Jeff Wilson Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I had two of these on pre-order and they arrived on Wednesday. I can't be the only one here to have picked up a couple for the stash, but no-one's posted any pictures of the sprues and I thought I might do the deed. I'm not a Stuka aficionado but I do like the look of the aeroplane, so I offer these images without my opinion as to the accuracy of the kit. It's well moulded with almost zero flash and just the odd minor sink mark, the panel lines are fine when viewed by eye and exaggerated when photographed - they will be perfectly OK under paint. The decals, once again printed by Cartograf, are excellent. Like the recent P-40, the kit has been moulded in the UK and the plastic is harder than the plastic of the kits moulded in India. Another lovely new tool from Airfix that bodes well for their 2017 releases. Have at it... Jeff 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Finaaaaaaally, a detailed cockpit, rivets and engine as standard. Excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denford Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Not my scale, though I must say it looks lovely and with obviously a lot of thought in the design. However what are the little pointy things on the trailing edge of the ailerons? To protect the mass-balances perhaps? And if anyone from Airfix does read this, here's a suggestion. In case any of the mass-balances get broken off, provide spare(s) but with a slightly longer 'stem' so that they can be inserted into drilled out holes where the originals used to be... . Oh yes: and the same for any other aircraft with such mass balances you may tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Those 'pointy' things are the actuator rods It looks like you get almost all the parts to make it as a B-2 or R as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Looks like Airfix has upped their game on the surface detail front again. This looks really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 mon Dieu! ...as they say on the continent... That is very tempting! The surface detailing looks superb- a new golden age of modelling has begun!? Sam 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeronut Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Just look at all those rivet holes lacking rivet heads, no wonder this aircraft is a kit of parts. Can you tell I'm not a fan of this type of detailing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks for the photos. The family resemblance to the 1/72 scale kit is obvious. Still seeing a few unfortunately placed ejection pin marks. Does the kit have the option of open wing gun panels? It isn't immediately apparent. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seawinder Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 9 hours ago, Aeronut said: Just look at all those rivet holes lacking rivet heads, no wonder this aircraft is a kit of parts. Can you tell I'm not a fan of this type of detailing. +1 on that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 10 hours ago, Aeronut said: Just look at all those rivet holes lacking rivet heads, no wonder this aircraft is a kit of parts. Can you tell I'm not a fan of this type of detailing. Overstressed airframe just pulled out of a dive and pulled all of the skins, would need re-skinning at a minimum in real life - if not scrapping! Thanks to Jeff for posting the sprue shots. Edited January 23, 2017 by Wez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drift Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Just paid for mine, should take two weeks to get here. Pity the new B17 is sold out, I wanted that also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wilson Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 8 hours ago, John said: Thanks for the photos. The family resemblance to the 1/72 scale kit is obvious. Still seeing a few unfortunately placed ejection pin marks. Does the kit have the option of open wing gun panels? It isn't immediately apparent. J Yes, parts are included for open gun bays. Jeff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 11 hours ago, Aeronut said: Just look at all those rivet holes lacking rivet heads, no wonder this aircraft is a kit of parts. Can you tell I'm not a fan of this type of detailing. I'm not a fan of rivet holes in this scale either, though I can live with them if they are well done and reasonably accurate in pattern, unfortunately what I see here is a bit of a joke. It looks like Airfix has just added a few rivets because it's fashionable - look at that rivet pattern on the rear fuselage, they got one row of rivets along that panel join but none vertically on the panel joins or along the stringers, the rear of the Stuka is covered in rivets. I don't expect rivet patterns to be accurate but it's ridiculous just doing the few Airfix have done here, the wing is just as bad. Also looking at those rivets on the fuselage, it looks like they merge with the panel line at the rear similar to some of the fasteners on their P-40, so even the few rivets they are doing are not done particular well. Edited January 23, 2017 by Tbolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 I guess it's a matter of taste, and how much is really visible in the end. Pity that what Looks like a rather superb kit in which a lot of thought seems to have gone may be marred by an apparent lack of thought re/a somewhat inconsequential Approach to the rivetting. All wing Panels have a double row, but only on one of 4 edges, nd why the double wing gets more Attention on ist small Surface than the wing proper is also somewhat odd. To be clear, I'm not trashing this kit in any way, but the observations have raised one of my eybrows (and them eyebrows are thick...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 48 minutes ago, tempestfan said: I guess it's a matter of taste, and how much is really visible in the end. Pity that what Looks like a rather superb kit in which a lot of thought seems to have gone may be marred by an apparent lack of thought re/a somewhat inconsequential Approach to the rivetting. All wing Panels have a double row, but only on one of 4 edges, nd why the double wing gets more Attention on ist small Surface than the wing proper is also somewhat odd. To be clear, I'm not trashing this kit in any way, but the observations have raised one of my eybrows (and them eyebrows are thick...). No I'm sure it's a good kit overall, but I would either fill the few rivets they have done, or if you like rivets get out the riveting tool and add a few more, otherwise it will look strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 58 minutes ago, tempestfan said: I guess it's a matter of taste, and how much is really visible in the end. Pity that what Looks like a rather superb kit in which a lot of thought seems to have gone may be marred by an apparent lack of thought re/a somewhat inconsequential Approach to the rivetting. All wing Panels have a double row, but only on one of 4 edges, nd why the double wing gets more Attention on ist small Surface than the wing proper is also somewhat odd. To be clear, I'm not trashing this kit in any way, but the observations have raised one of my eybrows (and them eyebrows are thick...). For me it's not a matter of taste, if we had an aircraft turn up looking like that are our repair facility we would be doing over stress and heavy landing checks before replacing the damaged skins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 1 minute ago, Wez said: For me it's not a matter of taste, if we had an aircraft turn up looking like that are our repair facility we would be doing over stress and heavy landing checks before replacing the damaged skins. If the rivets were truly to scale, they'd entirely vanish under even a very finely sprayed coat of paint. Until someone invents scale thickness paint with scale roughness of surface whilst preserving the reflectance of fullsize paint films, talking about how model rivets on bare plastic compares to fullsize metalwork is pointless, IMHO. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 14 hours ago, Aeronut said: Just look at all those rivet holes lacking rivet heads, no wonder this aircraft is a kit of parts. Can you tell I'm not a fan of this type of detailing. Me too. I still prefer the old 1/48 Airfix kit from that point of view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 27 minutes ago, Wez said: For me it's not a matter of taste, if we had an aircraft turn up looking like that are our repair facility we would be doing over stress and heavy landing checks before replacing the damaged skins. It is a matter of taste, just not yours - the fact that there are holes in the skin you are taking to literal - the whole point of having rivets holes on a small model was obviously to give an impression of the rivets that are fairly visible on some aircraft. Unfortunately the industry has gone a bit mad and we are now getting them on 1/72nd scale kits (I'd rather they stay on 1/32nd scale and bigger and preferably rings not holes, but I can live with them on Eduard 1/48th scale Spit). Just like panel lines on most kits are not that realistic as very few kits have lap joins and those that represent butt joins and removable panels are way too big, remember it's a model Edited January 23, 2017 by Tbolt 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilh Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 15 hours ago, John said: Thanks for the photos. The family resemblance to the 1/72 scale kit is obvious. Still seeing a few unfortunately placed ejection pin marks. Does the kit have the option of open wing gun panels? It isn't immediately apparent. J One of our club members brought the kit along to our meeting last week. Very nice in the "plastic", but I too noticed the annoying placement of ejector pin marks. I know as modellers we can deal with these, but they can be a real chore to completely remove. Of course it might be that once fully built they may not be visible but that one in the middle of the basket gunners seat and the cockpit floor look like they are on full view. Given Airfix engineering prowess displayed in the way that these kits are moulded and constructed , they could surely position the ejector towers a little better, or add the "tags" used by Hasegawa that avoid the circular marks appearing in the middle of seats , cockpit floor and sidewall details. Same applied to the P40 ( which I have) which has prominent marks in the centre of the wheel wells and on the faces of some cockpit sidewall boxes. Won't stop me buying one of these though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 These rivets are a bit disappointing I do like my rivets, but not like that. Better having no rivets so the people who don't like them are happy and people who like them can easily add their own. Cheers, Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 On 22/01/2017 at 19:32, Black Knight said: Those 'pointy' things are the actuator rods It looks like you get almost all the parts to make it as a B-2 or R as well Or even the carrier borne C variant.................. Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Hugo Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I don't mind the rivets but that apparent sink mark at the base of the rudder with the rivets running through will be very difficult to rectify and keep the rivet detail. Oh well resin replacement will solve that but should not of happened in the first place. And this is one of the moulded in the UK kits is it not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 There seems to be a lot of criticism here for what looks like a very nice kit IMO, rivets will always divide opinion, I will be getting one of these and as with most builds will run the riveting tool over the surface and drop a bit of tippex in these to tone them down a bit. Not a major concern. My only complaint is that I don't have enough time to build all these Airfix kits being released as they keep releasing kits I want! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 33 minutes ago, woody37 said: There seems to be a lot of criticism here for what looks like a very nice kit IMO, rivets will always divide opinion, I will be getting one of these and as with most builds will run the riveting tool over the surface and drop a bit of tippex in these to tone them down a bit. Not a major concern. My only complaint is that I don't have enough time to build all these Airfix kits being released as they keep releasing kits I want! People are not really criticizing anymore that what you just have - you are saying that there are not enough rivets and the ones there are a little heavy, you've just said it in a different way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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