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andyrowe

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  1. Had the same in my kit. Contacted Airfix spare parts who sent a perfect replacement in no time. Fair play to them on this one as I have found their spares very wanting when it comes to clear parts in the past. Good quality clear parts seem to be their Achilles Heel with their kits.
  2. Apologies for the negativity on an otherwise great looking kit, but I've just looked at the sprues on my kit and there are sink marks on parts 34, 35, 36, 37, 15 & 16 on sprue G. They are on all 4 of the main U/C leg halves and 2 of the instrument panels. Part 16 is easy to fill and take care of but the others are a lot more tricky due to the surrounding detail. I notice the parts on the pics in this review also have the same sink marks. Do I contact Airfix and ask for replacements? The reason I ask is that I haven't had much luck in the past with replacement parts as usually the replacements are no better than the originals or I get told that there are no parts available. I suppose there will be AM available for the instrument panels but probably not for the U/C parts. Considering the kit is £72.00, no one should have to replace parts that are defective. QC yet again seems to be Airfix's Achilles heel. On a positive note, the kit looks really good with great detail, good quality plastic and hopefully goes together well. It's going to look very impressive once built. Well done Airfix.
  3. Tom R, why should I change the title? I have not issued an 'unwarranted slur' on the kit but was just asking a pertinent question. Enquiring about something is not the same as making a statement of fact. I am not an expert so have used this forum to find out, one way or another, whether my initial thoughts were correct. It appears that they are not and I'll hold my hands up and say 'my bad'. As to me being 'naïve' by using Wiki to get the dimensions, it is stated that the data is from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II which, I believe, is a reputable source for information. Like someone has mentioned, the data has probably been inputted incorrectly and I should have cross referenced it. Again, my bad. I know Wiki can have a poor reputation for accuracy but then what web based info can you trust these days. It seems OK for others to point out several errors of the kit but not for me who is only asking the question of scale. I haven't made it a statement of fact that it is out of scale. As we say in the UK, wind your neck in and if you don't have anything constructive to contribute, then please don't contribute at all. I see your comments as a personal slur on myself. Many thanks to mostly everyone else who took the time to explain the methods of LIDAR etc and put me on the right path with regards to modelling accuracy, or the lack of it in some cases. Stay safe.
  4. Hey everyone. Thanks to you all for your input on my initial query on the length of the possible under scaled fuselage. But I think from the first half dozen or so replies, the topic has gone off kilter a bit with the other errors being discussed but not much about the fuselage length. There are other threads on this site that are discussing in some detail the other issues. To answer a couple of the questions asked, I have measured the actual kit parts and they do match the length dimensions stated by Airfix on the box. The Mossie length only equates to the fuselage with the clear nose part at 174mm. The Beaufort length is 186mm as stated on the box also. My initial question was that the Mossie in reality is longer than the Beaufort. The 2 stage Merlins do extend further than the nose of the Mossie but do they extend 12mm more as the real aircraft is 13.56m long which equates to 188mm in 1:72 scale. I don't have scale drawings but looking at the Airfix colour/decal drawings on the instructions, the prop spinners only extend a little way past the clear nose. 12mm equates to 864mm in reality and I just don't see the spinners extending that much. I guess the proof will be the building of the kit and then taking measurements, but from the time I looked at the parts, I was a little surprised at how small the fuselage looked.
  5. Hey everyone. Just received the new Airfix 1:72 DeHavilland Mosquito B Mk.XVI and was wondering if anyone else thinks the fuselage is too short in length? On the box it states the length of the kit as 174mm. I also have the Airfix Beaufort kit which states the length of the kit as 186mm. A 12mm difference. Now, in reality, the Mossie (13.56m) is longer than the Beaufort (13.46m) by 100mm. It's got me thinking that Airfix has measured the fuselage of both kits and stated that as the length of the completed kits. They haven't taken into account the spinners of the Mossie that jut slightly forward of the nose of the aircraft. But even if this is so, I doubt that it would equate to a 12mm difference on the final kit as the spinners don't protrude all that much further. Have Airfix made an error in their dimensions? I'm no rivet counter but 12mm is a huge difference on a 1:72 scale kit.
  6. Hey everyone. Just received my Sabre direct from Airfix. Unfortunately the stbd. fuselage has serious short shot issues and the port minor but still annoying just the same. Have just emailed Airfix and await their reply. I'm not sure if mine is an isolated incident or if it will be similar to the Sea Fury short shot debacle a couple of years ago. Anyway I have requested new parts and as they still have them in stock it shouldn't be an issue (you would think!). Their quality control can be shocking at times!
  7. It’s mentioned that Airfix’s new management are more switched on to the hobby for the reason that they are now releasing armour in 1/35 scale, albeit with Academy plastic. I wonder if they will now consider 1/32 aircraft as I have never understood their reluctance to tool this scale. As good as their recent 1/24 scale aircraft are, they are big models and would have a far more limited market with them than they would with 1/32 scale. Apologies for banging on about aircraft on the armour section of the site but I do think it relevant from the marketing side of Airfix’s business that has been mentioned in this review.
  8. Hi everyone, I'm looking at doing my father-in-law a model Spitfire in 1/32 scale and want to add a couple of figures. I've seen Wings Cockpit Figures on the Web which look really good. Does anyone know if they are still in production as I can't seem to find them online. They are not listed on the MDC website which is the only link I can find that stocks them. Any help would be appreciated. Regards Andy
  9. Hey everyone, need some help please. I'm building Airfix's Beaufighter TF.X in the 144 Squadron colours (Coastal Command I think) which is armed with a torpedo. The wings have shell ejection chutes on the undersides but no gun muzzle holes in the leading edge. I have found out that the wing guns were omitted from some Mk.X's and probably had the muzzle holes blanked. But does anyone know if the shell ejection chutes were blanked as well? I have looked at period photos but it's very difficult to tell. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks. Regards Andy
  10. Does anyone know why there is a £4.00 price hike on this kit over the GR.1 as they are essentially the same aircraft? Apart from the larger mast on the spine there doesn't appear to be any difference. I know the rocket launchers are different but surely this cant justify such a large price increase?
  11. Jonners, I have the perfect solution - A Trumpeter and Airfix merger. Just kidding. Agree with what you say about Trumpeter kits. Scuffing aside on my Spit canopies which can be easily polished out, you cannot polish out flow lines and distortion which a lot of my Airfix canopies suffer from. I can't be that unlucky, can I? Regards Andy
  12. Paul J, you are a very lucky man to have no defects in your clear parts. About half of my new tooled Airfix stash have defects, mainly flow lines, webbing etc. Spit PR XIX, Gloster Javelin, Lancaster BII to name just a few. I know this subject has been debated at length on this site and others but I do think it's the one thing that let's Airfix kits down. I love the brand so much I'm prepared to accept it (begrudgingly) and get aftermarket vac forms where possible.
  13. Thanks Don for the info on the polishing products. They will, as you imply, remove the scuffs but cannot remove the distortion unfortunately. Airfix seem to have the panel lines sorted, just need to improve the clear parts to make them top notch.
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