Authentic Airliners BAC 1-11

[richellis]

Authentic Airliners 1/144 BAC 1-11 500 resin kit

Complete resin kit with etch parts

The BAC 1-11 is a twin jet short to medium haul airliner, launched in 1961 it is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce Spey engines. The 500 is the longest of the 1-11 family and has an increased wing span, and longer fuselage.

It has been used by many airlines all over the world, and is well catered for with aftermarket decal makers.

This kit was well packed in a sturdy box, with plenty of bubble wrap. Smaller parts are bagged, and the very small delicate bits are in a little matchbox. The fuselage is split into 3 parts, as per a number of their kits so that common parts do not have to be recast.

The resin is of a high quality and is well cast - very crisp with no bubbles. The airframe is detailed with very nice fine panel lines. There is a high level of detail on the fuselage parts, which includes doors, and cockpit windows, and there are location tabs for the wings, and tail to locate to the fuselage for strong join.

The rear section has the air stairs cast separately, and inside the fuselage is a nicely cast door, with the handrails on the etch sheet. This is a nice detail to the kit, and it can be built deployed or closed.

the wings and T tail are well done, and have nice thin trailing edges, with the rudder as a seperate part. There is some flash on the tail, but its minor and a quick flick with a scalpel will see it sorted.

The engines are cast in 2 parts, and the fan detail at front and rear of the engine is commendably fine.

The undercarrage is cast in resin, and I hope this will take the weight of the resin model. There is some minor flash on the more delicate bits, and some care will need to be taken removing some of the smaller parts as they look quite fragile.

There is a small photoetch fret that includes the antenna, wing fences and the handrails for the rear airstairs, which is a nice addition to a limited run kit of this type.

Conclusion

This is a nice kit and the resin is well cast with no bubbles or miscast parts. There is minimal flash, and what there is will be easy to deal with. It is a well thought out kit with regard to the moulding tabs that need removing, making it easy to do with a razor saw, and a bit of careful sanding will reduce the need to use filler.

The shape of the aircraft looks to be very good to me. I would recommend this kit as a good starting point if you have not done one before. Again, there were no instructions in my kit, but give the simple construction, it is not that hard to work out! It would have been nice to have decals included, together with some window/door/details, but given the proliferation of schemes available as aftermarket, their ommission keeps the cost down, and gives the modeller the option of spending the money saved on decals that he/she DOES want

A highly recommended kit.

Review sample courtesy of

Edited July 26, 2010 by richellis

[Kev1n]

if you can aford it.....they aitn cheap

I'm curious about the rear stairs being included but no cockpit or forawrd entry door - not fussed about getting myself for that reason

[woody37]

Thanks for the review Rich.

Is this the kit that Two six is selling with decals ?

[richellis]

Id guess not as the parts look differant.

[marty_hopkirk]

Is this the kit that Two six is selling with decals ?

No, The Two Six 1-11, is their own kit and has been around for a while.

I have the AA V. Viscount, for a 1/144 kit there are no superlatives to describe the quality and accuracy of it. If the 1-11 is the same and I have no doubts it will be - it will be a must have. Given what one gets with AA kits, they are in all reality not expensive.

The on-board air-stairs will double up as a prop to prevent it becoming a tail sitter. More normally, [and it maybe still be the case with this kit] AA use different density's of resin in the fuselage castings to make sure the finished model rests on the nose wheel.

Marty...

Edited May 15, 2010 by marty_hopkirk

[richellis]

Im not sure that will still be the same as they use a differant company to do the casting. Saying that the tail section does feel lighter.

[marty_hopkirk]

Im not sure that will still be the same as they use a differant company to do the casting. Saying that the tail section does feel lighter.

If AA specify thats how they want it cast. The change to a different company should not make any difference.

Marty...

[Kev1n]

...Given what one gets with AA kits, they are in all reality not expensive.

The on-board air-stairs will double up as a prop to prevent it becoming a tail sitter. More normally, [and it maybe still be the case with this kit] AA use different density's of resin in the fuselage castings to make sure the finished model rests on the nose wheel.

Marty...

They are extrEMLY good I dont have any problem there - but you still have to have the dosh. If you havent, it's too expensive, no matter how good it is.

I dont know how AA make sure it stays on its legs, but given the price, I would expect it to be pre-weighted (like two-six's version is), or, as you say and as Rich suggests, the tail is light enough anyway.

In which case why have the rear stairs but not the foward door?

Or some interior detail?

The problem I have - and this is just my view and yes I know I'm in a minority, is this kit, along with minicraft and most airliner kits these days, have little or no scope for adding any detail, except exterior. Even then, almost all airliner modellers produce smooth high-gloss and detail-less finished models.

Thats thier right and I will defend their right to build and finish however they want.

But its not for me.

[marty_hopkirk]

I dont know how AA make sure it stays on its legs

They use different densities of resin along the fuselage, as I mentioned earlier.

In which case why have the rear stairs but not the foward door?

Or some interior detail?

Being one of the first airliners to operate independently of ground support equipment at small airfields, and all that. The rear air-stair is such an identifiable characteristic of this machine - I guess AA decided it had to be included.

Marty...

Edited May 29, 2010 by marty_hopkirk

[warreni]

if you can aford it.....they aitn cheap

I'm curious about the rear stairs being included but no cockpit or forawrd entry door - not fussed about getting myself for that reason

You can use them to hold the tail up..