RAF Sabre 4 - the Airfix 1/48 Kit

[Sabrejet]

I’m not aiming this to be a specific review of the new 1/48 Airfix Sabre F.4, but with luck it may help to answer a few of the commonly-asked questions plus highlight a few areas good and bad.

 

The kit comes in a VERY stout box, which should resist all the abuse that our postal system likes to mete out.

 

Detail is very good, and in fact I’d say that reviews of this kit haven’t done it any favours: the scribing will withstand a bit of sanding and look good under a coat of paint. OK it’s not as dainty as the Academy or Eduard/Hasegawa kits, but neither is it the end of the world. Academy version (darker grey plastic) for comparison:

 

 

 

 

Dimensionally it is pretty close to the mark: I make it 4mm short in span; within 1mm on length and crucially the wing fence is correctly-placed to within 1mm. 

 

 

Comparing parts against the Academy & Hasegawa kits also gives a favourable impression. The nosewheel is a different type to those provided in the other kits, but the mains look pretty similar.

 

 

 

 

Interior of the ammo door/step is particularly fine.

 

 

Other nice touches include optional parts for ‘closed’ doors, speed brakes etc, which feature flanges to ensure they fit level with the skin contour. Some real thought has gone into this kit.

 

 

 

Main gear doors with the bay sidewall integral will make them a lot stronger than other kit versions: 

 

 

Detail is generally great on most areas but the canopy interior is strangely lumpy:

 

 

 

 

 

The dorsal fin extension piece (part C49) is correct for a Sabre 4 and hints at an F-86F in future.

 

 

The lateral intakes on the aft lower fuselage (parts C53 and C54) are included separately and I’m not sure they indicate that a Sabre 5 or 6 is in the offing, but they would allow some easy-fit drop-in ‘sugar scoop’ versions from the aftermarket.

 

 

 

The decal sheet looks really impressive, with lots of stencil data and clear markings, which look accurate in colour and proportion. So, in terms of RAF Sabre F.4s, this kit is a good start, with a few exceptions. Bear in mind that at various points, other 1/48 Sabre kits (including the old Monogram version) have been boxed as Canadair Sabres and none of those are correct, this Airfix product is a far more accurate kit.

 

But the kit does need a few tweaks. First of all, the correct drop tanks are the “100 gal” versions (more commonly referred to as 120 US-Gallon tanks). Don’t use the larger tanks shown in Steps 79b thru 82b. And my first gripe with the kit: the flashed-over holes for the tank pylons are in the wrong place! They measure approximately 62.75mm from the fuselage centre line, which equates to BP 118 on the real aircraft: this is the outer station for a dual-store wing. The correct location should be BP 99.5, which on the kit is 52.33mm from the centre line.

 

Also, parts C58 and C59 are jacking adaptors and should not be fitted to an aircraft which isn’t being jacked. I know that Airfix scanned a museum aircraft with these installed, so that’s where the error cropped up. Shades of the old C-130K kit, so keeping up a long tradition. At least they aren’t moulded in.

 

 

 

The instructions show the main lower wing section attaching as shown: my red arrows show the correct location. I think most people will work this out for themselves.

 

 

Final main one, and I think probably also a legacy of scanning a museum aircraft, each main landing gear leg features what must be a shock absorber gag, running from torque link to torque link (circled below). A museum would fit this type of gag to avoid having to pressurise the shock absorber and/or ensure correct extension if the shock absorber leaks. It won’t take much to remove them. Hasegawa part shown for comparison:

 

 

So yes not at all bad. I’ll cover a bit more of the RAF  markings in my next post.
 

 

[hopkp]

I was looking forward to this kit, but from everything I've seen so far I'm inclined to just stick with my Hasegawa and Academy ones.

 

If in the future Airfix were to issue the later Canadair Sabre versions with the necessary 'add-ons' all in the box (as it seems they might, based on the info. above) then I'll definitely get a couple of those, but for me the current kit isn't a significant improvement over the kits/aftermarket that I already have in the stash.

Edited April 25, 2021 by hopkp

[Adam Poultney]

Museum errors seem to be a plague on Airfix's modern kits... And the whole generation of LIDAR scan based kits. They really need to get in a really good expert of each plane they do just to check for these things that someone who has only researched the aircraft in depth for the purpose of the deigning the kit would miss. Similar things are evident on the new Vulcan which is hopefully going to be out in the summer.

[SAT69]

Airfix produces some beautiful kits but they definitely need to do some work regarding instructions quality control. Sabrejet pointed the one out in this kit and I ran into one, on the Victor kit. Checking for instruction accuracy shouldn't take long, so why these kinds of errors is beyond my ability to explain.

[Julien]

52 minutes ago, hopkp said:

I was looking forward to this kit, but from everything I've seen so far I'm inclined to just stick with my Hasegawa and Academy ones.

 

If in the future Airfix were to issue the later Canadair Sabre versions with the necessary 'add-ons' all in the box (as it seems they might, based on the info. above) then I'll definitely get a couple of those, but for me the current kit isn't a significant improvement over the kits/aftermarket that I already have in the stash.

My thoughts exactly. I went as far as to cancel my pre-order.

[Rabbit Leader]

Thanks for the mini review Duncan. On face value it would appear we have a nice new Sabre kit, however not a lot to differentiate it or that betters it’s older rivals. It probably would have sold like hot cakes if marketed as an F-86A with wing slats, but we know that’s not on Airfix’s radar.
 

I’m also slightly amused by all these recent LIDAR errors creeping in, which must surely now debunk the theory that Airfix will only kit a new tool mould if an original example exists... a good set of plans and sound discussions with SME’s could open up many more subject possibilities. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Sabrejet]

1 hour ago, Adam Poultney said:

They really need to get in a really good expert of each plane they do just to check for these things that someone who has only researched the aircraft in depth for the purpose of the deigning the kit would miss. 

 

Mmmm. I did get a credit on the instructions

[Tony Edmundson]

Duncan, how is the fuselage ahead of that fin insert ???

 

Cheers, Tony

[Sabrejet]

1 minute ago, Tony Edmundson said:

Duncan, how is the fuselage ahead of that fin insert ???

 

Cheers, Tony

 

Looks OK: anything in particular?

 

[Tony Edmundson]

the flush vent is flush and not the raised vent ala F-86F.   curious as to the reason for the insert as the vent is well ahead of that area.

 

[Sabrejet]

Yes the insert looks OK. I'll need to put it all in place to get a better idea. Will post some photos tomorrow.

[Tony Edmundson]

in the fourth photo you posted, it looks like there is a raised area ahead of the fin insert

[Sabrejet]

4 minutes ago, Tony Edmundson said:

in the fourth photo you posted, it looks like there is a raised area ahead of the fin insert

 

Not sure why it gives that effect: the aperture for the insert is in that area. It's not raised for sure.

[Admiral Puff]

I live in hope that some day someone will give us a kit of the best F-86 of the lot - the one with the Avon engine ...

[Harry Callahan]

When i see the pics iam really disappointed about Airfix. Thats not state of the art. No crispy details, my old Hasegawa and Academy ones looks still much better.

Airfix is really semilar to Revell, both are not high level engineering. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Harry Callahan

[Julien]

7 hours ago, Admiral Puff said:

I live in hope that some day someone will give us a kit of the best F-86 of the lot - the one with the Avon engine ...

There are some decent conversions out there

[Julien]

3 hours ago, Harry Callahan said:

When i see the pics iam really disappointed about Airfix. Thats not state of the art. No crispy details, my old Hasegawa and Academy ones looks still much better.

Airfix is really semilar to Revell, both are not high level engineering. 

Well I have seen the new 1/72 Beaufort and the new 1/48 Blenheim Mk.1 and they are both very good kits. The Sabre unfortunately does not look as good  

[Admiral Puff]

47 minutes ago, Julien said:

There are some decent conversions out there

All from the same source - the Tasman conversion set, which was issued by several companies. It's good, and quite accurate (I've built the 1:72 version, and it makes up into a nice model) but a shedload of work. It would be nice to have a decent mainstream injection moulded kit of CAC's Sabre that didn't stretch the vocabulary in the course of the build.

[Adam Poultney]

12 hours ago, SAT69 said:

Airfix produces some beautiful kits but they definitely need to do some work regarding instructions quality control. Sabrejet pointed the one out in this kit and I ran into one, on the Victor kit. Checking for instruction accuracy shouldn't take long, so why these kinds of errors is beyond my ability to explain.

They finally told me that they are going to issue a corrected instruction pdf for the Victor but no sign of it as of yet....

[bryanm]

I've said it before - I wish they would produce a written parts list.  Not only useful for builders, especially youngsters (in the days of written instructions, part of the educational aspect of modelling used to be knowing what all the bits were correctly called) but also for the Airfix staff.  They evidently didn't know what the jacking adaptors were so didn't question when they should be fitted.  I guess most of us wouldn't have known either had it not been for sabrejet's post!

 

It is a very nice kit and has given me another excuse to not tackle the Tiger Moth rigging.......

[Adam Poultney]

33 minutes ago, bryanm said:

I've said it before - I wish they would produce a written parts list.  Not only useful for builders, especially youngsters (in the days of written instructions, part of the educational aspect of modelling used to be knowing what all the bits were correctly called) but also for the Airfix staff.  They evidently didn't know what the jacking adaptors were so didn't question when they should be fitted.  I guess most of us wouldn't have known either had it not been for sabrejet's post!

 

It is a very nice kit and has given me another excuse to not tackle the Tiger Moth rigging.......

that is.... actually a really really good idea

[Giorgio N]

12 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Thanks for the mini review Duncan. On face value it would appear we have a nice new Sabre kit, however not a lot to differentiate it or that betters it’s older rivals. It probably would have sold like hot cakes if marketed as an F-86A with wing slats, but we know that’s not on Airfix’s radar.
 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

There is one aspect of this kit that will sure make it more interesting than the Asian competitors: it will be easily available in Airfix main markets. something that Academy and Hasegawa may not guarantee.

Said that I agree that in terms of mould quality this kit does not seem to improve on the other two. Not that it surprises me, I generally don't expect Airfix's best to match Hasegawa or Academy's best in this aspect. That is not a problem really,there's not a huge subject overlapping  between these companies so Airfix kits still find a place in my stash.

 

If then this kit gets the various Canadair Sabre 4 specific details better than the others, it is another reason to buy this over the others.

[Dave Fleming]

14 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

 

Said that I agree that in terms of mould quality this kit does not seem to improve on the other two. Not that it surprises me, I generally don't expect Airfix's best to match Hasegawa or Academy's best in this aspect. That is not a problem really,there's not a huge subject overlapping  between these companies so Airfix kits still find a place in my stash.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if it's the mould or the soft plastic they use for the production. Both Academy and Hasegawa used much harder plastic, which seems to retain tha5t 'sharpness' much better

 

[Sabrejet]

16 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

There is one aspect of this kit that will sure make it more interesting than the Asian competitors: it will be easily available in Airfix main markets. something that Academy and Hasegawa may not guarantee.

Said that I agree that in terms of mould quality this kit does not seem to improve on the other two. Not that it surprises me, I generally don't expect Airfix's best to match Hasegawa or Academy's best in this aspect. That is not a problem really,there's not a huge subject overlapping  between these companies so Airfix kits still find a place in my stash.

 

If then this kit gets the various Canadair Sabre 4 specific details better than the others, it is another reason to buy this over the others.

 

Nicely put. None of the issues I highlighted are showstoppers. The shape is good, accuracy good and there are some nicely thought-out options and solutions. No it's not an F-86A, but we'll get over it. I think the encouraging thing is that with luck its mainstream nature will prompt the aftermarket to do some narrow-chord wings and other goodies.

[Shorty84]

Ah well, no reason to replace my Revell/Eduard (ex-Hasegawa) Sabres then. If only Airfix would tool a narrow chord wing with slats, then I for sure would get an example, but another 6-3 wing...meh.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Shorty84