Airfix

[zenrat]

Anything new in 1/72 announced he asked hopefully...

Does the RAF Phantom F-4M count? It's due out in December with all sorts of RAF type weapons instead of the FAA ones in the F-4K.

Well it's new...

I can get excited about another Phantom build.  What if the RAF had gone for Japanese style commemorative schemes?
I have a Hasegawa kit in the stash but after experiencing building the last one it may become a parts donor.
I have yet to see any new Airfix Phantom in the flesh in Australia.

So we will now have a 1/24 <goes to google> Double Wasp.  I'd like to see someone whiff a pair of them onto a 1/24 Mosquito.  Some one with a lot more money and space tham me obviously.

[Weaver]

So we will now have a 1/24 <goes to google> Double Wasp.  I'd like to see someone whiff a pair of them onto a 1/24 Mosquito.  Some one with a lot more money and space tham me obviously.

Whiff just the one of them onto Airfix's 1/24th Typhoon to make a late Aussie-production version, y'know, after they got sick of the Sabre's problems and went for something more reliable and easier to get. You could put the drop-tank and the 5" HVARs on it too...

Phantom-wise, I can see four ideas for the Airfix F-4M:

RCAF: bought in place of the 2nd batch of Voodoos, in gloss grey and carrying a pair of Genies on the inboard pylons instead of Sidewinders.

RAAF: bought after the F-111 was cancelled and the F-4D loan ended, the Spey version being chosen to get more range. Aussie cammo and either a strike load with LGBs and an early laser pod (Pave Knife/Pave Spike) or a recce load with the EMI recce pod.

RAF recce: the RAF decides it want a dedicated recce version instead of just hanging a pod off the standard one. Graft an RF-4C/E nose onto an F-4M airframe.

RAF Wild Weasel: the RAF does a 'Nam lessons-learnt exercise and decides that it wants an equivalent of the F-4G. Graft F-4G bits onto the F-4M airframe, but arm it with updated AS-37 MARTELs with in-flight programmable seekers, i.e. a UK equivalent of the French AS-137 ARMAT.

[Gondor]

RAAF: bought after the F-111 was cancelled and the F-4D loan ended, the Spey version being chosen to get more range.

That would be a whiff in itself as the RAAF had the loan of the F-4E

Gondor

[The Wooksta!]

It's a 1/24 Grumman Hellcat.

I for one am disgusted.  Utterly disgusted.  Airfix, a British company and the 100th anniversary of the RAF, so what do they release? Something American. 

And their Spitfire 14 is wrong as well.  It's got an extra rudder on the sprues.  Hmm, larger Z split trim tab, so a boxing for a mk XVIIIe is undoubtedly on the cards but on looking closer, it's the same height as that for the 14, which it shouldn't be.  The fin on the 18 is six inches lower and that's noticeable in 72nd, let alone 48th.  I did mention it to one of the designers, politely, of course, because apart from that, the kit is a stunning piece of work that rivals Eduard's much vaunted kits.  He said he'd look into it.

[Thorvic]

It's a 1/24 Grumman Hellcat.

Wrong scale.

But it looks very impressive and I am sure those with more room than me will love it and I hope it sells so they can use the profits to clean up the Rotodyne moulds...

Anything new in 1/72 announced he asked hopefully...

No more news from Airfix on the 2019 range till the official release in Early January (as off for Christmas and need the a bit of time to set up the new webpages. the remaining workbenches will cover the remaining 2018 items and additional info on the spit and hellcat.

[andrewj]

It's a 1/24 Grumman Hellcat.

And their Spitfire 14 is wrong as well.  It's got an extra rudder on the sprues.  Hmm, larger Z split trim tab, so a boxing for a mk XVIIIe is undoubtedly on the cards but on looking closer, it's the same height as that for the 14, which it shouldn't be.  The fin on the 18 is six inches lower and that's noticeable in 72nd, let alone 48th.  I did mention it to one of the designers, politely, of course, because apart from that, the kit is a stunning piece of work that rivals Eduard's much vaunted kits.  He said he'd look into it.

Judging only from the sprue shots I've seen the enlarged rudder looks fine , it has the extended chord and deepened horn balance correctly depicted .The F18 rudder was almost identical to the F14's in height , the chord was increased and the horn balance deeped by approx 2.5". The F14's fin was built with a 2.5" wooden extension at the top which could be removed to fit the enlarged rudder.  It was originally envisaged that the larger rudder would be needed if the F14 was fitted with a contra-prop. I will reserve final judgement on this until I actually have the kit in my hands


Andrew   

[AS.12]

Well I'm sure the 1:24 Hellcat will be a masterpiece and a flagship for the brand, but I too am puzzled by the choice of aircraft.

In RAF100 year I would have expected something like a Gladiator, Tiger Moth, Vampire or JP.  Or really push the boat out and go for a 1:24 Hunter...

[major]

Well I'm sure the 1:24 Hellcat will be a masterpiece and a flagship for the brand, but I too am puzzled by the choice of aircraft.

In RAF100 year I would have expected something like a Gladiator, Tiger Moth, Vampire or JP.  Or really push the boat out and go for a 1:24 Hunter...

Oooooo!!! 1/24 Hunter...  That I would buy!
I'd have to build another room for it though! 

[scooter]

Well I'm sure the 1:24 Hellcat will be a masterpiece and a flagship for the brand, but I too am puzzled by the choice of aircraft.

In RAF100 year I would have expected something like a Gladiator, Tiger Moth, Vampire or JP.  Or really push the boat out and go for a 1:24 Hunter...

Oooooo!!! 1/24 Hunter...  That I would buy!
I'd have to build another room for it though! 

Same thing I think of when I think 1/1000 Imperial Star Destroyer

[PR19_Kit]

In RAF100 year I would have expected something like a Gladiator, Tiger Moth, Vampire or JP.  Or really push the boat out and go for a 1:24 Hunter...

And they'd already done much of the outline shape work for the 1/48 one as well! 

[NARSES2]

Well I was initially disappointed with the announcement of the Hellcat, but after looking at it a few times I did start to come around and so did one or two others of our community I was talking to as well 

[Thorvic]

Well I was initially disappointed with the announcement of the Hellcat, but after looking at it a few times I did start to come around and so did one or two others of our community I was talking to as well 

The model itself looks superb and with folding wings is a little more shelf friendly. The look of the kit makes me think someone will replicate that famous footage of the Hellcat striking the gun turret after of the island on an Essex class in WW2 and shearing off its rear fuselage and wing. Whilst not readily apparent on the stand, Airfix did confirm that the options will include FAA versions.

The only let down was that they chose to announce at SMW 2018, when either an RAF or a WW1 item would have fitted the occasion better as Wingnut Wings did with their HP 0/400 on the Sunday after the 2 minutes silence !.

[McColm]

I would have thought that Airfix would have released one of the aircraft Prince Charles flew during his engagement with the RAF for his 70th birthday.

[KiwiZac]

I'm still amazed - stunned, you could even say - that during the centenary of the Great War Airfix released only two new kits from that conflict. I thought the BE and Eindecker were the first of a series, not the only ones. And I agree that it beggars belief the only SMW announcement in the centenary year of the RAF is a type that I think never served with them!

Re the XVIII tail being included with a XIV kit, I'm very happy as it means I'll be able to build my XIV subject OOB!
NH799 Omaka ZY 01_zpsfc0uzjfn by Zac Yates, on Flickr
43ED1DF0-C726-4C2A-90CB-B7FFD0E29A43_zpszghouipr by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[AS.12]

I would have thought that Airfix would have released one of the aircraft Prince Charles flew during his engagement with the RAF for his 70th birthday.

Now that's a cracking idea.  1:24 Chipmunk, perhaps?