Ok, own up, how many Airfixers out there?

A small company called PH Models makes them to order. Lovely kits

I’ve decided to sell my Bristol 142, and Blackburn Botha kits on eBay. I’d like to see them go to a good home. If anyone on here is interested you can find them on the eBay site under Item IDs 200193488562 and 200193493653.

I’ve been thrashing away at’em for a good 40 years now.
They’ve been FAA stuff for about the last 25 years.

I finished this one earlier this year,Kennett Aviation’s beautiful SX336.It is Airfix-ish,namely the wing(modded Spit Vb) with Matchbox tailplanes,modified Pegasus prop,Revell cockpit parts(panel and stick,the rest scratch built),but the fuselage,u/c and other bits are from the Aeroclub Seafire XVII conversion kit.

I’m currently bashing away at a Rareplanes Seafire FR.47 vacform and then it could be Trumpeter’s lovely Gannet,Special Hobby’s Sea Fury,Pavla’s Miles Martinet or the one that’s really running up the flag pole……..Revell’s fabulous new Lanc BI/III.

Mark

Yep, built a load of Airfix stuff in my now distant youth.

First example was the “plastic bagged” 1/72 Auster Antarctic (well, in reality I helped by watching my Dad build it for me), I was allowed to choose the undercarriage fit and opted for skis (the “spare” wheels and floats went in the bin) next was their old Bf109, another choice required in terms of the air intake filter and markings……from then on I built them myself.

Particular favourites included the Saab Viggen, Hawker P1127, DeH Heron, Spitfire V, MRCA Prototype, BAe Hawk. A few 1/144 airliners included a Boeing 707, and a 747, and a Vickers Vanguard, but soemhow it was always the 1/72 models that caught my eye.

I also branched out into other brands’ ranges too – Matchbox produced some wonderfully crisp models, with excellent fit of parts, unlike some of the airfix moulds where fit was often a bit rough.

My last builds were for my son a few years ago now, but unfortunately they failed to fire his imagination, despite half reasonable results. He has a few unbuilt models he never got around to building, perhaps I can have a go at them when he goes off to Uni next autumn.

I got into the “instant gratification” fix offerred by diecast models when Corgi started their 1/72 range, their results are (usually) so much better than anything I could achieve 😮

Paul F

Ok,I have been building them on & off since I was 7 or 8,I still do at the age of 43…….& I still feel no shame:cool: .

Many of mine are on display at Aeroventure including the much feared:eek: (assembly-wise)1/48 scale Fonderie Minatures Halifax-Its not an easy kit to build but the end result is well worth it.

LETS BE HONEST,most of us those out there in restoration land have had a dabble-its how you get started on the real thing:D .

Yes, I’m a modelling addict, but sadly it’s been long since I found an Airfix kit that was really worth building… see my story here:
http://www.spitfiresite.com/blog/2007/12/airfix-flies-again-how-high.html

My name is Aeronut and I have been an Airfix addict for 40 years, and its been six weeks since I last had an (Air)fix.

I blame Airfix not only for my polystyrene loft insulation, a magazine collection measured by weight rather than copies, an interest in aviation art (I replaced the box tops on the wall with aviation art originals), the skill of aircraft recognition honed by watching my models hanging by cotton thread from the bedroom ceiling and I got into aircraft preservation as a way of researching details that went into the models.
Yes Airfix has a lot to answer for and I’m looking forward to the new year when that slow boat from China finnaly gets in and the Nimrods arrive, a number of which already have my name on them (even at nearly £40 each).

I find that most of the kits that I build tend to be Revell or Acadamy but I have built and do still posess some of the larger Airfix kits. I tend not to go below the 1/48th scale kits and prefer the larger 1/32nd – 1/24th scale models and although Airfix don’t really do that many large scale models, I have built the 1/24th Hurricane, Spitfire and Mustang and have in my collection still to build by Airfix, the 1/24th Sea Harrier with a heavy FA2 convertion, the GR3 Harrier and one I’m really looking forward to doing and a bargin buy at just £20 from a stand at Kemble’s Air Day in 2004 is the 1/24th Stuka.

A couple of 1/72nd Airfix kits I did buy, as I’m sure many others did, were the TSR2 kits. Others that I will definatly be getting by Airfix will be all 4 versions, if they release them, of the Canberra in 1/48th and the Nimrod.

I prefer, as I said earlier, building the larger kits, as you can put in much more detail and have just finished a fine example of the Revell 1/32nd F14 Tomcat.

The only trouble is now, I’m running out of room!:rolleyes:

Let’s face it, half the aviation professionals in the UK were probably started off either by Airfix, Biggles or both:)

Just to be awkward my first was the old Frog Dragon Rapide, to an oddball scale and carrying a registration that really belonged to a Lancaster. G-AGUK – how sad am I for remembering that?

So many confessions. You dreadful people…!

… but we all had a great time, didn’t we?

In fact, the nostalgia is so strong that I might just…

Funny that, I was thinking along the same lines 😀 The only thing that stops me now is lack of time and space.

Que????

Who makes the Blackburn Botha ??? – certainly not Airfix ?? :confused:

Ken – Who is still an ‘Airfixer’ – in the same way as I still vacuum with a Hoover and write with a Biro.

My models at :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/models_pages/modl_home.htm

The Botha was a vacform by Contrail.

John

So many confessions. You dreadful people…!

… but we all had a great time, didn’t we?

In fact, the nostalgia is so strong that I might just…

Guilty as charged M’lud. But I have to admit to building models from any producer if it a type I was interested in. I don’t know how things progressed after I gave up on thembut the least accurate in line and detail in my experience was Aurora (plus the occasions where flashing was bigger than the part it was on)

My first build was probably a Beaufighter back in the 1970’s (helped ALOT by my Dad.) Once I got a bit better my first own build, paint & decals was the Airfix FW-190.

Still have lots of unmade kits in the loft including many rare Frog kits…

I confess to making several over the years, many happy memories! I even have a A-10 untouched in it’s box that I’ll get around to making . . . . one day . . . . .

Que????

Who makes the Blackburn Botha ??? – certainly not Airfix ?? :confused:

Ken – Who is still an ‘Airfixer’ – in the same way as I still vacuum with a Hoover and write with a Biro.

My models at :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/models_pages/modl_home.htm

A small company called PH Models makes them to order. Lovely kits

I grew up making models but have not done any for around 6 years now( i have have started a couple only to give up on the idea), I have plenty sitting in box waiting their day, But since getting married etc i really don’t get the time.
I may get to doing them again when we move but i have a feeling they may gather dust for many more years yet.

Made loads of airfix over the years, US Navy guys at Mawgan would give their unbuilt kits to my Dad and I would build them. F-86D, Ju 52, Stirling, 1:24 Stuka and Hurricane were all fantastic kits, and stand up well today. I have seen it argued that their Lancaster is more accurate (though more gimicky) than the new Hasegawa and Revell offerings!
I too wandered of to Hasegawa, Tamia, Dynevector etc, however Airfix’s Seafire, Lightning and TSR-2 are incredible build out of the box kits and have bought me back into the fold.
Really can’t wait for the Nimrod and Canberra kits.

BTW Gnome, I didn’t realise there was a sub forum for models, thanks for that!

Guilty as charged! I’ve got a stash of them locked away waiting for a time when I can get time to build them. In fact I’ve just got my hands on two kits of the Blackburn Botha and Bristol 142!

Que????

Who makes the Blackburn Botha ??? – certainly not Airfix ?? :confused:

Ken – Who is still an ‘Airfixer’ – in the same way as I still vacuum with a Hoover and write with a Biro.

My models at :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/models_pages/modl_home.htm

I used to be, and have a friend who still is in a big way, see here (in the correct sub-forum 😎 )
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76475

Still building them – after 40 odd years.

I will tackle any kit that interests me – no matter how old it may be. I am currently working on the old FROG/Novo Martin Baltimore.
I have loads of kits (including many Airfix) stashed away in my loft.

It is true that some of their older offerings have been surpassed by more recent releases but they still have some fairly unique offerings. MPM, Trumpeter, Special Hobby and Valom do seem to be tackling some of the areas of British WW2 aircraft that were once the preserve of manufacturers like Airfix and FROG – but they are a LOT more expensive.