Fading away?............Not a chance! ****Finished****

[Zephyr91]

Can't believe I'm doing this, being barely able to produce a "factory finish" paint standard.  However, I've seen Troy @Troy Smith describe the effects of exposure on Hurricane paintwork including this one...

 

 

.....and I want to have a go.

 

However, I was intrigued by the Wingleader Archive publication showing another 3 Squadron aircraft at a similar period.  This has also been shown previously by Troy ......

 

 

Quoting from the Wingleader captions on page 26 –

 

“…photos of 3 Squadron Hurricanes taken in the summer of 1939 clearly show the overpainted outline of the old y/b/w/r roundels on the fuselage.  The most noticeable thing is the single upper port wing roundel and single lower starboard wing roundel.  On OP-D below, the entire starboard wing has been repainted with a simplified scheme after removing the roundel.”

 

So, this is the subject I intend to try

 

3 Sqn RAF   Hurricane Mk I   OP-D / L1934    Summer 1939

 

I'll be using the Airfix Mk 1 with fabric wing, and which I've built previously.  I'll list the tweaks needed when I actually start the build.    I'm going to try and resist fiddling with the cockpit details (honest  ) in order to spend more time on the external paintwork.

 

From Scalemates, this is the boxing I've got

 

 

I have some decals on order, but will have to wait a bit before starting.

 

We are off to Ireland tomorrow for a week or 2, including a visit with our youngest daughter who has just moved from Limerick to just south of Dublin.  🍀  So it's sort of a House Warming (not so much a house as a basement flat, but hey...).

 

I had to get involved with this GB - how can anyone resist a Hurricane, fading or not?!  

 

thanks for looking

 

Rob

 

 

[Wings unlevel]

32 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

I had to get involved with this GB - how can anyone resist a Hurricane, fading or not?!  

No doubt many more BMers will also find resistance futile, especially given the depth and breadth of subjects to chose from - yours being a prime example.

 

37 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

I'm going to try and resist fiddling with the cockpit details (honest  )

No judgment here! All welcome in this GB. 🤣

[Rabbit Leader]

Great the see the Mossie GB gang queuing up with Hurricane builds here. A lovely choice of scheme Rob and with three of these kits in my stash, I might consider cracking one out should I have some spare time towards the end.

 

Cheers and all the best.. Dave 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

On 7/28/2025 at 12:42 AM, Zephyr91 said:

how can anyone resist a Hurricane

It is impossible. Really, how can anyone resist two Hurricanes?

[Zephyr91]

On 30/07/2025 at 16:35, ModelingEdmontonian said:

It is impossible. Really, how can anyone resist two Hurricanes?

Apologies ME for tardy response, but I've been in Ireland for a few days holidays.  I agree entirely.  I have a second in mind .... but fairly straightforward.  That's IF i get this finished.

 

Apart from the pleasure of visiting with my youngest daughter, we finished the break watching her play in a "proms" concert of film music with the Irish Symphony Orchestra in Trim.  Trim is very proud of its association with the film Braveheart and the guest of honour at the proms was Mel Gibson.

 

Fair enough.  But if you were to ask me what was the best bit of the holiday, I'd name 2 things.   

1.  The sound of a Merlin engine pulling a P-51 around the sky at the airshow at Bray

2.  The piglet racing at a village country fair somewhere in the Wicklow hills.  The Guiness was great, and I haven't laughed so much for ages.

 

Rob

[Zephyr91]

Meanwhile, a quick update.  I apologise, but it IS the holiday season so I'm a bit pushed for some serious bench time.

 

I've made a modest start with all the bits and bobs that need fettling on this Airfix  kit.  For the price, I think it's very good but (as has been reported elsewhere) some tweaks are needed.  Also, including the the appropriate mix of Hurricane Mk I alterations as the aircraft evolved requires some concentration.   In this respect @Troy Smith and @Graham Boak (amongst many) have been very helpful to me in the past.  So I hope I've picked up enough info etc. to try and take on board the right stuff they've been kind enough to share - but please feel free to comment etc..

 

To business.  In the few days available to me between trips (we're off again tomorrow for a couple of days) I've made a start ....

 

 

There've been sprue shots aplenty for this kit, so rather than repeat them what I have here is evidence that I have started with a box of bits and not cheated the 25% rule!     I have been sorting the bits I want to keep from the kit and which are heading for the spares box.  The main components I will have to find elsewhere are the 5-spoke wheels and probably a vac-form canopy, along with some replacement decals [Stash raid imminent, I'd say!].

 

 

Starting with the wing, here is a "before" view of the trailing edge.  It's not as bad as the 1:72 Defiant but benefits from some thinning to remove material from the inside before assembly.  One also needs to remove the fabric effect from directly behind the gun access panels.

 

 

Not sure it's so visible in the photo, but it looks better to me here on the cutting mat.  Other things are being gradually assembled as can be just discerned in the photo - prop and radiator bath for instance.   You might also see the Airfix seat and an Arma Hobby one side-by-side.

 

The Arma one is spare and I'd wondered about replacing the Airfix seat.  The Arma one is more finely moulded.  It is slightly shorter (which was my main niggle with the Airfix rendering) but on closer inspection it is slightly wider.  That could put other things out of kilter, so I'm still wondering about that.  A bit more dry-fitting and fiddling about before deciding methinks.

 

 

Airfix have done a good job of providieng alternative parts.  More sorting going on. 

 

As I mentioned, the subject L1934 is interesting.  It seems to have un-armoured windscreen (and I assume no internal pilot armour) with ring-and-bead sight.  Yet is has the slightly later Merlin (not kidney exhausts) getting rid of the need for the fuselage mounted Venturi tube for the air-data instruments, but has the early 2-pronged pitot probe.  There is the early pole-type aerial mast.  It also has the later lower rear-fuselage keel and fixed (non-retracting) tail wheel.

 

And then there's the paint scheme ........ but that's a later concern.

 

I'll leave this now and go and do a bit of digging to find out what 3 Squadron were doing in 1938/39 as my knowledge is fairly minimal;  and I like to have a little background on my build subjects.

 

Happy to receive comments and advice.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Rob

[Troy Smith]

6 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

Yet is has the slightly later Merlin (not kidney exhausts) getting rid of the need for the fuselage mounted Venturi tube for the air-data instruments

Nothing to do with exhaust, but the fitting of a vacuum pump, these cause the bulges in the nose ring at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. 

Aircraft with the venturi tube have a smooth nose ring.

9 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

 

The Arma one is spare and I'd wondered about replacing the Airfix seat.  The Arma one is more finely moulded.  It is slightly shorter (which was my main niggle with the Airfix rendering) but on closer inspection it is slightly wider. 

The Airfix seat is too narrow, and possibly too tall. 

 

HTH 

[Zephyr91]

6 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

The Airfix seat is too narrow, and possibly too tall. 

Ha ha, yes, I suppose that's what I was getting to.   Also evidenced by the rather oddly shaped pilot included with the kit    .....

 

........ somewhat long in the back. 

 

cheers

 

Rob

[Zephyr91]

So, I've done a bit of reading of the Operations Records for 3 Squadron.  I hope this isn't just "old hat" and you find it of some interest.

 

What follows are snippets from the records downloaded from the National Archives, and freely available, but my choices.

 

The first Hurricane delivered to 3 sqn was 4th March 1938 at Kenley as a start on replacing their Gladiators.  By 29th March they had sufficient Hurricanes to fly 8 Gladiators to SEALAND for shipment to Egypt.

 

Between May and June 1938 they were getting to know their new aicraft.  It was not without mishap.  5th May P/O Mills stalled after take off during his first Hurricane flight.  He was ok, but "considerable damage" was done to L1579.   Unfortunately on the 10th May, P/O Henry was killed when he stalled during landing at about 200ft.  L1579 was completely written off.

 

On a more positive note, P/O Hobson took a Hurricane (number not listed) on the 25th June to the official opening of Ringway Airport, Manchester.

 

As is fairly well known, it was decided that Kenley was too small for the operation of Hurricanes, and this is noted in the ORB.  On 4th July 1938 nine Hurricanes were flown to 73(F) Sqn at Digby and 9 Gladiators brought back.   If I had been there, I think I would have been a bit miffed at losing the newer 'planes.  However, there is not a hint of emotion in the sqn records either for or against this activity.

 

Moving forward a bit, it is noted that on the 30th August 1938, "the Squadron proceeded on Annual Leave".   BUT 21st September (how long was their leave?) Squadron was recalled from Annual Leave due to the International Situation.  All leave was stopped and orders issued for the camouflage of all aircraft.  Still on Gladiators.

 

The Munich Crisis didn't last long because on 1st of October "Squadron reverted to normal routine".   This included the Squadron Annual Re-union Dinner held at Grosvenor House (not slumming it these lads were they?) followed by 23rd to 27th December "Squadron proceeded on Christmas Leave".

 

The operation of the Gladiators was not trouble free.  There were 3 fatalities of pilots in two separate incidents - the one at night claiming 2.

 

At the end of April 1939 the squadron began its move to Biggin Hill, and the first 4 Hurricanes arrived.  By the 15th May they had 10 Hurricanes and a Battle.

 

I'd been hoping to find a bit about my proposed model subject aicraft, but specific serial numbers only get mentioned in connection with crashes!!  Otherwise the records are fairly bland.  There is mention of the Gaumont British (News?) took photos of the Aerobatic Flight on 13th May 1939.  At that stage they still had some Gladiators and I think the Aerobatic Flight was made up of them.

 

Eventually of course the real crisis hit on the 24th August 1939.  All leave was cancelled.  Flights were at standby "with guns loaded" at dispersal points.

 

Another milestone reached was on the 29th August 1939 when the squadron flew Hurricanes at night for the first time.  L1928 crashed while landing - pilot unhurt!    On 2nd September the squadron moved to their "War Station" of Croydon, taking over hangars that had recently housed SABENA, KLM and Air France.

 

 

I hope this hasn't been too indigestible, but I was trying to get a flavour of the aicraft usage around the time of the photographs included at the beginning of this thread and noted to be "Summer 1939".  There were not many specifics mentioned.

 

Clearly, war was declared on 3rd September 1939 and suddenly we get both activity summaries as well as detailed aicraft activities listed.    Our subject aicraft during October 1939, initially at Croydon but eventually from Manston, did 10 flights mostly with Sgt Wilkinson in charge.  From 17th onwards it was involved in "Battle Flights" and "Patrols" - none of which involved combat.

 

I would like to include just one more incident, but this time involving the other aircraft mentioned at the start namely L1940.  It was  included at the beginning of the thread as an example of different fading of paint between metal and canvas surfaces.  I have no idea of how it looked at the time of this incident ........

 

 

The unfortunate Sgt Sims was flying L1940.  I suspect the report to Air Commodore Probyn was a tad "uncomfortable" and not one which most of us would like to have been involved with!!   The incident is not reflected at all in the detailed record of events.  But the 3 pilots of Green Section are listed as doing "Cooperation"  (I assume Anti-Aircraft or with the Navy).   I suspect the detailed records just failed to mention the Boulogne incident 

 

This adventure almost made me do L1940, but I have just received the decals for L1934 by Iliad Design so will stick with the original plan.

 

 

Hope that was of interest.  I count this "research" as part of my builds so I think it ok to include in a wip, as long as people don't feel it too yawn-inducing.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[Wings unlevel]

9 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

somewhat long in the back. 

Least his Mum would be pleased that he learned to sit up straight! 😂

 

4 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

Hope that was of interest.  I count this "research" as part of my builds so I think it ok to include in a wip, as long as people don't feel it too yawn-inducing.

Definitely. I find researching builds particularly rewarding, and it brings you much closer to the subject, especially the context of the times, the nature of operations, and the (invariably back then) men who flew and maintained them.

[Zephyr91]

After gadding about in Ireland then the North East last weekend for my BIL's 70th, I finally had some time at the bench.   

 

Prior to travelling, I'd oredered various bits and bobs so on returning I'd enjoyed opening the post.  Amongst which were the decals I mentioned .....

 

 

L1934  is top of the illustration sheet.   I'm not too experienced with AM decals, but these look rather nice - and certainly way better than any that I could produce myself.  I like that each scheme is complete and that all the roundels are supplied as well as the lettering and serials.  Apologies for the poor lighting of the subject, but the colours look about right to me and everything's in register as far as I can tell.   So I'm looking forward to using them.

 

But there's a build to be ... er .... built first!  

 

Talking of which ....

 

 

..... a view of the cockpit internals before slight toning down and closure.   I replaced the Airfix seat with the spare Arma seat I mentioed before.   I also had some unused PE seat belts in the stash so used the more visible bits rather than the full Sutton arrangement - I'm doing this cockpit closed so won't see much anyway.    

 

I took a while getting the landing lights  to fit properly - nothing to do with the kit, I'm just not so good with tranparencies (🙄 ).   The lower wing seems to be slightly wider in span than the upper - nothing that a quick file and sand couldn't sort but slightly surprising nonetheless.      I then spent more time by trying to do the wing tip nav lights.   They and the landing lights are now masked.   

 

Eventually I managed to get the fuselage together and suddenly this happened .....

 

 

I'd tried to be as neat and careful as possible, including making sure I'd scraped off any internal primer and paint off mating surfaces.  This paid off as it seems to have fit together pretty well.  Didn't need much sanding to close it up.  I think only a little smear of filler will be needed to tidy up some parts of the seams.    

 

The photo has made the inetrior grey/green look identical to the dark green I've used on the external bits that will be covered by the canopy.  Here on the bench they are quite different - will just have to blame the phone camera and not my lack of photography skills  

 

The neat little stand/jig is form Arma for their Hurricanes in 1:72 but very useful here.  The only problem was that the frame comes bang in line with the landing lights for the fabric winged aircraft.  Arma's versions are all metal wings with lights slightly further outboard, so not an issue for them.  

 

Hopefully next I'll get the tail bits fixed and canopy on and masked.

 

I'm enjoying this GB.  Some fantastic builds going on and lots of stuff I hadn't seen before and hence a great learning experience again for me.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Rob

[glwanabe]

Some solid work going on here.

[Wings unlevel]

10 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

L1934  is top of the illustration sheet. 

I do like that scheme.

 

10 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

seems to have fit together pretty well.  Didn't need much sanding to close it up.  I think only a little smear of filler will be needed to tidy up some parts of the seams.

Looking very tidy, and a great basis for that lovely scheme.

 

10 hours ago, Zephyr91 said:

I'm enjoying this GB.  Some fantastic builds going on and lots of stuff I hadn't seen before and hence a great learning experience again for me.

So good isn’t it!

[Zephyr91]

OK.  Disaster alert.      Things have been going too well.  So it's time for a reality check.

 

My plan was to use extereme pre-shading of various panels before doing the camouflage in order to try and get the look of some parts (primarily canvas areas) having faded more than the colour on the metal panels.

 

Instead of masking the canopy then using Mr Surfacer 1500 as a primer, as is my usual approach, I decided to try and do it more quickly by using Halfords black and white car primers in spray cans.   I've seen others on BM use this approach sucessfully.  I had a slight concern that I'd tried the black previously and it had reacted with some paint beneath it, but I put that down to the painted surface not being bare plastic.  This was onto bare plastic (or possibly onto previously done white Halfords primer) so what could go wrong?

 

I masked the canopy which took a while but seems ok.

 

The white went on fine and I hoped that I'd also be able to use it for the starboard underside white surface as well.  So far so good.

 

I then masked the white bits that I wanted to retain underwing and fuse as well as the panels on the upper surfaces that were to look faded.  Took a while, but ok.   Then I applied the black.   Went on really thickly, and curses of curses, seemed to react with something near the lower edges of the canopy ad didn't cover the white.  It aso seemed to not like a couple of smallish bits on the upper wing and near the radiator bath underneath.    Not bad, but by no means perfect.

 

I should have stopped there.   However, I thought an extra squirt of the black would cover it up.  But, no.    So then I sort of panicked, or at least didn't think it through and decided to try and THEN apply the Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500  Black.   Went on ok but I was beginning to worry about submersion of any detail under too many layers.  It had covered the previously problem bits so I waited for things to dry.

 

Carefully I removed the masking ........ exhibit 1 ......

 

 

.... and 2 .......

 

 

...... and 3 ....... 

 

 

As the Immortal Bard would say,  "Bu**er!".  

 

Not only had the black turned into a thick and horrible "skin", but parts of it came off with the masking tape despite me being careful.   Further, the white that I thought had been ok seemed to almost strip the adhesive off the masking tape and retain it on the surface - I do always try and de-stickify masking tape before application precisely so it doesn't do this!!  I use Scotch Blue for bigger areas and Tamiya tape for more difficult, smaller areas - and the problem was evident with both!!

 

OK, so that's a big learning exercise, the biggest outcome being that I will never use the Halfords primer approach again.  I'll be doing some stripping (of the paint variety!  ) and repriming which may take a while.

 

Meanwhile, on a brighter note, I found that Special Hobby do a 3-d printed RAF Trolley Acc and I'd treated myself to a couple.  The first one is here

 

 

 

The wheels are separate parts.  The main body and wheels have to be separated from a very complex maze of support parts that I assume are needed for the print.  Very fiddly and delicate but the surface detail on the body and wheels is marvellous.  I note from the photo that I seem to have removed (and lost..) the towing ring from the front of the trolley.  Think I can cope with that.

 

Is there  a proprietary. easily sourced paint that is good for the RAF blue?   Never done that colour before so am a bit unfamiliar with it.

 

Will be back when I have restored the primer ........... 

 

thanks for looking

 

cheers

 

Rob

Edited August 24 by Zephyr91
Pressed "Submit" too soon

[Wings unlevel]

Ah, that didn’t play nice, did it? Has the detailing just been covered up under the thickness of the layers, or has it actually eaten at the plastic? 

[Zephyr91]

4 minutes ago, Wings unlevel said:

Ah, that didn’t play nice, did it? Has the detailing just been covered up under the thickness of the layers, or has it actually eaten at the plastic? 

Not sure yet.  I'll report back when I know more.  If it's eaten at the plastic I may be looking at a new "mule" here !      But hopefully not ...  🤞

[glwanabe]

Forest Gump said it, "It happens"

 

I have no doubt that a decent recovery will take place.

Also, bear in mind that the international court, and the Hague have both ruled that negative comments about your finished product can be dealt with by an open palm three Stooges style head slap.

It's not required, but is justified.

[Troy Smith]

55 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

Is there  a proprietary. easily sourced paint that is good for the RAF blue?   Never done that colour before so am a bit unfamiliar with it.

Ground equipment got camouflaged, or camo paint.   Much debated,  but Blue Grey was pre war and post war.

If you don't want to go crazy, work on the base using aircraft paint and use Dark Earth or Dark Green,  RAF Blue Grey is BS 33

This looks Dark Green,  the Army colour was Khaki Green G.3,  which is more like Olive Drab

Spitfire in England. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Note 'pre war' may well take in post Munich Crisis, when many silver wings types got camouflaged.  Logically this will include ground equipment.

 Your choice, but camo finish will allow use in other settings.

 

1 hour ago, Zephyr91 said:

OK, so that's a big learning exercise, the biggest outcome being that I will never use the Halfords primer approach again.

Paint mules,  use of.   

It's fun to experiment and try new things.   Do it on something else first though. 

For the apparent colour difference, you could try adding tiny amount of light grey to a matt varnish top coat for the fabric bits? 

 

One point, I see One Drive pics on phone, but not on browser (maybe settings) which I need to look into,  though I'm sure like many if us, we just want it too work....

I mention it as I just find it so much easier using a computer than a phone.

On 21/08/2025 at 00:05, Zephyr91 said:

I took a while getting the landing lights  to fit properly - nothing to do with the kit, I'm just not so good with tranparencies (🙄 ).   The lower wing seems to be slightly wider in span than the upper - nothing that a quick file and sand couldn't sort but slightly surprising nonetheless. 

The mismatched wing is a noted issue on the Airfix kit, not helped by the bendy plastic. 

I have a couple of these stalled,  I know that I brutally thinned the trailing edges with a carpentry goose neck scraper, makes a quick job but creates lots of shavings.

It's about lining up the ailerons gaps and landing lights, and adjusting the tips to suit IIRC.

 

1:1 DIY building stuff is draining my enthusiasm for doing it in miniature at present...   

 

HTH

[Zephyr91]

5 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

1:1 DIY building stuff is draining my enthusiasm for doing it in miniature at present... 

That's a shame Troy.  Many thanks, then, for taking the time to reply with such useful stuff.  I appreciate it.

 

6 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

It's about lining up the ailerons gaps and landing lights, and adjusting the tips to suit IIRC.

That's more or less exactly how I did it - again from previous tips 

 

7 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

Paint mules,  use of.   

It's fun to experiment and try new things.   Do it on something else first though. 

For the apparent colour difference, you could try adding tiny amount of light grey to a matt varnish top coat for the fabric bits?

I know better really, just got a bit complacent and suffered the quinciquonces .   Light grey in varnish tip noted for future reference. 

 

10 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

Note 'pre war' may well take in post Munich Crisis, when many silver wings types got camouflaged.  Logically this will include ground equipment.

 Your choice, but camo finish will allow use in other settings.

 

Thanks.  Making it more generally useful appeals. 

 

Not doing a diorama, I am just aiming for a bit of extra visual interest - or as someone said "distraction from the grotty paint job on the model" .   Hopefully, not really.  However, I've enjoyed going to model shows with IPMS Lancs and I enjoy interaction with people wandering past our displays.  An excuse to get talking is very useful.

 

21 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

One point, I see One Drive pics on phone, but not on browser (maybe settings) which I need to look into,  though I'm sure like many if us, we just want it too work....

I mention it as I just find it so much easier using a computer than a phone.

Sorry about that.  Some people have noted the issues with OneDrive previously.  I can see stuff on my phone but it's just too small and i don't have access to my limited references on the laptop, so prefer the latter like you.   I use Firefox as my browser and that seems ok with other people's wips using OneDrive

 

I think it might be settings, but can't be certain.  I have asked the site mod's in the past and they seem to say I'm doing things ok.  

 

 

Thanks again for all the info and tips

 

Rob

 

 

[Zephyr91]

Just a quick note to say that there will be a small haitus whilst I obtain a replacement. 

 

Back soon I hope, but in the meantime there's an Arma Hobby Mk I to start ....

 

cheers

 

Rob

[Wings unlevel]

Shame to see this wasn’t recoverable, Rob, but glad to hear a replacement in the works. And in the meantime building an Arma is a pretty decent consolation!

[Zephyr91]

Wahoo!  Back in the game! 

 

Well it's taken a while, but the replacement is now on the bench and coming along well.

 

This was how I left the original before the automotive-spray-can-undercoating that went so wrong!

 

 

And the replacement has just reached the same stage .....

 

 

I salvaged the Arma seat with PE seat belts along with the replacement control stick from the 1st attempt.  The replacement is moulded in darker grey plastic.  I don't know whether that was earlier or later in the Airfix production run.  It seems marginally brittler but not problematical.   However, it's an identical box and decals, so I have lots of spare random bits!! 

 

This second version has gone together very well - presumably I'm benefitting from all the practice  - the fuselage to wing fit was like the proverbial glove.  BUT there looks to be a slight problem with the dihedral on the section outboard of the wing join.  Most of the dihedral of the Hurricane wing is due to the lower surface sloping upward to wards the tip from the wing join [the centre section has zero dihedral as far as I know] whilst the outboard upper surface has nearly, but not quite, no dihedral. 

 

Now I'd swear I didn't force anything when joining the upper and lower wing halves, and the fuselage fit was (to me) amazing with again no forcing anywhere or closure of gaps.  I'll just not have to place it next to my other [Arma] build when I've finished. 

 

On a previous build (here)  Troy @Troy Smith  discussed the dihedral and posted some photos.  Maybe I'm being a bit picky.  I'll post a photo next time ....

 

Anyway, will soon be ready to try the primer pre-shading again - but with "proper" stuff this time!!   🤞     

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Rob

[Andwil]

I have recently taken delivery of an Airfix Defiant which is also moulded in the dark grey plastic, it was something of a surprise opening the box expecting the familiar Airfix light blue-grey and seeing something like Special Hobby coloured sprues!

 

Good luck with your pre-shading, I’m sure you’ll do a fine job with the “right” stuff.

 

AW

[Zephyr91]

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll give it a go.

 

7 hours ago, Andwil said:

I have recently taken delivery of an Airfix Defiant

The 1/72 version was one of my early builds when returning to the hobby.  I liked the vast improvement compared to the original Airfix Defiant.  I'd like to do another but don't have much time - maybe next year.

 

The only thing I would look for is the thickness of the wing trailing edge - needs a lot of thinning.  If not, you're left with something that scales to full size in the region of 3 or 4 inches!! 😱 (if I remember correctly).     In contrast, I found the guns very delicate in plastic .......but I'm sure you know all this.  Good luck with it; I'll keep an eye out for your wip.

 

cheers

 

Rob

[Rabbit Leader]

Airfix’s trailing edge issue does unfortunately extend to many of their kits, even the new 1/48 Bulldog has it, which is slightly disappointing. I’ve tried to correct a few kits in the past, however found you only end up introducing errors in other places, so you’re just moving the problem somewhere else. For this reason, I now tend to reluctantly accept them and try to forget about the issue once the kit is built. 
 

Cheers.. Dave