80 Years of Airfix GB

Picked this up at the PAMSCON model show yesterday. I've had good luck recently with kits in freezer bags. The kit is copyrighted 1997 and looks pretty nice. Of course the decals are marginal at best.

As much as the old Airfix kits can be a challenge, its nice to see so many coming out here. Will add you to the list frank.

I have put the belfast to one side for a bit, plucking up the courage to get to the paint stage. But after the old SM.79, i was looking forward to starting anotehr of there new kits. Though the kit is a P-2, i am building it as a P-1 useing AM decals. Only differance is the radio's.

Right from the off, i saw this kit had some lovely detail. Having spent a few week scratch build the rear compartments of a hasegawa He 111Z, i was really pleased to see the level of detail in this kit. The Eduard PE does add nicely to whats already there.

As i am doing a pre war aircraft, i decided not to add the PE ammo drums. The Eduard Big Ed set included a bomb bay. But i felt the kit one was just fine for what can be seen through the windows. If i remember right, the Hase kits are completly empty here.

Also got PE added to the wheel wells.

And the cockpit parts and upper gun position ready for painting.

After painting with Xtracolor RLM 02, i used some flory washes and then some dry brushing.

Then the coloured PE, love this stuff.

With that, the fuselage was closed up and the mid lower wing section was added, complete with bomb bay and wheel well's. After that the cockpit was fitted and all the final bits added.

Then the upper wings were added. As with the rest, fit in nice, just a little filler at the front.

Thats it for now. Really liking this kit. Deffinetly surpasses the Hase kit. better detail, nice fit and a good bit cheaper.

Bish

As much as the old Airfix kits can be a challenge, its nice to see so many coming out here. Will add you to the list frank.

 

Thanks, Bish. I've just had a thing for vintage jets recently. The same guy who had the F-80 kit also had a Gloster Meteor kit but I was running outa money. Next time...

Bish, that color PE certainly does spruce up that front office.  I enjoyed building this 111 too.  Stellar fit and plenty of detail. The prewar liveries are definitely underrepresented.  Looking forward to seeing this one! 

Thanks Chad. Ever since i did a Ju 87A a couple of years ago, i have wanted to do more in that scheme, especially a 111. I am deffinetly thinking of getting anotehr to do a P-2 and making the most of the AM decal set.

Be nice if you can get that Meteor frank. The F-80 is now on the list.

Nice work on the Heinkel Bish.

The production line has started

That’s cool TJ.  I once thought of doing this with some 109’s.  I admire your bravado!

Good start, Bish. As usual, you skill level in 1/72 amazes me.

TJ, haven't seen a good production line here since good 'ol (young, really) Schatten Spartan had one going years back. 109's, I think. Be good to see another.

Interior is finished and fuselage is together.  Took lots of tape and plenty of patience but I got the fuselage lined up. All applicable raised panel lines have been re-scribed, and the interior was kept very simple because much of it won’t be seen. I thought re-scribing the panel lines would be a pain but it was actually quite a relaxing endeavor!

tempestjohnny

Nice work on the Heinkel Bish.

The production line has started

 

That Airfix 1/72 P-51D is a dandy little kit, tempestjohnny. I shot mine with black primer earlier today. Should shoot the Alclad tomorrow.

Cheers TJ.

Thats some production line you got going.

Nice progress there Chad.

Tomcat

Eagle90,

That is one good looking internal bomb bay. You don't see them modeled very often. That Nimrod is packing one serious punch!

 

Thank you sir.  It sure looks like it would cause a lot of problems for any vessel for sure!

tempestjohnny

 

hopefully I'll be joining you this year for Modelpalooza 

 

 

That would be awesome!  We could line up a "FSM" forum lunch for everyone!

WOW!  What great work here!  I'm making a list of what Airfix kits I want to get from the work you all are doing!

Again, I have to apologize for the lack of posts.  I've been very busy at work, but I have found some time to work on models.

I have actually finished the Nimrod!!  It is a great kit (she's a big one, so make sure you have room for her when you're done!  LOL).  The only issues I had were the instructions and decals (yes, my decal curse continues.  LOL!)  If you have this kit, be sure to go over the instructions VERY carefully before, during and after your build!  There are steps that call out the incorrect parts numbers.  Depending on the version you build, you will find there are parts that needed to be installed that are never mentioned!  So just be mindful of the instructions when building.  As for the decals...the main ones turned out pretty good, but a lot of silvering on the smaller ones and I opted out of putting every single decal because of that.  So yeah, decal curse still strong.  LOL!

Here are the pics.  Enjoy!

As always, Bish, you can pick which photo to post.  And thank you SO much for an awesome GB!  I might have to do one more for it. 

Oh wow, very well done!  I have this kit in the stash so I appreciate your heads up on the instructions. She sure is a beautiful bird! You should be very proud of this build.

Mopar Madness

Oh wow, very well done!  I have this kit in the stash so I appreciate your heads up on the instructions. She sure is a beautiful bird! You should be very proud of this build.

 

Thank you sir!  It is a very nice kit over all.  Just test some of the smaller decals first and then be sure to really look through the instructions.  I'll write down the things I found wrong and PM them to you if that would help.

Thanks again!

That would be great, thank you!

Great looking build tehre Bobby. Looks nice up there with the Victor,you got a real Op Granby thing going there.

And thanks from me as well for the heads up, will double check everything when i get to mine.

Thanks for joining, i'll get the front updated.

Mopar Madness

That would be great, thank you!

 

Be happy to!

Bish

Great looking build tehre Bobby. Looks nice up there with the Victor,you got a real Op Granby thing going there.

And thanks from me as well for the heads up, will double check everything when i get to mine.

Thanks for joining, i'll get the front updated.

 

Thank you sir!  LOL!  I thought the same thing when I looked at the pics.  They are all 1/72, so it is an impressive air armada!

Nice Nimrod.  Someday I hope to have the three V Bombers built, but so far they are stash sitters.  I do doubt there is a Nimrod in my future.  I understand it was not a successful airplane but I don't know why.  Politics is strongly suspected.

I have begun my second planned build, the 1/48 B-57B.  I have an aftermarket tailplane set to fix the stabilizers and rudder, and a CMK resin and PE set for the cockpit.  The cockpit is in the fuselage already, and was very good for fit and detail, although I am confused with the ejection seats which appear to be a cross between B-57A and later marks.  I left off the armrests and they look fairly close to the seats in the B-57B in the Air Force Museum.  The front instrument panel had no definite place to fit.  I flattened off the front bulkhead on the resin tub and that allowed me to get the glareshield to look about right with reference to the windshield compared to photos.

It is necessary to file off the stubs of the stabilizers that are molded on the fuselage to get the proper fit of the resin parts, and also the front of the vertical fin has to be removed to fit the new resin part for that.  Airfix made the dorsal fin extend too far to the front and the resin part fixes that.  Very nice resin set, I'll fill in the brand name tomorrow.

Here's the latest on the P-40; construction almost complete, just have to attach the prop and the canopy, had to do a lot of paint touch-up by hand, so it doesn't look as nice as a completely airbrushed plane, still have to do decals and weathering:

jeaton01

Nice Nimrod.  Someday I hope to have the three V Bombers built, but so far they are stash sitters.  I do doubt there is a Nimrod in my future.  I understand it was not a successful airplane but I don't know why.  Politics is strongly suspected.

 

Thank you sir.  I need to get the Valiant to complete all three V bombers.  The Nimrod was a trade with a friend and I thought it was a very nice kit other then the instructions and decals.

Very nice looking B-57!  Really like that bird.

John, nice work on the B-57.

Looking forward to seeing this one John. 

AA, looks like you’re about ready to cross the finish line with that P-40.

Finished pictures of my Swift

John