Snaps epic Journey - Airfix 1/24 Hawker Typhoon Mk1b build

I'll have to admit that at first I wasn't too excited about these new large scale models but after building the 1/32 Tamiya corsair and currently working on the 1/32 HK B-25 Mitchell I am having a change of heart, these things are pretty fun. But, the detail on this kit is beautiful. Great work. I will definitely be watching this build.

John

Ok just checked my email. Hornby have responded with same standard  response re MP's previous post re quality issue, don't know if they read my email properly?

Anyway they Anticipate replacements arriving 4 August, I'm in no rush so wel'll see what happens

Believe me I've looked, opened the sealed bags, turned the kit upside down .... It's not there. Maybe they  gave to you Mitch P????

I've contacted Hornby but have only had automated response. I did mention the forum, they need to know what their customers are talking about, besides this is an expensive kit

So the replacement arrived, after one day which is great -- problem is it has a "lens" in it too

So just about to send another message to Airfix and let them know. I wonder if I should mention FSM website and this thread, I wont as it would be unfair but they must know people have found this.

Phil

NeedBeer

Check for a two small bags with what looks like paper towels inside, there should be two of them and they are about 5-6 inches square.

Phil

Thanks for critique on this great kit guys!

My kit arrived from UK yesterday, wasn't expecting this until end Aug?

After reading this thread I delved into the box searching for the clear parts to inspect for the small issues noted.

Well, I can't find the Q sprue!!!!!!

Now I see the relevance of the missing sprue digram - what else am I missing?

I'm on to my supplier now...

Ah! now we have a little admission of guilt from airfix. Looking at it objectively it doesn't really detract from the overall kit, but it shows a little about their production.

I am assuming that they had it moulded in China and not by trumpeter who was rumoured to have moulded the mossie for them.

I do watch a lot of "How it's made" TV programmes and so learn a lot about manufacturing.

Yes, there is a problem with the sprue Q mould. It was probably fixed as soon as it turned up. If the sprue feed, where the liquid hot plastic was not quite right then this would cause problems as the plastic injected into the mould would not have got to everywhere it should properly. This in turn would cause the lens effect as the plastic would not have formed into that part of the mould properly.

This would have a knock on effect to where the part meets the sprue and the connection made there. All the bouncing and movement involved with packing and transport could cause undue movement there on the canopy part as it is the only bit of the part that attaches to the sprue and could cause the stress crack.

There could have been a lot of kits packed before this problem was highlighted and fixed. This is why airfix probably have a lot of corrected sprue Q's ready for customers who complain about this.

I am not sure how long it takes styrene to cure though. I think it's a bit of truth, smoke and a couple of mirrors.

Still, despite this and the incorrect 20mm barrel I am so happy that at last the 1/24 kit has come of age with detail to rival 1/32 kits at last!

Despite a couple of drawbacks, flash and seam moulds etc (of which most, if not all kits are guilty of in some way) Airfix have done us proud. 11 out of 10 and a lot of brownie points.

Now let's have the car door version and then a ME-262!

This is the email I received today from Airfix

We are very sorry you have experienced problems with the product A19002.

The problem with the Q sprue, is not common to all the kits.

Problem was only found after the mould inspection when the clear sprue had been standing for several days.

The sprue feed was changed to eliminate this problem.

Would seem that some incorrect parts have slipped through.

We have despatched the Q sprue for you today.

Once again sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Regards

Airfix spares.

I wouldn't say thats a bit of "smoke" as I've heard for 4 kits now with them all having the issue, but as long as they have fixed the issue it may solve the issue with the split James had. I'm not sure how it could take several days for the issue to show, does it take days for the styrene to cure? I may have learnt something here about the manufacturing process.

Phil

James

Great work so far. I got a reply from Airfix and they will replace the canopy if you drop them a line. Below is a picture I've taken of the "lens" on top of a mesh so you can see it a little getter

I agree with the comments on the Hispano cannons, it will take a little work but be worth it. You can also get some aftermarket belts from RB Productions they are the Suttons QS/QL/QP harness.

Looking forward to the rest of your build

Phil

Looks awesome.  I have been intrigued by this kit, so will be riding alongside your build.  Thank you for sharing; it has already been informative.

Off to a nice start.  That kit looks amazing!

Mike

This looks like a fantastic kit to work with and credit to Airfix for getting all that sweet surface detail molded in.

Have fun with the build and please keep us posted in this WIP- I am just jealous enough to consider getting one of these myself.

Here we go with stages 1-8 The cockpit frame. I spent quite a lot of time with the instruction book working out the best way to put these parts together. I did this and the only part which I left off was the footboards which can be fitted at the end of stage 8 with no problems at all. Here we are with the build of the cockpit and engine support frame, unpainted and with out the footboards. It looks good. Plenty of fine detail. Problems being seam lines, some flash and because airfix uses quite soft plastic, some warpage. There are also mould release markings to be dealt with if you are going to want to do surgery to the fuselage to display this. The warpage is easily dealt with due to the soft plastic and occurs mainly with the wing spars. Only then did I think about painting and I decided to go partly my own way with this and putting on the primer coat of black showed me that this wasn't going to be easy to paint and I eventually realised that I should have painted each piece individually and then once together touched up with a brush. This is a note for my next Tiffy! The frame in Primer black. I did this in black so that the aluminium and interior green paint would show up better and have a good dark base rather than a neutral grey. I decided that quite a lot of the forward airframe, especially in the engine bay would be interior green. Having original BS reference paints, but not used that brand before through my airbrush and no empty dropper bottle to decant the extracrylix paint into, I referred back to my own paint matching charts. The closest Vallejo paint for interior green is 71.126 IDF Green. It is only a fraction lighter than BS283 and with a dark primer underneath it should come out just about right. It wasn't easy to airbrush everything when together and I had to redo areas that had suffered overspray and ended up with a touch up session with a paint brush, still I am pretty happy with the result, and I think that it looks close to what a wartime Tiffy would look like. After looking at cockpit photos on the net, my next tiffy's airframe will look slightly different. More Aluminium, less black on the frame. Once dry and cured I added the pre-painted footboards. Next up we start adding detail to this area! Comments etc welcome

First of all let's stay with the cannon for just a few moments. Airfix have provided the cannon fairings as two separate halves. Be warned builders. Although they all look the same, (top halves and bottom halves) they are ALL different. There are port and starboard, inner and outer top and bottom halves. DON'T GET THEM MIXED UP. When it comes time to fix them, do them one at a time! Now with the fairings being separate from the wing and each half dedicated to a cannon port this can give the builder the option of putting them on, or not! Advanced builders eyes are now rolling to the back of their heads as they slowly begin to see what just can be done with this kit. Like I said - more to this than meets the eye. Now we all know by now that the Airfix 20mm Hispano is not very accurate in regards to the barrel. They do note in the instructions that you can, if your eyes can see to do it drill, very carefully a 0.9mm hole in the muzzle to provide us with the bore. In this aspect, if you do the math then Airfix has got the bore right for 1/24 scale. :D However they got the recoil spring in the wrong place. I don't know if it was to make the faring fit the cannon or what, but purists who want to leave off a faring or two will have to correct this. Going back to my post on the cannon and Master models 20mm barrel, I have done some building and correction. Here's a reminder of Airfix's 20mm Here's my rebuild using master's 20mm barrel and fitting the ammo feed. It's ready for priming and painting. Now it has been noted that there will have to be alterations to the apatures in the wing frames to fit this. They would have to be done anyway as the original Airfix cannon when built wouldn't go though. It is and easy change as the holes just need enlarging. Now if we are going to alter all 4 cannon and make them right then there is another alteration to be made and that is to the fairings interior. they will have to be filed or sanded from the inside until the barrel fits properly. Airfix plastic is relatively soft and plyable so it's not too difficult to do. Just sand, clean, dry fit.... and do it while it looks right and the fairings for that port fit properly. It is correct to have the front 2 or 3mm of the muzzle sticking out. The cannon I have rebuilt is for the starboard inner gunport. Each gun and feed is for a different position. Take care when building and do one at a time. Next post we discover the delights of the cockpit area and I fall into a trap of my own making! James

Something had been niggling me about the 20mm cannons in this kit and once I had taken one off the sprue and then compared it to the Master barrels it hit me. The airfix kit cannon has the springs in the wrong place and the cannon are about 2mm short in the barrel. Take a look! Airfix's Hispano 20mm Mk II Part of the fairing - well, half actually! Airfix's cannon and fairing together. See how it fits. Master models barrel matched up to Airfix's barrel. Hmmmm! I do know from photos that the 20mm cannon muzzle did protrude from the fairing, and the MM barrels seem to do it by the right amount! All I have to do is to bore out the interior of the faring a little more so that the recoil spring sits properly.

Here is the start of the build folks.

First of all, as I had speculated on Master models' 20mm Hispano Mk II cannon barrels with a total of £16.50 then that is the first place to have a play before starting on the cockpit area. The Airfix barrels are indeed wrong

Good night!  Epic journey is right!  Wow!  That is one detailed kit!  It will be awesome when done, but you might as well build the real thing!    Can't wait to see this build!

Eagle90