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Aichi D3A1 "Val" 1:72 Airfix "Vintage Classics" A02014V


Julien

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Aichi D3A1 "Val"

1:72 Airfix "Vintage Classics" A02014V

 

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The Val was designed in the 1930s by Aichi to replace the D1A1 biplane for the Japanese Navy.  Following acceptance into the Navy the aircraft undertook its first combat missions in China in 1940. Later 126 would take part in the attack on Pearl Harbour where it proved highly accurate in it dive bombing role. In this attack many of the aircraft were sent to target the several American airfields on the Island of Oahu, using precision strikes to ensure as many US aircraft were destroyed before they could take to the air, thus minimising potential losses to the aircraft assigned to main attack. Although the aircraft went on to other success after this it went on to suffer heavy losses as allied Anti Aircraft fire improved , and superior fight cover was made available. 

 

The Kit

this is Airfix's own tool dating back to 1965 which has enjoyed many re-releases over the years. As its an old tool you get the two fuselage halves, two wings, two smaller sprues of parts and a clear sprue. Moulding is typical of the time period and the tool seems to have held up. On starting the build there is no real cockpit to speak of. The two standard Airfix pilots fit into seats and these fit directly into the fuselage, At the rear an arrestor hook is fitted then the fuselage can be closed up. The wings are made up and the wheels with their spats are added. To the fuselage ar now added the wings, the tail planes; and at the front the engine and propeller. Two small exhaust stubs are added to the engine, and then under the fuselage a centreline bomb and its swing cradle. To finish the canopies are added, as are the dive brakes to the wings, and at the rear the small tail wheel. 

 

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Markings

A small decal sheet from Cartograf provides markings for only one aircraft based on the carrier Akagi during the attack on Pearl Harbour 1941.  

 

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Conclusion

Airfix seem to be releasing their back catalog now as "Vintage Classics", this gives some indication you are getting an told tool kit not a new one. Recommended if you want a bit of nostalgia modelling. 

 

 

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Review sample courtesy of 

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What is the point of this release? Are there really that many people out there that want to fork over 11 quid for a nostalgia hit on a Val?

Airfix have plenty of kits in their back catalog that are still worth building but this isn't one of them.

Edited by sroubos
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7 hours ago, sroubos said:

What is the point of this release? Are there really that many people out there that want to fork over 11 quid for a nostalgia hit on a Val?

Airfix have plenty of kits in there back catalog that are still worth building but this isn't one of them.

Well Airfix must think so or they would not goto the expense of doing it. 

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It always make me wonder how many people, who do not know as much about new releases as people on a forum like this do, end up getting a kit that is totally dated. It gives a wrong representation of what this hobby is about in this day and age and may make people, and specifically folks new to the hobby, give up on it.

 

At least Airfix have the decency to label them clearly. Plenty of other manufacturers that sell these old kits with 'NEW RELEASE' on the box top.

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At £11 this is no longer a pocket money kit but it could still form the basis for a parent-and-child (other familial groupings are available) shared build programme, helping to guide youngsters into the hobby without the perceived complexities of, for example, one of Airfix's own splendid new Wellingtons with their wonderfully detailed but all-but-invisible interiors.  Yes it's basic and there's some parts clean-up to do bot it can be made to look the part and take its place on junior's display shelf or bedroom ceiling as a precursor to the next, hopefully better, attempt.  I'm sorely tempted to get one as (a) I've never builtv9ne before, (b) it'll make an interesting comparison with my Airfix B5Ns and (c) as soon as it's finished Airfix will probably announce a brand new tooling of it!

Edited by stever219
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I've never built this kit either, it seemed to be a rarity in the shops back in the 70s when I was working my way through the Airfix Series 1 and 2 range. I bought one when it was last released, in 2011 but after I'd seen what was in the box and had come across a Fujimi D3A I threw the Airfix one in the bin. There are plenty of perfectly decent kits in the Airfix back catalogue but there are others that are now only worth the effort of making them into a passable replica if you desperately want a model of that particular subject and if there's absolutely no alternative available. Whether the price is reasonable is a matter of personal opinion but a couple of weeks ago I paid £11 in my local model shop for an Academy P-47 which is streets ahead of the Val. 

 

Agreed, at least Airfix are now clearly labelling this category of kit as a "classic". Revell, for example, are currently selling their 1963 travesty purporting to be a P-51D and the 50-year old ex-Frog Ta 152 with nothing on the box to warn the less knowledgeable purchaser what they're getting.

 

 

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I remember building this in the 70's when I was a kid.  One of the first I painted.  Because of the simple grey and black scheme it went well.  I was chuffed and I thought it was a great model, so I bought the Matchbox Zero and another great model and simple scheme.

Edited by Jeepboy
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14 hours ago, stever219 said:

At £11 this is no longer a pocket money kit but it could still form the basis for a parent-and-child (other familial groupings are available) shared build programme, helping to guide youngsters into the hobby without the perceived complexities of, for example, one of Airfix's own splendid new Wellingtons with their wonderfully detailed but all-but-invisible interiors.  Yes it's basic and there's some parts clean-up to do bot it can be made to look the part and take its place on junior's display shelf or bedroom ceiling as a precursor to the next, hopefully better, attempt.  I'm sorely tempted to get one as (a) I've never builtv9ne before, (b) it'll make an interesting comparison with my Airfix B5Ns and (c) as soon as it's finished Airfix will probably announce a brand new tooling of it!

 

If you want to guide youngsters into the hobby, any of Airfix recent Series 1 toolings are cheaper and much more enjoyable to build. For the 11 quid this old Val cost I got my son the Spitfire MkV gift set over Christmas which is essentially a slightly simplified Series 1 kit and comes with paint, a hairy stick, glue and a stand. One of these is value for money, the other is... well isn't, let's put it that way.

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15 hours ago, AWFK10 said:

There are plenty of perfectly decent kits in the Airfix back catalogue but there are others that are now only worth the effort of making them into a passable replica if you desperately want a model of that particular subject and if there's absolutely no alternative available.

 

Exactly.  The canopy on this kit is awful and always was (sink marks, sliding portions too thick to look at all convincing).  I built one when I was about 14 (so nearly 50 years ago) and felt I'd been ripped off then.  Even within the subset of the "Classic" releases there is a considerable range of quality, from perfectly acceptable kits that are a pleasure to make and whose return will/would be welcomed even by the critical (eg P-80, Seasprite) to kits that really really ought not to see the light of day again except in plain packaging with prominent markings: "Serious health warning: this fossil could put you off modelling for life".  But Airfix will sell enough to the unwary to make it worth their while financially.  Reputational damage don't enter into it, apparently.

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I think the negativity is overdone. The box is clearly marked "Vintage Classic" so buyers should realise it's an old product.

 

I'll now put the case for the releasing it:

 

There are very few kits in 1:72 of the D4A1, or Vals in general, so having one readily available makes it attractive.  The Fujimi kits have their own fit problems, are very hard to find and not cheap. I've no idea what the ZTS Plastyk one is like, but I suspect it's not good.

 

The kit is relatively simple making it a good starter or quick-build subject.

 

The shape isn't perfect, but it's not rubbish either.

 

Good decals.

 

Edited by 3DStewart
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I think the other point to make, is that they are releasing to a certain segment of the market as a hit of nostalgia for those of a certain age bracket that are looking back at a time of their lives with rose tinted specs, and not necessarily as a starter kit. The fact that they are labelling them as "Vintage Classics" hints at that market, along with the vintage packaging.

 

Airfix/Hornby will have done their marketing research long before any of these kits saw the light of day, and will know exactly who their target audience is. They are not daft - and will not be throwing money away on a whimsical marketing idea!

 

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  • 6 months later...

I picked up one of these at a model show a few  months ago for £9.50 (so slightly below the RRP). I started putting it together last night in front of the telly watching the Commonwealth Games - exactly as these types of kits were intended to be made and how I would have built it back in the days of yore.

 

It is festooned with rivets so last night I spent a very pleasurable hour or so sanding all of the rivet detail off. And I managed to glue the two wing halves together, and they went together very well.

 

I also primed everything in anticipation of doing some proper painting tonight. The plan is to continue in the same vein i.e. telly tuned into the commonwealth Games, glass of real ale on the go.  I intend to brush paint the very basic interior. The canopy is indeed very crude and thick so there is no point in making any effort to embellish the cockpit interior - none of it will be seen with all the canopy elements closed up. The only extra work I will do in the cockpit I will do is a set of seat harnesses made from Tamiya tape.

 

My intention tonight is to have the basic airframe completely assembled before the end of this evening.

 

The one big improvement with these ancient kits in their modern guise is the standard of the decal sheets - which are a million times better than what would have been included in the old days. I needed to work on a "mojo booster" model and this little Val is ideal.

 

I never built this kit previously but I do remember my younger brother giving it a go and being rater pleased with the result. That would have been back in 1971 or 1972. 

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1 hour ago, Eric Mc said:

I picked up one of these at a model show a few  months ago for £9.50 (so slightly below the RRP). I started putting it together last night in front of the telly watching the Commonwealth Games - exactly as these types of kits were intended to be made and how I would have built it back in the days of yore.

 

It is festooned with rivets so last night I spent a very pleasurable hour or so sanding all of the rivet detail off. And I managed to glue the two wing halves together, and they went together very well.

 

I also primed everything in anticipation of doing some proper painting tonight. The plan is to continue in the same vein i.e. telly tuned into the commonwealth Games, glass of real ale on the go.  I intend to brush paint the very basic interior. The canopy is indeed very crude and thick so there is no point in making any effort to embellish the cockpit interior - none of it will be seen with all the canopy elements closed up. The only extra work I will do in the cockpit I will do is a set of seat harnesses made from Tamiya tape.

 

My intention tonight is to have the basic airframe completely assembled before the end of this evening.

 

The one big improvement with these ancient kits in their modern guise is the standard of the decal sheets - which are a million times better than what would have been included in the old days. I needed to work on a "mojo booster" model and this little Val is ideal.

 

I never built this kit previously but I do remember my younger brother giving it a go and being rater pleased with the result. That would have been back in 1971 or 1972. 

 

That's the spirit Eric. 👍

 

But I believe Airfix kits were actually intended to be built on Saturday evenings watching Pink Panther, Basil Brush and Doctor Who!😄 

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22 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

I picked up one of these at a model show a few  months ago for £9.50 (so slightly below the RRP). I started putting it together last night in front of the telly watching the Commonwealth Games - exactly as these types of kits were intended to be made and how I would have built it back in the days of yore.

 

It is festooned with rivets so last night I spent a very pleasurable hour or so sanding all of the rivet detail off. And I managed to glue the two wing halves together, and they went together very well.

 

I also primed everything in anticipation of doing some proper painting tonight. The plan is to continue in the same vein i.e. telly tuned into the commonwealth Games, glass of real ale on the go.  I intend to brush paint the very basic interior. The canopy is indeed very crude and thick so there is no point in making any effort to embellish the cockpit interior - none of it will be seen with all the canopy elements closed up. The only extra work I will do in the cockpit I will do is a set of seat harnesses made from Tamiya tape.

 

My intention tonight is to have the basic airframe completely assembled before the end of this evening.

 

The one big improvement with these ancient kits in their modern guise is the standard of the decal sheets - which are a million times better than what would have been included in the old days. I needed to work on a "mojo booster" model and this little Val is ideal.

 

I never built this kit previously but I do remember my younger brother giving it a go and being rater pleased with the result. That would have been back in 1971 or 1972. 

How on earth can you remember what you or your brother built in 1971? Impressive!

And I think you have the right mindset regarding building this model.

/Torbjörn 

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To be honest, I wouldn't swear an oath that it was 1971/72 but it must have been around that era. Both of us were involved in a local youth club which had a model building section at that time so we raced through loads of builds back then. It was probably my most productive era regarding completions ever. Standards would have been another matter - but I learned a lot.

We also built flying models too - something I'd like to have a go at again.

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  • 1 month later...

Still working on this build but am at the painting stage and have noticed what I think is a significant error in both the Roy Cross artwork and the painting instructions.

 

If you look at the painting on the box, you will see that only the engine cowling is painted black.

 

If you look at the port profile view in the painting instructions, this also shows just the engine cowling painted black.

 

If you look at the starboard profile view in the painting instructions it shows the engine cowling painted black AND a portion of the forward fuselage which swoops up to the rear of the windscreen part of the cockpit canopy also painted black. Looking at other Val artwork and kits and actual photos of the real thing, it looks like the starboard side view is CORRECT. 

 

I think the red box reissue from a few years ago got the Pearl Harbor era scheme correct too. It's just this Vintage Classic version that's wrong. 

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Airfix kits of this vintage were built on a newspaper-covered coffee table in the living room using tube glue, a nail file and pointy scissors. The background was usually the teleprinter football results on BBC1.

 

If you think this type of kit would put kids off model building you'd probably have an aneurism at the batch of PM Freedom Fighters I've got for this term's school model club 🙄

 

John

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/7/2022 at 11:33 PM, John said:

Airfix kits of this vintage were built on a newspaper-covered coffee table in the living room using tube glue, a nail file and pointy scissors.

Sounds as if you were sitting next to me when I built my first models!! 😀

Except I didn't have pointy scissors - I just used our kitchen knife to cut things off the sprue.

I'm lucky I didn't do some serious damage to myself using that knife!

Man, it was good fun though!

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