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Airfix Mk.IXc in 1/24.


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12 hours ago, Whofan said:

It may surprise you - it certainly did me - but the Guardian has a piece on the new 1/24 Airfix Spitfire.

 

Spoiler : you maay find this a bit snarky.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/nov/15/chocks-away-airfixs-spitfire-takes-to-the-skies-again

It’s a bit like some of my school reports. Could do better 😉.

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It's arrived with the free poster. There is a very heart-warming bit of information on the side of the box as well. Now I need to hand it over as it is one of my Xmas presents - a bargain at £75.99 (I took advantage of Club Membership and the 20% offer a few months back).

 

y4mIYat4NuZ7te1O4fLG5NgYfKP44Ono642h2c7E

y4mUz8IusMcOuQrqq0P9NwgXa8FaaXOkrA_FHS_Z

y4mTDmDmIP1CiAf-qKpeJUMj1RxxWJHZeFHF2GDs

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Very pleased with what arrived today, the kit looks fantastic. Great instructions again like the Hellcat, and the six decal options are good too. Looks well produced and sharply moulded with good clear parts.

 

Also very impressed with the compact size of the box, looks like a great kit.

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Just had an email that mine is due tomorrow.

 

At Telford, I managed to pick up a canvas print of the artwork from Adam Tooby next to the Airfix stand and absolutely made up with it. I'll be adding a few more to the man cave / office in due course.

 

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1 hour ago, woody37 said:

Just had an email that mine is due tomorrow.

 

At Telford, I managed to pick up a canvas print of the artwork from Adam Tooby next to the Airfix stand and absolutely made up with it. I'll be adding a few more to the man cave / office in due course.

 

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I picked up the canvas print of the Lancaster. They are very nice aren't they, looks great on the wall.

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2 hours ago, noelh said:

Great to see it's out. In time for Christmas too. Although in my case it won't  be this Christmas😪 No mon, no fun.

 

Hopefully  none of issues that  plagued the Typhoon arise.

 

 

What issues?

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If you haven't read this article, or if you have but not read the reader's comments, you should do so.

 

It's clear that  Guardian readers were all pretty much like many modellers I know (myself included) when it came to playing with models once made when they were much younger.

 

Also, it turns out  a great many of the commenters continuet o make models, some seemingly more than others, and a couple of  the commenters refer to seeing the display builds at Scale Model World.

 

There are some snarky comments, but you know, I almost felt as if I were in a BM forum reading the comments there!!

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5 hours ago, KrisW77 said:

I picked up the canvas print of the Lancaster. They are very nice aren't they, looks great on the wall.

Ah cool. I was in the process of buying that until I seen the Spitfire, I wondered who bought it. They are very nice. I've got two spaces for future purchases!

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2 hours ago, Mike said:

We dun did the revoo.  It am nice :yes:

 

 

 

I may be out on a limb here but I never seem to get the excitement generated by a Mark IX?  If Airfix had pushed the envelope a little more and produced a high back XIV or a really accurate V then I for one would be interested as the choice of markings etc is far wider than with the IX. 
 

Still I cant knock Airfix for their impressive work in producing such detail in a kit and I genuinely hope that those that buy it enjoy the build.

 

Mike

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Ayup…

 

Yes, I got one too. Regardless, but I didn’t get any instructions… I’ve asked Airfix to send me some, but you know, basic…

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12 hours ago, mick b said:

I may be out on a limb here but I never seem to get the excitement generated by a Mark IX?  If Airfix had pushed the envelope a little more and produced a high back XIV or a really accurate V then I for one would be interested as the choice of markings etc is far wider than with the IX. 
 

Still I cant knock Airfix for their impressive work in producing such detail in a kit and I genuinely hope that those that buy it enjoy the build.

 

Mike

Having examined the sprues at Telford, it's clear that Airfix will, in time, be issuing other variants.

- A separate 'panel' on the rear fuselage is presumably for a retractable tailwheel - surely a Mk Vlll though that would need shorter ailerons, though still a 'c' wing.

- As the lX was, initially at least, a re-engined V, a Vc  should be possible with a new engine.

- The fuselage halves are on quite separate sprues, so a low back XVl should be possible.  Yes, I know the engine was built by Packard and parts weren't interchangeable, but probably didn't, even in 1/24, look much (or any) different.  That said most were 'e' winged.

I'm sure Airfix have considered all these, and many more factors in what I hope will be a 'cash cow' and make them lots and lots of money.

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On 16/11/2022 at 15:48, avro683 said:

What issues?

Many of the bubble top canopies had faulty mouldings

6 hours ago, Denford said:

- A separate 'panel' on the rear fuselage is presumably for a retractable tailwheel - surely a Mk Vlll though that would need shorter ailerons, though still a 'c' wing.

 

Looking at the review sprue shots, are those not a pair of shorter ailerons, just above the 'G'  ?

sprue6.jpg

......................................................................................................................^^^^^^^these^^^^^^^^

 

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9 hours ago, Denford said:

Having examined the sprues at Telford, it's clear that Airfix will, in time, be issuing other variants.

- A separate 'panel' on the rear fuselage is presumably for a retractable tailwheel - surely a Mk Vlll though that would need shorter ailerons, though still a 'c' wing.

- As the lX was, initially at least, a re-engined V, a Vc  should be possible with a new engine.

- The fuselage halves are on quite separate sprues, so a low back XVl should be possible.  Yes, I know the engine was built by Packard and parts weren't interchangeable, but probably didn't, even in 1/24, look much (or any) different.  That said most were 'e' winged.

I'm sure Airfix have considered all these, and many more factors in what I hope will be a 'cash cow' and make them lots and lots of money.

 

I think the bean counters will have a say in future versions. The VIII needs more than just shorter ailerons - outer wingtip lights in the lower wings, fuel tanks in the wing roots and the belly light was moved back so the fuselage will need some attention too. The Vc is a big possibility with a new engine and cowls. The XIV cowlings have different panel lines at the fuselage, so not just a new nose and engine - the fuselage will need attention too, plus that ‘e’  wing. Personally I reckon a Vc is a big chance, but it all comes back to ‘$’ doesn’t it (sorry, don’t have a pound button) so will depend on the anticipated return that the bean counters come up with, versus the cost of the new sprues. With so much of the existing kit applicable, hard not to imagine it would be a good investment but that’s above my pay rate. :) 

 

 

2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

Many of the bubble top canopies had faulty mouldings

 

Looking at the review sprue shots, are those not a pair of shorter ailerons, just above the 'G'  ?

sprue6.jpg

......................................................................................................................^^^^^^^these^^^^^^^^

 

I think those ‘shorter’ ailerons are the lower half for the ailerons shown above them Troy, but stand to be corrected.

Edited by Peter Roberts
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I would expect a Mk.VIII, based on the component breakdown. Whether they address the differences completely, has yet to be seen. Doing the early IXc properly is going to require some corrections by the modeller. What is missing from the early version, are raised rivets, correct wide cannon blisters and the option of the Mk.VI type metal propeller blades. They are pretty easy to spot, having a narrower chord and rounded tips. I am not sure how they have addressed the upper cowling differences on the early IXc either. I expect to see some resin aftermarket PDQ.

If they do a Vc, I would expect corrected cannon blisters, but I seriously doubt they would address the raised rivets, which in my opinion should be an up to date requirement in this scale. If Kotare can do it in 1/32, it should be possible for 1/24. But again I doubt they would do it, it’s what made me pass up the Hellcat. I can deal with the drilled out rivets on the Mk.IX late with some Mr. Surfacer 500, but making them raised in 1/24 is not going to be easy.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

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5 minutes ago, MrB17 said:

I would expect a Mk.VIII, based on the component breakdown. Whether they address the differences completely, has yet to be seen. Doing the early IXc properly is going to require some corrections by the modeller. What is missing from the early version, are raised rivets, correct wide cannon blisters and the option of the Mk.VI type metal propeller blades. They are pretty easy to spot, having a narrower chord and rounded tips. I am not sure how they have addressed the upper cowling differences on the early IXc either. I expect to see some resin aftermarket PDQ.

If they do a Vc, I would expect corrected cannon blisters, but I seriously doubt they would address the raised rivets, which in my opinion should be an up to date requirement in this scale. If Kotare can do it in 1/32, it should be possible for 1/24. But again I doubt they would do it, it’s what made me pass up the Hellcat. I can deal with the drilled out rivets on the Mk.IX late with some Mr. Surfacer 500, but making them raised in 1/24 is not going to be easy.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

 

Ah, yes, good point about the raised rivets on the early Spitfire fuselage. That does add an extra cost - new fuselage. Hmm

 

So, new wing for a Mk VIII, and possibly a new fuselage for that belly light, or new fuselage for a Vc.

Edited by Peter Roberts
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While an XIV looks unlikely a late XII (flush-riveted, retractable tailwheel) seems doable with new tooling for everything forward of the firewall, and wing differences which would also accommodate a near approximation to a Vc. 

It's a bit niche, but they did it in 1/48, so who knows?

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On 11/18/2022 at 3:22 AM, Troy Smith said:

Many of the bubble top canopies had faulty mouldings

 

Looking at the review sprue shots, are those not a pair of shorter ailerons, just above the 'G'  ?

sprue6.jpg

......................................................................................................................^^^^^^^these^^^^^^^^

 

Which could be matched with a notch or extension on the wingtips ton cover the gap. Iirc, ICM used this approach for their short-span ailerons. 
 

Can the u/c be built retracted on the new Airfix kit?

 

ETA: just read @Mike’s review:

”If you plan on displaying your model wheels-up, the main gear is made up starting with only half the tyre, inserting a two-part hub in the middle, and then sliding the leg into the centre.”

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