1/24th Airfix kits, any good?

[RickBrown]

Chaps

Just wondering, are any of the Airfix 1/24th scale A/C kits ok? I always wanted the Hurricane when I was much younger (!) and they seem to be good prices at the moment. I fancy a Merlin engine build.

Rick.

 

[Fenlander]

I think they are all considered OK, if a little long in the tooth and d need some work from what I have read. The Stuka, I believe, is classed as the best so if you fancy a Juno build rather than a Merlin????

 

[RickBrown]

Hmmm.... I fancy a Merlin first!

At the other end of the scale, just picked up the re-released Tamiya 1/100 Lightning. Bargin, £2.50! Looks good. Need to finish Spit mk1a first, getting bored with camo! Hows the CR getting on? I love mine, actually enjoy cleaning it!

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Some of the 1/24th Airfix mouldings are over thirty years old and it shows. Probably the most basic would be the Spit which was upgraded with an additional sprue in the eighties however the original sprues remained the same. The slightly newer models such as the Harrier, the FW 190 and the Stuka are noticeably better but I did make a Hurricane when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed building it.

I think if you are expecting the same standard as a modern Tamiya kit you will be very dissapointed but if you are preparred to work around thier shortcomings and add some detail yourself you can still produce a stunning model to be proud of. I think the Hurricane is a significantly better model than the Spitfire with much better gun bay and wheel well detail and that bit easier to detail it up into a nice kit. It's also worth remembering that you can get an Airfix 1/24th kit for around 40 to 50 pounds whereas the Tamiya 1/32nd Spit is around 100.00. Stunning kit but is it twice the value?

One warning, the Mustang is notoriously difficult to get the fuselage together. I remember at college helping my room mate get his together and it took the two of us to do it!!

 

[Fenlander]

One warning, the Mustang is notoriously difficult to get the fuselage together. I remember at college helping my room mate get his together and it took the two of us to do it!!

Not sure what is wrong with me but that statement has made me fancy getting the Mustang now.......

 

[AlanG]

Have a look over at some of the builds on LSP forum (largescaleplanes) and you'll see what work is involved in some of these old kits. Some excellent builds there mind lol

 

[stona]

I built them all years ago. You'll have a job fitting the cowlings on the Spitfire and Hurricane with the engine in. The Mustang is not very accurately shaped if you are bothered by that. The Fw190 and Bf109 went together allright and I found the Ju87 by far the best. As Richard says they are showing their age and are very lacking in detail for models in this scale.

If you are prepared to put the work in they all make impressive models.

Cheers

Steve

 

[RickBrown]

Point taken ref the age.... Maybe save up for the Tamiya then! I've been teasing my kids that they can get it for my fiftieth, that should give them a few years to save up, cough.

Now then, where's that cheap Airfix 1/72 MK1a I've started. I'll keep dreaming.

 

[RickBrown]

What about their BBMF MK5b, is that an old model?

 

[Fenlander]

I think some of them were originally released on my 50th.......

 

[RickBrown]

Rofl!

 

[m1ks]

There was a build very recently, (1 or 2 months ago) in either SAM or SAMI, will see if I can find it for you and maybe accidentally let it fall on the scanner, ahem.

Apparently it's not bad but as the experts have said, a bit long in the tooth, the build was the spitfire and the builder used the Merlin out of the Hurri kit, which apparently was better detailed.

Will have a look and see if I can dig it out for you

Got to be worth a go for the price of them

 

[yak face]

Hi rick , if you fancy a 1/24 spit or hurricane dont forget trumpeter do quite a few big kits , i think relish models have got a spit for about £50, a bit more expensive than the airfix kits but probably well worth it for the newer, more detailed moulding and better fit, cheers tony

 

[Sweb]

I built the Spit and 109 back in about 92. The 109 was okay save for some canopy alignment issues. The Spit had warped wings like it was dropped from the mold before it was cool enough. But, some careful application of heat and no big deal. Seems the larger the scale, the easier problems are to work out. I don't build smaller than 1/32 for that reason with the WWII types and 1/48 with the jets.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

I've not actually seen much of the Trumpeter 1/24th kits. They seem comparable price wise to the Airfix kits so the question has to be are they a more modern moulding with better detail and therefore a better buy?

Has anyone built one?

 

[RickBrown]

All good stuff this chaps.

I've started to notice other larger kits about, maybe the Trumpeter ones are good? My real wish is a BIG Merlin to build, the plane is secondary! Anyone have a 1:1 Merlin in the shed they dont want??

 

[Bunkerbarge]

What about the Airfix Mossie, you get two in that! One on display in the airframe and one on a stand, sorted? There again you need the size of an average garage just to put the thing in!

 

[RickBrown]

Err, I'm starting to have second thoughts on this..........

Does anyone want a none built Airfix Mossie, minus engines??

 

[Ian M]

An extreamly tempting offer that!

But I think I will have to pass. lol.

 

[RickBrown]

M1ks, the scan offer would be gratefully recieved, cough. Unless someone has a mag I can borrow etc? Maybe a back issue could be got?

Sigh, I think I may have to save up and "slum it" with a Tamiya 1/32nd Spit.

Any thoughts on the 1/32 Revell Mossie? Are the engines nice on that? The kits only about £12.50 from Antics at the mo, there's a Griffon in the MK22 Spit too.