Airfix Handley Page Halifax

[kpnuts]

Hi all I have an Airfix Halifax and, as I am sure you are all aware I seldom build out of box, I am intending to build this as a mule. Not experienced in planes, is there anything I should know about this kit. The code no is 05004-7 the category no is 584.

[Work In Progress]

As a mule? I don't understand.

As for the kit: it is 52 years old and, incredibly, still the only mainstream 1/72 radial-engined Halifax kit. It is also probably still the most accurate 1/72 Halifax kit overall. The later Matchbox/Revell kit, and (later still) Revell Germany kits are both Merlin-engined versions, and both have some fairly fundamental shape issues (the Revell Germany kit being the worst for shape).

The quality of the kit you have will largely depend on whether you have an early release, made while the moulds were still fresh, or a later one when they became very tired. Early ones are not bad for fit and sinkage. Later ones from the mid2000s run are rather worn-looking. Ones manufactured in-between are, well, in-between. Some of the 1980s issues are ok.

An essential upgrade is the Falcon / Squadron vac-form canopy set. There are after-market decals available. Prepare to deal with sinkage, flash and the level of simplicity that was normal in the early 1960s.

Nice models can still be made from it though. Here's a good one from 2009:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/25294-airfix-172-halifax-iii/

P.S. I like your flying tank and "Christine" movie set dio.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Work In Progress

[woody37]

Another option would be to buy the new Revell kit and use the fuselage from that mated to the airfix wings to get an 'Out of two boxes' Halifax B.III !!

The wings from the Airfix kit will pretty much go straight on.

[Byron Boyd]

Also, White Ensign Models makes very nice photo-etched sets for both the interior and exterior, and, I believe, a resin bomb bay insert. You will definitely want the Falcon/Squadron canopy set, tho....

Good Luck!!!

Byron

[Work In Progress]

Another advantage of the Airfix / Revell Germany hybrid approach would be that I think there are some resin interior upgrades made for the Revell Germany kit.

As Woody correctly implies, the main disaster area of the Revell Germany kit is avoided if you ditch the wings and use the Airfix ones. The Airfix engines are rather simplistic, but you could use after-market ones if that bothers you.

[Graham Boak]

The WEM parts are for the super-detailer. The Falcon parts are necessary to improve the transparencies, and the shape of the cockpit rear. The engines are improved considerably by reducing the size of the opening, curving a piece of microstrip around the inside and some trimming will do that. The ailerons need extending in chord underneath, and maybe a small amount on the uppers too. The rest can be lived with.

If you look through the site's archives you'll find an excellent build by Woody which brings out most of these points and shows what can be done.

[Work In Progress]

I had a quick look for that but couldn't find it. Perhaps Woody would be kind enough to put up a link (I'm sure he has it bookmarked somewhere)

[Troy Smith]

This looks to be Woody's build

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234906641-airfix-halifax-free-french/

and very neat it is too

[elger]

If you're a purist, the Airfix also has shape issues - the nose is too big. Here is the fuselage compared to the Granger drawings:

The rudder is also too small, according to the drawings:

The old Matchbox kit matches up quite nicely:

But the old Matchbox kit and the newer Revell kit have a lot of other issues so if I were building a kit straight from the box I would go for the Airfix kit. Vintage with a lot of raised detail, non existant interior detail, poor glass, but a very buildable kit.

Edited August 1, 2014 by elger

[Work In Progress]

Who says the Granger drawings are correct? Without primary measurements of those dimensions (nose and fin height) then it's just one draughtsman's vopinion against that of another.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Work In Progress

[tempestfan]

As kpnuts quotes both the 05004 and 584 numbers, his will be a Type 4 boxing from around 1973 to 5, so the moulds would have been comparatively fresh then. This would, however, not necessarily imply better fit and finish, as I have a very early Airfix Val that has a number of mould flaws, and a 1981 issue that has this flaws cleaned up.

[Graham Boak]

Apparently the Matchbox nose was considered more accurate by Canadian Halifax veterans, according to modeller Derek Pennington, so it is not just a matter of one man's drawings vs another. If you think the Airfix one looks more like the original, be happy. I'm not convinced. More generally, the Grainger drawings are thought to be the best available for the Merlin Halifax, a little narrow it appears in the engine cowling but he has captured the shape of the original nose exceptionally well. Merrick's much older ones are for the Mk.III.

[Work In Progress]

I'm neither for nor against the notion that the depth of the Matchbox nose is better than the depth of the Airfix one: just pointing out that holding things against drawings only proves whether or not they match the drawings. not whether or not they match the actual aeroplane, which is where primary measurements are a very useful cross-check.

As we know from frequent examples over the years, quite often a kit matches a drawing perfectly because that is the drawing it was developed from, and then we find that the drawing was wrong, even when supplied by the original aircraft factory.

Some inconclusive drawings comments here:

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=47832

Tempestfan: while in principle Airfix might have done some some work to refresh the tooling, in the case of the Halifax they haven't, as late releases show if you look at them.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Work In Progress

[Graham Boak]

I was given a half-white box Halifax some years back, and it was far superior to the then-available kit, My understanding (?) is that the tool was tidied up for the last release, which removed the worst of the flaws but inevitably did nothing for the basic errors of the kit.

The Falcon sets are shaped to fit either the Airfix or the Matchbox kits, as it is not a straightforward/sensible job to x-kit noses.

[elger]

I used the Falcon set on my Matchbox build and they fit quite well for a vac canopy. Iirc the set does include separate parts for the respective kits.

[Work In Progress]

For clarity - the last being this box top? TBH I have never actually seen one of these in the flesh. all the ones I see around are half-white, blueprint-drawing or earlier. Maybe someone on here has one and can confirm what if any work was done.

[MilneBay]

Knowing the faults of the three kits I feel that the best solution is a kit bash involving all three with some aftermarket transparencies and if you are feeling really inspired after market detail parts. The basic problem is that none have got it right and that's why the recent new mould Revell kit was such a disappointment. Fuselage OK but the engines are a complete botch which then stuffs up the wings and undercarriage. The Airfix kit is way past its mould use by date.

Edited August 1, 2014 by MilneBay

[tempestfan]

The Airfix kit is way past its mould use by date.

I guess this "problem" will solve itself soon "the biological way" anyway, like the Wellington, B-17 and C-47 (though I doubt a worn mould for the latter). I don't believe in dismissing kits purely on age, so if the Airfix still remains the best Halifax on the market, accuracy-wise, it's an option. The biggest issue I have with this kit is (are?) the engines. Airfix could have gone a long way of improving the kit (and the Sunderland - different engines, of course) by donating the kit with new engines, cowlings and props, at relatively little cost.

[chaddy]

I'm neither for nor against the notion that the depth of the Matchbox nose is better than the depth of the Airfix one: just pointing out that holding things against drawings only proves whether or not they match the drawings. not whether or not they match the actual aeroplane, which is where primary measurements are a very useful cross-check.

As we know from frequent examples over the years, quite often a kit matches a drawing perfectly because that is the drawing it was developed from, and then we find that the drawing was wrong, even when supplied by the original aircraft factory.

Some inconclusive drawings comments here:

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=47832

Tempestfan: while in principle Airfix might have done some some work to refresh the tooling, in the case of the Halifax they haven't, as late releases show if you look at them.

And comparing parts to a "xerox" copy of an "original" plan only makes it worse.