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The kit has some way to go to approach perfection however. Airfix’s surfaces detail is acceptable; in part because the kit’s good points offset it. Looked at critically however, Airfix need to improve the finesse of their recessed panel detail to at least equal that which most other modern long-run brands have been offering for the past thirty years or more. I have a few niggles; oversized fuselage windows, no chamfer on elevator outer edge (both easily fixed), exaggerated fabric effect on ailerons, decaled rather than 3-D instrument panels, no parts map, and some proofing errors in the instructions. As to its competitors from Revell and Hasegawa – You can save around 25-30% on Airfix and buy the less accurately shaped kit from Revell. The price of replacement resin wheels, which really are a must with the Revell kit, will reduce its price advantage however. For around 60-80% more than Airfix you can buy Hasegawa’s kit which offers only more refined panel lines and better props, but falls short on interior detail, no lowered flaps option, and inferior shape in a few subtle places. AJ-T piloted by Flight Lieutenant Robert Norman George Barlow DFC (RAAF), No 617 Sqn, “Operation Chastise, RAF Scampton, England 16/17th May 1943. This aircraft and its crew were unfortunately lost in action on the Dams Raid.
The kit gives the impression that it will build well with few hassles; but bear in mind the warning about errors and omissions that others have already found in the instructions. The Matchbox kit is little more than a curiosity at this point. It does have the bulged Bombay doors for a Talboy aircraft but the overall level of detail is poor and the wings have trench-like panel lines. Airfix have captured some key shapes better than their competitors, they have supplied plenty of nice interior detail, some of the best of which will hardly be seen in the wheel wells. Some parts are very finely moulded, and I like the plastic Airfix uses as it is nice to work with. The transparencies are very well done with delicate framing and very good clarity. The provision of a bomb-trolley for the Upkeep mine is a nice touch.The Lancaster’s development and operational history must be one of the best known amongst aircraft modellers and enthusiasts. With this in mind I shall not provide an account here. For those who want to know more the Internet is replete with information on this famous WW2 bomber and the famous Dams Raid, not to mention numerous publications and video documentaries. Lesson: Have a look on the outside of the box and at the instructions to see if there’s anything you haven’t got that you’ll need later. Airfix beats Revell on accuracy and shape quite significantly in some areas (engines, wing dihedral, mid-upper turret fairing, and main-wheels), equals it on internal detail, and falls behind on panel line finesse. Rather than give lengthy written explanations, take a look at the accompanying images and it should be apparent as to why I feel Airfix are the winner in the engine nacelle stakes. I think that Airfix has the best lines, and equal best internal detail. Surface detail is a bit heavier than its rivals, but this is balanced by there being less of it.
The Airfix brand offers a wide selection of models in diverse themes. The collection contains simple models and kits rich in qualified details. The range is aimed at both modeling enthusiasts and professional modellers. Here are some of them: I consider this to be the best Lancaster kit so far released, with the promise of several versions including a long-awaited Mk.II.There were 32 BI Specials delivered in Feb / Mar 1945. PB995-998 and PD112-139. 24 of these were used on operations by 617 before the war ended. There is variation in the shape of engine nacelles, with Airfix and Hasegawa being closer to each other and Revell with their own interpretation. In fact I wonder if Revell was just practicing for the horrible Merlin engines on their Halifax kit when tooling their Lancaster, as their Lancaster too has over-sized and misshapen radiator mouths (but nowhere near as gross as the Halifax’s!). Some of the pieces for this model are quite thin and delicate so there are times when painting the pieces before sliding them in to place makes it more difficult. A great addition to what’s already available and significantly better than the Revell offering in my view in terms of detail, tooling and options. The recessed detail is ok but could be finer for sure are counterbalanced by the beautifully delicate and detailed undercarriage legs and bulged tyres – all positive, as is the choice of decals. It offers good value for money and all in all a nice new kit beautifully presented. As to its competitors from Revell and Hasegawa – You can save around 25-30% on Airfix and buy the less accurately shaped kit from Revell. The price of replacement resin wheels, which really are a must with the Revell kit, will reduce its price advantage however. For around 60-80% more than Airfix you can buy Hasegawa’s kit which offers only more refined panel lines and better props, but falls short on interior detail, no lowered flaps option, and inferior shape in a few subtle places. For my money then, Airfix is clear winner, and deservedly so.
The sprue gates are reasonably fine and far better than Airfix’s new tool Typhoon I recently reviewed. There are some quite fine parts; and these are some of the best I have seen in a new tool Airfix kit, conceding little if anything in refinement compared to other brands like Hasegawa. The clear canopy parts are thin with good clarity. Airfix’s tool makers have managed to leave a few prominent ejector pin marks that will need cleaning up, as will sink marks in a few areas. The bomb doors on my sample were a little warped, but should straighten out with some hot water treatment. The main wheel wells are very nicely detailed, and come close to rivalling a CMK resin set I used to dress up some Hasegawa Lancaster wings on my CMR York conversion. The open wing rib truss arrangement either side deep in the well will benefit from being blanked off with reddish-brown card to represent the fuel tanks, rather than being able to look through framework to see wing skins. The undercarriage is captured well, and the main wheels have the widely-used in wartime smooth tread tyres. I may as well mention the tail-wheel here. It is a two-piece wheel and tyre to enable the anti-shimmy dual ridge to be moulded, and this fits to a separate and nicely done tail leg and fork. If you choose Hasegawa you have a lot more to spend, especially if you dress up the interior detail or replace the radiators.
Propellers
Whilst this is good first hand reporting from what would appear to be a reliable source, the late date and the unusual scheme would indicate this is one of the trials schemes. The parts are moulded in a slightly soft plastic that has a nice feel to it. There is some evidence of fine flash in places like the propeller blades, which is not so good. It has reasonably fine recessed panel lines, although not as good as Hasegawa’s or Revell’s. In considering how best to approach this review I realised that there are probably three main areas of interest for Hyperscalers where this kit is concerned. Primarily, how does it measure up as a Lancaster per se, rather than specifically as a dambuster, and therefore how does it compare with its competitors. Then what other versions do the kit contents suggest will follow (although some have been announced already), and perhaps finally, how well does it cater for the dambuster version. You do get a pilot if you want to add him – but he looks a bit retro to me and out of keeping with the rest of the kit. Undercarriage
On the market for 80 years now, the Airfix brand has been one of the leaders in modeling in Great Britain. It is none other than the oldest manufacturer of plastic model kits. The British company was founded in 1939 by Nicholas Kove,a Hungarian businessman. In the early days, Airfix only manufactured inflatable rubber toys. Lesson: Wash the pieces in warm soapy water before painting them and (perhaps) undercoat them with a neutral colour, particularly if using acrylic paint. Airfix has captured some key shapes better than their competitors, they have supplied plenty of nice interior detail, some of the best of which will hardly be seen in the wheel wells. Some parts are very finely moulded, and I like the plastic Airfix uses as it is nice to work with. The transparencies are very well done with delicate framing and very good clarity. The provision of a bomb-trolley for the Upkeep mine is a nice touch. A figurine is a miniature-sized statuette that reproduces an animal subject or fictional character to scale. It is important to choose the scale of the figurine to ensure the realistic effect of the scale model. The Airfix catalogue offers products in a wide variety of scales:
All you can know about the manufacturer Airfix
There is the Frog kit, now something of a rarity. The turrets are quite bad, but it does include a Talboy bomb, the only Lancaster kit to do so except for a limited edition of the Hasegawa kit (I think it’s called “Titpitz Raid” or something similar). The kit is engineered in a slightly unusual way compared to most Lancaster kits because the wings must accept both in-line and radial engine options. Theses differ in the way the nacelles blend with the wing, and so Airfix has cutouts in the wing leading edges to allow for this. The other unusual aspect is the way the two wing spars, having been inserted through the fuselage, then have the wheel well interiors attached directly to them. This then requires that the wings be assembled around the wheel wells and onto the spars. All well and good, except that one of the benefits of building WW2 British heavies is that you can usually assemble the wings separately from the fuselage to aid dealing with seams and enable the wings and fuselage to be painted and decaled separately from each other. All is not lost however, as you can assemble the spars and wheel well structure as per the instructions, then simply cut through the spars adjacent to the wheel well to enable these to be assembled with the wings separately. More than enough spar will be left to slide the wings onto later after painting. The rearmost part of the fuselage adjacent to the elevators is catered for by an insert to allow for slight variances depending on the model of tail-turret fitted.
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