Airfix 1/48 Bristol Blenheim Mk1

[BarryW]

Wings on, decent fit, just a little filler around the filets.

I masked up to spray Cockpit Green on the clear areas. Next up will be black primer.

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
Looking at your work so far it's clear that it's building up into a nice model. Good to see some paint going on.
Jim

[Tim Marlow]

Looks good and seems to be building well. As to the plastic, if Airfix want to sell to the EU they have to follow their rules. US rules could well be even more stringent. There may well be components that are banned from the finished article in both cases. The country of manufacture is pretty much irrelevant……however as this rule also applies to the Far Eastern manufacturers, who use a different, better quality styrene formulation, it is probably not the culprit. It is almost certainly just a cost thing, perhaps using a percentage of recycled material.

[BarryW]

Looks good and seems to be building well. As to the plastic, if Airfix want to sell to the EU they have to follow their rules. US rules could well be even more stringent. There may well be components that are banned from the finished article in both cases. The country of manufacture is pretty much irrelevant……however as this rule also applies to the Far Eastern manufacturers, who use a different, better quality styrene formulation, it is probably not the culprit. It is almost certainly just a cost thing, perhaps using a percentage of recycled material.

Yes, Tamiya sell into the EU, Trumpeter do, Zoukei Mura do and these all have much better quality harder plastic than Airfix. In fact Airfix are the only company I know using this crap soft plastic. I really cannot see any validity in the argument that blames the EU for this (much as I would love to throw mud at that organisation). As for the extra cost, I expect it would make a marginal difference. Would the fuss some made about the price of the new 1/48 Buccaneer be any greater if it was £76 instead of £75? To be honest I suspect the extra cost would be smaller than that. Indeed a decent plastic would help turn the emphasis to more positive remarks about fit and engineering, boosting sales and in so doing it would more than pay for itself. I am convinced that the negative comments that we so much of on social media about Airfix have the poor plastic and the old legacy kits to blame. Airfix addressed the legacy issue by relabelling these kits as Vintage.

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Barry. Can't comment on the reasons for the soft plastic but understand that you mean.

As for the turret jig, they did something similar with their newest 1/72 Mossie, where the fixing points on the wheel be wheels act as a jig.

Keep up the good work.

Andrew

[Tim Marlow]

Sure, but the plastic used could also flow better into the moulds, so lowering moulding pressure, and therefore reducing manufacturing cost per unit beyond just the cost of raw materials. It is something they could improve though, as the recent Airfix kits I have built have been excellent in design.
On the other hand, Rendedra, who mould most of the plastic gaming figures I make, use similar plastic to Tamiya, and I believe they mould product in the UK.

[Guest]

Airfix are the only company I know using this crap soft plastic.

I’ve built a number of Airfix 1:72 scale aircraft and though the plastic is soft, it hasn’t bothered me in the slightest. So I think what this is, is a matter of preference masquerading as universal wisdom: you prefer plastic that isn’t as soft as Airfix’s, but I suspect the plastic has the exact consistency Airfix wants it to have, because they (and probably plenty of modellers) do like it, or at least have no problem with it (like me).

FWIW, my own dislike is for the very hard kind of plastic you get from the likes of Hasegawa and Fujimi.

[Tim Marlow]

Could well be that. In my defence Jakko I absolutely hate silver coloured plastic no matter who makes it. You can’t tell if the sprue scars are smoothed until you paint it…
The newer Airfix stuff is absolutely no use for making stretched sprue, by the way, it springs back like elastic

[BarryW]

I’ve built a number of Airfix 1:72 scale aircraft and though the plastic is soft, it hasn’t bothered me in the slightest. So I think what this is, is a matter of preference masquerading as universal wisdom: you prefer plastic that isn’t as soft as Airfix’s, but I suspect the plastic has the exact consistency Airfix wants it to have, because they (and probably plenty of modellers) do like it, or at least have no problem with it (like me).

FWIW, my own dislike is for the very hard kind of plastic you get from the likes of Hasegawa and Fujimi.

As I think I pointed out. The big problem is warping and shrinkage. This is much less of a problem on smaller scale kits but on the large pieces involved in large scales like 1/24 it becomes a massive problem. This Blenheim build shows how the warping is manageable in 1/48 but factored up to 1/24 it really is an issue.

[BarryW]

A couple of shots of the model. I am about to start masking the wheel wells and bomb bay.

[BarryW]

Well I have her dressed in her sexy black undies but looking more like the dumpy girl next door than a sleek sexy supermodel. But that a Blenheim for you!!

I will be checking the seams and for other build flaws, dealing with them before a final black primer coat.

[rtfoe]

Well I have her dressed in her sexy black undies but looking more like the dumpy girl next door than a sleek sexy supermodel. But that a Blenheim for you!!

I will be checking the seams and for other build flaws, dealing with them before a final black primer coat.

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Back in those days she would be termed as sexy. :smiling6: With full rounded curves.

Cheers,
Richard

[BarryW]

After letting some Mr Dissolved Putty cure overnight I went back and sanded the seams treated. I won’t know whether any more treatment is needed until I have sprayed some fresh primer. Probably won’t get a chance today.

[BarryW]

Some small parts painted and I have sprayed the underside Azure Blue


Progressing well.

[adt70hk]

Looking good Barry!

Coming on very nicely.