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Dear Friends, Today I finished an Airfix 1/48 Spitfire Mk XIVe representing No 2 Sqn RAF '0I-G' TZ112. The kit I had was actually a Mk XVIII, but I did not want to make all the changes needed, and I also needed something easy, and my concentration is awful at the moment. As I had the Xtradecal sheet 'X48127' the easiest option for me was to do '0I-G.' Also used in the build was Eduard's Mk XVIII PE set as well as their block-tread 3-spoke wheels. Barracuda Studios cockpit parts and Master weapons barrels and Quick Boost exhausts were also essential for this rather poor kit. Scratch-built work included the braces on the sides of the radiators as well as the revised identification lamp system. The circular plate under the right-side windscreen area for the canopy release was also added. The trailing edges of the wings and the backs of the airscrews were thinned by half (I could not find my Barracuda replacements at the time!) Red crowbar Eduard PE item added to Barracuda Studios door - just a post-war thing that I could not be bothered to repaint. I made a mess of practically every stage of the build and finish, and you will observe that, as a result of thinning the MRP White Aluminium, I just could not cover over some white pre-shading I had done. I only noticed it after the decals were on, sadly. I will never thin MRP metal shades again. During decaling, I noticed that the Xtradecal fuselage codes were far too tall compared to both the photo of this machine and photos of other No 2 Sqn aircraft at the time. I had to stop and make homemade codes on some clear decal paper that I had. I made the codes 8.5 to replace the 11.5mm codes from Xtradecal. I have since seen builds of the Airfix boxing of their Mk XIV where this very machine is a decal option, and their codes look perfect. I do not think my codes are great and wish I had made them 9 or 9.5mm. Conversely, Airfix give much smaller upper wing D type roundals but I really think all the photographic evidence points to the large type suggested by Xtradecal. No 2. Sqn operated TZ112 whilst based at Wunsdorf in 1948. Having previously been posted at Celle. Having lived at Menden, Detmold, and Hildesheim as a child, I was familiar with both Wunsdorf and Celle, but Celle more so from school sports events, etc. Nice to make something with a limited connection to yourself. Apart from wishing I had not thinned the MRP White Aluminium, I also wish I had tried to clamp the upper and lower wings together to remove the horrible gap around the top of the gear bays. All in all, this was not as nice an experience as building the Airfix Mk XVII Seafire, but most of the problems are due to my health and poor concentration.

Hello all. I present for inspection my 1/24 P-51D Mustang kit No. A14001V, built from the re-release of the 1970's mould. I'd like to say it was enjoyable but it has really tested me. When I purchased it somebody made rather derogatory remarks about the kit being just a pile of plastic waiting for the trash bin... and quite honestly it nearly went that way a few times. Nevertheless I persevered and I'm happy to have finished it. There are a number of things I wish I had done better, the engine side cowls in particular. Modifications made along the way include: lowering the flaps adding a wingspar and undercarriage bay thinning and polishing the life out of the canopy cutting out the front air scoop, plus adding in the internal "flu" between the radiator and the vent constructing undercarriage doors (inners and outers) detailing the bomb racks replacing the guns with aluminium tubing, and remodelling the undercarriage with a combination of plastic and metal parts I also used the following aftermarket parts: Airscale Harness Airscale Cockpit instruments and placards Airscale Pro P51 Parts Set Model Monkey Upper Cowling Model Monkey Wheel Well Model Monkey Rudder Pedals Scale Aircraft Conversions Metal Landing Gear (designed to be used with Trumpeter kits) Thanks for looking.

John Richard Rossi was among the first group of pilots to join the AVG, first seeing combat in January 1942 and finishing in July 1942 with 6.25 victories. He would then join the China National Aviation Corporation and flew over 700 resupply missions over the hump. He would later found Flying Tiger Line, an air transport company and flew as Captain for the next 25 years. He passed away in 2008. This is the Airfix model with Microscale decals. The model is fairly good, with the exception of the cowling upper and lower sections that required some sanding and force to make fit well. Also the wing the fuselage join isn't the best and requires some work. I've had these microscale decals for about 20 years that I picked up second hand, however they were still perfectly good to use. Colours are Gunze 309, 310 and 311. Weathering done with pastels and pigment with the base just tile grout and some bits and bobs from the spares box.

Hello All, Those of you that have seen my other build of three 1/32 Avro Lancasters will now know that I am still alive, just taking a break.. I have been asked by someone very special to build a 1/24 Spitfire with the subject being The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe, ML407, Sq Ldr John 'Johnnie' Houlton This of course is now 'The Grace Spitfire' The base kit of course is the 1/24 Airfix Mk.IXc Kit. I make no apologies if I call ML407 a she; such a beautiful aircraft with such a wonderful history; Before I start the build thread I need to say that I am totally inspired by Wolf's 1/32 Spitfire build, something to aspire to. THE FUSELAGE HALVES I took the fuselage halves, stripped them down to the level I needed and filled in the ejector marks. The intention is to show both fuel tanks so VERY carefully, I took the armour plating off as well. The TR9 will be shown so I removed the radio hatch door too. First things first was to design my own photo etch; I really wanted to show the hollow frame nature of her; I also used the templates from the 1/24 Spitfire Cockpit Download from The Hawaiian Air Depot Site; https://www.hawaiianairdepot.com/ After fitting the etching, 1,764 Rivets were individually placed using Quinta Studio Rivets of various sizes; She is going to be powered and lit up too so I managed to hide the cables behind the side walls. I am going to feed the power cables through the ground power connection. It was then a spray with Semi Matt Varnish to seal the rivets, a base coat of dull aluminium, chipping fluid then Ammo RAF Interior Green; Hope you like what you see so far, onto the frames and bulkheads! Thanks for looking... Cheers Steve

Here`s my just finished model of a Gloster Javelin FAW 9R. The kit was manufactured by Airfix. I think a great kit with a good fit, only that the decals are like a Diva. Also the Ejections seats should be replaced or pimped up. The paintjob was done with Tamiya XF an weathering by oilpaints.

Hello all. I present for inspection my 1/24 Mk1a Spitfire, built from the 1970's mould Airfix Vb kit No. A50055A. Apologies but I'm no photographer so these were just taken on the workbench with my mobile phone. I may try a blue/white sheet and inspection lamp to get some better ones . The model represent a machine of No.64 Squadron. Aftermarket parts used were: Airscale Sutton Harness Airscale Cockpit instruments and placards Buchon Scale Models Forward Fuselage & Windscreen Buchon Scale Models Seat Buchon Scale Models Resin Wheels Buchon Scale Models Cockpit Door Techmod Stencils Yahu Instrument Panel I am my own worst critic and I feel there are several areas where I made mistakes and could have done better but overall I am very pleased with the result. Above all, I thoroughly enjoyed building a model I first built some 40+ years ago and, given the age of the kit, I think Airfix actually did a really good job. The build thread can be found below. Thanks for the likes and comments along the way. Thanks for looking.

So this is my take on the last heart-throb of 2025, namely the Airfix superkit 1/24 Bf109 G-6. I know I’m walking on footsteps of trailblazers like @Martinnfb but my intent is to build a subject I know next to nothing about except what I gathered on the interweb, yet a classic all-styrene kit with modern moulding standards and reasonably accurate so that it doesn’t need much correction. I’ve heard of nasty remarks about the quality control upon the release of the kit. Fortunately I had none of these issues even if my kit is one of the earlier castings. I won’t bother you with an unboxing and a sprue review because it has been done plenty on YouTube. Worth mentioning is a 44-page booklet crammed with well-detailed drawings which will prove a valuable asser for a hassle-free build. I chose to model the Bf109 G-6 R-4 of Lt Alfred Hammer of JG53 photographed at Cancello, Sicily in August 1943 just before the allied invasion. The challenge is to try to replicate the polda-dots and serrated edges of the Erla camouflage. From November 1941 until the end of the war, Alfred Hammer made 463 combat missions and achieved 26 victories, while being shot down three times and receiving two injuries. Lt Hammer (nickname Martello in italian) seen shaving in the Sicilian landscape. A closer shot of Hammer’s plane. Note the serrated edges of the wing camo. Thierry Dekker’s rather faithful rendering Starting with the DB 604 A engine which Airfix obligingly provides two versions: one complete for opened panels and a simplified one for the closed-up version. The engine is build like with an onion, layer after layer with detail painting between. Start: Several serials are provided. Choose your number. Finished. Completed painting and patina. Paints used: acrylic on top of lacquer base, enamel washes, pencil details. Next: the cockpit. Your comments and questions are welcome Cheers, Quang

Just finished a 1/72 model - yes, really. Some of the bits seemed tiny, but I managed. I've always wanted a Lancaster Mk II in my collection, as I like something unusual, and with radial engines it's certainly that. It hit the bench when my IPMS Model Club announced a project to build some models with a connection to Sywell aerodrome in Northamptonshire, for eventual display in the museum there. Among the many wartime activities at Sywell - which included the Tiger Moths of 6 EFTS training many pilots, Free French among them - was a factory building Wellingtons and Lancasters. It produced 100 of the 300 Mk IIs produced. Sadly I was not able to ascertain which serial numbers were built here, but this stands as representative of those that were, and there's a 2:1 chance it was. The subject is from 408 "Goose" Sqn in June, 1944, and was based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. I picked this particular subject because it had some extra markings on the nose and was fitted with the bulged bomb bay and ventral turret, which many of this variant were. Airfix kit with Xtradecal markings. Funny thing: fitting the Hercules engines instead of the Merlins decreased the Lancaster's performance and service ceiling. Conversely, when the Halifax was fitted with these engines instead of its Merlins, its performance improved. Go figure! And thanks for looking. I'm going to the stash to find the biggest 1/32 scale kit I can.

It's a new year and a new project for me, but you could be excused for thinking that I'm just continuing on from last year if you remember my last build. Santa brought me a lovely Airfix Spitfire Mk.VIII. So it only seemed appropriate to make a start on it today. Santa was even generous enough to include a bunch of addons inside from Eduard for better exhausts and seatbelts, Barracuda for an improved control column, Art Scale Distribution masks and three sets from Airscale to improve the cockpit and undercarriage. Two of the Airscale sets relate to the cockpit and comprise a set to improve the cockpit in similar fashion to my Mk.IX build last year, as well as another set to correct the left side of the cockpit, updating it to correct Mk.VIII specification which Mr Airfix forgot to do. The Airscale set for the left of the cockpit comprises, from left to right, a new voltage regulator, Corrected electrical control box new on the Mk.VIII, and improved throttle quadrant, a reflector gunsight base and mount and lastly a new radio control box. So I started at step one with the pilot's seat which has etch embellishment from the Airscale set, and I've also added a piece from that set to the seat mounting frame. I've also added a bit of Green Stuff to the ribs on the back of the pilot's seat to try to "bulk up" the cushion a bit more. This may or may not work, but we'll see if it does work after paint. Since the kit supplied voltage regulator won't be used, I filled in the L shaped mount for that part with some stock plastic square rod and a little filler. Here's the seat built up. I've yet to add the armour plate behind it, and I may add the armour plate that goes under the seat base if that is appropriate. I'll probably make my own from sheet brass as I'll be using the Airscale etch piece for the head armour, so my own effort will match that. The plastic kit part looks bulky next to the etch head armour. I've prepped the floor ready for paint. Lastly, I've assembled the missing chunk of the rear fuselage that is appropriate to a Mk.VIII as well as start work on the changes to allow the fitment of the lower fuselage light for a Mk.VIII. Here's the left half with the jig in place to cut that hole for the light (at the bottom of the fuselage behind the wing cut out). The jig fits into the fuselage very precisely so you cam accurately place the light. Then all you have to do is hack/grind/file the hole to allow for the fitment of the light housing. Ingenious. Sorry to add to the seemingly never ending number of Spitfire builds here, lately. But I like them and I have a few more Spitfire projects at the top of my to do list for this year, as well as a Z-M Fw-190 build and a Macchi C.205 build and a couple others too if I can join any of this year's group builds. Can someone double the number of days in this year to 730 days, please? Cheers, Michael

Hey Guys, I had to take a break from my 'winged' builds, to work on a project that has been lurking in the back of my mind for some time. Being frustrated about the absence of 1/32 vehicles to go with 1/32 aircraft models, I got this mad idea, using one of the few models available from the last century... Monty's Humber staff car from Airfix... Trying to get it to look something like this... Work began by cutting up the kit as it is only the front and bottom that are reused for this build.. After a lot of scratchbuilding, it looked like this... Time for painting... Paintjob started with coat of gunmetal/red brown/dark grey... Hairspray (not visible) British desert yellow, tamiya wooden deck tan with highlights of Lifecolor Light Stone... For the weathering I used different oil washes + pigments... Now all I need, is to decide how much to cover and some decals to go with it...

Howdy, folks. I haven’t got around to starting my Brigade TR9 conversion yet, but was rummaging in the loft the other day and found this - the classic Airfix 1/24 Spitfire MkV. Being inspired by @Erwin’s lovely rendition of his MkI, I thought why not..? Box art: All the parts are present to build the MkI which is my plan - I have ordered some decals to replicate N3200, which was famously shot down (after claiming a Stuka) during the evacuation of Dunkirk and buried on the sands over time at Sangatte, near Calais. Pilot Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Stevenson spent the remainder of the war as a POW. The remnants of the airframe were recovered in 1986 and in early 2007 restoration began to airworthy condition - it still resides at Duxford to this day wearing its 19 Squadron codes and has been restored to look exactly as it did when lost on 26th May 1940. So… this will be built largely OOB just as Airfix intended, although I have bought some Airscale instrument bezels to enhance the IP, some Eduard belts and I’ll box in the wheel bays using plastic card. There was lots of flash present - not surprising given its vintage - and the cockpit parts were quickly assembled. The rear fuselage got a spray of aluminium, as per references: The main cockpit was then sprayed up, a few bits and bobs such as Milliput seat cushions (modern pilots don’t like getting sore bottoms!) added so the fuselage is now ready to be buttoned up: I’m going to replicate the model as the modern day warbird so have kept everything absolutely immaculate like the real thing. I’m keeping the cowling buttoned up as the engine area is rather basic and lacking in detail and I want to actually get the build completed within the time frame of the GB - I don’t want to lose momentum or interest… More when there’s more… Tom

Hello all of you fine people of LSP. May I share my new project with you please? Although I have already built one of the Airfix 1/24th scale MkIX Spitfires I felt this model was the ideal basis for a tribute to Squadron Leader Mark Long who perished whilst at the controls of his aircraft earlier in 2024. The aircraft was part of the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial flight and had been well known on the airshow circuit for many years. At the time of the fateful incident she was wearing the desert markings of No. 92 squadron (QJ-3) so that is how I will depict her. As a restored warbird this aircraft sports a number of elements not seen on period aircraft. I will mention the ones I spot as I go along. She will also be quite clean. The BBMF keep there aircraft in generally good condition with the exception of exhaust staining. Many reference photos online show plenty of exhaust staining for me to get my teeth into later. The model will be buttoned up. No open panels, canopy closed with possibly even a modern RBF tag on the pitot This means that I won't be spending alot of time or energy on things that won't be seen. Whereas I included the Airscale aftermarket set for the cockpit of my previous build I aim to largely use the kit parts this time around with only minimal extra detail added. Having said that, here are a couple of pics of the seat. I'm trying to give the impression of a contemporary parachute pack. I've also replaced the flare holder with a scratch built one. This is quite an obvious feature even through the canopy so I wanted to improve it's look and shape. I started out thinking of simply drilling out the kit part but the plastic sidewall is so thick it was easier to fabricate a fresh one. I also re-shaped the seat backrest a little because pics online seem slimmer in appearance. So, we've begun our journey. As ever, any and all comments are welcome. If anyone can share images of MK356 or knowledge that may help along the way, please feel free to include it here. There are a couple of superb large scale Spitfire builds going on elsewhere so you can rest assured I will be following those like a hawk for all of the tips and tricks I can glean. Cheers, Guy

Hello. I present my completed Airfix 1/24 FW190 F-2 for inspection. I started this kit back in October 2022 with great ambitions to super detail the engine and other areas. However a number of disasters (of my own making) occurred along the way which, together with an awareness of my limited skills, resulted in a change of plan and all panels being firmly glued in. I wouldn't be surprised if Airfix release this in the classic range during 2025 but there are a number of shortcomings with the kit (in my opinion) that are worthy of mention and which I have attempted to correct in this build: The tailwheel needs to be lowered to be more representative of the real thing. The riveting is massively overdone. There is a lack of detail (for a kit of this scale) to the cockpit, engine and undercarriage bay. A wing dihedral needs to be added. The forward rake of the undercarriage needs to be corrected. For aftermarket parts it was Airscale to the rescue - Cockpit Instruments, Seatbelts and Wheels. Other than that there isn't very much choice. I had to use the very old kit decals because I couldn't really find any suitable masks or decal sets to replace them. Apologies for the picture quality. I'm really not a photographer and don't have the equipment for it. Maybe at some point I will try to take better quality images. Thanks for looking.

Hello all of you shiny, happy people. I hope everyone is well. A little while ago Airfix released a large scale MkIX Spitfire in 1/24th scale. I was lucky enough to be at the launch event and was blown away by the look of the models on display. I resolved there and then to treat myself to one. I got the kit in December 2023 and began it shortly after unwrapping it on Christmas day. The kit is substantial and relatively easy to build although it gets a tad unwieldy due to it's size so care must be taken in the latter stages of the build. For a kit this size the detail is good. However, there are many aftermarket parts available that improve the look still more. I opted to enhance the cockpit by scratch building a few elements and treating myself to the beautiful Airscale cockpit upgrade. To my mind this is a must for this model. It takes patience to assemble but improves the face of the cockpit no end. The other bits of aftermarket that I'd recommend would be a set of wheels, an entry door and exhausts. There are a few wheel sets available. The ones I went for were by Eduard The detail is great and the wheels look the part but for some reason the subtle molded in flat spot doesn't sit flat on the ground when they are fitted so some judicious sanding is required. If you choose to use these be aware of this before glueing them in place. The door is by Buchon models and is a definite improvement over the somewhat chunky kit part. Lastly, one area where Airfix really dropped the ball is the exhaust stubs. What were they thinking? For a start these are molded in two parts but not where a seam line falls. If two parts are necessary why not make the join along an actual seam? Also, there is a huge hole in the underside of each stub that has to be filled. I can't help wondering if the designer was off the day these were created and the janitor had a go..... Fortunately Eduard come to the rescue with a beautiful 3D printed set. Another must for this build in my humble opinion. Airfix include a plethora of markings but for this build I turned to a combination of 1ManArmy masks and some custom masks kindly created for me by Mozart here on LSP. Many thanks Max I was hoping that painting the markings would give better results in this scale. All of the masks worked beautifully and the fidelity of the stencils needs to be seen to be believed. Add one more to the "must have" list for this build. The 1ManArmy set replicates the markings offered in the kit but my aircraft depicts an aircraft of 412 RCAF sqdn. This squadron was formed in 1941 at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire which is only a stone's throw from where I live. Thank you for your patience so far. Now after this pre-amble it's on to the RFI photos. Setting a couple of hiccups aside (I lost one of the Eduard exhaust stubs) I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. If I were to build another I'd definitely thin the aft lip of the ailerons. I'd also buy a set of turned brass cannons. Getting the two part plastic components round and filled was too much fuss. For a kit assembler like me this Airfix product is nigh on perfect. Plaudits to them for giving us a very good representation of one of the most popular marques of Spitfire. Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed this. If you'd like a more in depth article please have a look here for the WIP thread. Cheers, Guy

Still on a break from my stalled FW-190 project I figured this little kit would be a short fun build. How wrong was I?! Turns out that for my shaky hands and poor eyesight its a fiddly little bleeder that requires to be painted and decaled before assembly... and then, when assembly starts is a fragile kit that lacks suitable holding positions... i.e. you can't place it upside down on a box lid for example whilst you work on the underside. Still, gripes aside (I like to whinge in my senior years), I have honestly enjoyed building it and am pleased with the result... although I think Airfix should up the skill level from 2 ! Another problem area I had was my decals. Not sure if it was due to the age of them or something having been spilt on them by the previous owner but they would just not separate from the backing paper and required a lot of coaxing to remove them. Additionally, I was aware that their thinness would mean the white was translucent - so during the build I first sprayed the white areas and then masked them off before painting the yellow and silver. This seemed to do the trick - although I'm sure more competent builders would probably do away with the decals and just use masks instead. Adaptions from the box kit were: - Replacement rocket tubes from Evergreen styrene tube and rod - Replacement AA missiles from Evergreen styrene rod and sheet - Replacement machine guns made from brass tube - Seat belt made from masking tape and wire - Fuel and brake lines from fishing line - Spark plugs by AnyZ - Spark plug cable and control cables from varying gauge wire Anyway, here it is:

Hello. When my 1/24 scale FW190 build hit a snag (should be recoverable), I didn't want to stop building - so I embarked on the classic Airfix 1/24 Scale Hawker Hurricane. One of my all time favourite aircraft. I originally built this kit as an over excited prepubescent kid during the 1970's and of course, as delighted as I was with it, it obviously looked like it had been built by an over excited prepubescent kid - with little glue control, his sisters nail sanders and over sized paint brushes. This time I hoped to do it more justice. The subject of my build is P3803 of 501 Squadron. This aircraft was lost off the coast near Ramsgate on 12th August 1940 with F/O Kazimierz Lukaszewicz (Polish) at the controls. Sadly neither he nor his aircraft were ever found. The build is mostly out of the box - except for the Yahu Instrument Panel, Barracuda Studios Resin tyres, and RB Productions Sutton Harness. The decals were to my own design and printed by https://www.custom-model-decals.com/. All paints and varnishes are Vallejo. One modification I did make was to the (in my opinion) over-sized nose. After looking at different options I eventually stuffed it with milliput and then sanded it down to reduce the base diameter by a small margin. As you can tell... I'm not a photographer! I am pleased with how it has turned out. As with all models there are a few places I think could do with more work - but in reality I think I'm going to call this one done. Maybe time to get back to the FW190 . Thanks for looking.

Greetings all - and all the best for coming year. Airfix 1/24th Hellcat II NF (F6F-5N), KD127, 892 NAS, Drem, Scotland, mid-1945. Here's my first completion of 2024 which nearly made 2023 but the cold, wet weather was against me for the final varnish coat! The Airfix 1/24th Hellcat is well known and documented so I'll save the background information but suffice to say it's one of the most enjoyable builds I've ever done - it's an absolute beauty of a kit and I loved building it. Whist there are some nice marking options in the box, I decided to go off-piste a little and do something different, hence buying the excellent Aerocraft set (reviewed here) to make this into a Royal Navy night-fighter variant: The level of detail is sublime out of the box, and it went together beautifully with virtually no fit issues whatsoever. What I will say though, is tolerances are very tight indeed and the parts benefit from having their mating surfaces sanded slightly to cater for the thickness of the paint. The gun bays, for example, have a lot of the wing structure to add and thus very careful test-fitting was required to get that satisfying 'click' as it all goes together. The engine is a small model in itself - it took a total of three weeks to get it together and painted. Airfix give you a very detailed construction guide and this enables the builder to add the mass of wiring associated with the ignition harness - I used some aftermarket braided wiring and the effort was well worth it. The surface detailing is some of the best I've ever seen and gives a wonderful 3D effect - when you catch the right light it looks so realistic: Considering this was built OOB with the only additions being the seatbelts (I felt the kit examples were a little over-scaled), the ignition wiring and conversion set, it's exceptional value and quite a presence on the modelling desk. Paints were all Xtracolor enamels and I kept weathering effects to virtually none - these were, in reality, high gloss Dark Sea Blue and pretty clean. The stressed skin effect does most of the work for you to be fair, and other than some light exhaust staining I kept this in line with period photos of late-war Royal Navy Hellcats. To anyone considering building this, a few observations of the build process which may come in useful: As mentioned above, tolerances are very tight - gentle sanding of gluing surfaces and test-fits are a must and it will be very easy for things to become misaligned, especially in the gun bays; If you can, build the engine and main airframe as separate parts and bring them together after painting. I installed the engine as a completed unit prior to the main airframe being painted and this resulted in some very complex masking around the exhausts! The main canopy was quite a bit wider/flared at the base than the runners it is supposed to sit on. I had to coat the inside of the canopy with some Future (to avoid 'fogging') and then attach it with CA glue; The wing tip light lenses are slightly too large for the apertures they sit in - in hindsight I should have test-fitted these earlier in the build and not after painting! Be really careful when following the instructions as to whether you are doing wings folded or extended - the build sequence is very different between the two! Anyway, that's enough waffle from me! All the best, Tom

Evening folks, With the summer holidays here, there's been some welcome additional modelling time and this was finished off over the weekend. I was given this by my dad who had in turn been given it by an old family friend - I think it is an original issue, and if not it's a very early issue of this classic kit from Airfix: I just wanted to build this more or less as it comes and enjoy it. However, I couldn't let the gaping hollow wheel bays pass so made some simple mods by adding plastic card sidewalls and some Evergreen stiffeners to at least make them sort of passable: Other than that, I used some Eduard belts for the pilot's seat, Barracuda wheels as the kit's had dried out and cracked when I tried to apply them to the hubs, and some aftermarket decals from Techmod to represent Von Werra's machine who crash-landed not far from me in Marden, Kent - and became 'the one that got away'. Although old and basic by modern standards, this kit is a joy and went together pretty well. Surface detail is sublime and the super-detailer could really have a field day if they were so inclined. I really enjoyed it as nostalgic build from days gone by and that's what it's all about! Evolution: here is the 109E alongside the G-model: like the Spitfire the basic airframe had huge potential to evolve and did so as the war progressed: Paints were all Xtracolor enamels with some weathering using Mig-Ammo pastels. A really enjoyable build - don't overlook these oldies as they scrub up really well! All the best, Tom

Right then, let's get stuck into this little beastie (anything's little after 6 months on the Lancaster First up.. an admission of defeat. I'm not going to be able to build it as a true representation of MK356 of BBMF simply because she's an E- wing and the MKIXc is, well,a C wing. There's no difference in shape at all, the big difference is that on the E wing the outer gun bays were moved inboard of the cannon to give a more stable firing platform. While the empty outboard bays were left alone, there's no one doing the new gun bay covers for the in board gun bays so, I'll build it as a C wing but mark it up MK356 in J Plagis colours. So with that admission of failure out of the way, I mentioned earlier I took some parts off of the sprues. The fits aren't great but the detail is really good. An example here: All that has to be carved away to get a good fit. The magneto heads are nice but the shafts and the crappy palstic spark plug connectors are awful. They'll all be coming off and metal bar used for the fitting and silver 0.6 mm braided lead for the spark plug leads fitting into miniature spark plugs from Hiroboy. By far the biggest problem though is with the cylinder blocks. When you fit them flush to the crankcase ( as of course they should be) then the parts that make up the top spark plug assembly should fit neatly into the V groove created by the cylinder blocks as the instructions show: The problem is that the V is too wide leaving either a gap either side or a huge gap at one side or the other The only cures, unless I've got a dodgy kit or my skills have deserted me, is to narrow the angle formed by the cylinder blocks and fill the resultant gap at the bottom or fill the gap at the top which I did with thin card and liquid putty. That done, the rest of the engine is a doddle to put together. Be careful how far you build it so you can not only get in and paint it evenly but get in to dot the hundreds of silver bolt heads. So, for me, I built the crankcase, added the cylinders and upper spark plug assembly and the front part of the supercharger but I didn't glue on the reduction gear as in step 150, I just dry fitted it then stopped. Separately, I built the intercooler and the supercharger front part then sprayed all these separately. Colour wise you can go with black or grey, Merlins came in both flavours. That done, I picked out all the bolt heads in silver then, I fixed the intercooler to the main engine block and the reduction gear onto the front of the engine, NOT forgetting the prop shaft before you glue it into place (I didn't honest!) As you can see, I also add chipping at this stage. The "ROLLS ROYCE" logos are far too shallow to fill nicely in red or white but many weren't anyway. I've rubbed and faded the edges then dry brushed in silver to give a bit of pop. Looking a bit deeper at references it's clear Airfix haven't added any of the detail of control rods and pipework at the rear of the engine where it sits next to the firewall or a lot of the pipework for the supercharger and intercooler assembly. That will have to be added if I think the detail level of the base engine merits it after a good weather. Otherwise I'll build covers on, which I hate to do but if the detail isn't good enough I won't show it. Finally a good two coats of Aqua gloss to get it ready for weathering when it's all joined together. That's it on the engine for now. I'm all over sections at the minute so had a look at the wings as well. The fit doesn't look bad but there are ejector pin marks all along where open flaps will sit Also there are three to fill if you intend having open gun bays: Lastly, when you take the lower wings off of the sprues for heaven's sake mark where the tabs to remove are before you do it. There are two little nubbins, one on each wing that look for all the world like tabs you've just snipped. It was only a serendipitous yell of "want a cuppa?" from the wife that refocused my attention and saved a disaster. I knew I married her for some reason or other. Thanks for looking. More engine next and awaiting the Airscale IP with bated breath

Evening all, I put the finishing touches to this earlier this week: the new-tool 1/72nd Airfix B-17G converted to a US Navy PB-1W airborne early warning aircraft. I used the old 299Models conversion which gives you the big radome in short-run injection plastic, as well as blanking plates for the top, chin and ball turrets. The conversion was actually designed and produced long before the excellent new-tool Airfix Fort was released and is meant for the Hasegawa kit. However, with some gentle persuasion, it fits the Airfix kit well. The PB-1Ws were late build B-17Gs taken from desert storage post WW2 by the US Navy and stripped of their bombing equipment. Some retained their tail guns but these were soon removed, and quite crude blanking plates were added to the openings for the top, chin and ball turrets. The main distinguishing feature of the PB-1W was the large AN/APS-20 search radar added to the bomb bay and huge dome slung beneath. In all 32 B-17Gs were converted to PB-1Ws and they remained in service until the mid-1950s when they were superseded by Constellations. The model was airbrushed with Xtracolor’s Sea Blue gloss and decals came from the spares box. I toned it down with a coat of Humbrol Satin (the real things were actually high gloss) and added some oil and exhaust with pastels. All in all a very simple conversion (if you can find one!) and it’s nice to add this unusual Fortress to my collection. All the best, Tom

Dear fellow modellers, I’m giving it to you straight: I’m building this kit by sheer gluttony because until recently I never had the slightest interest in Spitfires and I always considered 1/24 as the scale for the blurry-eyed and the ham-fisted. Until before last Christmas, I stumbled on a presentation video on YouTube of the new Airfix 1/24 Spitfire. I was so impressed that I asked myself …what if I simply regress and go back to the simpler joys of sticking plastic and dabbling paint without the fussiness of modern modelling? So here we are: a out-of-the-box (well almost ) build of the Airfix überkit. No babble needed, just lurid images for your eyes only. With Eduard PE harness Above: before shading. Below: after shading Questions and comments are welcome. Thank you all for watching, Cheers, Quang

Happy to announce an accurately shaped and detailed 1/24 scale P-51D Mustang upper cowling is now available for your Airfix kits. This model replaces the Airfix's kit's inaccurately shaped upper cowling parts. The cowling is 3D-printed in gray resin. It was designed from original North American Aviation blueprints ensuring an accurate shape and detailing.

We take a look at a really useful set from Peter Castle at Airscale for the new Airfix 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire... Blue skies! Iain

1/48 Airfix Hawker Hurricane Mk I representing P2638 of No. 274 Sqn RAF, flown by Sgt Pilot FH Dean, based at Sidi Barrani, Eqypt, July 1942. Aircraft had previously been PR Mk I P2638 of 208 Sqn, LG 39 / Burgh el Arab, Egypt, early July 1942. A short time latter P2638 was passed to 274 Sqn to serve as a fighter for a second time and was almost immediately lost, being shot down by three bf 109 F’s on the 27th July 1942. I really enjoyed this kit from beginning to end. the plastic was not too hard for me to use the rivet tool with bad hands and the clear plastic parts and the decals are some of the nicest I have ever used but there are a few things needed to be able to represent the photo of this aircraft a little better. You will note that the photo shows that P2638 has an early style radio mast, a rear view mirror, tropical cooling vents at the side of the lower cockpit (both sides) and an oil collector ring around the nose - none of which are represented in the Airfix kit. The mast was just changed as best as possible but does not look right. The oil collector ring is just fuse wire cut and bent to shape and the rear view mirror was from Quickboost. I also used Eduard Spitfire Mk Vb spares - deHalliand prop which was much thinner than what Airfix have provided as well as the Eduard early Spitfire exhausts. Also used was the Eduard canopy mask and Sutton Harness sets. The beautiful Airfix canopy was treated to some handles from the spares box. Finally I had ordered the Brengun wheel set as I have seen thinner tractor wheels compared to what Airfix provide for the tail wheel but alas when the set came along with the Quickboost rear view mirror - the packet contained something completely different to what the label advertised and so I just wanted to finish the model. A lovely little kit well deserving of a little extra love here and there. I wish I had taken the time to remove the overly raised fasteners as well as add a slight curve to the cockpit panels where they meet the wing - next time! Thanks for looking, John

Afternoon all, Here's the latest model to take off from my bench - the new-tool Airfix 1/72nd Avro Vulcan BMk2. After grafting on some very long-term projects of late I decided I needed something relatively straightforward for a system reset and mojo reboot and this proved to be just the project. I found it an absolute delight to build - actual construction only took four evenings and the whole model was completed in just under two weeks. In fact, it's the first model I can remember in absolutely ages that I didn't put down for a few weeks and return to it later as I'd lost interest - I just wanted to keep going! As with most of Airfix new-tool kits, tolerances are very tight indeed and therefore I gave each surface to be glued a quick swipe with a sanding pad and this meant an almost perfect fit for all components. I was really impressed with how the intakes went together, and with a quick swipe of Milliput White they look seamless with the minimum of effort. I wanted to do a later version than is currently supplied in the box so bought an Xtradecal sheet to make a 101 Squadron machine based at RAF Waddington in the mid 1970s. Two type of jet pipes are provided in the kit, and I had no idea which were fitted to this aircraft so went with the same as the one currently preserved at Duxford as they seemed of the same vintage. The kit's bomb bay is beautifully rendered and with some careful painting comes up beautifully out of the box. If you build this kit, don't waste your time detailing the interior of the cockpit as next to nothing can be seen - I just did the absolute basics. Xtracolor enamels were used throughout and I gave it a satin varnish as these machines seemed very well maintained in service and other than a few streaks and stains here and there, I kept her reasonably clean as period photos suggest. I recommend this kit to anyone looking for a large and impressive model in their display cabinet but not requiring a huge amount of effort - it's a pleasure! Tom