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So after a break of a few months I decided to break the funk and complete something out of the extensive stash I have going. So here's the (at the time I started) new Airfix 1:72 Lancaster 'Operation Chastise' I know I've made a few schoolboy errors on it (the walkway transfers being the wrong way around) and the rather sub standard finish on it. Few thoughts on the Kit, compared to the old Lanc (which is also on the bench) it's a complete breath of fresh air and it's nice to have some detail on the kit other than the bog standard seat on a block of plastic and the windows on the side to be actual windows and not just marked out. The interior is up there with the Revell 1:72 bombers in terms of what you put in (their Halifax is also on the bench) and the fit is perfect bar a slight gap in the nose. Sorry about the poor lighting, that's what happens when you finish it at 10pm. I'll post some better ones up tomorrow. cheers

Good afternoon, This week I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the finished model. I did it for the Training type GB. Initially, I wasn't sure about which version to do. After a while, I decided to do the Vampire Preservation Group aircraft, since it is a scheme I don't have in my collection. The HSS/Dayglo Orange will be used for the Gnat and Gannet. The kit is really nice. The panel lines may be a bit on the heavy side, but airfix is moving in the right direction, as they get smaller every model. The build itself was very straightforward, I just needed some force to bring the wing panel flush with the intake grill part. And I needed to cut away a small part of the lower wing, so that the gear legs can be attached at the end. The seats have been improved with some small bits and belts to make it look more realistic. Otherwise, no aftermarket parts used for this model. Even the decals are from the box. Colour is tamiya flat alu, yellow is xtracolour RAF trainer yellow, over a white primer. All in all, a very nice kit from Airfix! Thanks for watching! Alex

Here is my latest and greatest , Airfix's new Lancaster in Dambuster mode. I added plenty of etch , Airwaves resin engine and scratch built the rear fuselage interior It's not quite complete as I intend to weather it a bit more when I put it into a airfield diorama using the new airfield support set, but that will be some time off so enjoy for now...

The latest issue of Aeroplane has a full page advert for the new Blenheims, the Mk.I advertised for June and the Mk.IV for September. This seems to me to be a bit in advance. I know the cover date on the magazine reads May but that's just the sillies of the publishing trade. It is now March and at over two probably three months away from getting these beauties into hand (or another three if, like me, you want to hold out for the Mk.IV). Does this imply that Airfix have no other interesting new aircraft release planned for the intervening months?

Hi folks Long time lurker first WIP poster on this forum. Apologies if this first post is a bit picture hungry and further apologies for the quality of my pictures (some are a bit blurry). Anyway; I've given myself a project in which I intend to recreate aircraft my dad has worked on over his years as a helicopter engineer. I'm hoping, once they are all complete, I can present them to him as a retirement gift. The first aircraft I'm working on, as the title suggests, is a gazelle. He worked on these in middle wallop and in Celle around the 1970s during his time in the REMEs (73 workshop), Below are a collection of in progress pics (which appear on another forum) followed by the current state of the build. You might be able to guess by the above that I'll be finishing the kit 'doors open' and will be scratch building new ones. I'll also attempt to scratch the engine and associated components with the covers in the open position too. Above are some of the details added the the interior. I made new bulkheads, although the one in this pic was too small so I have since made a new one. Seat cushions made from milliput. The new bulkhead I mentioned, with the cushions in place. And the photos below show her in the current state. Above was a dry fitting of the rear harnesses. I'm using Eduards pre painted set for the 1/72 HAS. 2 S.A. If you're wondering why one cushion is blue: well, I found a reference shot where one cushion was different. I kinda liked the idea and thought it would bring some character to the finished kit. I'm hoping that it doesn't end up looking like I picked up the wrong paint pot!!?? I've started scratch building details for the roof. Still need to make the air brake, throttle etc and then curl up some copper wire for the radio cables. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Comments, critiques, tips and advice all welcome Oh, and any references on uk military gazelles based in Celle Germany around the 1970s (registration numbers, colours etc) would be greatly appreciated I hope you can understand that I'm wanting to keep this project under the radar from my dad, so I can't really ask him... Thanks and regards Aaron

Here we have the latest off the bench. I actually finished this one last month but only now got some time to get it on BM. After the A10, also known as the longest build in the known universe, I fancied a quick build. Got this one done in about 8 weeks, which is quick for me... I bought this one from from local 'The Works' for about £1.50 as they were closing down, bargain!!! I intended to build it straight from the box but couldn't resist the urge to scratch build the slats and drop the ailerons. Other than that it's straight from the box. The kit is a delight to build only needing slight work to get the dihedral correct. Painted with Tamiya paints and Pro-modeller wash and some weathering pastels. The decals settled without issue. Anyway, on with the pictures hope you enjoy.

Lightning F.6, 5 Sqn, RAF Binbrook 1970 Airfix, 1/72 I’ve always liked this photo of XS894 taking off from Binbrook in 1970, so I had to do the new Airfix kit as this one. This was the short period of time when the squadron marking on the fin included the red 5, but before the belly gun pack was fitted. This means the Airfix F.2A could be changed into this F.6 configuration just by extending the cable ducts, filling in the gun troughs and fitting some Red Tops from another kit (from the Xtrakit Sea Vixen maybe – can’t quite remember). Finish is Aclad Polished Aluminium over Halfords grey primer, which was polished with toothpaste, then a few coats of Klear applied by brush. Some panels are sprayed light grey, and some silver-grey. Panel lines are enhanced using a sharp pencil. Decals are from the kit (being careful to remove the German repeats from the stencils as the kit decals are for RAFG F.2As of course) except for the squadron marks which were Xtradecal and Model Alliance.

Hi folks, These are the last two in my stash reducing six plane build of Spitfire,Hurricanes.Both Airfix the MKIX in the kits decals the MKII using 3D kits new sheet.I have added a group shot but the others have been posted over the last month in RFI.The full story can be found in WIP as the "legendary pair".Many thanks for looking.

Hiya Folks, I`m not much of a WHIFF`er but I`ve always fancied doing a TSR.2 in operational colours from the 1980`s and this one represents an aircraft of 16 Sqn based in RAF Germany during 1986. As it was based so close to East Germany there was no need for air to air refuelling (just like the Buccaneers in Germany) as low level over East German airspace wasn`t the most hospitable place for tanking so it is doesn`t have a probe fitted but it does have a pair of long range tanks. It carried the nuke, air launched cruise missile or bomb load internally and four Sidewinders were carried to fight their way to the target if needed. Anyway here is the model; I like it in the wrap around camo but if I build another it might just be white, although an Op Granby one is very tempting! Cheers Tony PS- I meant to say that in my world the original twin wheeled main undercarriage was deleted due to wheel shimmy so the original requirement for rough field operations was revised in the GR.2 version and the additional wheel was deleted, the legs strengthened and the additional space left over in the wheel well was used by extra fuel or ECM gear! I was going to add outboard pylons fitted with chaff and ECM pods too but upon reflection I thought that the TSR.2 would have enough internal room for the kit to be carried inside so in the interest of speed I eventually decided against these.

Hi folks,this started as a bit of a tongue in cheek post yesterday in chat referring to the number of kits I try to hide in my wardrobe. my missus knows all my tricks(a dozen 1/72 kits stuffed into one 1/48 scale box) so I decided to mass produce seven kits in one go! so the idea is four spitfire MK1/2.and three Hurricane MK1,s.The spitfires will be run of the mill earth/green scheme apart from one of the 3D kits decal options in an unusual(FAA) scheme.The Hurricanes will be one pre war RAF scheme,one Finnish and the real (worry for me) a representation of the Prototype!So here,s the start minus one Hurricane which I added to the build today.

Hi folks,aircraft 3&4 of a six plane stash reduction build,Airfix,s great little kit one in the starter set markings the other using 3D kits recent decal issue.thanks for looking.

Hi Everyone, This project was built for the Less Than A Tenner Group Build. This is probably the most interesting project I have built for a long time, due to its colour. As the title says its Pink. Anyway here is the side on photo of the kit. I am very happy with the way this came out and I hope when my niece gets it for her birthday later in the year she will be as well. Thanks for looking everyone. All comments welcomed. Rick

Another Airfix 1/48 Mk XIX Spitfire done as RM643/Z of 541 Sqn, RAF Benson in late 1944. Decals are from the Xtradecal sheet X48118 with homemade stencils. This aircraft is supposed to be one of the early batch without cockpit pressurisation so this was removed from the model and the pilot's door re-scribed - I didn't decide to do this particular aeroplane until after the fuselage was buttoned up so the rear pressure bulkhead got left in place. I added resin fish-tail exhausts, four-spoke wheels, hooks for the long range belly tank, when fitted, and “Rebecca” beam-approach aerial under the fuselage. Apart from that and some Eduard seat belts, that's all I added. Paint is a base layer of Alclad2 Airframe Aluminium and then shades of Vallejo PRU Blue. D-Day stripes are added on top with Tamiya White and Rubber Black. Sorry about the fuzzy photos. This is my second Airfix Mk XIX. For the price, I love this kit and plan to use it as a donor for Mk XIV and XVIII conversions (I figure it's cheaper than looking for Aeroclub conversion). There's another photo later in the thread.

WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply Set 1:72 Airfix As Bomber Command increased the air campaign against the Axis forces in WWII, the demand to handle logistics on the airfields grew both technically and in activity. The four engine bombers in comparison to the earlier twins carried more fuel, more bombs, more ammunition and more crew and stood higher off the ground, so re-supplying them needed more dedicated equipment. The ‘Tilly’, derived from the name ‘utility’ vehicle became familiar for moving crew around the airfields early in the war. When you think that a Lancaster fully fueled needed over 2000 gallons of fuel, bowsers had to be sufficiently large to make them practical for readying a squadron with short turnaround. Also needed with the Merlins was oil. Unlike modern engines, these drunk fuel at a hefty rate, so the Brockhouse bowser with a 450 gallon capacity became a common sight topping up the oil tanks between missions. The Bedford truck came in different guises utilising the same chassis. The MWC carried a water tank for topping up radiators on the bombers, where as the MWD was used for ferrying crews around the bases. It’s easy to forget the shear amount of effort required on an airfield to fuel, bomb, maintain and crew a squadron of four engined ‘heavies’, but without these men and machines, the bombers would never have achieved their goals. The kit Airfix have produced airfield sets in the past so there’s nothing new there, but this is the first set that delivers such a wide array of equipment found on a bomber airfield whilst delivering on the quality standards that they’ve now set themselves. Within the end opening box, wrapped in fantastic artwork, you get 5 light grey sprues, 1 clear sprue, a decal sheet, comprehensive A4 instruction booklet and a colour painting & decaling guide. The instructions are broken down by equipment type for ease of following. First impressions are excellent. Crisp moulding with stunning detail leave you in no doubt that you’re looking at a 21st century kit. So what do you get in the kit? Standard Light Utility Vehicle - Standard 12hp 4x2 'Tilly' Bedford Truck built as either MWC or MWD David Brown VIG1 Tractor/Tug Motorcycle - 500CC Maintenance Tower Bowser - 450 Gallon Bomb Trolley - Type C (x2) Bomb Trolley - Type F Small Bomb Containers (SBC) - with 4lb incendiaries (x6) 1000lb Bombs (x6) 500lb Bombs (x6) 8000lb Cookie 4000lb Cookie Ladder Bike Chocks Fuel Cans Oil drum The Bedford trucks... The two trucks share a common build guide to create the chassis with no less than 23 parts making it up. Unfortunately, you can only make the MWD or the MWC, you can’t make both. The MWD has a wood / canvas rear end. The wooden panels are superbly reproduced with recessed butt lines. The MWC has an equally well produced rear end for the water container. Clear doors eliminate the need for gluing windows in so there’s no risk of getting white glue lines around the window. The doors can be mounted in the open position. A clever touch is the use of rounded hubs to mount the front wheels on. This allows them to be positioned in any turning direction. These small details have been well thought out and go along way to adding realism and life into a diorama. The Tilly... A combination of wood and steel panels with a canvas top are well replicated on the Tilly. Protruding rivets are visible on the steel panels. A useful touch is that the canvas roof for the front cabin is made from clear plastic due to the small windows integrated into them behind the doors. This will eliminate any risk of glue marks from inserting tiny windows. Whilst the construction is quite simple, the detail in the parts make an impressive model. As with the Bedfords, the doors are made from clear plastic and the front wheels can be positioned at any angle. Tractor... Whilst we’ve seen an earlier tractor in the Stirling kit, this is a TRACTOR! The detail is so much better and again benefits from positionable front wheels. Oil bowser... This comes with an articulated front bogie and independent chassis. There’s a toolbox moulded into the front end which is then hidden by doors, so it might be worth considering to cut these doors and have them in the open position. I find it a little strange that the instructions don’t show this option and a lack of cut line or detail on the reverse side of the doors indicates that wasn’t planned. Trestle.. A common site in airfield photographs is trestles butted up around the engines with ground crew beavering away under the hoods! I made one of these years ago out of soldered steel rod and thin wood. Having these parts available saves a lot of work. The parts are quite delicate but finely moulded, again with superbly replicated wooden planks. As with all the vehicles, the wheels are stunningly realistic. Bombs & bomb trolleys... No airfield is complete without the very reason Bomber Command existed. The sole purpose was to deliver an unwelcome payload to the enemy. A great selection of finely detailed bombs are included in the set from the 8000lb Cookie right down to the 500lb and SBC's. There's going to be some left over for other kits here as well as giving your display it's purpose. The fins on the small bombs are a little thick if one looks for a criticism, so you may want to thin them out using a scalpel or cut them off and scratch them if it concerns you. Two type C trolleys are included for the 500/1000lb bombs and a type F for the Cookies. The motorbike is a little work of art, formed in three pieces and positionable front forks, this is a great extra. A decal sheet adds the important detail markings to the vehicles and bombs. I’ve never been a fan nor any good at painting the coloured rings on bombs, so these are rather welcome! Conclusion It would of been nice to have two complete Bedford trucks rather than being forced into a choice. Apart from that, this really is a stunning set at a great price. The detail and clever design adds great realism in a small scale. If this and the recent Lancaster B.II is a sign of the direction that Airfix are going, the next few years are going to be rather exciting for anyone interested in the Bomber Command era. I’ve just started work on an airfield base so the timing of this set is perfect to bring it to life around the aircraft display. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all! It's a while since I did my last WIP, but I've been itching to build this! It arrived at my parents' house just before Christmas, indeed the same day my girlfriend and I turned up! To say I've been excited for this is quite an understatement. I really should learn-I got similarly worked up about the Trumpeter kit back in 2008- and just look what a disappointment that turned out to be! Still, I just get the feeling Airfix have made the most significant kit of their revival to date- so on with the build! One slight disappointment upon opening the box is that they've not put nearly as much interior detail into this kit as some of their other recent efforts-thinking Harrier GR1/3 in particular. So out came the plasticard and fuse wire on the tub. I'm particularly chuffed with the throttle box-seems to have come out well. Sorry about the poor photography! The sidewalls, which are devoid of detail, got the same treatment. I've also beefed up the structural detail in the very nicely-done nosewheel bay, and added the mechanism which closes the undercarriage doors. I've also filled one of the two pairs of ejector pin marks. I decided to leave the other pair at the back ends of the wheelbay, as I really don't think I could clean them up well in such a confined space-and with the undercarriage leg in place they'll hardly show. In spite of the instructions telling me to leave them until later, I've also added the cannon inserts now, as it's easier to blend them in before closing up the fuselage. I found that if you fit them as the kit would have you do it, they stand proud: The trick is to slice off the tabs round the edge of the hole, and very lightly rub down the edges of each insert. One slight niggle I have with the moulding of this kit is that Airfix's occasional pebbly plastic finish makes an appearance with this kit. Not a problem on a camouflaged WW2 fighter, but with a polished NMF Lightning this will be really noticeable. So I've also spent ages rubbing down the fuselage, taking care to avoid the little vents and other protrusions. It's a bit irksome really-they've shown with the Typhoon, 109e, etc that they can mould absolutely smooth plastic- so why revert to pebbly finish for the Lightning and Hurricane I? Still, a small gripe. Otherwise I'm enjoying this kit immensely-until next time!

Recently bought the Forward Assault Group set. I am awaiting the photoetch for the Jackal so made a start on some crew and troops. Wip on troops, an attempt at MTP camo.

This one has been around for a wee while now (I finished it over a year ago!!), but is only now making an appearance in RFI. A very simple conversion of the new tool Airfix 1/72 Harrier GR7/GR9 kit, the most complicated bit of which is the masking for the paint scheme! The actual conversion work is simplicity itself, involving nothing more than a little cutting, some sanding and a tiny wee bit of plsticard. First up, cut off the kit nose and then add the Quickboost resin nose. Once the glue is cured, sand to match the kit contours and then sand off the rivets at the rear fuselage and the strengthening strip also. There is a slight difference in shape to the upper RWR sensor which is easily replicated from plasticard cut to shape and glued in place. Then you need to sand off the right hand MFD on the kit instrument panel and add a small square of plasticard with a circular hole in its place, et viola! Decals came from Modeldecal 100 for both the stencils and unit markings, but I suffered from a wee bit of silvering here and there as well as being slightly out of register in a couple of places. Kit seat was replaced with a resin example from the extensive extras stash and was courtesy of Airwaves circa 1994. This is a vast improvement on the kit seat and really should be re-released. Right, enough spiel, here's some pics, I toned down the panel lines with some milliput, which makes a huge improvement to this kit. I also added a few wee aerials, the fuel vent and the retractable step too. I hope this has whetted your appetite for some green scheme Harriers. I always thought these were the best looking ones, especially ZG531 with its big 4 Sdqn tail, Mark.

The Harrier Project – 20/20 Vision My last act of self-aggrandisement on BM – a final pointer to my completed Harrier Project for those of you who want to see it. I counted them all up and I counted them all down. Here’s the collection … … and more photos for those that way inclined via this link. So it’s goodbye from them. And it’s goodbye from me. Happy Modelling folks!

Hi everyone, Here is my WIP thread for my entry into the Less than a Tenner Group Build, Project Pink Arrow. I'd like to give you all some background to this project before posting anything. In November 2012, my niece and her family emigrated to Australia, however before she went my wife and I took her to the Shoreham Airshow for our last day out with her. Her favourite aircraft was the pink aircraft from the SWIP display team (shown below). Ever since she moved we have talked via Skype and she always likes to see my models (especially the Vulcan I built), so I have decided to make a model for her birthday (which is small enough that my step mum can take it on the plane for me in July). I selected an Airfix 1:72 RAF Red Arrows Gnat Starter set for the kit and because I know she will want the kit to be painted pink, have gone with Tamiya X-17 Pink acrylic paint. I guess you can call this one a What If build i.e. What if the painters of the Red Arrows planes picked the wrong colour for one of the planes when they were spraying them, thus the Pink Arrow was born. This kit is going to be a complete one off. I have decided that I will create a Limited Edition certificate for it along with a document to send with it to show my niece, how I went about the project and what it started out like etc. Here is the kit : Airfix built Red Arrow : Sprues : This kit will be the simplest build I have built for a very long time and as such probably won't take a long time for me to do. Thanks very much for looking. Excuse the fact that I have to paint this one pink. Rick

Lancaster B.II - Etch & Canopy Masks for the Airfix Kit Eduard 1:72 With the release last year of the excellent B.II radial engine Lancaster from Airfix, Eduard have come up trumps with some improvement accessories to improve both the exterior and interior of the kit. Four sets are being reviewed here, exterior, interior, dedicated flap replacements and the budget Zoom set that focusses on the cockpit interior. Also included is the canopy mask set which for me at least is as integral to model building as glue and paint these days! Lancaster B.II Landing Flaps (Set 72578) Whilst the Airfix kit is already blessed with an open flap option, the limitations of injection moulding mean that there is some scope for improvement in terms of scale finesse. This comprehensive set from Eduard provides that solution. Obviously, to use this set, filing of the existing detail is necessary as well as levelling the surface to apply the etch to. Some plastic or brass rod of 0.8mm and 0.3mm diameter is also required in the instructions but not supplied. As the flaps are the same as the B.I/III, there is no reason why they can't be used on the other Airfix Lancaster variants too. More information can be seen in the online instructions provided by Eduard - HERE Lancaster B.II Exterior (Set 72566) The exterior gets a well thought out selection of improvements. The landing gear bays and doors get some intricate additions and both the main and tail wheel legs are treated to the etch touch including brake lines. The radial engines in the Airfix kit are a little lacking in detail in my opinion, so the attention of them is well deserved. They are routed from the rear of the cylinders. I've seen pictures of some framework in front of the Hercules engines on the Halifax that WEM have in their B.III etch set, however I'm not sure whether this was also present on the Lancaster B.II. Some other improvements include the upper fuselage escape hatches, trim tab control rods and oil cooler mesh faces. For more information, see HERE Lancaster B.II Interior (Set 73492) Again, Eduard have found some creative ways to add detail where it matters, this time inside the aircraft. The cockpit area gets a complete makeover, with a highly detailed pilots seat and wealth of controls and panels that are on show under that greenhouse! This attention to detail goes back into the navigators and wireless operators area too. Further areas of focus include the bomb aimers location with more panels and some enhancements to the front and rear turrets. The panels are provided on pre-painted self adhesive etch to aid assembly into the aircraft. Some kit detail will need to be removed from the surfaces before assembly of these parts. for more information, see HERE Lancaster B.II Interior Zoom (Set SS492) The zoom set is a budget alternative to the interior set above. It provides the pre-painted self adhesive etch fret shown above hence primarily focusses on the panels inside the cockpit and bomb aimer locations including throttle quadrants. For more information, see HERE Lancaster B.II Flexible Paint Masks (CX372) If you hate masking like I do, you will welcome this set, especially given the wealth of clear parts on the Lancaster. Two sheets of pre-cut parts are provided in the pack and include wheel masks too. As the transparencies on the B.II are common with the B.I/III, they can be used on any of the airfix kits. Conclusion There is no doubt that Airfix have released a great kit in its own right, however these sets do allow you to take it to another level by utilising the benefits that etch can provide over the injection moulded parts. Obviously, some of the parts and the preparation needed to fit them requires a higher skill level, but if you are a fan of the B.II, then they are certainly something to consider when you build one. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf109E-4/N Trop 1:48 Airfix The Bf109E-4/N Trop kit is exactly the same kit as the Bf109E-4/E-1 kit I have previously reviewed here. There are some slight differences with engine filters etc but the sprues for the two kits are identical Decals Decals are provided for two schemes. Maj Eduard Neuman, 1/JG27, North Africa 1941-42 (As box art). Lt Peter-Paul Steindl, Stab II/JG54, Aradm Romania March 1941. Conclusion This is an excellent kit of a popular model choice from Aifix. The model makes into a great looking kit and is excellent value for money for a new tool kit. Review sample courtesy of

Hey I'm currently trying to get the replacement parts of a Buccaneer canopy (1/72) and a Wellington prop (1/72). I don't have the parts numbers and Airfix has asked me for them. Can anyone help? If not - the Lancaster prop number (and I'll get 2)? Anyone know how much their parts cost too? Thanks

Fresh off the bench today is the Airfix 1:72 Scottish Aviation Bulldog that I built for the Training Types GB. This was a fun little build and a trip down memory lane as it was the A/C I flew in my Air Training Corp Days. The kit went together well presenting no problems with the only negative issue being the Tamiya white that really didn't go on well and leaving the surface quite rough. A big thanks to Paul J for providing the roundels to replace the slightly off center kit ones. More info can be found in the WIP. I have just noticed the nav lights still need to be painted. IMG_3673 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3674 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3675 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3676 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3679 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3681 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3682 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3684 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_3685 by Snapper_city, on Flickr Thanks for looking.

Well its now finished. Although the scheme is based on the airfix Von Werra scheme, I have used a bit of artistic license, and done a side camo scheme too. I am very pleased with the end result, despite the obvious areas for improvement, though please remember this is only my fourth model. Link to work in progress thread here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234933782-airfix-172-messerschmitt-bf-109e-4-link-to-ready-for-inspection-on-page-2/ So here are the pictures:

Messerschmitt Bf109E-4/E-1 1:48 Airfix There has been much written and published in print and in the web concerning the Bf109 which I will not repeat here. The E-4/E-1 model here was used in the high-speed fighter bomber role operating from France against targets in England. It was also operated in the Med, North Africa, and the Eastern Front. This is Airfix's new tool of the Bf109. I have built the club kit version of this in the markings for a captured Aircraft and found it a very easy kit to build. The kit comes in two sprues of what seems to be Airfix's choice of light grey plastic. The parts are well laid out, feature nicely engraved panel lines and restrained fabric effects were needed. The only two areas of criticism are that some of the sprue gates are a bit large, and the pilot figure is a bit generic. Parts are provided for the flaps and leading edge slats to be deployed or or which is a nice touch. Construction begins traditionally enough with the cockpit. The seat associated parts are assembled and added to the one part cockpit base along with the rudder pedals and control column. The instrument panel and gun-sight are then added. The modeller can chose to use the supplied pilot or paint the raised detail seat harness. Following on from this the propeller assembly is put together. A few parts are then added to the cockpit sides (which feature moulded on details as well). Once this is done the propeller assembly & cockpit are added tot he fuselage and this is closed up. Engine bearers can then be added to the moulded in engine if the modeller is going to want to display the engine cowling off the model. Finally for this stage the muzzles for the cowling mounted machine guns are added. The next stage involves construction of the wings. This is conventional in that the bottom wing is one part onto which the two top parts are added. The wing assembly is then mated to the fuselage. The engine radiator is then assembled and added along with the wing radiators. Tail planes and there struts are then added. The modeller then needs to decide if they want the flaps and slates down or up. The parts are moulded with the right tabs to mount these in the down position. If they are going to be closed up then the tabs need to be removed. Final touches are adding the moving tail surfaces and rudder which can be positioned how the modeller would like. The correct gun inserts need to be added then to the wings, and the appropriate engine intake added to the port side. The landing gear is then assembled and added. The tyre have a flat spot so this must be positioned in the correct place. A single bomb or a rack containing 4 smaller bombs can then be added as needed. lastly the correct canopy needs to be identified and fitted. The sprue gates on the clear parts are large and brittle. I know as I managed to break one canopy trying to remove it so care does need to be taken. Decals Decals are provided for two schemes. Oberleutnant Hannes Trautloft 2./JG77, Germany August 1939. Unteroffizer Ernst Poschenrieder, 7/JG53 Le Touquet-Etaples Sept 1940 . Conclusion This is an excellent kit of a popular model choice from Aifix. The model makes into a great looking kit and is excellent value for money for a new tool kit. Review sample courtesy of