Airfix Tornado F3 Starter Set

[Wandering Minstrel]

 Would anyone know if the recent starter set issues of the Airfix Tornado F3 have the additional weapons and assorted bits sprue that was in the issues from about 2003/4? I'm hoping to bring an Italeri and a Hasegawa kit up to something closer to the aircraft's fit in the early 2000s but I'm not having much luck in finding aftermarket to do it.

[CT7567]

Were there any update parts issued for the F.3 version? I know Airfix added a sprue to the IDS kit to approximate a GR.4, but I wasn't aware of any similar additions to the ADV kit. 

 

Everything I can think of being added/revised on the real thing can be covered by aftermarket: BOL rails, AMRAAMs, and ASRAAMs all available from Hasegawa weapons sets; Phimat from the Airfix/Heller NATO weapons set (or rob a Special Hobby Mirage); bolt-on chaff dispensers (ALE-40?) from Flightpath.  Don't know of a TRD source but the BOZ pod it's based on comes in most IDS/ECR kits (and is probably offered in resin someplace).

[robc]

The 1/72 F3 version did indeed have extra parts added to it to make it into an 'EF3'.

 

Four kits at the time had extra parts added.

The Tornado GR1 to update it to a GR4 🙂 (sarcastic smiley!)

The Jaguar GR1, The Harrier GR7 and the Tornado F3.

The Tornado GR4 and Jaguar got new box art.

The Tornado F3 and Harrier GR7 got a sticker on the box proclaiming 'Now Includes New Weapons'.

 

 

I believe the starter set only contains the original F3 parts, although the Airfix website lists the parts count as 168!

The original kits contained 68 parts.

 

Regards

Edited September 14, 2020 by robc

[CT7567]

30 minutes ago, robc said:

The 1/72 F3 version did indeed have extra parts added to it to make it into an 'EF3'.

Four kits at the time had extra parts added.

The Tornado GR1 to update it to a GR4 🙂 (sarcastic smiley!)

The Jaguar GR1, The Harrier GR7 and the Tornado F3.

The Tornado GR4 and Jaguar got new box art.

The Tornado F3 and Harrier GR7 got a sticker on the box proclaiming 'Now Includes New Weapons'.

Definitely the first time I've seen that sprue, I suspect very few, if any, made it onto retail shelves this side of the "pond."  I hadn't considered the ALARM fit in my notes above, but the missiles as well as the outboard and "shoulder" (underfuselage) pylons and rails are available in several IDS kits (Revell's probably being the highest quality). 

 

A notable omission by Airfix is the Phimat pod, carried outboard opposite the BOZ in the EF.3 configuration.  In addition to SH Mirage and Airfix/Heller sets I mentioned above, the Phimat is in at least some Heller F.1 kits (CR for sure) and is also a very simple shape to scratchbuild from a Sky Flash rendered surplus if building the SEAD configuration.

 

Speaking of the other Airfix  "added parts" releases, I haven't seen that boxing of the Harrier GR.7 either but I assume it was the old tooling (vs. the all-new and widely admired 2011 release).  Scalemates doesn't show any previews, do you know what was added to the Harrier?

 

Also, it may have come a bit later but the same "new sprue for a dated kit" approach was taken with the venerable Buccaneer in the S.2B/S.2D/S.50 (before being superseded by an all-new tooling).

[robc]

Yes it was the old tooling of the GR5/7.

 

If I remember correctly, the extra parts consisted of Paveway bombs, the same sprue that was included in the GR4 box.

 

edit: there's a picture of the extra sprues in this article.

https://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?t=25616

 

.... and yes, I think the same sprue(s) was included in the last release of the old Buccaneer moulding.

 

Regards

Edited September 14, 2020 by robc

[CT7567]

43 minutes ago, robc said:

If I remember correctly, the extra parts consisted of Paveway bombs, the same sprue that was included in the GR4 box.

 

edit: there's a picture of the extra sprues in this article.

https://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?t=25616

 

.... and yes, I think the same sprue(s) was included in the last release of the old Buccaneer moulding.

 

Regards

Looks like they also spiced things up with AGM-65 for the Harrier.

 

I believe the Jaguar "GR.3" included the same sprue with Paveway III and TIALD as in the Tornado update, but the additions for the Buccaneer were a type-specific update that covered the S.50 variant and Operation Granby gear such as Pave Spike, ALQ-101, and UK 1000lb Paveway 2 LGBs, amongst other gear.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by CT7567

[robc]

Noted regarding the Buccaneer kit.

I've got one buried in the loft stash (somewhere) along with every Airfix/Heller/MPC 1/72 boxing of the MRCA/Tornado GR1/4,F3, Harrier GR1/3/5/7/9 FRS.1/FA.2 (inc P1127), Jaguar & NA39/Buccaneer and Airfix club specials (sad I know).

 

Regards

Edited September 19, 2020 by robc
added text

[CT7567]

18 hours ago, robc said:

Noted regarding the Buccaneer kit.

I've got one buried in the loft stash (somewhere) along with every Airfix/Heller/MPC 1/72 boxing of the MRCA/Tornado GR1/4,F3, Harrier GR1/3/5/7/9 (inc P1127), Jaguar & NA39/Buccaneer (sad I know).

 

Regards

Nothing sad about having the "compleat" line of a given kit.  It's fascinating sometimes to see how the same basic tooling evolves over time.  And those early boxings are invariably helpful to depict the prototype/early service versions.