Chadders Zero build

[chadders]

Ok heres mine, along with the tools I'll be using. I asked my Mum if I could go round to her house and build it at the dining room table like I used to, but she told me to "go away and get paint on your own bloody table!"

So, now its just a case of waiting till tomorrow night so I can get started,

Mark

Edited April 1, 2010 by chadders

[Paul Brickles]

Good work Mark - I asked the same of my mum and she turned purple remembering the damage I did back in the day

Paul

[chadders]

Right then, its Sunday morning, TV is on and I'm building a kit on me knee!! Bloody 'ell its 1973 again!! Anyway, heres what I managed during the Grand Prix. To fill the gaps I'm doing what my Dad told me to do. Fill the gap with some glue, sand the surrounding area, and then move some sanding dust onto the wet glue. When its dry (Sometime around October!!), just sand it smooth. Its a long time since I've done this so I hope it works like I remember.

More later,

Mark

[Milo Black]

Bloody 'ell its 1973 again!!

Heh.... I decided on Friday when I was choosing modelling music that I'd only pick 1973 albums..... so had Dark Side of the Moon, Selling England by the Pound and Tubular Bells.

[AnonymousDFB1]

Good start Mark

[Royster]

Looks like a nice kit, looking good!

[chadders]

Ok, I've had a great morning at the table and this is the result so far. I wanted to get the decals on before dinner but my wife has said I've got to tidy everything away, and wash my hands ready for dinner . So I'm just going to get some food and hopefully she wont make me go to my grandma's after dinner, so I can finish it off and get it on the ceiling (if my son will go up the ladder)

Mark (steadily regressing to a simpler time)

Edited April 5, 2010 by chadders

[Paul Brickles]

Nice build Mark

[Devilfish]

Looking good! Not the best fitting kit, is it? lol

[Milo Black]

Looking really nice, Mark. Good luck with avoiding Grandma's.... don't let her kiss you, whatever you do

[chadders]

FINISHED MUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I go to town and get another please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great way to spend a weekend!! Realy enjoyed myself. A few remarks on the package though. Compared to the Revell starter sets, they are pants, but the Revell sets are more expensive. In the Revell sets you get some really nice modern toolings in the main. With Airfix you get kits that, in some cases, first saw the light of day in the 1960's. For Airfix to steal a march they need to be putting some new(er) toolings in these sets, or risk putting new builders off for life. If I really were 8 (not just an old man who thinks he's 8), then this kit would have beaten me.

I had no problems with the paints, nice brush, and decent decals. However, getting the decals to stay on a matt surface is near impossible. And here lies a problem. These are starter sets and packaged down to a price, not up to a quality. Airfix need to either supply gloss paints, and some matt varnish, or give the younger modeller the option of self adhesive stickers OR decals.

I have actually got another one of these Zeros, and I'll be building it with the help of my modern tools and accessories, for a Group Build over on the Airfix Tribute Forum, so more fun will be had soon. Might see about getting another starter set at Cosford, as I'm off all next week, so I'll need something to keep me away from decorating the front bedroom!!

Cheers,

Mark

[jazzythumper]

FINISHED MUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I go to town and get another please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great way to spend a weekend!! Realy enjoyed myself. A few remarks on the package though. Compared to the Revell starter sets, they are pants, but the Revell sets are more expensive. In the Revell sets you get some really nice modern toolings in the main. With Airfix you get kits that, in some cases, first saw the light of day in the 1960's. For Airfix to steal a march they need to be putting some new(er) toolings in these sets, or risk putting new builders off for life. If I really were 8 (not just an old man who thinks he's 8), then this kit would have beaten me.

I had no problems with the paints, nice brush, and decent decals. However, getting the decals to stay on a matt surface is near impossible. And here lies a problem. These are starter sets and packaged down to a price, not up to a quality. Airfix need to either supply gloss paints, and some matt varnish, or give the younger modeller the option of self adhesive stickers OR decals.

I have actually got another one of these Zeros, and I'll be building it with the help of my modern tools and accessories, for a Group Build over on the Airfix Tribute Forum, so more fun will be had soon. Might see about getting another starter set at Cosford, as I'm off all next week, so I'll need something to keep me away from decorating the front bedroom!!

Cheers,

Mark

Great work there, how did you paint the canopy, did you mask it?

[chadders]

Yes mate, the canopy was masked.......................for what it was worth!! When I peeled the masking off, most of the paint came away with it, so it was a case of brush painted repair work

[Milo Black]

That is WELL smart, mate - good job!

For Airfix to steal a march they need to be putting some new(er) toolings in these sets, or risk putting new builders off for life. If I really were 8 (not just an old man who thinks he's 8), then this kit would have beaten me.

I would have agreed with you 100%, but for one thing - I have an 11-year-old who LOVEs these starter kits. These starter sets are not aimed at us (the grown-up modellers), they are aimed at kids.

I certainly agree that Airfix could and should raise their game in many areas - but what I've realised is that young modellers don't actually care about blobby seams, approximate fit, lack of detail or the exact profile and position of the radome on the Mk1b as flown by 14 sqdn (or insert your favourite inaccuracy here). They just want something that they can make exactly as we have on this build - with the contents of the box, some basic household objects, and no need to go shopping for extra paints, chemicals, specialised tools and what-have-you. Their criteria are not the same as ours, and they DEFINITELY don't have the patience. Sophie (age 11) chose her Mustang for this build on the basis that the plane was named "Daddy's Girl"..... Katie (age 8) has managed to build a Red Arrows Gnat (with a lot of help), and chose it on the basis that.... yup, you guessed it.... it was red Both of them had huge fun doing it, and finished up with something to show their friends (I've had to build a display shelf for Sophie).

Yes, Airfix certainly could make them better - but aside from the perennial "missing bits" problem, which is a downer for everyone, and certainly COULD put off the younger modeller, and the difficult to handle paint pots, my feeling is that they serve their purpose pretty well. If they had been around 35 years ago, I would have loved them

Not a personal attack - just my contribution to the debate

[jazzythumper]

Yes mate, the canopy was masked.......................for what it was worth!! When I peeled the masking off, most of the paint came away with it, so it was a case of brush painted repair work

Just for a little bit of help, how do you mask it, do you cut the panels to sie then put them on or put on the tape and cut out the bits you don't need?

[Fifer54]

That looks great, Mark!

I liked your point about building another Zero, but with the benefit of all your

equipment, tools, chemicals, etc. As I came to the end of my Hurricane build,

I had exactly the same thought! I expect several of us have.....

[chadders]

That is WELL smart, mate - good job!

I would have agreed with you 100%, but for one thing - I have an 11-year-old who LOVEs these starter kits. These starter sets are not aimed at us (the grown-up modellers), they are aimed at kids.

I certainly agree that Airfix could and should raise their game in many areas - but what I've realised is that young modellers don't actually care about blobby seams, approximate fit, lack of detail or the exact profile and position of the radome on the Mk1b as flown by 14 sqdn (or insert your favourite inaccuracy here). They just want something that they can make exactly as we have on this build - with the contents of the box, some basic household objects, and no need to go shopping for extra paints, chemicals, specialised tools and what-have-you. Their criteria are not the same as ours, and they DEFINITELY don't have the patience. Sophie (age 11) chose her Mustang for this build on the basis that the plane was named "Daddy's Girl"..... Katie (age 8) has managed to build a Red Arrows Gnat (with a lot of help), and chose it on the basis that.... yup, you guessed it.... it was red Both of them had huge fun doing it, and finished up with something to show their friends (I've had to build a display shelf for Sophie).

Yes, Airfix certainly could make them better - but aside from the perennial "missing bits" problem, which is a downer for everyone, and certainly COULD put off the younger modeller, and the difficult to handle paint pots, my feeling is that they serve their purpose pretty well. If they had been around 35 years ago, I would have loved them

Not a personal attack - just my contribution to the debate

Hi Milo, I FULLY agree that these sets are aimed at the younger modeller, I just feel that if a young modeller was given the choice between the Airfix MkIa Spitfire (Circa 1965 or whatever) starter set and the Revell Spitfire MkV starter set (Circa 1998 ish, don't know the exact dates), then the Revell one would be the option that would give them the easiest build. One is building a kit like we did in 1970's, with a tooling that we, as parents remember, the other, would be more representitive of the way kits are made and built now. Then again, would Sophie want to bother with the multi part cockpit on the Revell Spitty, as opposed to a seat and pilot arangement on the Airfix one. I'm not sure either way tbh, as long as they enjoy building A kit, then thats good enough.

Mark

[Devilfish]

Nice build on the Zero....I see your decals seem to have behaved better than mine....

On the great debate. If I was 8-11, coming into this hobby, maybe following dad, as my 13 year pld daughter is, I would think simpicity is the name of the game, not accuracy, fit, or age of the kit....

A simple 1 or 2 piece cockpit (pilot sits on a bar in the zero...no seat) isn't a problem....its more the sense of accomplishment and pride of having built it themselves. they are as the name says, "Starter sets" and ideal for those first half a dozen kits where you "get the feel" of the hobby. In my opinion, thick, hard to break parts are better I would suspect....

[chadders]

Nice build on the Zero....I see your decals seem to have behaved better than mine....

Oh no they didn't mate, some of the Hinomaru are held on with wet paint, and the blue fusalage band has split into 3. The prop decals are simply resting in place. I was just bloody quick getting it outside and taking the photo

Edited April 5, 2010 by chadders

[AnonymousDFB1]

Nice work Mark

[Deon]

Nice one mark

[Milo Black]

I'm not sure either way tbh, as long as they enjoy building A kit, then thats good enough.

Yup - it should always be fun, rather than "homework" Revell starter sets do have MUCH better paint pots, and usually excellent tooling - but Sophie has tried both and much prefers the Airfix offerings - although this might not be unrelated to the size of her Flying Hours collection

[chadders]

- although this might not be unrelated to the size of her Flying Hours collection

Ahhhhhh, good girl, like her style. I've got 64 still to claim with. Should keep me going for a while

[Milo Black]

Ahhhhhh, good girl, like her style. I've got 64 still to claim with. Should keep me going for a while

Yah - I don't get any, of course, as all mine get nabbed - but she now has enough to get a Fokker Friendship, which she's going to paint up in her own personal livery (dayglo orange, green, pink.....) and do a big "S" on the tail

[Plastic Bonsai]

Good finish there Mr Chadders. The decals seem better than other recent Airfix offerings but those rivets don't help when you are trying to get them to stick down. It's not occured to me, until now, that sanding the rivets off might have been a good idea.

Revell starter sets do have MUCH better paint pots, and usually excellent tooling - but Sophie has tried both and much prefers the Airfix offerings - although this might not be unrelated to the size of her Flying Hours collection

I think the Matchbox kits were excellent starter models. Simple, good fit and even the bi-planes were easy to make - if only they had used more sympathetic colours for the sprues!

Without doubt the new Airfix boxes and box art are very attractive but they should think about putting some of their newer models in the Starter kits and/or re-tooling their old ones like they did the Mig-15.