Airfix Ford F-150 Raptor (J6037) Quickbuild

[Mike]

Ford F-150 Raptor (J6037)

Airfix Quickbuild

 

 

The Ford F-150 truck is the most popular truck in the United States, and has been in that position since it was launched in the late 40s, with thirteen generations and a fourteenth announced in the summer of 2020 that is an evolution of the previous gen., but is very much different under the similar-looking hood.  Ford are also looking for a way to produce a practical electric-powered F-150 down the line to continue the legacy, but in a more environmentally friendly manner.  The Raptor is a special edition that was launched in 2014, and its name was continued with the new generation special edition that followed it.  It was engineered as a more motorsport oriented variant, with improved Fox branded suspension, new interior with colour coordinated Recaro seats to keep the passengers comfortably seated in rough terrain.  It also has a smaller 3.5Litre V6 engine for better fuel consumption in an effort to reduce the vehicle’s carbon footprint, coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission for the 2019 model.  It also has a comprehensive suite of sensors that improve the ride and handling, plus an adaptive cruise control that can even be used off-road.

 

 

 

The Kit

This is a Quickbuild kit from Airfix’s fun range that provides access to realistic-looking models without the need for tools other than perhaps a pair of tweezers to accurately place the stickers.  This is a new tooling with 43 parts, and arrives in one of their orange boxes with a hanging-loop included in the top should the retailer wish to display them on a carousel.  Inside are two bags of parts in tough ABS plastic with the clear parts in the smaller second bag, a sheet of stickers and an A3 fold-out instruction sheet printed in colour on both sides.  The parts are in three colours with silver for the underbody, some interior parts and wheel hubs; dark grey for the load area and exterior plastic parts; and dark blue for the exterior body panels and load bed.  The sprue-bound wheels have flexible rubber tyres also on their own sprue (I clipped them off for the photos), and two small sprues hold the two wing mirrors and steering wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction starts with the floor and axles, then adds rear arches and load area interior sides in grey, the tailgate and body-coloured colour insert at the back, followed by the body-coloured load bed, which is shown as grey in the instructions – I’m easily confused.  The rear of the cab is made up from the glazing with a grey panel clipped into place, which is quite hard to locate, but once you find the correct position they mate firmly, but this sub-assembly needs to be in position before the load bed is installed.  The triple rear seats sit under the vertical back window, with the front seats further forward, and the door cards closing in the sides, with the front wheel arches laid down first, then covered up by the centre console, steering wheel and instrument panel.  Again, the centre console is actually silver, but is shown as dark grey in the instructions.  The windscreen and side glazing are moulded as one and are dropped over the cab, and the front grille in blue is attached to the very front of the chassis.  Wing mirrors are inserted through the cab side panels, which also provides the angled ‘gills’ that pop through holes in the wings, then the two sides are clipped in place, with two snap-points called-out to ensure correct location.  The blue roof panel snaps over the clear parts, and in front of the windscreen a grey scuttle insert is clipped in and surrounded by a blue bonnet/hood, then the big FORD grille insert and lower bumper, both in grey.  The bodyshell is finished off by adding the two load area external panels around the grey rear arches, and the grey insert in the tailgate with FORD again writ large upon it.

 

 

Underneath the main chassis the sump-guard with front axle moulded-in, the twin exhausts and rear axle are put in their positions, using gravity to keep the chassis and axles held together strongly.  The tyres slip over the wheels from the front and click onto the axles, then you’re onto the stickers of which there are a reasonable number.  The printing on a clear background leaves them a little susceptible to scratches that remove the printing, so take care when you’re handling them.  They all go down well with the big Raptor emblem over the rear arches being the hardest to do well, and they may need some additional pressure to keep them held down.  As you might see from the pictures below, the stickers had begun to lift already, as had the rear light cluster stickers.  They reacted well to another firm burnish down and firm pressure the second time around, and I added a tiny amount of super glue to the rear lights next to the tailgate, just to be sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

I like these kits, and my son does too.  His eyes lit up when I showed him the finished model, and I’m sure it’ll be played with a lot like the others he’s got.  It won’t stay together long as he’s still a destructive little blighter, but it’s a piece of cake to put back together again, and you soon won’t need the instructions once you’re familiar.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of