappointed with the value for money of the Airfix kit, and had a particular problem with the panel lines. Fair enough. I'll just make the cheeky offer that if you have any you want to get rid of, I would be happy to take them off your hands.

regards,

Martin

[Chuck E]

And back to the model Spitfire.

Finally got it done this morning. I reckon this is a pretty good kit and looks well and very similar to the Tamiya kit. I have completed both and the likeness is quite remarkable. I'll get the other matted down and post photos together with this little kit. Anyway, here it is. Aeromaster paints with Kleer and then Kleer and Tamiya Flat Base to tone it down. All brushed with a cheap Humbrol paintbrush. ( 4 for £3.00 ) I'll give the canopy another coat of paint and fill the ventral lamp with some Clearfix. Missed that. Saw it on the photo though.


Oddly enough, only the inboard panels have a wash. The two coats of primer seemed to back away from the panel lines, leaving them quite prominent in the photo.

Takka, takka, Takka !!!!!!

[Chuck E]

I have similar models by HobbyBoss, Tamiya and Academy, though only Tamiya is the Mk Ia. HobbyBoss is OK as long as you replace the canopy, prop and add new wheel doors. I put a paper cockpit into mine so that it looked right. The wrong colour codes can easily be over painted, as I did on my Mk Vb version. The Academy is a MkXIVe and looks reasonable when you replace the radiators. The nose is not to bad though their 1/48th kit is very bulbous, so I made a resin replacement for all mine. ( Thanks to Bobcatfish for the original. )

I like all three Airfix Mk Ia / IIa kits. They are good value for money and look the part. All need a little care when building, but it's down to how far you want to go. The panel lines are sharp, though a little deep, but mine has about 6 coats of paint brushed on and this tames them a little. It's an odd thing really, but a real aircraft shrunk to 1/72 would hardly show a panel line, but models I've built with none look a bit sparse. It's obviously not a perfect replica, but it has a nice look. I feel a bit like Father Ted when I say "These are very small and those are far away." I have bought loads of these now and am quite happy with them. They are between 50% and 33% cheaper than the neat little Tamiya kit too.

[Martin R]

Chuck,

It looks great! I'm looking forward to what you do with some of the others you have!

regards,

[JohnRatzenberger]

I'm not a Spitfire expert, but I did raise my eyebrows when I saw the 'B' roundels applied over port & under starboard, rather than both over -- I do recognize that is how the kit says to do it. I looked through my refs, incl two of 19 Sqn, and couldn't find any citing that scheme, although admittedly in 1938 there were a lot anomalies due to haste, imprecise and changing directives, etc. Usually underwing were left B/W or had A roundels or maybe A & A1-ish.

Does anyone have a photo of WZ-T in this scheme ? Just curious, not starting an argument, not bashing the kit, just curious.

And, Chuck E, regardless of my question -- it still looks great !!!! You can really get the Aeromaster paint to lay down well !!!

[Chuck E]

To be honest John, I've never seen this scheme outside the Airfix box, but it looked interesting, so I went with it. I have seen other schemes for WZ-T though. All vary a bit.

I love Aeromaster paints. It's not many paints that you can apply in five or six coats and still be a really 'Tight' finish on a small model. The Xtracolour paints are quite nice too. I prime and then use their enamels thinned and apply two coats, though you need them to dry out for ages until it's hard enough to paint over. With Aeromaster, it's only a few minutes. It's a real shame that it's no longer available.

The idea for using Klear and Tamiya Flat Base, I picked up on this forum. It dries in a minute or so and is really good and matt.

[Martin R]

I'm not a Spitfire expert, but I did raise my eyebrows when I saw the 'B' roundels applied over port & under starboard, rather than both over -- I do recognize that is how the kit says to do it. I looked through my refs, incl two of 19 Sqn, and couldn't find any citing that scheme, although admittedly in 1938 there were a lot anomalies due to haste, imprecise and changing directives, etc. Usually underwing were left B/W or had A roundels or maybe A & A1-ish.

Does anyone have a photo of WZ-T in this scheme ? Just curious, not starting an argument, not bashing the kit, just curious.

There was some discussion on this in another thread (can't remember if it was BM or UAMF) and the conclusion drawn there - causing some consternation - was that it was actually correct! Not that this is proof and, not being able to find the thread again (I was just looking), I can't even point you in the right direction. Sorry. If someone can come up with a definitive answer, I would very much like to know as well.

regards,

[Softscience]

Chuck, thats a great looking bird you made there.


I'm indifferent to some of the newer Airfix releases, but the early spitfires really do capture the look of the thing really well. I have one already, and foresee getting at least two more. I have a feeling I'm not the only one who will be buying multiple copies. Hopefully Hornby can use the financial gains to underwrite something cool in the future.

[Chuck E]

Hopefully Hornby can use the financial gains to underwrite something cool in the future.

This is always the case. If Hornby do really well with Airfix, it could lead to a new Golden Age of Airfix. This may lead them to issue some more interesting releases and re-kit some of their older kits.

For the latter, I'm hoping for re-kitted Beaufighter, Mosquito, Blenheim, Stirling, Halifax and for the former such as Swift, Scimitar, Venom and a new range of classics in 1/144th such as Sunderland, Halifax, Lanc, and a set of V-Bombers.

[MackemPete]

Outstanding work there Ian.
Unfortunatly not the colour scheme I could bring myself to paint! It's ok for you Darlo boys, but for a Mackem!
Seriously though I'm well impressed
Pete

[Chuck E]

Hi Pete, not sure if there's a red and white scheme for a Spitfire. This one's close.



My Mother's family are all from Sunderland and I spent a lot of time there when I was a kid. Mostly around Barnes Park and Chester Road area, or out at West Herrington. Many happy days down at the seaside too, Seaburn, Roker, Ryhope and Marsden and all along there. Visits to the museum, quayside. I covered the area on trams and buses in those days. Many happy memories of Sunderland.