new tool Airfix 1:72 Gloster Gladiator Mk. I - finished

in pre-war 73 Squadron markings OOB. A bit out of my 'comfort zone' this one, but I am reasonably happy with it. Rattle-can finish looks slightly grainy at this magnification and adding the rigging did of course nearly ruin the finish altogether. I am though tempted to get the Xtradecal sheet from Hannants and do a few more, especially a few Finnish Gladiators. Next time around I might be tempted to assemble the engine and cowl together before attaching to the airframe. The rigging diagram was a great help and while I haven't added every last line - its a very small kit - again I'm happy enough with the overall effect. Thanks for looking and please do comment...right, now to break open that 32nd scale Revell G-6 that's just arrived!

new tool Airfix Gloster Gladiator in 1:72nd scale (3)

Two styles of canopy in the kit and the possibility of posing it open with separate windshield - clips neatly onto the fuselage, no glue required. Masked up with Tamiya tape and some more work with EZ Line on the tailplane rigging. A smidgen of filler around the cowl, along the spine of the fuselage and at the wing roots. Note elevators cut out and drooped with my Trumpeter scriber as per the photos  in Alex Crawford's MMP Gladiator title

new tool Airfix Gloster Gladiator in 1:72nd scale (2)

 You can't beat sitting out in the garden whittling away on a few pieces of plastic in the sunshine ! Day 5 in the high 20's - gosh it's summer! Here's my progress on the new-tool Airfix Gladiator. Below cockpit with decal instrument panel...

My principal references. I'm a little apprehensive about this build - I haven't finished a biplane since I built the (very) old Airfix RE 8 when I was ten years old...

I was thinking of rigging mine - or as much as is possible - before putting the top wing on, going from strut top to bottom. Sounded like a good idea until it was pointed out to me (thanks Paul!) that in real life the rigging attachments are within the wing structure, so the cable always intersects the wing covering some way ahead of the strut intersection and doesn't butt up to the strut...

Drilling out the rigging holes in the lower side of the top wing

I've got hold of some EZ Line (fine) and have tried it out on my Gladiator tailplane (while using sprue on the interplane struts). Here's what I've done. It's easy enough to secure one end of the EZ line thread - but I'm having a torrid time trying to secure the other end! Too much stretch I presume....

new tool Airfix Gloster Gladiator in 1:72nd scale - first look in the box

With a couple of kids in tow - including my 24 year old who is just recuperating from major abdominal surgery - we popped up to Margate and Hornby HQ to pick up one of the new tool Gloster Gladiators. I also managed a whopping £9 discount on a lovely new tool Dambusters Lanc (damaged box..) and nabbed a box of 'Flypast' magazines from the RAF Manston History museum for £3.50. I also got to have a quick look around the museum's Meteor by way of pre-build research for the Cyber Hobby Meteor F.3 I'm planning on doing soon, so all in all quite a successful day despite the pouring rain. Here's a few shots of the Gladiator, which again, like most of these Airfix new tools looks superb in the box! The kit features a detailed cockpit including control column and side wall detail and two canopies, one of which can be posed open. There are also two decal options and a rigging diagram on the instruction sheet...

Strange that Airfix have included the same decal option as the Hobbyboss Gladiator but on all other counts this kit is far superior to the HB offering - it has far more parts than the HB kit for less money (at least in the UK) for a start. From the contents of the box the Airfix kit provides a detailed cockpit, both weighted and 'un-weighted' wheels, two cockpit canopies, detailed multi-part engine, the option of posing the cockpit 'door' open, rigging diagram etc etc..Airfix are also offering a Finnish option with skis..

Tune in to my build elsewhere on this blog......
http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/new-tool-airfix-gloster-gladiator-in.html

and more pics of the finished model are here