Airfix announcement - 1/24 Spitfire

[airscale]

Fantastic news!

 

Will be on to airfix to get some test parts when available 

 

I don't understand why everyone is going on about tamiya 1/32 Spits, this is a new 1/24 kit - you don't buy it if you want a 1/32 one..  

 

I love large scale so happy days, I just wish it was a MkXlV  but its great to see them make the investment in keeping the 'superkit' range alive

[rigor]

So true there Peter wish they would redo there fw190 

[treker_ed]

@airscale Tom p made a comment about the new Airfix price being under £100 and in 1/24; compared to the relatively high cost of the 1/32 tamiya and the thread took a sideways meander. My comment was to try and show the actual cost of the tamiya kit across various retailers. 

At the end of my comment, I did state that this thread was actually about the new Airfix kit, not the tamiya kits and why I would be buying direct from Airfix. 

[Kagemusha]

Hopefully they'll follow up with a Mk.VIII, highback/lowback Mk.XVI, maybe even a MK.Vc, and Mk.XIV. If it was an FR.18 I'd buy one yesterday.

 

If there were no new kits being released the complaints would be deafening. 

[R Palimaka]

34 minutes ago, airscale said:

 

I don't understand why everyone is going on about tamiya 1/32 Spits, this is a new 1/24 kit - you don't buy it if you want a 1/32 one..  

 

I love large scale so happy days, I just wish it was a MkXlV  but its great to see them make the investment in keeping the 'superkit' range alive

 

I agree. It is puzzling, there are some arguments on other sites as well saying that the Tamiya kit will likely still be superior and available for less money, so "why did Airfix do this?".

 

That's great, and I agree the Tamiya kit is magnificent, almost perfect, except for one major flaw...it's not 1/24 scale. The arguments don't make sense. 

 

Although there is one major flaw that makes this Airfix kit unbuildable. It doesn't include Polish squadron markings...

 

...and yes, I'm kidding.

 

Richard

Edited January 10, 2022 by R Palimaka

[adameliclem]

26 minutes ago, R Palimaka said:

 

I agree. It is puzzling, there are some arguments on other sites as well saying that the Tamiya kit will likely still be superior and available for less money, so "why did Airfix do this?".

 

That's great, and I agree the Tamiya kit is magnificent, almost perfect, except for one major flaw...it's not 1/24 scale. The arguments don't make sense. 

Some people are hostile to the very idea of double cheeseburgers. We are a strange species.

 

Adam

[cbk57]

This kit looks amazing, I would be interested but I have built the Tamiya Mk ix three times already so I doubt I will ever build this one.  Just too many other kist I want to build but it looks fantastic.

[Chek]

3 hours ago, airscale said:

Fantastic news!

 

Will be on to airfix to get some test parts when available 

 

I don't understand why everyone is going on about tamiya 1/32 Spits, this is a new 1/24 kit - you don't buy it if you want a 1/32 one..  

 

 

 

There's the issue of companion models to consider. I can't see any added detail in the new Airfix kit, which isn't present in the Tamiya 1/32 series (other than the Rolls-Royce logo on the cam cover). However if they announced a follow up Mk XIV coming in the next year or two, I'd certainly reconsider.

[Bradleygolding]

Okay, so Airfix have listened to all of you who have been begging for an updated Spitfire on this and other sites. They have produced a new 1/24 scale super kit so you should all be happy, but you're not?

Although pleased that they have done this I am a little underwhelmed by it. After the incredible detailing of the Typhoons and Hellcat, this should have been the greatest Spitfire kit ever! Unfortunately it smacks of clunky detailing and and what appears to be very average surface detail (and I agree that the prop blade roots are wrong). As has been noted in other posts it offers no increase in detailing over the Tamiya kit and less that the Kotare one. It seems to have been designed on a very tight budget to maximize profit, which is not a bad thing for Airfix, just a bit disappointing for the rest of us.  Add to that Airfix's flour and water based plastic and it's all a bit nah. I did hear that some new models did have a much harder plastic so we will have to see. Like all these things I will wait until it is released and pass informed judgement then. Looking forward to more test shots over the coming months.

 

Steve

[Dpgsbody55]

Looks like 2022 is shaping up as a vintage year for LSP releases.  Three Yaks from ICM, two Vampires from Infinity Models (as well as their ME410 and Beaufighter coming next year), the GWH P-40, Z-M's 109, and now this beauty.  And this is just the ones that will find their way into my stash.

 

I'm hoping it will come with all the bits to make either an early MkIX or a later MkIX.  Then perhaps in another year or so, a revised version such as a MkXVIe.  Or maybe even a Griffon powered MkXIV!!!  I can wish, anyway.  I'm sure the aftermarket will be all over this with lots of resin, etch and decals of all sorts. I can see me building a couple of these, so roll on the release day.

 

Now, I guess I'd better get on with their Hellcat that I've had in my stash since release.  That will clear some space for another huge box .

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited January 10, 2022 by Dpgsbody55

[Smokeyforgothispassword]

Well, that’s another kit that I’m going to have to buy

 

Hopefully Red Roo will upscale their decals for F-UK, Red Roo Spitfire decals

 

 

 

[discus]

Honestly guys.... how many were begging for a 1/24 Spit ?

Now that you got one, you are not happy... seriously ?

 

How can you judge the quality and detail level of the kit yet ? all you saw is a couple of CADs and a 25 seconds low quality video of the first test shot built.

 

Can we at least wait for the release to judge ?

[Zola25]

3 hours ago, Bradleygolding said:

Okay, so Airfix have listened to all of you who have been begging for an updated Spitfire on this and other sites. They have produced a new 1/24 scale super kit so you should all be happy, but you're not?

Although pleased that they have done this I am a little underwhelmed by it. After the incredible detailing of the Typhoons and Hellcat, this should have been the greatest Spitfire kit ever! Unfortunately it smacks of clunky detailing and and what appears to be very average surface detail (and I agree that the prop blade roots are wrong). As has been noted in other posts it offers no increase in detailing over the Tamiya kit and less that the Kotare one. It seems to have been designed on a very tight budget to maximize profit, which is not a bad thing for Airfix, just a bit disappointing for the rest of us.  Add to that Airfix's flour and water based plastic and it's all a bit nah. I did hear that some new models did have a much harder plastic so we will have to see. Like all these things I will wait until it is released and pass informed judgement then. Looking forward to more test shots over the coming months.

 

Steve

..Which are 1/32 kits so they both have a quite big (well, small) and obvious flaw if you want to build a 1/24 Spitfire 

[geedubelyer]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not the best photos unfortunately, sorry. My phone and low light aren't a great combo.

However I hope they give an idea of how this one looks. 

Built ootb it will be a very impressive model. With some care and attention plus some Airscale etc add-ons it could look spectacular. 

1/24th gives even more scope for super detailing if that's your thing. 

In the flesh the surface detail is beautifully rendered on these test shots. It's subtle in a Tamiya-esque way and quite restrained given what other manufacturers have put out in this scale. I hope it can make it to the finished item. 

Alot of thought has gone into the design to help make construction easier . The kit has a beefy wing spar to help with the dihedral too so no more droopy wings. 

 

 

 

Two styles of vertical tails are included in the kit plus clipped wings in clear plastic to provide the wing tip lights. 

 

I get that alot of folk are confused by this choice. Yes, the Tamiya offering is still likely to be the best fitting Spitfire kit available but hopefully this Airfix offering is a close second. When one considers just how much some of the big models cost these days, £95 isn't really that much. Of course it's much more than smaller scale models but not completely out of whack. 

 

Interestingly, Airfix have redesigned their Superkit box for this model. It's a taller but much more compact box. It'll be fascinating to hear how folk react to that too. 

 

All in all I was extremely impressed. Now I have to start saving my pennies for the middle of the year when it is supposed to land. 

 

Cheers. 

Edited January 10, 2022 by geedubelyer

[RLWP]

 

Wow!

 

Richard