new-tool Airfix for 2026 at The Model Works show

 

January saw the second ever Airfix model show held at Airfix HQ in Margate, Kent. The show featured a table of Airfix new-tools for 2026 and participation from the local clubs, including East Kent, Gravesham and Shepway.  Here are the first views of the new Ju 52, Canberra and Jaguar T.2 on the Airfix stand including the 'new' Club Viggen kit, far left. The new Ju 52 with open doors, hatches and roof looks especially impressive - but then with a slated retail price of around £50 it certainly should be.

 

new tool 1:72nd Airfix Wessex HC. 2 build review (2) - first completion of 2026

Still minus a few stencils and small parts but here are a few views of the new-tool Airfix Wessex HC 2. It is a lovely kit, very finely detailed over 86 build stages. Unfortunately not a very pleasurable build experience, possibly to do with the fact that you have to paint/decal the model before attaching most of the parts. One or two of these crucially don't fit too well, which is a pain and one or two disappeared who knows where. And I wish Airfix would identify some of the smaller parts too - what for example are the small 'jaw' like parts that go onto the bottom of the gear legs?  I left these off until the end and they were so much easier to deal with this way. The 'folding' tail rotor and main rotor blades are great options - just rather fiddly to get in position, while the main rotor head probably needs some brass rod or similar to 'stiffen' up the construction. Needless to say masking the canopy was several hours work too and I'm still not sure whether those upper panels should be 'tinted'. Geoff Coughlan's build has them, others don't. The exhausts are just a little clunky - comprising two halves the join is difficult to eradicate at the lip so I've hidden it with some foil covers. Camo was free-handed with AK Real Colors - that's how easy these paints are to work with..

Not only are the rotor blades rather tricky to position folded, the instructions don't exactly clarify the painting and finishing of them. Note on this image (below) how the dark green upper surfaces of the blades are only facing 'outwards' on the starboard fold. The black lower sufaces are 'outwards' on the port fold.

I'll give this kit  a good 8/10 and if we get a yellow one in a forthcoming release I'll definitely add it to the collection..

 

new tool 1:72nd Airfix Wessex HC. 2 build review (1)

Now that the replacement sprue has arrived from Airfix (yes, see above - an entire sprue was missing from the sealed, bagged kit!) I can get on with the build of my 'Walter'!

Note on the internal painting of the cabin - blue seats and pea green on the sound quilting. You could usefully add some belt detail, but I have not. Grime it up a bit with an oil wash and a bit of dry-brushing. Good details, including the interior frame and the heating duct, but 27 build stages before closing up the fuselage is probably asking for trouble. 

In the cockpit Airfix provide a choice of instrument panels, one with raised detail or a flat part with decal. Shame that the decal doesn't really look like the real thing. Colour call-outs for the cockpit parts are non-existent - I've done mine in a dark grey, but should probably be black. Note the prominent windscreen wiper motors on the framing behind the panel.

Fitting the cockpit and the cabin roof is fiddly and a very tight fit! A fair bit of fettling required ..and then - despite the okay-ish dry-fit - I couldn't get the fuselage halves together around the nose.  I had this issue on the 48th P-51. Despite this, the fit of the windscreen/canopy is not bad, but might need a little sanding to avoid a 'step'. The canopy will take some time to mask - but certainly no worse than a Ju 88! 

Sprue attachment points are very large and usually on the mating surfaces which makes clean-up a little tricky. Otherwise another notable point about the kit is the tremendous amount of surface detailing - hoist power feed sockets, power take-off points down the fuselage under the pilots door etc. The so-called 'beetle-back' is well done and the prominent cooling louvres are featured after a fashion. Airfix have also moulded the cutouts for those drain points at the forward edge. The representation of the mesh covers is pretty well done and there is a basic gearbox with torque links. 

Folded or flying options are available, folded looks neat with the cradle attachment in bright red.

More soon...

A look in the box - Airfix new-tool superkit Bf 109 G-6 unveiled at SMW Telford (2025)

 

Gary from 'Gary's Stuff' dives into the box and shows us some of the plastic along with a detailed overview of the instruction manual  - this is the new-tool Airfix Bf 109 G-6 unveiled at SMW 2025. There is more on this kit on my 'FalkeEins -Luftwaffe blog' with photos of the 'real' airframe but when the model arrives I shall most likely build it here. A single click on the 'red triangle' to view here..

Also announced at Telford SMW 2025 was a new Kotare Emil in 32nd and Revell have added some new parts to their 32nd Me 262 for the 'one-off' 'Pulk' destroyer variant of the Me 262. Designed by Radi Brinzan - responsible for the Kotare K-4- the Kotare Emil was 'lidar-ed' from the Bf 109 E at RAF Hendon and is due out in Q2-A3 of 2026.

new-tool Airfix Wessex HC 2 in 1/72 -what a disappointment!

 

Disappointed is not the word. No, not the kit. I bought two of them - but in each of the two boxes there was an entire sprue missing!In each case Sprue B -floor seats etc was missing. Both boxes had two 'D' sprues, making the kits unbuildable. A £23 kit that can't be built. Fuming. Following straight on from the Jaguar fiasco (Vintage Classic - wrong kit in the box) it would seem that quality control issues are back with a vengeance for Hornby/Airfix. Both the Wessex kits were in sealed bags inside sealed boxes! For no purpose whatsoever. Well I've contacted customer services, got an automated response (!) and am frankly not hopeful of a quick or satisfactory outcome. They never (ever) came through on the Blenheim (missing canopy part). Simon on britmodeller who lives in Australia was kind enough to come up with a replacment Blenheim part! And its not just the Wessex of the recent Airfix releases. As Thomas on the ATF said, some modellers were missing the clear sprue from the Stalwart. He was missing 'only' the tailgate. It came after about two weeks once there were spare Stalwarts to part from. A single piece missing I might have been able to cope. But we're talking a whole sprue here. And no, it wasn't just a one off, two boxes with the same defect. Is the reputational 'hit' worth the price of using cheap foreign labour? DaveCov on the ATF; 

 " I have just inspected my Wessex boxing. It is the same batch number as that posted by FalkeEins. With trepidation, I opened the sealed bag and looked through the frames. Thankfully, Frame B was there..." 

 Airfix spares have subsequently responded to my rather angry email with their standard automated response; - they will sort and send spare parts - if available - within 21 days. They don't say what will happen if no spares are available. Nor did they apologise for putting out dud kits. - the retailer (RAF Manston History museum shop) has emailed and offered to let me exchange my defective kit for another on the shelf..

Below; latest Airfix release is the Wessex HC.2 in 1/72nd. Trouble is, one of the five main sprues was not in the box, while there were two 'D' sprues..

Building the Airfix Sepecat Jaguar in 1/48th (part 5) - reference pics of the gear bays and legs

 Finished painting the airframe.

'Black-basing' the airframe prior to application of the AK Real colors 'Desert Pink'  proved to be a complete waste of time. I was very impressed though with the AK paint and used in conjunction with 'Mr Color Levelling Thinner' proved to be a revelation..(..to me at least..)

Next; dealing with the gear bays and undercarriage. Assembling the legs can be pretty tricky at first sight. Note the 'ring-like' attachment point on the long inner strut is canted. Make sure you position it the correct way round otherwise it will bow just like it does on Gary's build! And a shout-out to the model channel 'Hobby Wan Kenobi' or whatever it is he calls himself - why on earth do all that masking around the gear bays? Paint the bays and then use the kit gear doors to 'mask' them by just positioning them in place closed up.

Close up of the gear legs on the Manston example, and, bottom, detail views of the gear bays. Airfix's colour call-out for the legs - Humbrol 27 - is rather too dark in my view. Overall though Airfix have done a fantastic job on this part of the kit.

Port main gear bay looking towards the rear of the aircraft and, bottom, looking directly into the starboard bay. Note inner faces of the main gear doors are not in zinc chromate..

Model Day 2025 at the Kent Battle of Britain museum, September 13-14

a few photos of the display tables at the Hawkinge Battle of Britain museum model show that was held this weekend. Clubs exhibiting included East Kent Scale Modellers, Gravesham Model club and Shepway Military Modelling. Only the Shepway club were there on both days. Last time time I attended at Hawkinge was 2022. Highlights were Steve's Das Werk Sdkfz 251 in 1/16th and Ian's Tamiya F-4 in 32nd on the 'Silver surfers' table. I'll post some close-ups of the models in my next post..

from the Battle of Britain museum's own page; 

 "... We are pleased to report that the first day of the Autumn Model Show at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust at Hawkinge (www.kbobm.org) on Saturday 13th September 2025 was a great success and despite the awful weather! The event was organised by our own in-house Model Club, the Shepway Military Model Society, (thank you lads and particularly Adrian Smith) and were joined by members of the East Kent Scale Modellers Club, Gravesham Modelling Club and Silver Surfers. They were all set up in the Stuart-Buttle and Lord Dowding Memorial Hangars and displayed a wide range of brilliant painted and created military aircraft, vehicles ad. Today, Sunday 14th September 2025 the Shepway Military Model Society were joined by our good friends from the Southeast Tanks Scale Model Club. This was the third season for the Model Show which the Shepway Military Modelling Club have organised on our behalf and from November 2023 this model club have been basing themselves from the Museum and using the No. 25 Squadron Mess and Tea Rooms to hold their monthly meetings in. What promises to be an excellent partnership between the Museum, Modelling Club, Museum Shop (which carries a large stock of Airfix and Eduard kits) and the No. 25 Squadron Mess and Tea Rooms..."