On Swedish Ski(e)s - Airfix 1/72 Gloster Gladiator

[Patrik]

Here she is. J 8 s/n 233 of F 8 tested on skis in winter 1937/38. The build thread is here.

I used Eduard PE parts (mainly for the interior) and Eduard cockpit canopy masks. Both were of great help. Moreover, the utilization of the PE parts was almost 100 %. Brush painted with Humbrol, Model Master and Revell enamels. The decals by SBS Model were an absolute delight to work with, including the numerous perfectly readable stencils in Swedish, where e.g. LYFT HÄR looks like adopted directly from a Monty Python’s Vikings’ sketch (no offence meant, my dear Swedish comrades). Without rigging as usual. Some may consider the scheme dull, but I think you cannot deny her certain monochromatic charm.

 

It was the fastest build in years for me. The kit engineering is clever, similar to the old Matchbox biplanes, and I would not hesitate recommending the Airfix Gladiator as the first kit for a biplane novice. Usually, with the type of kits I build, I do not feel like building the same one again soon, especially after the ordeal I had been through (more often than not). Here, I think, I will build another of the little gems soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am particularly proud that I managed assembling the tiny s/n below the fin, as I had to combine 231 and 235 into 233, and the numbers are in fact less than 1 mm high. However, the quality of the decals helped a lot.

 

 

Eventually, compare with the Matchbox Gladiator I built almost exactly 20 years ago as my very first kit after emerging from the Dark Age. The Matchbox does not look bad at all on the shelf, but it shows its age, and the direct comparison reveals evident shape issues, especially around the cockpit, including the cockpit canopy as such. One more reason to build another Airfix soon.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Wow what a great looking Gladiator. ... The Matchbox one is not bad at all. Might be easier to find one of those than the Airfix kit locally. 

[Work In Progress]

Patrik: This is a beautiful Airfix Gladiator, and that decal work at the rear was probably beyond me - you even got them lined up properly!  It may be a simple paint scheme but sometimes those are the most unforgiving as they show up any defects - and I can't see any in your build.

 

CFFU: The Matchbox one is still worth building and is even easier to build than the Airfix one. But genuine Matchbox ones have become a lot more expensive than they were a few years ago, such is the power of the collector market. The high value boxing is the Revell one, which also has usable decals. 

 

The Heller Gladiator is also nice, actually better than the Matchbox / Revell kit but less foolproof in terms of assembly. There is a good example here: