Who is 40 or 50 years old and made Airfix kits?

[ndicki]

If you did, you may just remember the ancient Bf109g-6 that came in a plastic bag... It had two sets of markings, Yellow 3 and Yellow 14 of JG 53. Of couse, the instructions told you to paint the wings two shades of green (M3 and M17 - I remember!), and the underside pale blue with grey splotches on the fuselage; not exactly correct, but we got the rough idea.

Airfix wasn't making it up; the real aircraft had been captured at Comiso when No. 43 Sqn RAF moved in on 14th July 1943. It was indeed a Kanonenboot, but there's a further detail which Airfix missed - it's a G-6/U4. You haven't got one of those yet.

The G-6/U4 carried a 30mm MK108 Motorkanone instead of the standard 20mm MG151/20 that was usually fitted to the G series. So if you want to kill Liberators, this is the one to do it with.

Coming soon...

[HouseHobbit]

Too Cool, I do look forward to this..
Thanks Nigel...:salute: :salute:

[Led Zeppelin]

I did the Yellow 3.

http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/aviationairfix/airfix86messerschmitt-loose.JPG

[garykidman]

Doesn't it bring back wonderful memories I use to have them hanging all over the ceiling and the revell one's too ahh! Happy days

[ndicki]

I found this on the net - takes you back! To be honest, it needn't take you back very far - they only got around to replacing it a year or so ago. Dave - Dangerous Dave - used to drop in on Humbrol/Airfix professionally (I'll let him fill in the gaps) but when they went bust for the Xth time, it was bad news. One reason why they did go bust was that they were still churning out the same kits as in the 1960s, at the same price as Revell's (among others) beautiful, new ones with recessed panel lines, crisp detail, and so on. I wasn't at all surprised when they went bust again. I hadn't bought an Airfix kit in years, and yet I've got enough stock to open a shop almost!

Since being refloated, they've made an effort, and produced not only a reasonable 1/72nd Bf109g-6, but also a... 1/24th scale Mosquito!

[Doc]

We got this one in the early 60s. I was so young my dad made and painted it. It was around for years. His Airfix Wellington is still on display in his room (he worked on them for his National Service). I don't remember a time when it wasn't around somewhere. I think the kit came out in 1958 (year before I was born) and he may have bought it then.
For memories of Airfix kits I don't know anyone who had as many as Beau Brummie. Surprised he hasn't replied to this thread yet.

[Pat Pattle]

I don't remember making that one in particular, even as a youngster I always preffered the RAF and USAAF stuff! Evil looking brute.

Does bring back some very happy memories though Nigel. Although as I got older, those models that I loved succumbed to boxes of matches and an air rifle. The follies of youth.

[Autothrottle]

Where can I get Bf109 models to start building?

[ndicki]

You don't want that old thing!

Where you are, if you haven't got a model shop, it'll be mail order from the US. I'd go to Squadron - http://www.squadron.com/

The best 1/72nd 109s...

Bf109e - Tamiya, or Airfix if you're satisfied with something basic.
Bf109f - Italeri
Bf109g-6 - Airfix new version
Bf109g-10 - Revell

I don't know of a g-2/4, but there is probably something out there. You can get there pretty easily by removing the gun blisters from the g-6 and rescribing the cowling details, anyway. Equally, the Revell g-10 can be turned into a k-4 without too much trouble.

Meanwhile, I'm doing a g-14 in 1/32nd scale - about a foot or so across - to go with my g-4 and He162! 1/72nd is too small for me. I usually do 1/48th, but with the sudden opening up of 1/32nd starting about ten years ago, I haven't resisted. I've got a Spitfire MkI done (Revell, with a Hasegawa MkV fuselage entirely rescribed), and to come are a Spit Mk22 and Lysander (Revell, ex-Matchbox - a lot of work in view to bring them up to scratch!), an FW190d-9 (Revell/Hasegawa), a Piper Super Cub (Revell) and an MS.406 (Azur.) That should keep me busy for a bit.

[BeauBrummie]

We got this one in the early 60s. I was so young my dad made and painted it. It was around for years. His Airfix Wellington is still on display in his room (he worked on them for his National Service). I don't remember a time when it wasn't around somewhere. I think the kit came out in 1958 (year before I was born) and he may have bought it then.
For memories of Airfix kits I don't know anyone who had as many as Beau Brummie. Surprised he hasn't replied to this thread yet.

Yes when I was a lad I mass-built the buggers. Ships and tanks too. If anyone can think of a more frustrating time spent than gluing all the '70's era kit Churchill tank bogie wheels in place then post it here! :banghead:

Part of it was between when I was 9 and 14 me and my then mate Will used to build 'em and war game 'em on my lounge floor. Later after a couple of amazing teachers held a afterschool model club, I did more serious customising building after that.

Nowadays I just haven't the space to put them anywhere. I did froth at the mouth a bit when Airfix bought out the 1:24 Mossie kit Nigel mentioned, but too expensive and too big.

Interestingly there was an Airfix workshop stall at Duxford. I only had a peek in (I was supposed to be at work after all lol) and saw quite a number of kids having a go with parents and helpers.

So it's not just for us oldies eh!

In many ways, CFS3 for me is like flying the kits I used to have

[Rabbit 3]

Do you remember the old style written instruction sheets before they went over to just using diagrams. You actually learnt what all the bits of the aircraft were called!
At least Airfix has survived despite the various ups and downs they have had over the years.
Remember some of their now long defunct rivals like Frog?

[BeauBrummie]

Do you remember the old style written instruction sheets before they went over to just using diagrams. You actually learnt what all the bits of the aircraft were called!
At least Airfix has survived despite the various ups and downs they have had over the years.
Remember some of their now long defunct rivals like Frog?

I loved the written instructions sheets and the decent history you got. As soon as they multi-lingual you lost all that detail, and some educational content. I had some FROG (Flies Right Off the Ground - I think it was), Revell, and latterly some Japanese (but I'm not sure maybe Hasegawa) tanks and waterline models of two Japanese subs (remember one has a hanger with a seaplane!)

[Hurricane91]

You young fellers are lucky to have started with the second issue Airfix 109. My first one was the Aurora "Famous Fighters of the World" Me-109. The infamous red Messerschmitt. In the late 1950's we had never even seen a photo of a 109 so this was it. Aurora helpfully moulded the decal positions on the fuselage and wings. That gave the markings a nice bas relief effect that complemeted the locomotive rivets.
But we didn't care. We held our models up over our heads and ran through the neighborhood making a suitable engine sounds, flying a Messerschmitt.
18718

When the Airfix Me-109 (kit no. 86) appeared in the hobby shops we were astounded. "What accuracy! Look at that detail (no rivets)!" I camouflaged mine with Pactra Battleship grey and flat black splotches. By then we didn't "fly" them around the neighborhood anymore. We were serious modelers.

When Airfix re-issued the Bf-109 in the 60's, we marveled at how far modeling had come. "Look how accurate! Look at those exhausts!"...

[ndicki]

"Locate and cement..."

I always assumed "Locate" meant "Find on the sprue..." but it didn't.

[Hurricane91]

"Locate and cement..."

I always liked, "Use cement sparingly".

[ndicki]

I always liked, "Use cement sparingly".

Which at the age I was then was equivalent to telling me not to get it on the carpet!

[ndicki]

About time I uploaded that 109, though. I'll put the stovepipes in with it, even if it was actually a Kanonenboot.

[Hurricane91]

Which at the age I was then was equivalent to telling me not to get it on the carpet!
I'm still at that age.

[seacondor]

I did some when I was young but not as many as I wanted to. I think that is why I collect kits these days. Although I do use them to help me get the form close for the 3d aircraft.
I have a full collection of 1/48 BOB planes. All I need to do is win LOTTO so I can get a house to put them in. :kilroy:
I also have collected some aircraft paintings of late. This is a good hobby to.

[ndicki]

I understand that, Greg! And I use kits wherever possible for my skins - you can't get the same feeling for the overall look of an aircraft from a 3-view...

My wife is an artist - among other things, 5 years of study at the Paris Ecole des Beaux-Arts - and I keep meaning to give her a screenshot of something I like so she can have a go at painting it. Not really her thing though, but she certainly could.