Jump to content

Flipping Airfix Swift!


Andy Robbins

Recommended Posts

Airfix and I are through! Just binned the Swift, having waited ages for the thing....

1) the cockpit/ nose wheel assembly won't go in. One part fits, the other pulls out of line. No matter what you do, the sidewalls don't go where they should.

2) The intake duct almost, but not quite fits, even though the alignment tab doesn't go in it's location slot but comes up in front. When it does go in, it pulls the splitter plates out.

3) The wing fits like a dream, provided you don't put the intake duct in, then there's a big step at the front.

Maybe it's a rogue kit that escaped quality control; I'm sure Airfix don't set out to make a bad kit, but I do wonder what the problem is.

Having tried and failed to make my Vampires 'slot together like a dream' to quote one review (I always seem to have a big gap under the starboard wing, have ended up with twisted tail booms, and on every single one I've built, had to bend the trailing edge to match the stubs on the booms), fought to make the wings fit on my Lightnings without a massive gap (or get the nose to close over the intake ring as well as get the tank to match the warped fuselage), I'm beginning to give up hope.

I complained about a Navy Lynx last year that I couldn't finish - the nose met in a point despite all my efforts, the under panel didn't fit at all, the cockpit arch needed 2mm taking off all round, and the undercarriage stub wings didn't match the curve on the belly panel to name a few. This didn't quite mesh with the 'easy, problem free build' I'd been promised by a magazine advertorial, sorry, review. Airfix's reply was 'nobody else has complained'. Nothing more than that.

Now, I know these things can be built- I've seen evidence, but why don't mine go together? Am I the only one having problems, or is it a case of 'Emperor's new Airfix' and there are more of us? I've been building kits for 40 years, so I don't lack skill. I'm not bashing Airfix, either- the 1/48 Hurricane is sublime, and the similarly scaled Gnat rivals Tamiya, but I am starting to despair. If the hand mastered (no CAD/CAM in the 60's) Kingfisher or Whirlwind, for example, go together gap free, then why can't we have similar build quality now?

I built the Rareplanes vac Swift a while ago, and it fitted better than Airfix's.

So very disappointing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine fit fine. I had heard about problems with the intake ducts, and fitted and trimmed it a bit-nothing outrageous-and it went in with no problems. I had one of the early ones with the injection punch outs coming through the outside, which were annoying, and the pitot was oval in cross section. Otherwise, it was a nice build for me.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure what to say Andy. If they're all rogue kits then it's very bad luck you've had. All of the kits I've built and not just Airfix have had some kind of fit issue but it was always possible to fix it. The only time I've given up was with a 1/72 Hasegawa F-104 intakes where they wouldn't fit properly and in the end my sanding only made it worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still part-way through my Swift, it's been far from straightforward. Mostly down to my lack of skill, to be fair !

Front instrument panel / HUD was particularly vexing. Nose wheel well placement ? Will probably never look at it again once built so not losing any sleep over it. Wing dry-fit not perfect due to intake ducting pushing it out 1 mm at front but I'm hoping plenty of glue and a large clamp will sort that out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the cold light of morning, I've probably ranted a little too much, but frustration got the better of me last night. I've no problem with actually having to do some modelling, but occasionally I've become frustrated. I really don't know what the problem was with the Swift, but I can't see where I could have trimmed it. The nose wheel bay kept pushing itself up and out of the location, and into the nose. The cockpit fitted nicely, but not when the nose wheel bay was attached. The sidewalls just kept moving out of line. The ducting wouldn't fit in it's intended location- it didn't match the marked areas, and certainly not when it was placed in the location point. Again though, I can't see where I could have trimmed. The wing would have fitted with a little bit of hacking- that wasn'tt an issue, but the whole thing added up to disaster. The holes in the Swiss cheese lined up, to quote health and safety doctrine.

Lightnings go together if you hack away the sides of the intake duct, put some shims in the wings, and fit the tank inserts to each side individually, but I've never had one fall together like the reviews say.

Same with the Vampires. A plastic strip shim in the wing gap, a bit of bending of the trailing edge and there's a nice model, though is can't explain the twisted tail I had on one. It's not shake'n' bake, though.

The Lynx was the real frustration. I think, looking back,,that there was a lot of warping, that just wouldn't allow other parts to fit. It cut away the front of the floor, took about 2mm off the cockpit arch before the halves would close, but the nose still met in a point a long way from straight. I really don't know why the stub wings wouldn't go in, but again I suspect severe warping. Maybe it happened when the mouldings cooled, who knows? The Army one went together just fine- I started it with great trepidation.... Airfix's response was the big insult on that one. Surely acknowledging that there was a problem with that individual example wouldn't have hurt. I wasn't about to sue, I just wanted to say that the kit had faults.

The point I wanted to make though was that we shouldn't have to put up with these problems from a mainstream manufacturer.,I do wonder if it's quality control? Fit does seem to be variable. Some go together fine, some are almost Veeday quality (now THAT shows my age...). As I said in my first post, Airfix don't produce shoddy kits- they would have gone under long ago, and,the pride,they show in their work on their website belies that idea, but it's the variance in quality that I can't explain.

It's not just Airfix, either. Hasegawa can vary, and they don't go together as nicely as some would have us believe. Try getting the nose on their,F-14's without a dirty great step, for example. I feel Knight Flyer's pain regarding themF-104's intakes, but the result is,well worth it. Heller vary from wonderful (I've always loved their 1/72nd Mirage 111), but some of their kits look like they've been left on a radiator when you try to fit them together. Monogram in their,prime have sublime detail, but you do need to invest heavily in Milliput. Again, a bit of real modelling makes the end result worthwhile, and doubles the satisfaction.

Honest reviews would be nice too. Scale Models and SAM in years past weren't afraid to point out pitfalls and tell the modeller,where a bit of work was,needed. They also told us when there was a discrepancy between the model and reality. Reviews nowadays often don't go much further than 'I glued it together and painted it.' Nice words, and your advice on finishing, using resin, etc are welcome, but why is your model covered in filler? A great comment I read once was 'Hasegawa realise that most modellers use aftermarket details, so the cockpit wisely only contains the basic shapes as a canvas for detailing.' You mean I've paid Hasegawa's frankly optimistic price for a kit with no cockpit detail? I'm sure there's no fear that negative comments will lead to loss,of review samples, or advertising revenue, but you can't help thinking.

Sorry, I've gone from cold light of day to ranting again. I don't want high quality for minimal effort- I love the fact that £/hour model making is a heap hobby. I love the satisfaction I get from turning a box of plastic into a scale replica, but when a kit is so much vaunted and yet so disappointing, the emotions tend to run away..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry about the awful grammar and punctuation in the post above. I was typing in bed and my glasses were downstairs.

I did that once and unfortunately it was an email to the boss, he wasn't too pleased :( Out of curiosity Andy, have you built any Tamiya kits and how was your experience? They're usually synonymous with shake and bake as well as falls together easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take a deep breath Andy, and go and make a Mach 2 Valiant instead. The Swift will be a doddle after that.

or if you cannot get a Mach 2 Valiant, try an Airfix 1/72 TSR 2. If you can beat that, you can beat anything................................!!

Allan

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about some pics next time, so that we can have a better idea of the problem?

A rant, already after only a dozen post, could be a little bit suspect (even if it's not in this case in my opinion).

There are many benefits for you when you set up a WIP.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had to do a bit of work on mine; the nose not closing up because of the front undercarriage bay and the flaps being proud of the underside. However I put those problems down to me rushing the build and was fixed with some plasticard and filler and some rubbing down respectively. I also left out the intake duct as I foresaw that problem. Curently sitting waiting for the camo coat. but it looks fine for me.

(That said - a classic case of "if it looks wrong it probably is" - the aircraft certainly doesn't have the graceful lines of that other well known Supermarine product!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Antoine, would you clarify what you mean by suspect? How many posts should I make before I have a moan? Sarcastic comments about 'have I ever built a tamiya kit because they are easy' don't help either. I thought this forum was one where we could share comments and views, however, it seems I'm wrong. Tell you what, folks. I'm out at the moment. When I get in, I'll cancel my membership. Far be it for me to be suspected of being a troll. Before I go, have a look at my Mark IV, antoine. See? I do build kits

Andy

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No need to get upset, you should have read carefuly my whole post.

(even if it's not in this case in my opinion)

I'm not Brit, and english is not my first language, but I think that what I did write could easily be understood.

But then, if you want to leave, then go, it's up to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sarcastic comments about 'have I ever built a tamiya kit because they are easy' don't help either

If this is in reference to my posting, it was actually a genuine question. There wasn't any mention of Tamiya in your reply hence the curiosity to know if you had any experience of building their kits and whether you agree with the usual statements from the modelling reviews either online or magazine based. That is the fit of the kits are excellent and relatively problem free. Indeed, SAM described their Spitfire as shake and bake and featured as one of the 50 kits to must build article.

You have my apologies if my posting caused offence where none was intended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A nasty rogue by the sounds of it. Not my modelling genre but I was surprised recently when an MPM kit went together without too much fuss. I thought it was going to be my first victory over one of theirs but accidents do happen. However, I did recover the astrodome for a Type XXVII U-boat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the cold light of morning, I've probably ranted a little too much, but frustration got the better of me last night. I've no problem with actually having to do some modelling, but occasionally I've become frustrated. I really don't know what the problem was with the Swift, but I can't see where I could have trimmed it. The nose wheel bay kept pushing itself up and out of the location, and into the nose. The cockpit fitted nicely, but not when the nose wheel bay was attached. The sidewalls just kept moving out of line. The ducting wouldn't fit in it's intended location- it didn't match the marked areas, and certainly not when it was placed in the location point. Again though, I can't see where I could have trimmed. The wing would have fitted with a little bit of hacking- that wasn'tt an issue, but the whole thing added up to disaster. The holes in the Swiss cheese lined up, to quote health and safety doctrine.

Lightnings go together if you hack away the sides of the intake duct, put some shims in the wings, and fit the tank inserts to each side individually, but I've never had one fall together like the reviews say.

Same with the Vampires. A plastic strip shim in the wing gap, a bit of bending of the trailing edge and there's a nice model, though is can't explain the twisted tail I had on one. It's not shake'n' bake, though.

The Lynx was the real frustration. I think, looking back,,that there was a lot of warping, that just wouldn't allow other parts to fit. It cut away the front of the floor, took about 2mm off the cockpit arch before the halves would close, but the nose still met in a point a long way from straight. I really don't know why the stub wings wouldn't go in, but again I suspect severe warping. Maybe it happened when the mouldings cooled, who knows? The Army one went together just fine- I started it with great trepidation.... Airfix's response was the big insult on that one. Surely acknowledging that there was a problem with that individual example wouldn't have hurt. I wasn't about to sue, I just wanted to say that the kit had faults.

The point I wanted to make though was that we shouldn't have to put up with these problems from a mainstream manufacturer.,I do wonder if it's quality control? Fit does seem to be variable. Some go together fine, some are almost Veeday quality (now THAT shows my age...). As I said in my first post, Airfix don't produce shoddy kits- they would have gone under long ago, and,the pride,they show in their work on their website belies that idea, but it's the variance in quality that I can't explain.

It's not just Airfix, either. Hasegawa can vary, and they don't go together as nicely as some would have us believe. Try getting the nose on their,F-14's without a dirty great step, for example. I feel Knight Flyer's pain regarding themF-104's intakes, but the result is,well worth it. Heller vary from wonderful (I've always loved their 1/72nd Mirage 111), but some of their kits look like they've been left on a radiator when you try to fit them together. Monogram in their,prime have sublime detail, but you do need to invest heavily in Milliput. Again, a bit of real modelling makes the end result worthwhile, and doubles the satisfaction.

Honest reviews would be nice too. Scale Models and SAM in years past weren't afraid to point out pitfalls and tell the modeller,where a bit of work was,needed. They also told us when there was a discrepancy between the model and reality. Reviews nowadays often don't go much further than 'I glued it together and painted it.' Nice words, and your advice on finishing, using resin, etc are welcome, but why is your model covered in filler? A great comment I read once was 'Hasegawa realise that most modellers use aftermarket details, so the cockpit wisely only contains the basic shapes as a canvas for detailing.' You mean I've paid Hasegawa's frankly optimistic price for a kit with no cockpit detail? I'm sure there's no fear that negative comments will lead to loss,of review samples, or advertising revenue, but you can't help thinking.

Sorry, I've gone from cold light of day to ranting again. I don't want high quality for minimal effort- I love the fact that £/hour model making is a heap hobby. I love the satisfaction I get from turning a box of plastic into a scale replica, but when a kit is so much vaunted and yet so disappointing, the emotions tend to run away..

I haven't got the Swift so can't comment on that but I'm making Airfix's 1/72 new Lightning at the moment and I'm experiencing the same thing with the intake and closing the nose around it. It seems to fit better without the cockpit but even then it's not that good a fit. I've also got a deformed nose which isn't pointy like it should be so I'm wondering whether magazines are glossing over these kit faults too as I haven't seen many (if any) reviews of recent Airfix kits pointing out these problems.

If so that's not very good. I buy magazines to read honest reviews and not just "I stuck it together and it looks good" like you say. And I notice they seem to spend far too much space talking about the decals. I want to know what the quality of the plastic is like and not the bits of paper.

Edited by SeaVenom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that it must be a general rule with manufacturing anything - if you build it yourself, then you can have strict quality control - if you outsource it, then you run the risk of loosing that control.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apologies to all from me as well. Comments caught me on a bad day. The frustration of the Swift came on top of others, as well as stuff outside the hobby and conspired to skew my view. I'm especially sorry to Knight flyer, when you didn't mean what I inferred. I like Tamiya for their simplicity, they offer a quick fix when we need it- finishing is the main thing with them. Ableback, I've made the TSR2, in 72nd AND 48th. I even managed to make them look like aircraft. I intend to get another Swift at some point, and I'll make t a WIP, as Antoine suggested. We will see what transpires.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...