Stratos 4 TSR.2MS - 1:72 Airfix

[Julien]

Stratos 4 TSR.2MS

1:72 Airfix

Stratos 4 is a Japanese anime series produced by Studio Fantasia and Bandai Visual. In the series a United Nations group is tasked to defend the Earth from an approaching comet fragments left over from an earlier attempt to destroy an approaching comet. From the Airfix web site;

In the second millennium, after a collision with space debris, Space Station No. 7 has begun to fall from its orbit and will hit the earth within 72 hours. Whilst the Comet Blaster Group, who were sent to rescue the maintenance engineers left behind in the Space Station, try to escape, the Meteor Sweeper Group continue to climb high into the stratosphere in the Riot Warhead Missile equipped TSR.2MS on a mission to destroy the falling Space Station. With the Comet Blaster Group be able to escape in time? Will the Meteor Sweeper Group be able to save the earth from impending peril? This is the exciting story told in STRATOS 4 X.

The TSR.2MS is an aircraft used by the meteorite interception group, Meteor Sweeper. The TSR.2MS is launched from the ZELL (Zero Length Launch) mobile launch platform and flies to the stratosphere using RATO (Rocket-Assisted Take-off) rockets, a jet engine and a main rocket located at the base of the vertical tail. The TSR,2MS uses the large missile mounted under its fuselage to intercept meteorites.

The Kit

Given that one of the Aircraft used in stratos 4 was the TSR.2 it must have made sense for Airfix to market this version. It seems to work for other kit manufactures, so hopefully will for Airfix.

The kit is the standard TSR.2 model in the same White plastic. You get one additional large sprue for the Stratos 4 boxing. This consists of the cockpit details; tail mounted rocket; RATO rockets; and the large missiles for the underside.

Construction starts with the cockpit. This version has a different cockpit as the pilots (Women looking at the figures!) fly the aircraft/spacecraft in the prone position. A little bit of kit surgery is needed next as the arch between the original front and rear cockpits needs to be removed. A new one part canopy is supplied for this version. There are 2 portholes either side which are supplied as decal. The modeller could drill out and fit clear parts to, or paint as needed. If you do drill these out you will have to make the windows yourself.

The rest of the construction is nearly identical to the standard RAF kit. First the intakes are assembled, then added to the fuselage parts. The cockpit and wheel wells are added next. Even thought the wheel wells are not needed they will add structure to the kit which is needed, though airfix still include painting instructions for them??

After closing the main fuselage up, the main engine exhauts and tubes are then assembled and attached to the rear.

Then the underwing attachement points for the RATO rockets and the attachement under the main fuselage for the big rocket are added.

If making the this version then no landing gear is needed, it wont fit with the massive rockets attached. Instead Airfix provide one of their large black stands for you to mount the finished model on. Airfix recommend adding weight to the bottom of the stand to prevent the model falling over. Luckily the stand is made to accomodate some AA batteries for motorising vertain kits, so there is structure thier to attach weights to. You may of course make your own stand.

Instructions
I don't normally mention the instructions too much for a kit, but the standard of the latest instructions from Airfix I feel deserve some merit. You actually get two instruction books in one; as you get instructions for the Stratos 4 aircraft, and the RAF aircraft in separate books.

Sometimes when you get a kit with multiple options you have to study the instructions very carefully to see which bits you need, and where. I must admit to hating this so applaud Airfix's approach here. The instructions are on nice glossy paper with full colour instructions for the decal placement instructions.

Decals

The decal sheet for the kit is in register and the decals look good. There is no mention of manufacturer on the sheet, however they look the same as all Airfix decals of late so suspect they were done by cartograf(edit Cartograf is mentioned on the box). Decals are included for 5 aircraft.

The first two are MS1016 & MS1014 of the Cosmic Emergency Management Agency (Stratos 4 markings). The next 3 aircraft are the prototype UK TSR.2's; XR219, XR220 & XR222.

Conclusion
I must admit to not buying into the hype when Airfix originally released the TSR.2. It was an aircraft which only flew as a prototype, and despite the massive political and conspiracy theories around its cancellation it never appealed to me. However strangely this release with the Stratos 4 markings does. I am actually looking forward to building this. Hopefully Airfix will make some more profit from the TSR.2 moulds buy issuing this kit. Overall recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[Richard M]

For those who may be interested there are some aftermarket items available for the MS version of the kit;

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10203409

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10203410

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10171644a/20/1

The high yield Trident Missile, which featured in Stratos4 X-2 "Dispersion" and is used to destroy the damaged Orbital Station 7, is the larger of the two missiles provided on the extra sprue, the other being the standard yield Trident Missile used to destroy meteorite fragments.