Sea Vixen 1/48

[DraganChe]

Hello friends,

 

Just to ask, which one kit is better to make, of this famous British aircraft? Airfix or Trumpeter?

 

Thanks in advance.

[tempestfan]

The reviewer on Hyperscale was slightly underwhelmed of the Trumpeter kit.

[bentwaters81tfw]

Trumpeter, as usual, got it wrong.

[JohnT]

Just to throw in another for the sake of completeness there is the somewhat rare Dynavector vac model in 1/48 which, while a vac is regarded as about as good as vacs get and better than some injection kits

 

Review here

http://www.hyperscale.com/features/2001/seavixenpb_1.htm

mother reviews are available 

 

just spotted three on Evil bay if you are interested. No connection with sellers

[71chally]

The Airfix kit is superb, not only a very good kit of the Sea Vixen, but also one of their finest kits I would say.

It goes together beautifully, even at stages where it looks complicated, and the surface detail is very good.

If there is any criticism it's that the plastic parts, even very small fragile ones, are attached to the molding tree by very thick joiners - make sure you use very stout snips and go easy!

 

The Dynavector kit is good, and goes together well, especially for a vacform, but it doesn't come close to the Airfix one in terms of detail and rendering such things as the intake trunking.

 

The Trumpeter kit gets it wrong, though it looks nicely detailed.

[gareth]

I'd echo the comments above, and suggest getting the Airfix kit, for one that is (roughly) the right shape and should go together easier than the Dynavector Vac kit. 

You didn't mention which mark you were after, but everyone has probably rightly assumed that you want a FAW.2, but if you need a different version then Alleycat do/did a range of resin conversions including the FAW.1 version. 

[Tony Whittingham]

Definitely Airfix!

 

[neilh]

Definitely Airfix, but if you build it with the wings folded you need to grow an extra hand or have a dextrous mouth!    I also added the Neomega cockpit which is stunning in detail and fits without too much effort.

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

34 minutes ago, neilh said:

Definitely Airfix, but if you build it with the wings folded you need to grow an extra hand or have a dextrous mouth!    I also added the Neomega cockpit which is stunning in detail and fits without too much effort.

 

I have this kit and wish to build it with folded wings. Please elaborate what the razor blade in the Sea Vixen flavored candyfloss of life is exactly? 

[Pappy]

 G'day Dragan,

 

I have started the Airfix kit but stalled (myy fault)  but would agree that the Airfix kit is the one to build.I have not seen the Trumpeter kit in person but from the Hyperscale review I would still opt for the Airfix kit. The Dynavector kit may be correcly shaped but will require extra work to build and does not have all the beaustiful panel engraving of the Airfix kit so it seems to me that it would be more work for a similar resul. My biggest issue withthe Airfix kit is that my example (and a few others I have seen built) had some sink marks in the plastic, especially on the wings. Not a huge problem and easily fixed with some putty but annoying,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Selwyn]

Airfix by far.

 

The Trumpeter kit isn't very accurate, it doesn't come with a wing fold option, The operational Sea Vixen only really used one basic colour scheme in its lifetime and Trumpeter got it very wrong on the instructions, The decal sheet is unbelievably bad, having you put white decal numbers on a white background, one of the options serial number is for a Bulldog Trainer  not a SeaVixen IIRC. And the recommended retail price is more than the Airfix kit !

 

Selwyn

 

[DraganChe]

Thank you dear friends.So, ok I will buy Airfix kit.

Is there any good references about real thing?

Thank you.

[neilh]

14 hours ago, Evil_Toast_RSA said:

 

I have this kit and wish to build it with folded wings. Please elaborate what the razor blade in the Sea Vixen flavored candyfloss of life is exactly? 

Basically you have to hold the wings in place in the folded position whilst at the same time positioning the wing strut perfectly into 2 holes.  Given glue in all three positions, and the strut is " under" the folded wing so partially out of view it is tricky.  I used superglue on the strut held in place using  curved tweezers, with accelerator applied from a paintbrush held in my teeth, whilst holding the wing in place with the other hand. I'm sure there may be a better way.....here is the finished article- you can see the number of hinges on the wing fold that you need to align and can just see the red painted strut on the port wing. Still a lovely kit and one of my most favourite builds ever.

http://ipmsavon.org.uk/meetings-gallery.php?year=16#20160518-6

Edited December 19, 2020 by neilh