C'mon Airfix, are you trying to put people off.......

[KarlW]

This is my 7yo sons first proper kit, an Airfix starter set, one of those ones that come with glue, paintbrush and four little pots of paint I suspect are so thick just to get one coat coverage over bare plastic. He done most of the build himself, though worried about how much his hands shake until he noticed my not quite bad enough to be called a palsey tremours. He even airbrushed the red, though the Neo was a touch big for his hand.
He needs to improve his manual dexterity so what better way than to get him doing something like this, and it was all going swimmingly.

Until.....
The decals, this is a starter set, meant to be simple, if a little challenging......
Long, thin decals test even the experiencedamongst us, they're a right pain.

So much of a pain my 7yo has walked away from this, hopefully he'll come back, but come on airfix....a starter set with these decals, really?

(He has a Spit in his stash so I may cajole him into joining the BoB GB, hopefully win him back.)

View media item 9047

 

[AlanG]

Starter sets are just that. They are not defined for any certain age group. So you never know if the first timer is going to be a 30+ year old or a younger one like your son. Airfix have to cater for a wide market. Maybe the choice of kit by whoever bought it should be looked at too?

The Spitfire will be far easier imho.

 

[KarlW]

Starter sets are just that. They are not defined for any certain age group. So you never know if the first timer is going to be a 30+ year old or a younger one like your son. Airfix have to cater for a wide market. Maybe the choice of kit by whoever bought it should be looked at too?

The Spitfire will be far easier imho.

It does actually say 8+ on the box, but how is granny meant to know what is in the box? She just knows he likes red arrows.......
And he's looking forward to the spitfire and has already declared he doesn't want help.....

 

[Dave Ward]

Karl,
we had a group build, last year with only starter models, i.e. using only the paints, glue, brushes in the box
Starter Set GB It makes some interesting reading............................
Dave

 

[KarlW]

I bet it does Dave, I'll have a gander later.

 

[colin m]

but come on airfix....a starter set with these decals, really?

I'm not sure how you would avoid them, they are part of the aircraft. I don't think you can blame Airfix for how the RAF paint their aircraft. Maybe, if there is a next time, chop them up into smaller bits.