Airfix 1:72 Red Arrow

[badgerade]

Quick question to those more knowledgeable than me. If I was to buy 9 of the above kits, would the decal sets allow me to create different models with different serial numbers etc?

My 5 year old is Red Arrows mad so I have been considering doing a full formation for his bedroom ceiling.

[Eric Mc]

I think you can.

(I presume you are talking about the new issue 1/72 kit - not the 1/48 kit and not the old 1970s 1/72 vintage kit).

[badgerade]

Thanks Eric. This was the one I was looking at: http://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/p-7063-airfix-ki...

I'm sure I'll regret my decision after the 2nd or 3rd model

[Eric Mc]

Yes - that's the new one - which is a nice kit.

But even I would balk at building 9 of them.

More interesting to me would be -

One Red Arrows Hawk
One Red Arrows Gnat
One Yellow Jacks Gnat.

You could have all three flying in formation from the ceiling.

[badgerade]

You make a very good point! I think I'll get hold of one and see how it goes. It's been a good number of years since I've built any of these kits.

[Eric Mc]

I'd highly advocate spray painting the model. As the colour is essentially all gloss red - I'd be tempted to use a spray can of some sort.

The technique I would be to spray the model with Halford's Primer White and then use a Gloss Bright Red of some sort on top.

[badgerade]

Thanks again Eric, very helpful.

Just had a quick google and this person has used Halfords Fiat 'Red Orange' which looks to be a decent colour match (although perhaps hard to tell from photos): http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topi...

Any tips for spraying with a can?

[tr7v8]

badgerade said:

Thanks again Eric, very helpful.

Just had a quick google and this person has used Halfords Fiat 'Red Orange' which looks to be a decent colour match (although perhaps hard to tell from photos): http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topi...

Any tips for spraying with a can?

Not sure of the colour balance of those pics but they look very orange to me.
Fords Sunburst Red or Venetian would be my guess.

[perdu]

That model looks nice but the red seems darker than red Arrows red to me

I saw a model at club last month of a Red's Typhoon (?) and the colour he used was a VW colour(he said), looked quite like t'real thing, if a tad too bright

As to the OP, much as I admire the Reds, nine? Not a hope

I have this model, in the Airfix Starter pack format. It does look very nice (unbuilt)

[dr_gn]

I built the Revell 1:72 Red Arrows Hawk (with my 4 year old son) a couple of years ago and it's an excellent kit. It does contain all the serial numbers. Not seen the Airfix version, but based upon recent experience I'd expect the Revell version to be superior; it certainly went together with no issues:



To paint it you really need a red primer and a can of Humbrol #238 "Arrows Red" spray paint (assuming you don't have an airbrush). You could use Xtracolour X014 "Red Arrows Red" if you do have one.

[badgerade]

Just found this review of the Airfix kit which shows the decal sheet - confirms that the serial numbers of all 9 aircraft are available.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topi...

[Eric Mc]

Hadn't realised they had re-tooled the "re-tool".

Try and make sure you get the most recent edition. So, make a note of the product serial which seems to be A02005A (Normal Boxing) and A55202 (Starter Pack).

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 3rd September 09:47

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Hadn't realised they had re-tooled the "re-tool".

Try and make sure you get the most recent edition. So, make a note of the product serial which seems to be A02005A (Normal Boxing) and A55202 (Starter Pack).

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 3rd September 09:47

Why bother? Just buy the Revell version - it's fine.

[tdm34]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

Hadn't realised they had re-tooled the "re-tool".

Try and make sure you get the most recent edition. So, make a note of the product serial which seems to be A02005A (Normal Boxing) and A55202 (Starter Pack).

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 3rd September 09:47

Why bother? Just buy the Revell version - it's fine.

But the Revell Hawk makes 0% profit for Airfix doesn't it.......

[Eric Mc]

The good doctor is on a mission to put people off Airfix. That should be obvious by now.

All the reviews of the latest tooling of the Hawk seem pretty positive.

[tdm34]

Eric Mc said:

The good doctor is on a mission to put people off Airfix. That should be obvious by now.

All the reviews of the latest tooling of the Hawk seem pretty positive.

Eric, i've known this for a while! I just like to use a little gentle sarcasm towards him now and again...

[dr_gn]

Why buy something that's both inferior and more expensive?

By all means give whatever advice you want, but one thing's for sure: Start with the more compromised kit and you'll end up with the more compromised model.

The review the O/P posted mentioned the deep panel lines on the Airfix kit, and that the re-issue "has gone some way towards addressing". This is something which the Revell kit never suffered from. I know this because I've actually built one recently.

If I were the O/P I'd buy two Revell Hawks, build them with my son and hang them up trailing some cotton wool smoke as the synchro pair.

Edited by dr_gn on Tuesday 3rd September 12:29

[Eric Mc]

Of course you would.

I admire consistency.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Of course you would.

I admire consistency.

Consistency? Hmmm, that brings us to your suggestion of using white primer:

Why spend more than the cost of the kit on a can of white primer to overcoat red/grey plastic, to then re-coat with red paint? Assuming you're using Humbrol "Arrows Red" you don't really need any primer at all on a red moulded kit, let alone something that's going to take loads of coats to obscure the red plastic, then loads more coats of red paint to obscure the white primer

At this scale, after that lot the O/P will end up with some form of amorphous red/pink blob (but at least the panel lines wouldn't be an issue

Edited by dr_gn on Tuesday 3rd September 13:07

[Eric Mc]

I always use primer - irrespective of the colour of the underlying plastic.

You see, I'm consistent too.