1/48 - Bristol Bulldog Mk.II by Airfix - box art+schemes+test build+3D renders - release April 2024

[Paul Thompson]

4 hours ago, dragonlanceHR said:

Least said, soon as mended.

To be fair, it was a moderately successful retooling (in the sense of major fettling) of the unreleased and apparantly quite nasty Merit (the very, very old one) kit (hope I got that right). 

 

Paul.

[dragonlanceHR]

2 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

I don't like my finished Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.V, it's a Weekend version, thus being pretty spartan inside (should have built a Profipack version which I have several).

 

Try the new tool Eduard Camels. Real gems.

[TheKinksFan]

1 hour ago, alt-92 said:

The only thing I can suggest that might make the occasional 1/48 foray more palatable is sticking to smaller subjects  - a 1/48 interwar bipe is usually just as big or smaller as an 1/72 F-102 for instance. 
But it's a personal thing

Good suggestion, I have for instance an ICM 1/48 I-153 in the stash. I think a 1/72 Corsair is the same size or even bigger. 

[TheKinksFan]

30 minutes ago, dragonlanceHR said:

Try the new tool Eduard Camels. Real gems

I will have to do that, I have three of them in the stash. The parts look really good, and the schemes are tempting too. 

[matti64]

18 hours ago, Enzo the Magnificent said:

 

They already released a 1/48 Fury....   

 

 

 

 

I'll get me   

And if the Bulldog is succesful, then perhaps they will produce a new-tool Fury without any of the errors of the two previous kits.

[AntPhillips]

Let's hope it sells well, would love to see a Hawker Demon / Hart / Hind/ Audax / Osprey family.

[TEXANTOMCAT]

11 minutes ago, AntPhillips said:

Let's hope it sells well, would love to see a Hawker Demon / Hart / Hind/ Audax / Osprey family.

AMG have you covered for the Hart and Demon in 1/48 and 1/72 - the former I have and are lovely.

 

TT

[593jones]

18 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

There are 1/48 Hawker Hart and Demon kits  from AMG, released a couple of years ago.

 

 

Indeed, but I prefer my kits without p/e parts.  Thankfully Airfix haven't gone down the p/e route.  Airfix will probably b cheaper, too  😁

[alt-92]

Gosh, you're not a very demanding lot are ya

 

[binbrook87]

8 hours ago, TheKinksFan said:

I'm asking for advice: how can a die hard 1/72 builder learn to like a 1/48 kit? This Bulldog as a subject is perfect for me, I love everything about it, it being an inter-war biplane, the schemes, the exposed engine etc. But I have a big problem with 1/48 kits. Stupidly I amassed a pretty large stash of 1/48 kits, all high quality releases (Eduard, Airfix, Tamiya, Hasegawa etc), but after building some of them I realized that I don't like size of the finished aircraft, and didn't get any enjoyment or satisfaction from looking at them, most of them are now hidden in shoe boxes. I sold all the 1/48 and 1/32 kits, but have still 1/48 Eduard biplanes and some other inter-war 1/48 biplanes in the stash, still uncertain what to do, keep or sell them.

 

I know I'm asking the impossible, no one can answer me if I would enjoy this 1/48 Bulldog, but maybe someone has had same kind of issues and managed to find enjoyment building the 'wrong scale'. This new Airfix kit seems to be decently detailed inside the cockpit, and that is an important enjoyment factor for me. I don't like my finished Eduard 1/48 Albatros D.V, it's a Weekend version, thus being pretty spartan inside (should have built a Profipack version which I have several). Sizewise Bulldog is a bit bigger than an Albatros, but comparing it to an 1/72 Swordfish there's not that much difference, Bulldog's wingspan is 21 cm, Swordfish's 19 cm, though the fuselage is considerably thicker. 

To be honest since coming back to modelling 7 or 8 years ago or so the one thing I've learned is...dont stick to a specialised subject!! Do what takes your fancy. Some subjects suit different scales. Don't worry about everything having to be the same scale or subject. Who cares?! I started back with 1/48 scale aircraft, then found some of the subjects way to large. So i switched to 1/72 but found some of the smaller subjects not 'real' or impressive enough. So I've since moved around between 1/35, 1/48 and 1/72 or 1/76 armour, 1/700 ships, 1/144 aircraft and now I build what takes my fancy. I'll store some finished models away, display others on rotation, add dioramas to some but not others. No big deal, there's no 'model police' to pull you up about it...so relax and do what you want. 😁

[bjohns5]

On 1/9/2024 at 8:57 AM, B_Bogus said:

Really pleased to see this.

Dare we dream of future Gamecocks, Siskins, Flycatchers, etc?

Armory Model Group has released a couple variants of the Fairey Flycatcher

 

[TheKinksFan]

7 hours ago, bjohns5 said:

Armory Model Group has released a couple variants of the Fairey Flycatcher

This Bulldog was really unexpected release from Airfix, but they like to release some lesser known esoteric subjects, at least that's what they are compared to Messerschmitts and Spitfires. 

But we shouldn't expect many releases like these, so that they would be a yearly occurrence. As Dale from Airfix explains, they have be extremely careful what kits they release, too many kits like this and soon there would be no Airfix. 

I find it unrealistic to expect a line of inter-war aircraft, especially if it's already covered by an Ukrainian company, like in the case of these Flycatchers, Harts and Demons. 

Of course if it sells well they maybe will be encouraged to expand this genre. But I know that a biplane will never be as popular as a WW2 or Cold War subject. That's the sad reality. But big thumbs up for Airix for releasing subjects like Gladiator, Tiger Moth and Bulldog. A new Airfix Gladiator in 1/48 is something that I would like to see released, even though I'm a 1/72 builder. 

Edited January 11 by TheKinksFan

[matti64]

I'll HAVE to get one as it includes Australian markings (That's my excuse). I think that Airfix might be testing the waters with this  release to  see if the Era has  sufficient interest for mdellers at the moment. They have also intimated that there will be other surprise releases during the year so I think that it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that despite the differences of scale a 1/24th scale subject like a Gauntlet, or more realistically a Gladiator might appear.

[Work In Progress]

1 hour ago, matti64 said:

despite the differences of scale a 1/24th scale subject like a Gauntlet, or more realistically a Gladiator might appear.

The Gladiator and Mosquito were always widely believed to be the two "next" subjects for the original 1/24 series that ended with the Harrier after the company got into financial difficulties. They have subsequently done the Mosquito in the modern era so the Gladiator would not surprise me too much

Edited January 11 by Work In Progress

[John]

I expected the "next" Matchbox 1/32 scale kit to be a Gladiator, it seemed to fit right in. Alas...😀

 

John 

[TheKinksFan]

Modern 1/24 Airfix kits have to be extremely expensive to tool, so the subject has to be extremely popular, like Spitfire, Bf 109 or Mustang. 

 

A 1/24 Gladiator would never sell enough. ICM can release big 1/32 kits of subjects like Gladiator, Cr.42 or Hs 123, but they're relatively simple kits with low parts count. And the expenses for something tooled in Kyiv in-house must be several times less than something done in the UK 

[PattheCat]

Just to say that, even if not personally interested, I'm really happy with this Airfix announcement for interwar subjects' or biplanes' enthusiasts.

And for me, maybe a hint that I still may reasonably expect a 1/48 Gladiator in the future.

Edited January 13 by PattheCat

[B_Bogus]

On 1/11/2024 at 12:51 AM, bjohns5 said:

Armory Model Group has released a couple variants of the Fairey Flycatcher

 

True, but I think comparing Armory with Airfix is a bit 'apples & oranges'.

(from a modeller with a box full of old etch frets with only the seat belts used)

[Harold55]

This is a kit I will 100% need to get when it comes out.  I have a keen interest in aircraft from between the wars and love bi-planes.  And there are so many great colorful schemes too.  This is very welcome!  Airfix seems to want to clean out me wallet.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

On 12/01/2024 at 22:03, Harold55 said:

Airfix seems to want to clean out me wallet.

 

They've been doing that to me for the past few years!!!   

 

 

[gingerbob]

OK, I imagine this has been covered somewhere, but are there "visually apparent" differences between the II and IIA?

[Stephen B]

I believe the fin profile is different.

[Stephen B]

Also the IIa had a tail wheel rather than a skid, and the propeller boss was different.

[Paul Thompson]

41 minutes ago, gingerbob said:

OK, I imagine this has been covered somewhere, but are there "visually apparent" differences between the II and IIA?

II, tailskid, IIa. tail wheel. Different engines. Several different fins tried out. Doubtless more, no time to check right now.

 

Paul.

 

P.S. crossed in the post with Stephen B.

Edited January 27 by Paul Thompson
Clarification.

[Patrik]

8 hours ago, gingerbob said:

OK, I imagine this has been covered somewhere, but are there "visually apparent" differences between the II and IIA?

Mk.II/IIA differed mainly internally. With the RAF, the safest bet is the serial number. J9567 to J9591 and K1079 to K1101 were Mk.II, the rest Mk.IIa. Externally the difference in engine version is not that easy to spot, though early Bulldogs had engines with valve gear covers, but probably just the first “J” series. From the published Airfix schemes, only the photos of J9576 show it with the valve gear covers, K1088 and A12-1 are without them. Therefore, the most obvious distinction is the different style of oil cooler. Otherwise both versions, at least until 1933, look almost identical.

 

The propeller spinner yes/no is not a good lead either. It seems to me it was an individual choice, dictated probably by a desire to lower the nose weight (Bulldog was known to be nose heavy).

 

Regarding tailskid/tailwheel and enlarged fin, in August 1933, K3513 from the last Mk.IIa series was fitted with wider track undercarriage, larger fin and tailwheel, and by the end of 1933 all Mk.IIa still in service were modified identically.

 

The export versions differ similarly to the RAF airplanes, some come from the Mk.II series of 92, and some others from the Mk.IIa series of 268, the available references give quite clear overview on this matter.

Edited January 27 by Patrik