Airfix AFV Starter Kits

Last Thursday morning I set off back to Devon on a 350 mile drive from Cumbria. 10 miles into the journey, my car’s water pump died and I was stranded. My motoring recovery service failed in their contractural obligation to bring me home, such that my car has been languishing in a Carlise garage over Easter and is only now receiving attention … but that’s another story. 

The scale modelling tale is one of me returning to where my hobby started, some 50 years ago, with what tools I could find around the house and a hairy stick to colour my creations! 

Feeling the need to build, I begged a lift over to a local garden centre close to my temporary location where I knew they had a large stock of Airfix kits. Without any of my usual tools nor paints with me, I decided on a couple of AFV starter kits which I felt I could better get away with a rough and ready finish. 

Using a set of snips and Pollyfiller, nail clippers and file, I set about the build. This certainty made me value the work that goes behind the scenes to craft tools specific for scale modelling! The builds went well, with the only fly in the ointment being that 4 of the 6 pots of acrylic paint were dried up and unusable. A return to the garden centre and the raiding of another couple of new kits resolved this, but why Airfix continue to rollout Starter Kits with this issue is beyond me. 

I was going to wait until I got home to apply the decals over a nice smooth layer of varnish but having completed the builds all too quickly and with still no sign of my wheels, I pressed on with the ‘in the field’ build, just as my younger self would have all those years ago. What innocent fun I had 

Junkers Ju-52

Heller’s Junkers Ju-52/3M in its “Where Eagle’s Dare” or as Heller would have it, Blindflugschule 3’s 1941 camouflage. 

Interestingly, Blindflugschule means ‘Blind Flying School’ which, as far as I can make out, is where Luftwaffe night fighter pilots learned their craft. So, whether they actually used the Ju-52 to train in or it was just the ‘bus’ to transport them to and from the school, I’ve not yet managed to find out.

Anyway, this Heller kit has been a challenging one but, I hope you’ll concur, I managed to get the better of it in the end. 

The base white was airbrushed using AMMO by Mig Jimenez primer and the green was hand painted with Hataka’s WW2 Luftwaffe range. 

Heller would not rate as one of my favourite kit providers but when you want to build an unusual model, like that other interesting kit producer AZ, they rarely disappoint

Spitfire TR.8

In July last year, I picked up a couple of AZ Spitfires at the North Somerset Scale Model Show. I quickly learned, after building the first, that AZ models are an acquired taste, so at least I knew what I was letting myself in for when I picked this rare Spitfire TR.8/9 out of my stash last week.

Rather than go for the 3 options in the box, I decided to finish this kit in the colours of IAC-163, one of 6 two seater Spitfires flown by the Irish Air Corps in the 1950s. 

Interestingly, when this Spitfire was ‘demobbed’ in 1968, it went on to appear in the film “The Battle of Britain”. Then after a spell in the US, it returned to the UK in 2019 to join three other 2 seater IAC Spitfires at ‘Fly a Spitfire’ based at Biggin Hill. 

I love a model’s backstory probably as much as building them

SAS Jeep

This Tamiya SAS Jeep has been so much fun. For a 50 year old 1970s kit it builds beautifully. How Tamiya produce such quality from an old mould just amazes me.

Built out of the box with a few scratch built straps for bags, bottles, boxes and glasses, I think it looks just great. Hope you do too.

SAS Landrover ’Pink Panther’

This is one of those frequently built and posted kits but having had it in my stash for years the time was right for me to finally make a start on it, and its WW2 Jeep predecessor. 

This is my take on Tamiya’s SAS Landrover ’Pink Panther’ as used in such overseas locations as Oman. I like to think it would have even been seen in action with my recent build of the SOAF Strikemaster! 

This example I’ve created has seen a lot of use and by the look of the driver is heading into yet more action!

Jet Provost - Strikemaster

 A fascinating book, a great Airfix kit and another enjoyable Hunting Jet Provost build. 

I find Roland White’s books brilliant in sharing stories of historical military action which are simply jaw dropping. Storm Front is an extraordinary tale of a secret war during the early 1970s involving RAF pilots and the SAS fighting in support of the Sultan of Oman against an enemy with weapons and training from China and the Soviet Union. 

I’ve finished this Jet Provost as one of the RAF flown Strikemasters in the colours of the SOAF. I had intended it to carry a set of rockets, but Airfix have supplied such short undercarriage  legs that no ordinance can be hung beneath its wings.  I did however leave stubs giving the impression that rockets and bombs could have been carried.

Focke Wulf Ta152

Back after a long day ‘shopping’ at the Bovington model show, one of my purchases,  this Revell Ta 152, rolled off the bench yesterday. 

It’s a very simple kit, formed using Frog’s 1960s moulding, so detailing is minimal to say the least. Decals were beautiful and plentiful, though a little brittle. The red and gold band, for instance, was left on the backing paper, painting being a far better option to laying a mosaic of decal pieces! 

Built out of the box, sticking to the suggested scheme, I finished the kit in what I find to be a most unusual brown and green camouflage. Not sure I like it as much as the greys I normally associate with the Luftwaffe but I guess fighting over Germany, as this aircraft would have been, the colours fit well.

I find the biggest enjoyment in finishing a kit, after I’ve photographed it and flown it around the room a few times, is opening the stash boxes to work out what to make next!