Jinxman Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 No, it's not Eduard's latest re-boxing of someone else's plastic, it's an old-vs-new take on this kit that must have been built in its tens of thousands back in the day. I don't know how many of these I built in the late 60s/early 70s, but this is a chance to do it all over again. đ  Build 1 will be a blister pack version released about 1973. OOB, and built with the aid of tube glue, enamels, and hairy sticks - hopefully my skills have progressed a little so that it won't end up being shot at with an air rifle, whilst blazing away in a meths generated inferno.  Build 2, generously donated by @PeterB, will be an attempt to detail and improve the kit a little. This was from the same moulds, but released around 1991. I'll be using an Eduard etch set, Falcon canopy, bits donated by the AZ kit, and using Tamiya's latest offering as a shape template. Possibly in the markings of one of Hermann Graf's mounts - we'll see.  18 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 A fine project old school, and a modern take on the build, similar to you  shooting them with an air rifle ,i used to fill mine with gunpowder out of bangers ,you had to run though after you had set em off ,usually with a sparkler poked in the fuselage hole under the tail 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Good choice đ  one of my fave Airfix kits! Loved the Roy Cross artwork too. I was always mildly disappointed the built model didn't look exactly like the artwork.   2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 This is a really great idea! Like most on here I built lots of these and remember being impressed by the rockets under the wings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Jinxman said:  s o that it won't end up being shot at with an air rifle, whilst blazing away in a meths generated inferno.   this made me crack up laughing đ What a fantastic duo comparison build this will be! Cant wait to see the end results!  1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Certainly got through some lighter fluid back in the day, my parents couldn't work out why they had to keep buying so much of the stuff! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 What a great idea. I wonder which build you will enjoy the most?  Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 16 hours ago, modelling minion said: This is a really great idea! Like most on here I built lots of these and remember being impressed by the rockets under the wings. Defo going with the Werfer-Granate 21s on both builds! 15 hours ago, CliffB said: What a great idea. I wonder which build you will enjoy the most? We'll see - I can't wait to use the stand in the OOB build though!  Cheers all - only a few days to the start. đ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Hi Jinxman, Â the Airfix G-6 in a plastic bag is the first Airfix kit I ever built! The paper illustration cum instructions has followed me all the way to Africa and is still here with me all these years later. The model is still in my folks' home. So it holds a special place in my modelling heart. Enjoy this pilgrimage! Â Cheers JR Â 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 12 hours ago, jean said: the Airfix G-6 in a plastic bag is the first Airfix kit I ever built! The paper illustration cum instructions has followed me all the way to Africa and is still here with me all these years later. The model is still in my folks' home. So it holds a special place in my modelling heart. Enjoy this pilgrimage! Â Â Very much looking forward to it - these old kits might not be up to current standards, however they have a real charm all of their own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 I can't begin to count how many of these I've built over the years. Originally, of course, left in the trademark blue plastic with just the transfers. Later painted with Dad's Humbrol gloss enamels and later still with Airfix matt paints. Always the rocket toting bomber destroyer and never the Trop. I have a post script with this kit. Some years ago Hannants sold off a load of bagged but unboxed kits, mostly Heller but some PM. The result of a flooded stockroom or something like that. I bought a load for the school model club and I was surprised to find a dozen or so of these. Since they had been converted into snap together construction they were ideal to let the kids loose on They were put together with due care and attention, then painted in whatever colours took their fancy. We had a pink one, a couple of yellows, a lot of greens and one or two where the kids did a bit of research and had a go at a more representative colour scheme. In any event they all loved the experience, which is what it's all about. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 26, 2020 Author Share Posted April 26, 2020 22 hours ago, John said: I can't begin to count how many of these I've built over the years. John Same here - most of the time they would have been airgun fodder, not this time!  Coping with a trapped nerve in the back at the moment, and got fed up of dropping things and taking five minutes to retrieve them from the carpet monster. Anyhow - a little bit of progress with the tube cement - what a wonderful smell that stuff has. 𤪠 Next stage will be to get the wings and tailplanes on, and continue to refine the smaller bits, as they are a little toy like at the moment - decals are sitting in the sun - hopefully they'll bleach out a little bit. Two canopies included as well - how I would have loved this as standard as a kid.  My mate Brian Kesterton always had the most immaculate canopies on his kits - he didn't tell me until later that it was because he used PVA.....  8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 Great choice JM,I remember this kit in a set I got for Christmas in the late sixties and again in the dogfight doubles set with the Beaufighter,for some strange reason I have a jigsaw in the shed of  that box art. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 See, I've had to go and get one from Ebay now...đ Â John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 2 hours ago, John said: See, I've had to go and get one from Ebay now...đ  John I reckon 60s & 70s kits will be flying off the shelves of the likes of eBay and King Kit at the moment - so much choice and so many memories. đ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 4 hours ago, Jinxman said: I reckon 60s & 70s kits will be flying off the shelves of the likes of eBay and King Kit at the moment - so much choice and so many memories. đ Funnily enough I had noticed that the prices of these seem to have gone up a bit on Ebay! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 ..and a bit of progress. I'm guessing the moulds on this issue weren't aligned properly, and one side of the fuselage is a bit smaller than the other. A shame, and as I've elected to fill to make good, a lot of the raised detail will be lost in the process - I might have a mad 'un and have a go any replicating it. đ¤ The inside of the canopy has polished up very well - no need for any Klear there. Decals still bleaching.  I've had a look at the other build versus the Tamiya kit - what a difference in quality, and there are a few shape issues as well. The fit is much better than the OOB kit though. Oddly, the AZ fuselage is much closer to the Airfix shape than the Tamiya one. The AZ kit quotes reference to J.R. Beaman's work, but doesn't match his drawings - even odder. (The Tamiya kit matches the drawings more or less).  A cutting and hacking session is in the offing...đŞ Â Â 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 That is not good news about the mismatch on the fuselage moulding, looks like you needed a lot of filler to sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 A Smidgeon of filler is normal for old kits isnt it , good show , btw Whats that contraption top left? Looks a bit heavy duty for a 72nd scale 109 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 16 minutes ago, Hewy said: A Smidgeon of filler is normal for old kits isnt it , good show , btw Whats that contraption top left? Looks a bit heavy duty for a 72nd scale 109 It's a naughty kit pacifier! It's an adjustable hand-held vice with notches and grooves in the head for holding bits and pieces. I think it was designed for jewellery, but very useful for working on small bits of plastic - a bit over-specced for tidying up 1/72 WGr21s perhaps, but it was on the bench anyway. đ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, modelling minion said: That is not good news about the mismatch on the fuselage moulding, looks like you needed a lot of filler to sort it out. Yeah, it looks like the port fuselage half has shrunk. The other kit I am going to fettle is fine, so not sure why? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 I have blasted the 109 with Halford's primer in an attempt to see where all the filling and sanding was going - not my intention as I wanted a hairy stick only approach to this one. 𤨠 Whilst it is drying I have poked about to see what I can use from the AZ kit and compared the Airfix and Tamiya shapes, on build 2. The only tricky bit is that I might have to use the original u/c legs - we'll see. Probably have myself some razor saw action later....and have decided to go with Hermann Graf's 'Grune 1' - I have some of the decals required from a Begemot sheet. đ Thanks to @FalkeEins for the link to newsreel footage of the machine in question.   6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 Main airframe on build 2 has been cut to allow spacers to be inserted. The wing is too narrow in chord, the fuselage is short in the engine area, and the rear fuselage isn't deep enough. The engine area is also too shallow mainly along the front decking, but I'll attend to that once everything is fitted back together. The other issue is that the fuselage has an oval shape, instead of being slightly triangular - I'll space the bottom to increase the width, and then the etch cockpit might fit.  Build 1 has been filled and had a coat of paint ready for more sanding. Onwards. đ    6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Some proper modelling going on here, very nice work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Looks like your kit pacifier has been hard a workđł 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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