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Airfix RAF WWII RAF Personnel


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Hello,

 

Over the last couple of years, I have been building the Airfix airfield vehicles plus some from a couple of other manufacturers, I felt the vehicles needed figures to compliment the airfield scene so I rummaged through my garage and found the old biscuit box packed with bags and bags of old Airfix soft plastic figures! Dug out the Airfix RAF WWII Personnel and chose some suitable lads and lasses to paint. Someone told me that dipping them in Future helped protect against the paint peeling off too easily, due to the nature of the soft plastic they are made from. This seems to work quite well, so far! I also sprayed them with Tamiya primer and that helped the paint adhere to the figures.

 

The sculpturing of these figures is just superb the level of detail is just perfect, mind you they are time-consuming to paint and leaning over the desk to paint them for long periods means a trip to the chiropractor after a while. I used enamel paints, all Humbrol colours.

 

I also assembled and painted the trolley actuator... again soft plastic, I used a mixture of super glue, PVA and liquid putty to bond the pieces together... it is a very wobbly set and that handle is easily flexed and voila there goes the paint!!

 

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Edited by Slywolff
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Great painting on these little figures,seeing you had some problems with them they turned out well,I know I have trouble painting my 28mm but the 1/72,just to small for my eyes,and yes I must check my biscuit bins,thought my wife only kept our afternoon snacks in them 😉,Cheers.

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  • 3 years later...

Nice job, on the figures, also WAAF stockings correct look, why the guys at Airfix decided to put groundcrew into battledress though is odd, for Battle of Britain era certainly they wore tunics.

a tip..Bike and trolley acc though far too an electric blue, RAF blue grey was same colour as the tunics, or thereabouts. see the Tallboy bomb trolley (Type E) at Brooklands which is looking as pre war blue grey.

http://www.sbap.be/museum/brooklands/brooklands.htm
 

scroll down a few times to see the green/white large bomb and the trolley. Best references are original quality colour pics....

https://www.rafmuseumphotos.com/charles-brown-colour-photographs/waaf-tractor-driver-707906.html?prodid=73043

is a genuine colour photo note the tunic and also the Trolley colour immediate aft of the tractor. These colours and the photo are very representative of the true colours in fact.

Never go bright on the blues. If you give them a mild translucent spray of mid grey it will make them more as tunic colour, just dont squirt the flesh areas !

 

I would ditch the bases and glue brass wire pins into the heels, make them belong to the grass .

 

 

Merlin

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I am amazed. I got those too and discovered that they are made from an curious type of a substance that is just a bit more soft than blutack and yet people still call it plastic...

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Very nice paintwork indeed.

The pilot and WAAF are my favourite figures from the set. Their casual poses look somehow calm and contemplative.

I've removed the bases from my pair and add a minute bit of PVA to the feet when I use the figures. I let it semi set so it has a tiny bit of tack to it, then stand the figures where I want them for photography. It's just enough to hold them in place yet still be removable.

 

20200805-081644-copy.jpg

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6 hours ago, TonyW said:

Very nice paintwork indeed.

The pilot and WAAF are my favourite figures from the set. Their casual poses look somehow calm and contemplative.

I've removed the bases from my pair and add a minute bit of PVA to the feet when I use the figures. I let it semi set so it has a tiny bit of tack to it, then stand the figures where I want them for photography. It's just enough to hold them in place yet still be removable.

 

20200805-081644-copy.jpg

 

That's a real wartime shot, surely? 👍😉

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15 hours ago, Merlin said:

why the guys at Airfix decided to put groundcrew into battledress though is odd, for Battle of Britain era certainly they wore tunics.

Battledress started being issued to the RAF in 1940, apparently. The article says it was only worn by aircrew at first, though I suspect others may have had it earlier than 1943. I've got a photo of my Dad (sergeant, RAF Police) wearing it in the Western Desert but that may have been army stock.

 

Many of the figures aren't strictly suitable for the Battle of Britain period, though that's obviously what the excellent box art is showing (I bought the set on the spot when I saw it in 1972). Apart from the battledress issue there are two men carrying a rocket, which wasn't around in 1940. I also remember reading that the starter trolley is a later type but I've no idea whether that's right or not. Regardless, they're cracking figures and these ones are beautifully painted.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Figures look very good stunned at how good you have got them....  I remember doing these in the seventies and they cleaned up pretty good.  BUT got the re issue ones same box as yours and can't do much with them.

The material - polythene whatever unworkable and the figures are covered in flash.   Just how did you tidy them up so well?  or have I just got a bad batch...  ?   Using a nice new Swann-Morton scalpel and having little success with these figures.

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Great airfield personnel! I remember those soft plastic figures from Airfix. Owned nearly all the combat guys but never tried to paint them...

 

If you have more airfield equipment you might add it to this thread:

 

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On 7/8/2022 at 8:37 AM, Merlin said:

Nice job, on the figures, also WAAF stockings correct look, why the guys at Airfix decided to put groundcrew into battledress though is odd, for Battle of Britain era certainly they wore tunics.

a tip..Bike and trolley acc though far too an electric blue, RAF blue grey was same colour as the tunics, or thereabouts. see the Tallboy bomb trolley (Type E) at Brooklands which is looking as pre war blue grey.

http://www.sbap.be/museum/brooklands/brooklands.htm
 

scroll down a few times to see the green/white large bomb and the trolley. Best references are original quality colour pics....

https://www.rafmuseumphotos.com/charles-brown-colour-photographs/waaf-tractor-driver-707906.html?prodid=73043

is a genuine colour photo note the tunic and also the Trolley colour immediate aft of the tractor. These colours and the photo are very representative of the true colours in fact.

Never go bright on the blues. If you give them a mild translucent spray of mid grey it will make them more as tunic colour, just don't squirt the flesh areas !

 

I would ditch the bases and glue brass wire pins into the heels, make them belong to the grass .

 

 

Merlin

Hi Merlin,

Thank you for the information, I agree the trolley and bicycle are too blue!! I just did a check of the items in the display cabinet and for some reason the colour in the photos is brighter than the actual finished model! Possibly due to the flash! Brooklands Museum, I have as yet to visit that museum, I will be in the UK next year sometime, possibly May or Telford time so will put Brooklands on the list of places to visit! I'd like to get rid of the bases but at present I'll leave them be till I have a proper home to display them in.... Cheers

Simon

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On 8/26/2022 at 4:55 AM, Hairtrigger said:

Figures look very good stunned at how good you have got them....  I remember doing these in the seventies and they cleaned up pretty good.  BUT got the re issue ones same box as yours and can't do much with them.

The material - polythene whatever unworkable and the figures are covered in flash.   Just how did you tidy them up so well?  or have I just got a bad batch...  ?   Using a nice new Swann-Morton scalpel and having little success with these figures.

On 8/26/2022 at 7:04 PM, Toryu said:

Great airfield personnel! I remember those soft plastic figures from Airfix. Owned nearly all the combat guys but never tried to paint them...

 

If you have more airfield equipment you might add it to this thread:

 

Thank you I shall check that thread out, I do actually have quite a few vehicles, and more to come.. some from the ACE range of cars!

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On 8/26/2022 at 4:55 AM, Hairtrigger said:

Figures look very good stunned at how good you have got them....  I remember doing these in the seventies and they cleaned up pretty good.  BUT got the re issue ones same box as yours and can't do much with them.

The material - polythene whatever unworkable and the figures are covered in flash.   Just how did you tidy them up so well?  or have I just got a bad batch...  ?   Using a nice new Swann-Morton scalpel and having little success with these figures.

 

I used to collect these as a teenager, which is how long I have had these figures, which is quite a few decades now! I once read about using a hot knife to clean them up, my advice is don't.... one slip and that's the end of the figure! It is as you say using a Swann-Morton nice fine new number 11 blade!! It is quite easy and truly does not take long to do. I think you need a good magnifying glass and really excellent light oh and a steady hand might help. Good luck.

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On 7/9/2022 at 2:01 PM, Yg Models said:

nice sharing.

 

i only built airfix once: 1/72 WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply units. That kit is very nice.

 

[rear service?] 1/72 WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply units - Ready for Inspection - Armour - Britmodeller.com

Hi Yg Models,

Nice models!! Really like your work!! Yes it is an excellent set, I also build some of the ACE British cars as RAF Staff cars, they are hard work but look good once built.

Cheers

Simon

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On 7/8/2022 at 3:09 PM, TonyW said:

Very nice paintwork indeed.

The pilot and WAAF are my favourite figures from the set. Their casual poses look somehow calm and contemplative.

I've removed the bases from my pair and add a minute bit of PVA to the feet when I use the figures. I let it semi set so it has a tiny bit of tack to it, then stand the figures where I want them for photography. It's just enough to hold them in place yet still be removable.

 

20200805-081644-copy.jpg

On 5/5/2019 at 4:48 PM, Jim Wasley said:

Great painting on these little figures,seeing you had some problems with them they turned out well,I know I have trouble painting my 28mm but the 1/72,just to small for my eyes,and yes I must check my biscuit bins,thought my wife only kept our afternoon snacks in them 😉,Cheers.

On 7/9/2022 at 12:33 AM, AWFK10 said:

Battledress started being issued to the RAF in 1940, apparently. The article says it was only worn by aircrew at first, though I suspect others may have had it earlier than 1943. I've got a photo of my Dad (sergeant, RAF Police) wearing it in the Western Desert but that may have been army stock.

 

Many of the figures aren't strictly suitable for the Battle of Britain period, though that's obviously what the excellent box art is showing (I bought the set on the spot when I saw it in 1972). Apart from the battledress issue there are two men carrying a rocket, which wasn't around in 1940. I also remember reading that the starter trolley is a later type but I've no idea whether that's right or not. Regardless, they're cracking figures and these ones are beautifully painted.

Thank you! and for the info...

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2 hours ago, Slywolff said:

 

I used to collect these as a teenager, which is how long I have had these figures, which is quite a few decades now! I once read about using a hot knife to clean them up, my advice is don't.... one slip and that's the end of the figure! It is as you say using a Swann-Morton nice fine new number 11 blade!! It is quite easy and truly does not take long to do. I think you need a good magnifying glass and really excellent light oh and a steady hand might help. Good luck.

Hi I just find the material polythene stuff they have used unworkable..   Not like they used to be.    Yeh using a jewellers loupe .. 

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2 hours ago, Hairtrigger said:

Hi I just find the material polythene stuff they have used unworkable..   Not like they used to be.    Yeh using a jewellers loupe .. 

They were always polythene. I still have a fair few from first issue, and they were often as flash ridden as they are now. As I recall, they've always been a right pain to clean up. Which is a shame. In fact I picked up the Vintage Classics boxing of this very set a few weeks ago off Fleabay, and was thinking how much less flash it has than the surviving figures I have, but haven't started trying to clean them up yet.

 

Anyway, I missed this thread until it was revived, so .......................... very nice paintwork.

 

Paul.

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41 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

They were always polythene. I still have a fair few from first issue, and they were often as flash ridden as they are now. As I recall, they've always been a right pain to clean up. Which is a shame. In fact I picked up the Vintage Classics boxing of this very set a few weeks ago off Fleabay, and was thinking how much less flash it has than the surviving figures I have, but haven't started trying to clean them up yet.

 

Anyway, I missed this thread until it was revived, so .......................... very nice paintwork.

 

Paul.

Yes, Paul always polythene, but it was harder and you could cut it easily...  The newer red box ones you can't get a decent cut -difficult to describe sort of rolls off the blade without taking away excess.

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29 minutes ago, Hairtrigger said:

Yes, Paul always polythene, but it was harder and you could cut it easily...  The newer red box ones you can't get a decent cut -difficult to describe sort of rolls off the blade without taking away excess.

What you describe is how I recall the old stuff being, but then it was 50 years ago, and I was using a Stanley knife rather than a scalpel. Anyway, proof of the pudding, I had a box of fresh scalpel blades arrive last week, so time to indulge, I think.  Was the choice of poltythene because they were regarded as toys to be played with (as opposed to toys to be built), I wonder?  Unfortunate, whatever the reason. I once tried leaving the things in the freezer overnight in the hope they'd stiffen up and be easier to cut. No chance. Just got cold fingers.

 

Paul.

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The freezer idea had gone through my mind as well.. 

2 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

What you describe is how I recall the old stuff being, but then it was 50 years ago, and I was using a Stanley knife rather than a scalpel. Anyway, proof of the pudding, I had a box of fresh scalpel blades arrive last week, so time to indulge, I think.  Was the choice of poltythene because they were regarded as toys to be played with (as opposed to toys to be built), I wonder?  Unfortunate, whatever the reason. I once tried leaving the things in the freezer overnight in the hope they'd stiffen up and be easier to cut. No chance. Just got cold fingers.

 

Paul.

 

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On 7/7/2022 at 11:37 PM, Merlin said:

Nice job, on the figures, also WAAF stockings correct look, why the guys at Airfix decided to put groundcrew into battledress though is odd, for Battle of Britain era certainly they wore tunics.

a tip..Bike and trolley acc though far too an electric blue, RAF blue grey was same colour as the tunics, or thereabouts. see the Tallboy bomb trolley (Type E) at Brooklands which is looking as pre war blue grey.

http://www.sbap.be/museum/brooklands/brooklands.htm
 

scroll down a few times to see the green/white large bomb and the trolley. Best references are original quality colour pics....

https://www.rafmuseumphotos.com/charles-brown-colour-photographs/waaf-tractor-driver-707906.html?prodid=73043

is a genuine colour photo note the tunic and also the Trolley colour immediate aft of the tractor. These colours and the photo are very representative of the true colours in fact.

Never go bright on the blues. If you give them a mild translucent spray of mid grey it will make them more as tunic colour, just dont squirt the flesh areas !

 

I would ditch the bases and glue brass wire pins into the heels, make them belong to the grass .

 

 

Merlin

The bomb trolley is in postwar colours the white bomb is a practice bomb.

 

Selwyn  

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