This week I've been tinkering with an Airfix model. This is something I haven't done in many many years. As a kid I was never very good at fixing the models together and always seemed to get covered in glue as soon as I looked at the tube. None the less, like many men my age, I have fond memories of building and playing with my Airfix models. So when I got the chance to pick up a model Tiger Tank I couldn't resist.
I bought this particular kit while I was at Duxford last week (The irony of buying a tank model at an air show hasn't eluded me). There was an 'Airfix' tent amongst the traders where eager fathers tried in vain to get their iPod wearing, Social Networking, techno kids to tune out for half an hour and make a model. The heady fumes of Polystyrene Glue wafted out the tent door and many a '40 something' could be seen wandering into the tent with a far away smile on their faces.
I was one of them, and enjoyed my brief visit to this tent enormously. Just as I was leaving I saw the boxed Tiger Tank and knew "it must be mine"! Its a 1:76 scale recreation of the infamous Tiger I as it appeared in 1942. There are two sets of water decals inside the box and a comprehensive set of instructions.
I've made a bit of a mess gluing it together but it was fun non-the-less. The most difficult part was putting together the multiple layers of road wheels. The whole job took about an hour and half to put together, although it is far from complete. I didn't do a great job of building the rest of the tank and gaps are showing in several places. I'll have to use a bit of gap filler to clean up these areas before having a go at painting it.
I doubt if this model will ever make the display shelf but it has been great fun to play around with and has brought back a lot of childhood memories.