Unfortunatly I wasn’t so lucky so I’ll have to save up for one.
After seeing various posts on kits by others on various sites it looks like airfix have come out with a winner which means that I have to have a go at one… it is a hobby after all isn’t it and how many companies have the guts to do something like this?
I have been suprised to see that there aren’t decals for an invasion machine with the black and white stripes. I am sure that the aftermarket guys will come up with some.
During my search round the net on photos of various machines etc I was surprised to learn that the black and white stripes were hand painted onto aircraft by ground crews just after the invasion orders went out. This means that all those of you out there who spend hours with masks and airbrushes to get perfect stripes for D-Day aircraft may wish to think again!
Anyway! Anyone like to donate this kit to a broke modeller?
James
I wasn’t a good enough boy last year.
Not a gift from Santa, but I had a small windfall last month, so mine arrived about a fortnight ago. It’s a very nice kit, with lots and lots of detail, and some excellent decals.
That said, it’s not perfect. The mould standard, for example, is typical of that achieved by leading kit manufacturers in the mid-1990s. There’s no slide-moulding at all, and as a result, many smaller sub-assemblies are built up from several parts, where a market leader would use only one. There are lots and lots of visible ejector-pin marks, especially on the insides of things like weapons bay and u/c well doors, which will be tricky to remove. The crew figures are poor, being similar in style to Airfix’s very early Superkits.
Nevertheless, I’m very pleased, overall, with the purchase. there’s far more opportunity for the use of modelling skills, and for the modeller to put his own mark on the model, than there seems to be on, say, the Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire IX. I’m planning to start my build in mid-late May, because there’s no way the completed model will fit on my workbench, so I will have to spray it outside. May start the sub assemblies before them, though, depending on other modelling priorities - I’ve promised myself that I’m going to build my Revell Europe 1/350 Bismarck this year.
I’ll be posting a WIP thread here, when the time comes. Meantime, here’s the package the kit came in:
and here’s the box with the lid off:
In both cases, note the Humbrol tinlet for scale!
Cheers,
Chris.
I was hopeful, but maybe Santa couldnt fit the box down the chimney. Probably the only way I will get one is as a present. I cant even see the trouble-and-strife spending that much on me for a present.[:(]
Thanks Chris Hall, from your description most of the con’s can be over come with some work. I will purchase this kit and believe in supporting companies like Airfix.
*Idea for a group build, any kits that are NOT produced in China or Japan. Far from expert or having the last word that should exclude 90% of choices. A sample list would include:
Airfix, Revell / Monogram, Hobby Craft.
Obviously there are more to list and someone with the technical savy to come up with the badge thingy would help. As a community supporting domestic manufactures is needed more now than ever! Now to copy and paste this in Group build catergory as a post.
I’d agree with you, Jason. The Airfix 1/24 Mossie assembles very well OOB - I’ve seen a couple of test shot builds, and they were both very impressive. There’s lots of detail you could add if you wanted, but this seems to be a straightforward ‘research and modelling skills’ effort.
Not sure how far the 'non-Sino-Japanese GB idea would be a contender. there are plenty of mainstream kits produced in countries like Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey, France, Ukraine, India (most of the Airfix range, at the moment), South Korea, Taiwan, the Phillipines (most of the older Tamiya stuff), Mexico, and Canada, The position gets more complicated further when you realise that severl kits in the Revell Europe - a company with its headquarters in Germany - range are actualy produced in China and Japan!
Cheers,
Chris.
Indeed, follow the thread in ‘Group builds’ and you can see the can of worms I opened LOL I did manage to find my build and exciteing WIP’s to follow.
Thanks for the follow up comment Chris, sometimes the right path is the most dificult to take. For simplicity whatever country is printed on the box is good enough, wish I had my vintage Revell / Monogram kit in hands to post picture of glorious ‘Made in USA’ for everyones viewing pleasure.
Poland, Russia, Turkey, France, Ukraine, India (most of the Airfix range, at the moment) and Canada! Yep all these are the countrys I had in mind. Thanks again Chris