Airfix 1/24 Hellcat New Tool

[iggie]

As admitted in the 'my stash got bigger' thread, muggins here is now the proud owner of the new Airfix 1/24 Hellcat
I'm not going to do a full review as there is already a lot out there about this kit, but really just give my impressions after a look inside.

First off, I will admit that the Hellcat is probably not up there in my list of favourite aircraft, so why buy it? Well, I've always been a fan of Airfix and even with their acknowledged and alleged problems, I really want to see them succeed. So I generally buy any new tool releases regardless just to support them.

I have to also say that much to my surprise, and possibly partly due to my relative antipathy towards the Hellcat generally, once the lid was off the box, I wasn't feeling a wow-factor... Normally any new arrival chez iggie will get an in-depth fondling, perhaps two or three times before going into the stash. This time, the box sat unopened all afternoon and evening, and only got opened just before bed. Even when opened, I only had a brief flick through the contents before closing the box again until this afternoon. Puzzling
A longer inspection took place this afternoon; as you'd expect, the quality of the moulding looks to be great, with some really delicate detailing by way of fine panel lines and rivets. The 'oil-canning' effect looks excellent, not too heavy handed and it appears in proportion. There is no flash evident, but there are some ejector pin marks which may need some attention during the build, and a lot of moulding pips to remove with associated clean-up.
As I went through the frames, I split them one one large one into two smaller pieces; each smaller one has it's own letter, so I suspect a little manufacturing cost cutting has resulted in them not being separated in the factory. They are certainly easier to handle being smaller.
Instructions are the now usual Airfix type, with the addition of some yellow and green colouring alongside the usual red and greys.
There are plenty of build options to choose from, each with it's own symbol, which then appears at the top of each relevant page of the instructions.
The decals look fine, glossy and minimal carrier film. There are plenty of stencils to be applied but at this scale they are manageable. Instruments are separate little decals which look great.
I'll leave you with a few photos of some of the bits that caught my eye

[JamesPerrin]

The wiring diagram is a nice touch

[JohnRatzenberger]

Hmmm, if I get the ignition wiring wrong AND use an electric motor will it rattle, cough, and belch smoke ?

Thanks for sharing.

[PaulBradley]

I'm sure some enterprising company is working up a sound card as we speak......

[Clashcityrocker]

Some nice detail on the moulds. Thanks for sharing Iggie.

Nigel

[Tarkas]

Thanks for that, iggie. That looks to be quite a kit. Like you, I've never been much of a fan of the Hellcat, despite its undoubted importance in the PTO, and I'm not that fond of 1/24th scale, but those are just personal tastes; they do mean that I'm unlikely to buy this kit.

One thing I'm curious about: I was pleased to see that the model can be made with the wheels up and the wings extended, but in all the reviews that I've looked at, there's no mention of another essential component if one wants to make an in-flight version, namely the pilot. Does this kit have one, or are Airfix expecting their customers to make an aircraft depicted flying with no crew?

If the latter, it'll make people like PJ Productions happy, but is a serious lack oversight on the part of the manufacturers.

[iggie]

No pilot that I could see....
I do think that this trend of not providing pilots is potentially short sighted, but I don't have any idea how much a well sculpted figure would add to the cost overall (looking at 1/24th pilot figures they can be up to £40 but then that's short run, limited demand so I would guess nearer £10 or less), and how many of us actually use figures included in kits anyhow? I don't for certain.
It's yet another one of those 'cant please all the people all the time' things

[Stuart]

Well it certainly is a beautiful looking moulding and no mistake - I suspect it'll look very impressive when built.

Not really my cup of tea though, far too large and complicated. As with all of these large scale models, I wonder what the ratio of kits bought to kits actually built is?

Thanks for sharing the photo's Jim.

[iggie]

I wonder what the ratio of kits bought to kits actually built is?

That's a good question!! For my part, I have built several (I would say half a dozen) of my 1/32 aircraft stash but have several more yet to build. I have only built one of my 1/24th collection, and have all the Airfix 'superkits' in this scale to build plus one or two more from other manufacturers. In my defence, the larger kits were always intended for when I had more time (and space) to tackle them; our move to Lincolnshire should provide both to some degree

[JohnRatzenberger]

I'm sure some enterprising company is working up a sound card as we speak......

That would push it way up in priority
Round Sound Rules !!!

[ShaunW]

From what I can see there, it is a great looking kit with a good spread of markings options - I do like the Hellcat as a subject but this kit is too large for me, although there is the folded wing option Personally I hardly ever build aircraft models gear up on a stand but if the option is made available by kit manufacturers the least they can do is provide a reasonable pilot figure and I do appreciate adding a pilot will add some to the kit price. Adding an electric motor to the prop again is something I wouldn't do but I agree that it is a nice touch that the instructions provide clear guidance on how to do so.

IMHO the type has quite a wide ranging appeal although the the market for kits of this size and price is undoubtedly smaller than for, say, a 1/72nd scale offering. Hopefully the company will make a decent profit out of it.

Many thanks for the peek in the box, Jim.

[beany]

Excellent review Jim, I was not overly impressed by the announcement last year but now I've seen your review and have read so many other positive comment I know I must have one!
I spoke to an Airfix chap at Telford after the unveil and he told me that the inclusion of a pilot would have added £25 to the RRP as it could cost £10K to have one sculpted and tooled from scratch for this model. A £10-15 PJ Productions pilot looks pretty good compared to that don't it?!

[Stuart]

although there is the folded wing option

Actually that is a good thought. If I was to tackle a 1/24 build then this would be a good option, as at least it would fit on a shelf nicely with the wings folded up.

[ShaunW]

although there is the folded wing option

Actually that is a good thought. If I was to tackle a 1/24 build then this would be a good option, as at least it would fit on a shelf nicely with the wings folded up.

I know, it kind of makes it tempting doesn't it? The price is the next thing to put me off as I try to keep the cost of my hobby reasonable, but as a rare modelling treat, mmmmmmmm..........

[jezbrook]

I suspect the reason the frames were moulded together and not separated at the factory was so that they would fill the box and not slide around inside. This would theoretically lead to less damage and breakages because small frames are not sliding about.