The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Hi guys

I thought it was time I joined the CBK SIG and join in all the fun, so if it OK with you all, I would like to build the Airfix Dennis Fire Engine, it all ways was one of my favourite kits when I was a young lad and I have had one in my stash for nearly 30 years, so I thinks it's time it moved to the top of my build list.

As I live down in Somerset, I will have to build, disassemble and post it up to some kind volunteer who is going to the show (note to myself must find a volunteer).

I'm thinking a false perspective cobbled road with bushes and a house in the background made from foam board.

Sounds like a good idea Splash, the more none-aircraft subjects the better as far as I'm concerned. I was going to do this kit (probably still will just for my own amusement) and was thinking along similar lines for the false perspective - I was going to use a low relief house in OO gauge from one of the model railway card kit companies, like Superquick or Metcalfe, but a foam board one will work as well. How will you do the smoke and flames - there is a better version of that box art on the box I have with the engine facing the other way and more "fire" going on in the background. Also, the railway bods do cobbled street sheets of card/paper as well. Looking forward to seeing this one progress - and welcome to the SIG as well!
Can't volunteer to take the kit for you I'm afraid as I will have all of last years display in my car, and my builds for this year (and the wife), and those for the ATF table and the Coastal Command SIG table and the Mirage SIG table, to name a few...

Cheers
Al.

Oh, good, I've suggested this one several times ... and not volunteered to do it because I think it past my artistry.

It is a challenge is 3-fold. The fire beginning to show on the left, merging into the nght from the right, and the sense of motion of the engine -- some of which is moving wheels, not so easy, but if you can do it in a slight right turn, with the crew leaning slightly right, it'll come out very well. Tough artistically but oh, so striking !!!

I'm excited ! Welcome aboard and thanks for taking this one on !

Great to have you join us Splash!

Maybe we could experiment with printing blurred wheels in the same way as we have created blurred props?

I have had a thought in the box art the artist has used a very low view point that would be difficult to see when on display unless the viewer bent down to table height.

To make viewing the finished fire engine as the artist intended, I have come up with a cunning plan, if I tilted the road away from the front this would lower the view point and enable the viewer to see a lower view point.

What do you think? Will it work?

Regards
Splash

Yes, very clever and I think it will work well; much like a peep-box, it forces the viewers' viewing angle and perspective to that which most matches that of the original box art...

Yes, it's actually unavoidable for most all the box art displays.

I did something similar to what you suggest with my M16 halftrack last year. Also consider not making the base rectangular or same height.
My vehicle was moving L->R so I made right side a bit higher (so it was moving low -> high) and extended the right corner out a bit (to give a sorta front -> back impression).



I'm sure you'll do better ...

Here is the alternative box art which to me is a bit more dramatic - more of the fire and smoke to be seen, not to mention water spurts!







Cheers
Al.

I have been up the loft and recovered my kit and it is the latter version with the vehicle going from left to right on the box as per Beany's image.

I forgot how good the old Airfix 1/32 kits could be, looking at the parts and instructions it's just as I remember when I first built it in the 60's, I recall being able to build it so you could take the ladder off and raise it also you could take the rear body off so as to look at the pump assembly.

I'm in two minds about which box art to use, I personally like the original as I think the vehicle moving right to left is more aesthetically pleasing, because your eyes automatically track from left to right and when you get to the fire engine your eyes stay interested in the centre of the image, where as in the other version your eyes naturally follow the line of the engine and out of the picture on the right.

I think I will start the kit and worry about the background a bit latter.

I think the original (R->L) is better, there is a sense of motion and urgency in the presentation of the the vehicle and the crew. In the newer (L->R) there are more smoke & flames, and even water, the vehicle and crew seem like spectators.

jRatz wrote:I think the original (R->L) is better, there is a sense of motion and urgency in the presentation of the the vehicle and the crew. In the newer (L->R) there are more smoke & flames, and even water, the vehicle and crew seem like spectators.

I agree, though it's not as fine a piece of artwork as the LtoR, it's a better composition.

This is a real nostalgia build, red brittle plastic with lots of sink hole, flash and extrusion pin marks, I'm almost tempted to go out and buy an old tube of plastic cement to build it with.

If ever a kit should have classic status I think this is one of them.

Managed to get some bench time on the Dennis tonight, the red plastic is quite brittle and takes a long time to set, so I'm going to let the chassis set before I do anymore.

For its age this is not a bad kit, lots of flash but once cleaned the fit is good and the detail aint bad at all.

It's a shame you loose it all under the body

Excellent progress there mate. I found on mine it wasn't so much the flash but that every piece seemed to have a prominent seam that needed sanding flat- the ladder especially took me flaming ages!

cheers
Al.