Crossiant Oliver Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 For X-mad I got 3 airfix kits: the spitfire mk IX, the new 1/48 P-40B, and the B-25H. I was looking over each of the instruction booklets, the last I checked was the B-25. looks fine, usual instructions, then I go to the next instructions HOLY CRAP WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?! Look how many directions there are in this one section? On a starter kit none the less! It's not like they had no room, just look: There could be room for the other directions... What?! They used an entire page just to put the nose? They could use a tiny space for that! They could put some of the other instructions neatly on this page. Honestly, Airfix REALLY needs to change these instructions. Even I'm an intermediate modeler, and these instructions still give me a sense of confusion! Someone call Airfix and tell them about this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossiant Oliver Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Whoops, Sorry no images, I'm using my iPad. Does anyone know how to insert photos from your iPad here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovering Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) Upload the image to a photo sharing website, something like http://imgur.com/ which is free, then link it in a reply. Is it these instructions? http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/Airfix_1_72_North_American_B_25_H_J_Mitchell_A04005__about31945.html Edited January 11, 2017 by hovering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonM Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) Look straightforward enough to me, but then I grew up with that style of Airfix instructions Edited January 11, 2017 by GordonM 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The instructions linked to by Hovering look like those for the old tooling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck1945 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The old tooling is still the only Airfix B-25 kit available, and yes those are typical Airfix instructions from that era 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Think yourself lucky....the old, very old and I mean ancient here (1950s or so) Airfix instructions came with a picture of the actual subject on the front and the build instructions as a block of very small text within the package - NO PICTURES. This was a deliberate policy in order to build our characters and teach us not to question authority too much. This was necessary since modelling was but a distraction from the workhouse environment and the ever present threat of a good kicking from one's betters. It didn't affect me too much I have to say except for the regular short stopovers in the asylum.... 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Thomas Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Airfix kits! You were lucky! My character-forming exercise was to carve the X-3, Cutlass, MiG 15 etc out of balsa, using half a broken Gillette razor blade. Scars I bear today ... Instructions!! All we had was a plan and lung problems from breathing dope and talcum powder. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Airfix nstructions have changed over the years: the ones that you've picked out are no worse than many and better than quite a few. I, and many others, started out with an exploded diagram containing up to 40 components and numbered steps describing each element of the process, e.g. "1. Locate and cement pilot (1) to seat (2) after first painting if required." "2. Locate and cement lug on back of seat into cut out in bulkhead (3) ensuring rib on bulkhead faces to the rear." and so forth. Sadly the requirement for multi lingual instructions and the decline n the teaching and learning of proper English capable of being understood by anyone spelled the end of this deathless prose. if you thnk Airfix's nstructions are bad you should (a) see some produced by some eastern European or former Soviet bloc manufacturers, or even the likes of Revell or Eduard (to name but two) and (b) write directly to Airfix and tell them how you could do a better job of designing their instructions. The trend has been towards more stages in construction, each involving fewer components or assemblies in order to avoid swamping the builder with information. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Alan Bardell Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 viscount806x And you try and tell the young ones of today that, and they won't believe you! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 19 minutes ago, Chris Thomas said: Airfix kits! You were lucky! My character-forming exercise was to carve the X-3, Cutlass, MiG 15 etc out of balsa, using half a broken Gillette razor blade. Scars I bear today ... Instructions!! All we had was a plan and lung problems from breathing dope and talcum powder. Ooh, we used to dream of having balsa wood, We used to have to go into t'woods and cut a tree down and whittle it down with a blunt soup spoon 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 16 minutes ago, stever219 said: Sadly the decline in the teaching and learning of proper English capable of being understood by anyone spelled the end of this deathless prose. Well put, can't argue with that. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) 53 minutes ago, Black Knight said: Ooh, we used to dream of having balsa wood, We used to have to go into t'woods and cut a tree down and whittle it down with a blunt soup spoon Blunt soup spoon? You were lucky. All I had was a herring....Ni ! Ni !!! Edited January 11, 2017 by mhaselden 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The drawings shown appear to be those that accompany the kit since ca. 1973 at least. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 1 hour ago, Chris Thomas said: Instructions!! All we had was a plan and lung problems from breathing dope and talcum powder. Chris I would suggest you clarify the type of dope you inhaled causing breathing problems. You know, just in case anyone gets the wrong idea...... I mean the 70's were pretty liberal. I know it was that smelly stuff for model airplanes.....it was, wasn't it !!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Gosh, I wish we'd had blunt soup spoons back then. What a luxury. It was always so difficult trying to trim the parts with a flint hand axe. Nick 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niles Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Airfix! At least those tiny little things bore some resemblance to the airplane they were supposed to represent. We Yanks had Aurora. I remember when I was a kid in the 1950s I bought the red blob by Aurora that was supposed to be a 1/48 Messerschmitt 109 and after assembling the ten or so parts that made up the kit I took out my copy of William Green's pioneering work Famous Fighters of the Second World War to compare it to the profiles to see which version it was. Oh my god, what a nasty surprise that was. At least it was only 69 cents or something like that, so it wasn't a fortune wasted. After that I developed my skills at carving the desired aircraft out of balsa. I wasn't a deprived as you folks that had to do it with a spoon or a flint axe. I was allowed to have X-acto knives, files and rasps, and since my father was a house painter lots of sandpaper and razor blades. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Vor!!! Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Better then Dragons 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 44 minutes ago, Nick Millman said: Gosh, I wish we'd had blunt soup spoons back then. What a luxury. It was always so difficult trying to trim the parts with a flint hand axe. Nick Well, when I say 'soup spoon' it was really just a bit of beech bark with a twig, but it was a soup spoon to us. Not that we ever got to eat soup; only dope and talc for us, oh, and spam dope, spam, spam spam, talc and spam 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goggsy Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 That's pretty grim but for my money the Accurate Minatures Avenger takes some beating. They somehow managed to not include the step where you join the fuselage halves together. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossiant Oliver Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 First of all, thanks for the pictures. If you want to look at them, look at the first reply. But Airfix at least has to redo a 40+ year old kit and instruction sets. What beginner modeler wants to continue the hobby when they see instructions like this! I've built older kits, and some of them in my opinion had better instructions (the monogram wildcat, etc. also is the Revell 1/48 dauntless a good beginner kit? I gave a friend who wants to start the hobby it for x-mas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinK Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I really don't understand your problem. Is it the graphics style, comprehension or something else? No two manufacturers use the same style, but Airfix is among the better ones in terms of not missing out vital steps. All the instructions are for is to identify the numbered parts, suggest paint, and show how parts are built into sub-assemblies prior to final integration into the whole model. There are different approaches possible, but even with a complex kit, the same principles apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 5 hours ago, Nick Millman said: Gosh, I wish we'd had blunt soup spoons back then. What a luxury. It was always so difficult trying to trim the parts with a flint hand axe. Nick The bellows-operated airbrush was a bit hit-and-miss, too. Ok...I'll stop now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovering Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 you were lucky you had bellows .. we had to blow through a straw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDMe6wlEyIk but back on topic, those instructions don't seem anything out of the ordinary... it doesn't have to be done simultaneously 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e8n2 Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 7 hours ago, Black Knight said: Well, when I say 'soup spoon' it was really just a bit of beech bark with a twig, but it was a soup spoon to us. Not that we ever got to eat soup; only dope and talc for us, oh, and spam dope, spam, spam spam, talc and spam Monty Python! Got to love it! Later, Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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