Hms Ark Royal (Ro9)

[Stuart Galbraith]

Enjoy!

 

[DougRichards]

And the Airfix RN Phantoms in 1/72 have only recently become available. The old Matchbox kits were bad. The Fujimi kit was much better.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ive a vague memory of being an Airfix Phantom in FAA colours, but that must have been very late 70s, early 80s. My modelling technique back then had much to be desired.

 

Id genuinely love to build a model of Ark 09, but only fujimi do one, and its in her earlier, preconverted guise. I really want the one I remember from the Sailor series.

[DougRichards]

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/mcdonnell-douglas-fg-1-phantom-1-72.html

[Stuart Galbraith]

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

[MiloMorai]

Some of that model is somewhat crude.

[Colin]

I suspect there will be a slow upgrade process now

[DougRichards]

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have the Hasagawa 1/48 FAA F-4K on my shelf to build, and above it the 1/48 Airfix Buccaneer. The 1/48 Airfix Sea Vixen was something that I passed up buying, not that I would not consider buying it in the future. I doubt that anyone would make a 1/48 Scimitar. Once built you would probably have to spend an hour a week making sure that it didn't fall apart.

 

Classic Airframes did produce a 1/48 Gannet, but I think that I will stick with Revell in 1/72 of which I have two - one of the old Frog kits and one of the newer tooling..... both of which await building.

 

A 1/48 Ark Royal would be something to behold.

[JasonJ]

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have that one at 1:05, currently about 1/3 done

[DougRichards]

Ive a vague memory of being an Airfix Phantom in FAA colours, but that must have been very late 70s, early 80s. My modelling technique back then had much to be desired.

 

Id genuinely love to build a model of Ark 09, but only fujimi do one, and its in her earlier, preconverted guise. I really want the one I remember from the Sailor series.

 

There was an old Matchbox kit and a Fujimi kit, not Airfix - the Phantom that is, not the carrier

Edited May 4, 2018 by DougRichards

[Stuart Galbraith]

Thinking on it, I cant swear it wasnt an airfix Buccaneer in FAA colours. Did they do one?

 

I remember doing a USN F4B. I remember despairing of all the bombs I had to hang on the damn thing.

 

Reminds me, ive a 1-48 scale TSR 2 somewhere. That is one I really need to do. Perhaps after I finish the Tamiya Lancaster. So little time, so many models...

 

 

 

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have that one at 1:05, currently about 1/3 done

 

Any good?

 

Airfix seem to have upped their game of late, im gratified to see.

[JasonJ]

 

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have that one at 1:05, currently about 1/3 done

 

Any good?

 

Airfix seem to have upped their game of late, im gratified to see.

 

Yeah good kit. Has some nice details and haven't noticed any problems. Pretty expensive kit for a small tank, but it still works for me. Pity that Airfix has only a few tank kits. I generally like to sample from different companies when possible.

[DougRichards]

Thinking on it, I cant swear it wasnt an airfix Buccaneer in FAA colours. Did they do one?

 

I remember doing a USN F4B. I remember despairing of all the bombs I had to hang on the damn thing.

 

Reminds me, ive a 1-48 scale TSR 2 somewhere. That is one I really need to do. Perhaps after I finish the Tamiya Lancaster. So little time, so many models...

 

 

 

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have that one at 1:05, currently about 1/3 done

 

Any good?

 

Airfix seem to have upped their game of late, im gratified to see.

 

 

 

1/48

 

I don't know if they did the 'Hanoi Raider' (flying off the HMS Victorious of course) version though

Edited May 4, 2018 by DougRichards

[Stuart Galbraith]

Hmm, pretty sure the one I did was 1-72. I think 1-48 was a bit too expensive back then.

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

 

New tooling aparently. Not sure what they released before, unless it was a rebadged F4B.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-fleet-defender-takes-off-at-telford

 

Seriously tempted by that. Would prefer 1-48, but at least this would fit in a display case. Thanks for flagging it up.

 

I have that one at 1:05, currently about 1/3 done

 

Any good?

 

Airfix seem to have upped their game of late, im gratified to see.

 

Yeah good kit. Has some nice details and haven't noticed any problems. Pretty expensive kit for a small tank, but it still works for me. Pity that Airfix has only a few tank kits. I generally like to sample from different companies when possible.

 

 

They do (or certainly, did) a boxed version of the Trumpetter Challenger 2 some years ago. Had nice decal options.

 

Going back to the 1980's, they did a 1-32 scale Crusader that I seem to recall was well regarded at the time. Never built it though.

[DougRichards]

Hmm, pretty sure the one I did was 1-72. I think 1-48 was a bit too expensive back then.

 

(This is a great resource - http://www.vintage-airfix.com/airfix_catalogues.php - but just be aware that Airfix was known to issue kits and not have them in the catalogue - yes, crazy - I remember being given the Fort Apache playset in late 1966/early 1967 by my mother, who died in the middle of 1967, but the set did not appear in the catalogue until two years later....)

 

There were two 1/72 Airfix Bucs: an early one with the rotating bomb bay door and nuclear weapon - the S1 - with the Gyron Junior engines - the kit dated from about the same time as the aircraft - that is the early 1960s, and the colour scheme was anti-flash white and blue.

 

http://www.vintage-airfix.com/airfix/series-172-scale/blackburn-bucaneer-na39-p-171.html

 

 

 

 

There was a later Airfix Buc - the S2 - circa 1988

 

http://www.vintage-airfix.com/airfix/series-172-scale/hawker-siddeley-buccaneer-s2b-p-947.html

 

 

Plus a Desert Storm version circa 2008

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ok, well I DO remember the one I built having a rotating bomb bay. And I think the underside of the one I built was white, but I dont recall that box art. But it may well be they reissued it and bunged it in a new box, and didnt put it in the catalogue.

 

There is similar nuttiness in Hornby products. They can introduce a new locomotive, run it for 2 or 3 years, and then discontinue it. And there is one that I have, which is a Class 37 diesel, which they issued continuously from about 1965 to about 1988. Its literally impossible to tell how old it is, because they made all of them to the same spec with the same issue number.

 

Speaking of which. It will be remembered, Airfix and Hornby were pretty much the same company in this era.

http://www.hornbyguide.com/

[JasonJ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah good kit. Has some nice details and haven't noticed any problems. Pretty expensive kit for a small tank, but it still works for me. Pity that Airfix has only a few tank kits. I generally like to sample from different companies when possible.

They do (or certainly, did) a boxed version of the Trumpetter Challenger 2 some years ago. Had nice decal options.

 

Going back to the 1980's, they did a 1-32 scale Crusader that I seem to recall was well regarded at the time. Never built it though.

There's a shop in Osaka that is loaded with old stuff that I'm not familiar with. One old one that I picked up was a Tamiya Jumbo. Real cheap and detail quality in some areas is rather poor, but happy to have it and finished making it some time ago.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, I think those must date from the early 70s. Ive never even seen one.

[DougRichards]

Ok, well I DO remember the one I built having a rotating bomb bay. And I think the underside of the one I built was white, but I dont recall that box art. But it may well be they reissued it and bunged it in a new box, and didnt put it in the catalogue.

 

There is similar nuttiness in Hornby products. They can introduce a new locomotive, run it for 2 or 3 years, and then discontinue it. And there is one that I have, which is a Class 37 diesel, which they issued continuously from about 1965 to about 1988. Its literally impossible to tell how old it is, because they made all of them to the same spec with the same issue number.

 

Speaking of which. It will be remembered, Airfix and Hornby were pretty much the same company in this era.

http://www.hornbyguide.com/

 

You can find many different box 'art' work for the Buc here

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Blackburn+Buccaneer+NA.39+airfix&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=vgTHp34aQthEYM%253A%252Ccf6tg-EJuzeHQM%252C_&usg=__WGd1M-KfdCxEnkXFHTghIJXAUm8%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilmtathezaAhVGUrwKHbv8AqgQ9QEIMDAB#imgrc=_

[JasonJ]

Caught my curiosity and googled it, 1987, not as old as I thought but pretty old still.

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

Ok, well I DO remember the one I built having a rotating bomb bay. And I think the underside of the one I built was white, but I dont recall that box art. But it may well be they reissued it and bunged it in a new box, and didnt put it in the catalogue.

 

There is similar nuttiness in Hornby products. They can introduce a new locomotive, run it for 2 or 3 years, and then discontinue it. And there is one that I have, which is a Class 37 diesel, which they issued continuously from about 1965 to about 1988. Its literally impossible to tell how old it is, because they made all of them to the same spec with the same issue number.

 

Speaking of which. It will be remembered, Airfix and Hornby were pretty much the same company in this era.

http://www.hornbyguide.com/

 

You can find many different box 'art' work for the Buc here

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Blackburn+Buccaneer+NA.39+airfix&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=vgTHp34aQthEYM%253A%252Ccf6tg-EJuzeHQM%252C_&usg=__WGd1M-KfdCxEnkXFHTghIJXAUm8%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilmtathezaAhVGUrwKHbv8AqgQ9QEIMDAB#imgrc=_

 

 

 

Thats the one. Considering this was made about 1975, that about fits. I was probably making it about 1980 when the 'Sailor' series was being repeated.

 

https://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=10241&page=111

 

Which reminds me, probably my first modelling effort was turning Jaffa cake boxes into HMS Ark Royal, complete with its own air wing. I was so precocious.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Caught my curiosity and googled it, 1987, not as old as I thought but pretty old still.

 

Im surprised, I dont recall it being in the late 1980s catalogues. Perhaps it was just a Japan release.

[DougRichards]

 

 

Ok, well I DO remember the one I built having a rotating bomb bay. And I think the underside of the one I built was white, but I dont recall that box art. But it may well be they reissued it and bunged it in a new box, and didnt put it in the catalogue.

 

There is similar nuttiness in Hornby products. They can introduce a new locomotive, run it for 2 or 3 years, and then discontinue it. And there is one that I have, which is a Class 37 diesel, which they issued continuously from about 1965 to about 1988. Its literally impossible to tell how old it is, because they made all of them to the same spec with the same issue number.

 

Speaking of which. It will be remembered, Airfix and Hornby were pretty much the same company in this era.

http://www.hornbyguide.com/

 

You can find many different box 'art' work for the Buc here

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Blackburn+Buccaneer+NA.39+airfix&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=vgTHp34aQthEYM%253A%252Ccf6tg-EJuzeHQM%252C_&usg=__WGd1M-KfdCxEnkXFHTghIJXAUm8%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilmtathezaAhVGUrwKHbv8AqgQ9QEIMDAB#imgrc=_

 

 

 

Thats the one. Considering this was made about 1975, that about fits. I was probably making it about 1980 when the 'Sailor' series was being repeated.

 

https://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=10241&page=111

 

Which reminds me, probably my first modelling effort was turning Jaffa cake boxes into HMS Ark Royal, complete with its own air wing. I was so precocious.

 

 

 

 

Last week, in a 'collectable' shop I picked up for $25 Aus an Airfix Beaufighter kit circa 1965 or earlier: I know that because it has written in pencil on the plastic bag header the numerals 7/3 or seven shillings and threepence. As Australia moved to decimal currency on the 14th of February 1966, it tends to date the kit. That price now works out to be around current $10 Aust - and a new Airfix Beau kit here is around $40!

Edited May 4, 2018 by DougRichards

[Stuart Galbraith]

Are you going to build it?

 

I remember going to Gloucester Market about 1982 or so and buying a Airfix Bristol Freighter that dated from the mid 1960s. I faffed it up (well I WAS pretty young once upon a time) but I wish they would reissue that. It would be quite a nice diorama with some 1-72 scale Jaguar E Types or Aston Martins. The point is, its surprising what turns up sometimes. Most people have lofts like mine I suppose.