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.

 

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..."

 

Taking an Airfix Starter set on my hols - Airfix Land Rover Series 1 pick-up in 1:43

 

" this Starter Set 'Land Rover Series 1' from Airfix is a high-quality vehicle model kit specifically designed for beginners. With a scale of 1:43, this model offers a detailed replica of the classic Land Rover Series 1. The kit consists of 39 individual parts made from durable plastic. The unpainted version allows model builders to express their creativity and customise the vehicle according to their own ideas.." 

Something to build when on holiday. Just requires a minimum of tools, glue etc. This is the long wheel-base Land Rover - there is a neat conversion to the short wheel-base on youtube. I added some extra detail in the cab - a couple of levers and a gear stick. There is a decal for the instrument panel. Curiously the kit has no exhaust pipe which ordinarily would run along the underside of the vehicle of course - too long and fragile for the intended 'market' according to Luke (who is now ex-Airfix, having moved to Revell). Having said that I found the build a little tricky in places with fit being very tight. I added wing mirrors from sprue and wire and off-set the driving wheels. I painted my Land Rover with a Halfords Grey Primer rattle can and then spent a couple of hours applying various effects with oils - pin washes, filters and streaking. I also used some MiG pigments to represent 'dust' but was much less happy with these effects. You can buy this kit for less than tenner and can literally build it anywhere. Go for it!

Airfix new tool 1:48th Gannet COD 4

 

Dick from East Kent Scale Modellers has done a brilliant job on the new Airfix Gannet COD 'carrier delivery' aircraft. What a beast, looks magnificent in 48th!

Another view and a comparison with the Classic Airframes kit. This older kit has a noticeably smaller prop assembly and a rather 'pinched' forward fuselage..note my Land Rover and Dick's Heller Austin Allegro also on the table..

Building the new Airfix 48th Sepecat Jaguar GR. 1 (1)

 

Let's make a start on the new Airfix Jaguar that everyone seems to be showing off at the moment - and since my local museum has an example on display we can feature some 'reference' too rather than go searching for that elusive issue of 'World Airpower Journal'..keep checking in to see the build progressing with some more close-up 'reference' shots..

The first 12 stages (of 130 or so) deal with the cockpit tub and ejection seat  - there appears to be two of everything for different types of  MB seat - rather than for a twin seat version as far as I can tell. Although that is obviously coming - given the separate forward fuselage/cockpit area. There is neat raised console detail and decals to finish off the tub which is black which will obviously need washing or highlighting in some way to bring out the detail. If you are including the pilot figure you might want to check the fit here - apparently he doesn't with the ejection handle in situ.

The cockpit 'sits' on the forward wheel well and it all fits snugly into position. Next steps are to add some seat belts from wine bottle foil and build up and detail paint the super-detailed wheel wells - here they are in plain zinc chromate primer. A wash will bring out all the detail. The 'black' is (Halfords) 'Volvo Dark Grey' which seems to work better than 'black'..

A view of the main gear bay (looking rearwards) of the Jaguar in the RAF Manston History Museum (near Ramsgate, Kent). Not a terribly clear shot admittedly, but the green/yellow gear bay and some of the associated pipework is evident..note this appears to be in (light aircraft) grey along with the gear legs themselves. 

At East Kent Scale Modellers club night last week, Dale had already got most of the major components of the kit together...flaps and slats deployed