What do you think about Airfix kits?

Y'know one thing I always liked about airfix was the occasional nice surprise. Like when I opened the box of a Short Stirling, and found a David Brown airfield tractor and bomb trolley "train" included, or the Bristol Bloodhound SAM towed by a land rover included with the C130.

I like them!
Who else produces a Stirling or Halifax or a Sunderland?
A kit shouldent be an add glue and paint shake box, wait 5 mins and open for a perfect model. It's not a cake mix afterall.
If you think Airfix is bad then take a look at some of the Heller kits. I have just finished an Amiot 143 and it was terrible. The phantom riviter had struck and the cockpit canopy was split down the center!!
Dai

Ok, I gots to wade in a sec. I've not posted much but have been building kits for 39 years and in my opinion if it weren't for Airfix there wouldn't be any Tamiya, Hasegawa, or the rest of them. Sure their stuff is old, and it can be clumsy at best in some cases but jeez the amount and range of kits they've produced is nothing short of amazing. Some good alot bad but I dropped my dimes for them endless times and still will when they've got something I want to build. I think it all depends finally on how bad do you want to build it. on a scale of 1 to 10 I give Airfix a grade of 7 for their whole product line

Tracy
"If it ain't Grumman, It ain't a fighter!"

VARIABLE.... Latest stuff is generally very good, but beware old kits in new packaging!!!!
Airfix (and Revell) understandably like to get as much mileage out of their moulds as possible, and we keep seeing old kits re released over and over again. For example, I recently bought the little pocket money kit of the Airfix Golden Hind sailing ship. Upon opening the box, lo and behold a feeling of Deja Vu came over me as I recognised it as one of the first kits that I had ever made! I am now 59 and this kit was one I bought originally when I went to school ! Disappointed! You bet! I would have thought that this kit would have been completely re tooled years ago! It was really showing its age compared to more recent kits.The only thing that looked as though it had changed since was that the model had been simply re tooled to make it a full hull instead of a waterline model, but that was all. I first bought the original kit from Woolworths and it was sold in a plastic bag.
I really think that manufacturers should be made to print a year of mould origin on the kit boxes as most are shrink wrapped so we cannot see any of the bits until we buy. At least the modeller can then make an informed decision as to to buy or not knowing the mould's age that the kit is coming from.
I'm not knocking re releases as such generally, as some subjects are the only ball game in town, and some of the older kits are quite good considering their age, but the really old, tired kits should now be taken out of circulation for good.

QUOTE: Originally posted by qmiester There Ain't No Such Thing As A Perfect Kit!

Then, my friend, you have not run across the Hasagawa 1/72 B-25J

Airfix is'nt too terribly bad when I think about a few other brands out there. For years if you wanted a 48th JU87 B,it was Airfix until Hasegawa came along. The 1/24th scale version could use a lot of extra detailing and is still the only extra larger kit in this subject. Years ago, Lindberg offered something that could only euphemistically be called a JU87. I have few Airfix/MPC kits still in my future build supply. My greatest complaint with some of their more recent offerrings would be the use of old OTAKI/ARRII molds of the FW190A8 and P51D. These were halfway decent kits in their time but it may be time to retire or update said molds considering the outragous prices that were placed on them. To compare Airfix to Matchbox is totally unfair to Airfix since we all know that Matchbox is The UK'S version of ''THE LINDBERG LINE''.

Most of the time I build 1/72 scale and have had a love/hate relationship with both Airfix and Revell since the late 1950s/early 1960s. In those days, both put out some real dogs (anybody out there remember the Airfix Mig 15, the Bf 110 or the Ju 87B or the Revell P 51D and FW 190A? The closest they came to the real aircraft was they had the proper number of wings, engines, props and wheels). But they were the only show in town and were cheap, so thats what we learned on.

Today things have changed somewhat, but I continue to buy and build Airfix kits. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons.
1. There are some Airfix kits which with a little work (I know, a lot in a couple of cases)
can be turned in to very nice models that Tamigawa hasn't seen fit to release. Where else do I find an HS 123, a Stirling, a Hudson, a DO 217E or a J2F5/6 in 1/72 scale? Tamigawa seems to prefer to re-release its P 51/SBD/Hurri/Zero/BF 109 kit about every 9 months with a new decal sheet and new box art rather than give us something new and unusual.

2. Cost. I tend to be tight on how much I spend on a model (and my wife is tighter than bark on a tree, to her its only a sale if its 80 percent off list) so I tend to get heartburn at the thought of spending upwards of 25 bucks on a 1/72 single engine fighter kit. (just about any kit for that matter). If I feel that, with a little work, I can make a model from a 5 to 8 buck kit, that is just as good as I could build from a 15 dollar kit of the same subject, guess which I'm going to buy. Another problem I have with Tamigawa is they seem to feel that each time they re-release the same kit, they need to raise the price of said kit 3 to 7 dollars (for which I can buy a set of after market decals for several other aircraft)

Sorry about the ranting, I guess my advice to you is to go ahead and try a couple that have been recommended to you (or just cause you want them). If you decide you don't like them, then don't buy any more. The biggest thing you have to figure out is what you are comfortable with. And always keep in mind:

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Perfect Kit!

lol

When I started modelling airfix was the only game in town, here in UK "Airfix kit" is pretty well a generic term to describe any plastic kit. The company has been in and out of business and taken over so many times over the years and different commercial arrangements have produced different results. Reissues of the really old kitsare not up to 21st century standards but the new stuff is very acceptable, the 1/48 Seafire 47 is an excellent kit and as the last Spitfire variant to see action in British service it deserves a place in any Spitfire collection. The reboxed Heller kits are pretty awful though. I have built the Buccaneer and the main problem I encountered was the need to join the fuselage halfs a bit at a time as they went together under tension. Personally, I wouldn't be doing this at all if it was easy!

The Airfix after service is very good. No questions ask, they just send you the broken or missing part. That's realy great.

You pays your money...........

As long as you don't expect Tamiya quality, and who could at those prices, you won't be dissapointed.

My son recently bought 3 kits including paint for £8, or about $14 in a gift set by Airfix. Who else would sell you a Mig21, an Me109 and a harrier in 1/72 for that much?

Karl

It depends on the kit.....yes I should agree.
But they are the only ones that make a series of certain kits.
Do you know anyone else of offering the Saab Drakken, Lancer etc, Bulldog, Chiomunk, Tiger Moth, Venom, at a price less than 8$ at most cases (1/72).......
If you are afraid of scratchbuilding they can be void (especially wells and cockpits) since they are a bit crude but if you do not they can produce nice kits. You should ignore raised lines and poor fits occassionaly. Agree that some of them are inaccurate but who is perfect anyway?

I start of with airfix for my first model. a 1/72 mitsubishi zero. The plastic is thin and the mould is not as good. However they do improve over time , the recent one i done is the spit fire MK XIV . it seems good on fitting but may need to brush up some details like gap filling or something. But i bought the sea harrier FA2 that one is not something of beauty, sink holes everywhere , the dash board are to be stick on with decals.

Again i bought the Jaguar its the same with sink holes( but not many) and simple layout of the cockpit. I haven built yet . Now planning to look at some after market parts to over come its lack of accuracy.

But one thing though let say if you are to look for a 1/48 jaguar , it won be easy ans d not much choice from other manufacturer . According to the price given by airfix and if compare with a detail one well , it might worth the buy. well just face it ,out. if plus some after market parts i think it will be a nice plane

quick note on the Halifax kit, the canopy never fitted right even when the molds where new. also i have built three of them and the lower fuselage joint was always bad. it can be built into a nice model though. Greg

It depends... oops spmeone already said that, but I have to agree. Seems like age of kit is the main variable in question here in determining quality. The newer ones are fine, but the older Airfix kits I've built in the past had scale issues.

With Airfix it depends on the age of the mould. The newer subjects like their lighting and seafire in 1/48 could well be up their with Hasagawa in terms of quality. The older molds with raised details and bad fit problems take a lot more work. But as for the 1/48 Jag, I've built one myself and on the whole it was'nt too bad. It's got recessed lines and the parts fit is OK.(note I said "OK" and not Great.)
It's not loaded with detail, but you can produce a decent replica of the real thing.

It depends....

I've built the 1/24 Mustang and Hurricane and the 1/72 Halifax. The Hurricane went together very nicely. The Mustang, not so nicely and the Halifax was somewhere in between. The major problem with the Halifax was the cockpit cover. It was poorly molded and there was a significant gap between the rear edge of the cover and the body. I was able to rectify the problem with some Humbrol Clear Fix.

My wife bought me the 1/24 Bf-109E last year. That's on deck as soon as I finish my Revell 1/32 Phantom - which has gone together quite nicely as well. Only a minimal amount of putty and sanding required.

Airfix kits? With the exception of some recent kits mostly are just a step up from Matchbox, Im sorry to say. Ive built the Bucc among others. Detail is really good but the fit has a lot of room for improvement.

Albert, no flak from me. I think you're right about the older Revell kits. Hated them with a passion. But both manufacturers have made great improvements in the recent past. Shame Airfix is not as into new subjects as Revell is...

The 1/48th Buccaneer , Lightnings and hawks are not only the only game in town but are also very good.
Their spitfire V dates from the 70's ,but makes into a nice kit and doesnt cost the earth.
I built their hurricane last year and it looks as good, if not better than kits priced twice as much.
All 109's look small because they are small, the small wing gave it a lousy turning circle but it was small and light so it climbed better than all earlier allied aircraft.

Only now are other manufacturers starting to copy their bomber range.
I have a Lancaster to complete and for an old kit it looks good.

In the 60's and 70's their market was kids and kids want something that looks right externally , and dont care how the inside looks.
Airfix kits were usually more accurate in shape than most of their competitors.

Out,

I have built several Airfix kits since returning to modelling. In 1/72 scale: their Spitfire Vb, Westland Sea King, P-38F, and in 1/24 scale: A Spitfire Ia. I haven't built any 1/48 kits, but I'll give you my perspective. Airfix fills a much needed niche in the market. They're not a "high end" manufacturer, but then their prices aren't "high end" either. It all comes down to what you're looking for. If it's perfect fit, no flash, then they probably aren't for you. Here's some examples of what I've encountered...

The starboard boom on the P-38 was warped.
The windsheild on the sea king was warped
The 1/72 spitfire was great
The 1/24 scale spit had some fit problems that were correctable
From what I've seen and heard from others, they tend to be a little heavy on raised detail - it can usually stand to be sanded down a bit
On one of the 4 decal sets, the yellow was a little off register - no problems with any of the others.

I considered all of these "no big deal" and I found ways of correcting them. I hate to "dis" Airfix - I like their product, and I would probably buy more of it if it were more available locally. The cost of a similar 1/72 scale kit made by another manufacturer is usually 2 to 3 (or more) times what you would pay for an airfix kit. It's probably the same for 1/48 kits.

The 1/48th Jaguar was tooled up in Eastern Europe some years ago & has some serious flaws, in both accuracy & fit. It takes a fair amount of skill & some aftermarket bits to make it into a decent model. The fit problems apply to the Buccaneer too.
Bearing in mind the fact that the majority of Airfix kits were tooled up before a lot of the people on this forum were born, and the price (except the 1/24th Sea Harrier, 65 pounds in the UK) then in general they are not too bad overall.
If you want something that no one else makes, or just something to polish up your skill's, then Airfix is a good stepup to more expensive stuff.
Overall, (and I know I'll get flak for saying this) better than Revell kits of the same age.
I'm just building their Short's Skyvan, it's 25 years old, and shows it in place's. But it fits together nicely, no one else made it, & it's a good challenge.
Willuride, the Airfix 1/48th bf109 is quite an accurate kit & a nice build.
Pete

i don't like airfix. i have 2 models a bf 109 and something else ww2 german. they say 1/48th scale but look more between 1/72 and 1/48th. i will probably slap them together and let my son play (destroy) them.

i have their 1/48th Lightning kit and it looks great tho i havn't started it yet. o if thats anything to go by it should be ok. i havent seen the inside of the Jaguar kit tho. the worst it could be is a re-issue of the old ESCI kit. that was a bit basic or a kit in this scale but it was buildable. hope this helps. Greg