A Kit You Built As A Kid Gallery

[John]

Airfix Gloster Gladiator, 1956.

 

 

 

 

 

John

[John]

Revell P-39 Airacobra, 1964

 

 

 

 

John

[MarkSH]

Airfix 1/72 Heinkel He.177A-5 'Greif'

6N+HN of 5./KG 100

1943

 

Here is my second build for the GB a kit originally released by Airfix in 1967. I have built it mainly out of the box with the exception of some scratched extra detail in the typical for the time spartan interior plus a couple of additional parts around the rest of the model. All in all great fun to build and I really enjoyed having a go at mottling for the first time and creating my own masks for the major aircraft markings.

 

The build thread can be found below:

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[nimrod54]

Westland Scout

Royal Jordanian Air Force

1965

Airfix 1/72

 

I first built this kit in the 1960's and it did not turn out like this at all. I have enjoyed applying the mediocre modelling skills that I have attained over the years since then to this build, and I am very pleased with the result. I am still on the hunt for a pair of suitable sized wheels to wrap things up, but I would not have had those first time around so I can live with things as they are for now.

 

 

by John L, on Flickr

 

by John L, on Flickr

 

by John L, on Flickr

 

by John L, on Flickr

 

by John L, on Flickr

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Airfix's iconic B-17G Flying Fortress "A Bit of Lace" a compulsory addition to every schoolboys bedroom ceiling at the time.

 

This kit dates from 1975, and I can still remember riding home on my bike as fast as I could so I could start on it.

 

This has to be one of the best box tops ever so I think it will have to be kept alongside the completed model.

 

A big thank you to Scott aka @Jinxman for making the decals without which this would never have been built, and @Danskfor hosting this brilliant GB, pictures below, I hope you like it.

 

Cheers Pat

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John]

Hasegawa Fuji T-1A, 1971.

 

 

 

 

John

[PeterB]

This is my build of the old Airfix Fiat G 50. The aircraft is a G 50 bis AS ie tropicalised with a modified air intake, and is in the markings of 352a Squadriglia whilst they were in Libya in Autumn 1941 I believe - the camo pattern is probably not authentic as they may have had a stripy version but I could not get it to look right. I have added resin replacement wheels and guns together with brass pitot, and made "improvements" to the cockpit and wheel wells, but otherwise it is OOB.

 

 

A while ago I made a start on refurbishing my ancient Revell Fiat CR 42 which the G 50 was meant to replace. However they remained in service alongside the later plane for several years. I finished it off alongside the G 50 and here they both are for comparison.

 

 

It was a pretty easy build, the only complicated part being the painting. Airfix thought the individual aircraft number was black, but I have gone with the more common red - I may be wrong

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited July 19, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

And here is my Revell Macchi MC 200, which replaces one I built when the kit was originally released. Again I have done some work on the undercarriage bay and replaced the pitot tubes but otherwise it is OOB. I have used the kit decs to portray an aircraft from 352 Squadriglia in April 1941, whilst they were still home based in Grottiglia - on April 19th they moved to Libya and I guess the camo changed to a "sand" base from the green generally used when on the Italian mainland.

 

 

In 1942 the Macchi MC 202 Folgore entered service. Basically it was just the MC 200 airframe with a Daimler Benz engine grafted on, two wing guns added, and an enclosed cockpit, though there would obviously be a lot of minor changes. Below I have pictured one that I built last year in the Frog GB with my MC200.

 

 

It was another easy kit to build but the so called "poached egg" camo scheme was a bit complicated to paint, and again it may not be entirely accurate for this particular plane, though as with the "smoke ring" scheme on the Folgore, both schemes were in fairly common useage  so who knows!

 

So far I am enjoying this GB, and hope you are too.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited July 19, 2020 by PeterB

[AdrianMF]

Here’s an Airfix Hudson. When I first built it I limited my modifications to breaking off some of the flap guides.

 

This time round, a different set of modifications including (deep breath) propellers, engines, cowlings, nacelles, landing gear, slats, wingtip lights, landing lights, nose dome, astrodome, turret, side windows, door, elevator, nose guns, bomb bay, scare gun hatch, rivet removal and a new interior. And a DF loop. Finished as “Spirit of Lockheed Vega Employees” before the squadron codes were added, as shown in the well-known photo showing it peeling away from left front under. Build thread is here if you are interested. Anyhow, pics:

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

 

 

[klr]

Airfix Westland Whirlwind, built more or less OOB. Build thread here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TommyF]

Airfix 1/72 North American F-86D Sabre

FU-845 - 520th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 1955

 

Thank you for looking - build thread here

 

 

 

 

 

[Jinxman]

Airfix 1/72 Bf 109G-6 - the blister pack version from about 1973. OOB, tube glue, and brush painted with Humbrol enamels. Not as good a kit as I remember it, but a classic all the same perhaps - especially with those rocket launchers. 

 

 

[GREG DESTEC]

Airfix B-24J Liberator.

 

My third and final entry to this excellent GB. Many thanks to the hosts and all who looked in on my builds.

 

Cheers Greg

 

 

 

 

[zebra]

Here's my Heller 1/72 Dragon Rapide:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John]

Tamiya 1/100th scale Il-28 Beagle

 

 

 

 

 

John

[Paul821]

The reason this appears on a mantlepiece 

 

is explained in my build thread

 

thanks to the sunshine today I managed to get my gallery shots with the shadows to show the rigging

 

 

 

 

 

and a last shot by the original box

 

 

[zebra]

Here's my Airfix BAC 1-11:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rafwaffe]

Hasegawa 1/72 Spitfire Mk 1

 

[PeterB]

Back in around 1964 I build the then fairly recent kit of the Airfix Dornier Do 217 E-2. About 4 years ago I decided to refurbish it but did not get very far, but when I saw refurbs were allowed in this GB I dug it out and made a start. As luck would have it, the kit of the Italeri Do 217 K-1 in my stash turned out to be incomplete so rather than try and copy the cockpit and udercarriage I was able to actually use them, which made things a lot easier. 

 

In the end I actually modelled it as the E-5 model which was modified to allow it to carry the Hs 293 glider bomb, and this is in the markings of a machine from II/KG100 operating in the Med in 1943. There has been some arguement about the basic colour scheme but I have gone with what my sources suggest is the standard ex works RLM72/73 over RLM65, or in other words the normal maritime low contrast scheme. Some may well have been repainted in 70/71, and a lot had their undersides painted black for night operations. Although technically capable of carrying two missiles, the normal loadout seems to have been one with a drop tank on the Port wing to counter-balance it. Again there is some uncertainty as to the actual type of tank used but I have gone with the big 900L/198 Imp Gall. version, rightly or wrongly.

 

So here it is.

 

Before -

 

And after!

 

 

The build was fairly straightforward except for the Italeri undercarriage, and I enjoyed it.

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

Pete

Edited August 2, 2020 by PeterB

[PeterB]

Hi,

 

Back in 1959 I was given the Airfix Wellington kit for Christmas - it had been released earlier in the year. For this GB I have built another one using the 1982 boxing, which at first sight seemed identical except for the decals. However, toward the end of the build I discovered that somewhere along the line Airfix had re-tooled the turrets to apparently make them a bit more accurate.

 

This time round Airfix provided decals for X3763 which was one of the first batch of Mk III built at Vickers Blackpool factory. I cannot say for certain when it was delivered, but it was part of the establishment of the new Canadian 425 (Alouette) Squadron when it formed in June 1942 at Dishforth. By the end of July the first few aircraft had arrived and by the end of August they were up to full strength of 18 and flying training exercises. The weather seems to have been pretty poor that Autumn and they lost 3 planes during training, and may have had to scrub a couple of small operations, but they finally got into business when they sent 8 to bomb Arnhem at the beginning of October. This plane, coded KW*E at the time ( as built by @Ruskin Air Services), was on their second raid when 8 went to visit Osnabruck on the night of October 6/7th. It continued to fly on ops intermittently and in December it was replaced by a new "E". It does not seem to have been active for a while, but then it reappears in the ORB in February as "L". It flew 6 ops that month and another 5 in March. On April 2/3rd it was reported as damaged by flak but was flying again the next night, and flew on a couple more raids, but on the night of April 14th it took of at 21.07 as part of a raid on Stuttgart and failed to return. I do not know the fate of the 6 crew.

 

Here it is as "L", more or less OOB but with a bit of detailing in the cockpit and turrets, and resin replacement gun barrels and weighted wheels.

 

As this is one of very few kits I have built where I actually know the history, I would like to dedicate this build to the 6 brave men who were flying in the real KW*L on that fateful night:-

Pilot Officers Doucette, Desroches, and Ledoux. Flight Sergeant Trudeau, and Sergeants Jones and Vollans.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited August 8, 2020 by PeterB

[Chief Cohiba]

Guys, let's called this finished. Means, I'm starting to get lazy and postpone further touchups to somewhere in uncertain future.

 

This groupbuild was such a great opportunity to try again the Heinkel 115 after some 40 years from the old Matchbox mould. I felt just like adding some PE parts, resin engines and props, did a lot of scribing on the structures and failed on the vacuform canopies. Ah, yes, and made some custom decals, a first for me. Not intended to do so, but I somehow lost those n the box, so what should I do? Decided to do make this Cthulhu-themed, to remind me of how I went slightly mad, sometimes on this.

 

This time this kit took me some three months - which is considerably faster than some things I did in the more recent past, but still longer than the usual three evenings after school for most of my youthday Matchbox builds, so my guess that was what my first attempt took me then.

 

Anyway, here's the pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, for those who wish to have a peak into that journey, here's the link.

 

Although it did drive me slightly mad sometimes, I enjoyed it, and thanks to all who followed and encouraged me! 🙂
 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Chief Cohiba
Sorry, too many pictures...

[PeterB]

So, my fifth and last entry in what has proved a very enjoyable GB.

 

Airfix issued their SM 79 Sparviero back in 1967 I believe. I liked the look of it when I originally built it so when I saw it was re-released a couple of weeks back I bought another.

 

The Sparviero or Sparrowhawk was apparently nicknamed "Gobbi" or hunchback for obvious reasons, and was in many ways a bit old fashioned, with canvas and plywood covering to the steel tube fuselage and wooden wings, powered by 3 motors, but it made a pretty effective torpedo bomber. It was reasonably fast and pretty manouverable, which is good when dropping torpedos apparently, and the structure made it pretty robust, and if it did come down on water it would float - always an advantage I guess.

 

I have built this kit pretty much OOB though I have added a short radio mast, a DF loop and bracing wires on the tail. I also added what I thought were bracing wires on the wing, but some other modellers think they were radio aerials, in which case the wire I used is rather too thick - oh well, you win some etc. I have painted it in what Sky Decals call "Scheme C9" as shown in the Osprey book on the torpedo version of the SM 79. It is not the most common scheme used and may have been experimental, but was used by a number of Squadriglia based at airfield K2 near Benghazi in early 1942. I have used the Sky decals to make this up as a machine of 284^o Squadriglia Autonoma Aerosiluranti, and used the Colourcoats range of Italian paints, which went on very well. It could carry 2 torpedos but normally only the Port one was fitted as it was found that carrying 2 had a deleterious effect on performance apparently.

 

So here it is.

It went together very easily except for one of the wings needing a bit of help. I know it is not entirely accurate as I have seen suggestions that the proportions of the hump are wrong. Certainly the windows behind the cockpit should probably be taller and the hatches for the waist guns seem to have been clear glazing on some machines, rather than solid as in the kit. Airfix have also missed out the lower gun position at the rear of the gondola, together with the radio mast and DF loop I mentioned earlier. However, given its age, I think it is a nice enough kit and I do like the look of it - I hope you do too.

 

So, thanks to the organisers for a great GB, and thanks to all of you who have shown an interest and made helpful comments.

 

Bye for now.

 

Pete

Edited August 8, 2020 by PeterB

[stevehnz]

My one & only entry to this GB & it's one I've much enjoyed.  The build log is here with all relevant info, I think. So without more ado, the 2nd iteration of Airfix's Tiger Moth kit, built originally when I was 8-10ish, destroyed utterly by the woman who did some house keeping for my mother, rest her sole, though I mightn't have thought so kindly of her  at the time. This is the next Tiger Moth I've built, 55+ years later, I think there was a wound needed healing.   

 

 

 

 

Enjoy,

Steve.

[modelling minion]

Matchbox 1/72 SBC-4 Helldiver

USS Enterprise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aluminium paint courtesy of a Humbrol rattle can, blue is Gunze Phalo Blue and the yellow top wing is exactly as Matchbox intended it to be.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Craig.

[Dansk]

Airfix 1/72 Jaguar GR1