FalkeEins- my model blog

August club meets, IPMS East Kent, Shepway Military Modelling (SMMS)

2026-08-19T08:09:51.410-07:00

Building the new-tool Airfix Junkers Ju 52

2026-08-04T06:33:39.856-07:00

A few modellers have already built and/or are building the new Ju 52 just released. Here are some screen shots from Luke's video at Mach Models (video link below; great model, superbly filmed) and some pics from Jonty at IPMS East Kent. Incidentally some of Luke's work is on display at Hannants in Colindale close by the RAF museum, Hendon.

The new Airfix Ju 52 has a good level of cockpit detail - features include rudder pedals, control yokes, the central instrument panel with throttle levers and radio equipment/sets behind the forward bulkhead. Internal 'cargo' space can be configured with Airfix-supplied oil drums and/or seating. The rear bulkheads visible fill the space below/around the gunners' position. The internal 'corrugations' are well done and the bracing framework is also featured. Note the 'single-part' roof in the image below.

The lower fuselage and the top roof are available as single parts avoiding a central join/split and there are two large spars built into the lower section to support the wings.

Some screen shots from the Mach Models video below. Note less than 10 minutes of Luke's video are devoted to construction which appears absolutely 'painless'.

Below; A single click on the red square to watch the full video here.

Eduard 1:48 Fw 190 A - what a dog!

2026-07-30T10:44:21.643-07:00

About 13 years ago now, the Czech model concern Eduard released their first new-tool Fw 190 in 48th scale. I've avoided it - until now. Recently I (perhaps rather naively) imagined that I could complete it to a reasonable level and call myself a 'real' modeller! I'm working on one at the moment and I can safely say that it will easily make it into my listing of the Top 10 worst model kits ever released. In fact I'd go further. It is quite possibly the worst kit ever manufactured and sold to the general public. Of course some people on model forums and in blogs actually maintain that they have built it - to which I would say, not as the model company intended you haven't! There are a whole range of fit issues with it - from the small 'triangular' part that you must align and glue behind the wheel well spar to the wing root gun bays and covers, the upper cowl MG mounts -far far too large- which clip into the upper wheel well part and are supposed to represent the ejector chutes to the horrible horrible (yes, twice for emphasis..) engine assembly - so bad Eduard provide a 'template' for you to align the individual exhaust stacks to the multi-part cowling. I could not even get the wings together properly. To get anywhere with the kit you must immediately deviate from the instructions - glue the fuselage halves together and then slide the completed cockpit in from underneath - the fuselage halves are so thin and flexible doing it this way is fairly straight forward.Obviously checking all the while that the forward cowl cover and windscreen will fit without leaving a 'lip'. The way the instrument panel is supposed to be located - 'clipping' into the coaming - is dreadful, especially as the coaming doesn't even touch the sides but there is not a lot that can be done here, aside from super glue and clamp. That's about as far as I've got with the kit at the moment and while I never bin anything, I'm seriously contemplating doing it with this one. I'd been saving this one up for a long time as well - 13 years. I've read all the reviews, collected all the advice, from Fridell and others. Even Eduard themselves issued a page of guidance to 'help' modellers with the build - and it still didn't work for me. Do they not perform test builds at the factory before unleashing stuff like this into the modelling world? Evidently not as they managed to completely screw up the first new-tool '48th' scale Me 109s they released as well. No wonder both their 48th scale 109s and Fw 190s had to be re-tooled!

This is part 1 of this build report - who knows whether there will be a part 2.

yes, if you want everything 'opened up' just follow the instructions. But those cowl gun mounts will look rather ridiculous if you do leave them alone. Part I21 is tricky (see image above). There is no indication at all where this 'sits' - a bit of trial and error and test fitting with the cowl cover and windscreen is the only way to do it, otherwise it end up far too high as well..

Below; Even if you do use the cowl part closed up then you will need to retain the bulkhead I4 onto which your suitably amended magazines will still need to be mounted. The engine mount struts fit onto this part as well but I'm not feeling at all confident that the engine assembly will 'work' as per the instructions. Well the wings are assembled and some filler at the roots will be required. The MGs have to be inserted into the bays before the top wing goes on, which, once again, is not ideal!

Changes at Airfix and a look at their 1:72 Bf 109 F-4 starter kit

2026-07-18T05:50:16.832-07:00

Following on from Luke's departure to Revell, Head of Brand at Airfix Dale Luckhurst has been pushed out (or jumped ship before being pushed) and gone to Heller. Dale has been replaced by a marketing whizz ( and former wedding bridal dress store owner allegedly) according to what you can read around the Net. Which probably means she knows nothing about scale modelling. Obviously the brand appears to be undertaking cost cutting measures, perhaps anticipating a sale by Hornby? Some of the planned 2026 releases also allegedly appear to have been ditched. After my issues with their new releases (missing sprues in the Wessex box, Blenheim canopy glazing irredeemably cracked, no replacement available) my Airfix 'loyalty' is maybe now slowly starting to wane.......

So just time to mention that the Bf 109 F (Friedrich) starter set I've just finished was really not worth the effort. Lacking in detail and finesse - as perhaps a 'starter set' requires - this 109 carries on the Airfix 'tradition' of being unable to give us a really decent small scale Bf 109. It of course builds easily enough, but looks slightly 'under-sized' to me. A pilot figure is included in lieu of cockpit detail. The single overall dark green colour scheme is unfortunately complicated with large areas of yellow decal which will probably be hard to apply and look much better painted, albeit tricky for a' beginner'. Subject of the kit is a Jabo Jagd-bomber of III. /JG 77 on the Eastern Front taking out some T-34s - but the kit does not feature a bomb rack or any ordnance. As the new Gruppe had to have a Jabo-Staffel (a fighter squadron that could occasionally operate as a light bomber with a 250 kg bomb under its belly), 7. Staffel was designated to fulfill this role. The decal option in the kit provides the markings for 7./JG 77 Staffelkapitän Wolf-dieter Huy and includes his rudder scoreboard - he was awarded the Ritterkreuz- and the unit's ' wolf's head cowl emblem. You also get a stand for your nearly £12 outlay, which when compared to its Eduard 'equivalent', seems a little over-priced too. A poor 4 out of 10 is my rating. Seen on the table at Shepway Military Modelling Society club night, first Monday of the month at the Hawkinge Battle of Britain Museum...

Great War SIG at West Norfolk IPMS show

2026-06-20T06:32:37.704-07:00

.. first post taking in the SIGs at last week's IPMS West Norfolk show. These fine 1:72 models are all the work of Mr Steve Cox. Although there were no triplanes on the table until I pointed it out. Note that Steve doesn't rig his builds - his 'philosophy' is that building model kits should be 'for fun' and rigging is not fun! Note that some of these 72nd scale models like the Friedrichshafen and Gotha bombers are vac-forms! That doesn't sound like fun either to be honest!

Shepway Military Modelling, Saturday 13 June (Part 2)

2026-06-18T02:55:49.398-07:00

Held every year at the Community Centre in Hawkinge, this is our small local club show. Arrived at 08:00 on the dot to find that set-up was well underway. Bacon roll and teas at 09:00, and the show opened at 10:00. Plenty of clubs and traders present and the competition tables soon started to fill up. We (Shepway) were opposite the Gravesham and East surrey clubs...

and some views of the competition tables. Best in show was this U-boat with Steve's Airfix Spitfire also in the running. Alan's Antonov was very nice too...

Shepway Military Modelling and West Norfolk IPMS shows, 13/14 June 2026 (Part 1)

2026-06-14T23:52:16.794-07:00

On Saturday we made the short trip to Hawkinge for the annual Shepway show. More on that soon. The next morning we drove up to Littleport near Cambridge for the West Norfolk IPMS show, or, as they call it, the 'West Anglia Scale Model Show'. The West Norfolk/Anglia show is a comparatively large one, filling Littleport leisure centre - around 50 clubs and SIGs exhibiting and 20-30 traders and stands. We were located next to IMPS Rivenhall, Thurrock Model Club and the Sherman SIG opposite Marilyn's East Anglia Books and the incredible 'Models for Sale' stand. Theme of the show as the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire. A few views of the table and some models from the shows.

John's Trumpeter 1:48 SM.79 was awarded 'Best Aircraft' (on the right) at the West Norfolk show. My Dr.1s and Udet's red Me 109 lurking in the background below and my Jaguar in the middle of the table in the first view above.

HMS Belfast 1:350

2026-06-11T02:42:21.946-07:00

Simon's competition winner from the Trumpeter kit at the IPMS East Kent June club meet.

unknown Eastern Front Tiger in a diorama setting

2026-06-08T12:42:09.372-07:00

Ade's (Shepway Military Modelling Society -SMMS) on-going Tamiya Tiger dio. Identification of the Tiger I, unit, location and time frame is proving difficult. Kharkov, s.Pz. Abt 505 possibly but the Tiger is 'white-washed', it appears to be late winter and s.Pz. Abt 505 was not deployed to that region until summer 1943. Note the Tiger is devoid of markings. The roof tiles were individually 3-D printed.

A couple of images from a French publication entitled 'Tigers at Leningrad', a special issue by 'Batailles' in 2006 (Histoire et Collections). This was not a random magazine article on Tigers but a special issue based on the photo album of Max Loetsch of s.Pz.Abt 502 (1/502) - these images from the chapter covering the second battle of Lake Ladoga (February 1943) depict some of the first combats of Operation Iskra, the Soviet operation to relieve Leningrad. Note there are no markings of any sort on the Tiger. The timber building to the left appears to be in a very similar style to the subject photograph, a location where the battalion was quartered briefly..

Revell Bf 109 G-6 in 32nd

2026-05-28T01:58:35.966-07:00

This model blog has just finished a Revell G-6 in 32nd scale OOB - a first build of this kit that has been in the stash for some 13 years now! It's a decent kit, goes together reasonably well - except for the horrible spinner arrangement - and is here finished in AK Real Colors. The spinner spiral was masked and painted as were the yellow and black fuselage 'Bauchbinde' bands. As usual I bought some Quick Boost add-ons (bulges, charger intake) and then decided that really the kit parts were just as good so the model was finished OOB in the kit markings - this is a late-war machine with the tall tail and Erla Haube to represent the machine as flown by the Gruppenkommandeur III./JG 5 ace Franz Dörr. Dörr achieved around 120 victories, his last in late October 1944 in the Eismeer Geschwader flying over the Far North.

below; essentially the same kit - in the G-10 version - as built by Auguste Kleinpeter to represent 'yellow 8' of 9./JG 300

May model club night - Challengers in 1/35

2026-05-13T05:42:50.697-07:00

Here's a few images from the two club nights I've attended this month at IPMS East Kent ( RAF Manston History museum) and Shepway Military Modelling..(Kent Battle of Britain Museum)

First up, some Challenger tanks, including Robert's build of the Trumpeter kit followed by two of Steve's from the complex Rye Field kit to the more simplified (and 'desertised') Tamiya kit...

Who Are DBMK? 1:32 Sea Fury launch

2026-04-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Who Are DBMK?

DBMK is a model company founded by East Kent Scale modeller Will and his Ukrainian colleague Ilya. Their aim is to;

- Produce highly accurate kits that also build properly

- Bring overlooked or underrepresented subjects to life

Will has been modelling since the 1970s, later studying aeronautical engineering and serving as a tank commander in the British Army. He now works in London as a management consultant — but modelling has always remained at the core of his passion.

Ilya began modelling in Ukraine in 1975 and has worked with respected brands including SIGA, Olimp Models, Armory and Copper State Models. He also served in Afghanistan during the 1980s, giving him a deep, first-hand connection to military subjects.

The DBMK 1:32 Sea Fury has already featured heavily on this blog - my colleagues at East Kent have built a number of the test shots. The kit was recently 'officially' launched at the RNAS Yeovilton 'Navy Wings' hangar in the presence of various modelling alumni and here are a few images..

Ilya (left) and Will (second right) with East Kent Scale Modellers and test shot builders, Rod (third left), Dick (4th right) and Bill (third right).

Also on this blog;

1:32 Sea Fury test shot builds in close up at the East Kent Scale modellers monthly meet

And, below, a quick video presentation from James LPJ Models of the RNAS launch day

And you still don't know what the letters DBMK stand for .......

John's Trumpeter/Zvezda T-62

2026-04-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

on the table at the most recent club meet of the Shepway Military Modelling Society were John's Trumpeter and Zvezda T-62s. The Trumpeter build is painted while the Zvezda kit is still in primer. Shepway Military Modelling Society meet at the Kent Battle of Britain museum on the first Monday of each month.

Finnish B-239 Buffalo from the 'classic' Airfix 72nd kit

2026-04-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

The ancient 1:72 Airfix Buffalo is a poor kit. Turning it into a Finnish machine is to be honest a bit of a pointless exercise - everything needs work. But then again, everything needs work anyway. Here I've built up the cowl - drilling out the cooling apertures and relocating the MGs to those little bulges on the top - lengthened the forward fuselage with card and putty by several mms, revamped the cockpit with an instrument panel and head/back armour and substituted the propeller for an item out of the spares box that actually looked like it might have belonged on an aeroplane! The opening canopy section had to be 'plunge-moulded' to actually get something to fit in the open position and I used decal strip for the framing. The raised detail was sanded down and a bit of rescribing undertaken - not my favourite task.The lumps of plastic that pass for exhausts on the kit were removed and replacements installed on the bottom of the cowl. The tail wheel was replaced with something from the spares box. Decals came from an old Colarado sheet. Just to make things worse I used Humbrol 24 for the yellow Eastern Front theatre markings - and it refused to dry! Still to add the pitot but this one is done..

Boeing P-8 Poseidon - Walkaround at Le Bourget - Academy 1:144

2026-04-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

recent builds of the Academy Poseidon in 1:144 by Thomas, Steve and Stu. US Navy P-8 "759" photographed by this blogger at Le Bourget, Paris in June 2025 where it was on static display.

text based on Des Brennan's "Poseidon - both hunter and hunted" in SAM Vol 45/4

The Boeing P-8 is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defence, Space and Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. Developed for the United States Navy the type flies anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,and search and rescue missions. On 20 July 2007, the Australian Minister for Defence announced that the P-8A was the preferred aircraft to replace the Royal Australian Air Force fleet of Lockheed AP-3C Orions, followed by the United Kingdom in 2012, Norway in 2014, then New Zealand, South Korea, and Germany.

Poseidon MRA.1 ZP805/05/Fulmar (the Naval Air Station name for Lossiemouth prior to it becoming an RAF base) operated by a crew from No.120 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth drops a torpedo (recoverable exercise variant of the Mk 54) over the Moray Firth in July 2021. The rear fuselage weapons bay doors are still open, the forward fuselage FLIR ball is lowered, and no wing pylons are fitted. (Cpl. Adam Fletcher Open Government Licence)

Poseidon P-8A YD/755 (168755) of Patrol Squadron VP-4 ‘The Skinny Dragons’ overhead Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, in February 2020 during Exercise Dynamic Mantra 2020. This gives a good view of the various aerials and sensors under the aircraft, the inboard wing mounted weapons pylon, and the mounting plinth for the outer as well as the location of the weapons bay aft of the wing. (US Navy photo)

The US Navy has 133 P-8s in service. With a six-screen glass cockpit the P-8 is operated by two pilots on the flight deck with another seven members of the crew operating the mission systems from consoles in the cabin, of which originally five but later upgraded to seven can be installed. The P-8’s maximum speed is 490 knots/564mph (908 kph), it has a service ceiling of 41,000 ft (12,500m), and an unrefuelled range of 4,500 miles (7250 km). Endurance is around ten hours but this can be doubled with air-to-air refuelling (AAR) although unusually for a US Navy aircraft (and for some of those current users who practice that art) only the flying boom method is provided for, as opposed to their long-standard use of the probe-and-drogue method.

The UK ordered 9 examples of the P-8 in 2019 with deliveries beginning in early 2020 and completed two years later although in the past year RAF sources have commented on the need for a further three aircraft to meet changed threat levels. Aircraft are operated on a pooled basis from RAF Lossiemouth by Nos.120 and 201 Squadrons with training conducted by No.54 Squadron’s Poseidon Flight

Note Steve's build of RAF Poseidon ZP 804 "04" (below) has Harpoons installed on the wing pylons.

Model build below by Stu Davies

DBMK 1:32 Hornet Mk. 3 - built up and on the table at IPMS East Kent club night last week

2026-02-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

I just came across Brett Green's video 'unboxing' of the DBMK 1:32 Hornet - see below. A single click to watch without leaving this page. Here in deepest Kent we've already had the chance to build this kit and present the finished model to the club last week at our model club night. Built by Mr Bill Clark this will no doubt also be appearing in a forthcoming issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling. The parts are smooth and feature some finely recessed panel lines - the Hornet was a wooden machine like the Mosquito. The kit includes a separate box of 3D printed parts supplied by Scalex in the Ukraine - these include pilot's seat, gun sight and hollowed-out exhausts. The kit also features ordnance such as 1000 lb bombs along with rockets.Please note that this model is genuinely limited run, with the likely maximum available being 1,250 units - if you want one, get in quick!

Phantom February @ IPMS East Kent

2026-02-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

The theme for February's model club meet was Phantoms! Here's a few views of the table with Tamiya, ZM, Hasegawa/Revell, Esci and Academy F-4s in 48th and Airfix and Fujimi F-4s in 72nd.

uploading your model photos to ChatGPT to create AI-generated backgrounds..(3)

2026-02-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Tamiya Kubelwagen and Sdkfz model diorama by Ade Smith of SMMS. AI image by FalkeEins

John's dusty Tamiya Leclerc and seen in Lebanon on peace-keeping duties. Model by East Kent Scale Modeller (IPMS East Kent) and AI images by FalkeEins.

Above; Dave's Revell/Hasegawa 1:48 FGR 2

Stu's Academy P-8 in 1:144th, and although there are no RAF markings in the kit, this US Navy machine is seen landing at RAF Lossiemouth in my AI image.

Jonty's 1:72 Airfix Zero and seen at sea on a carrier early in 1942. AI has not done a good job of the nose the tail or the canopy but the seascape is quite nice...

1:32nd Special Hobby Bloch MB. 152 built by French modeller Marcel Decarne and finished in the markings of the leading ace on the type Sous Lieutenant Robert Thollon of GC I/8 who achieved around 8 victories. After the armistice Thollon accepted a training post in the Vichy Air Force while running a clandestine resistance organisation. He died in the 1940s in a skiing accident.

my 1:48th Eduard Triplane seen on an airfield somewhere in northern France during 1918 and the image that was uploaded to ChatGPT to create this scene.

Airfix 1:72 Harrier GR. 1 in a forest clearing with camo netting on deployment.

My 1:72 Italeri DC-3 in French markings. Seen unloading supplies at Dien Bien Phu during 1954..

Below; 2nd Air Commando Group P-51 rocket-launcher from the Airfix 1:48th kit seen on a jungle airfield somewhere in Burma. Model and AI image by this blog. The 2nd Air Commando was a specialized United States Army Air Forces unit activated in April 1944 for unconventional warfare in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II. Equipped with P-51, C-47, and L-5 aircraft, the unit was designed to provide air support for ground-based commando operations. It was a vital component of the Allied air campaign.

uploading your model photos to ChatGPT to create AI-generated backgrounds..(2) some 'snow' scenes

2026-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Excellent Giampiero Piva Hs 123 served as my 'base' for this snow scene. I have still to work out how to do a scene with German WWII markings on display so its 'safer' to tell the app to 'obscure' them ..

uploading your model photos to ChatGPT to create AI-generated scenes and backgrounds..(1)

2026-02-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed AI-generated model 'images' appearing on model forums yet? AI is everywhere. AI is still developing - the world is not due to end until mid-2028 - and will likely penetrate even further into all aspects of our lives. 'General' intelligence is apparently the goal - when AI learns how to improve itself with no human intervention because we simply won't be able to keep up or control it. AI has already come frighteningly close to 'creating' decent music, video film clips and images. It is everywhere and in everything on social media and youtube - although a lot of it is dross. In some sectors, for example, the music scene, it is already embedding itself among “real” artists and albums. AI has already 'created' the No. 1 song in the charts! So much so that we’re being fooled without even realizing it. If it isn’t explicitly stated that something is AI-generated, it has become increasingly difficult nowadays to distinguish between real and fake.

If you don't already know, it is possible to upload any random model photo to the ChatGPT app on your phone and ask it via a simple text box to create any sort of scene/background you wish. The 'results' are pretty impressive - provided of course that you are very precise with the 'prompts. And while doing this consider for a moment what the software is actually doing. Trawling or 'scraping' the web for similar scenes which it can 'copy' and 'reproduce' or 're-model'..

Put it in AI and on one level of course 'your' model no longer represents the model you originally completed. The app has the annoying habit of 'manipulating' your original photo in ways that are unexpected and hopelessly 'inaccurate'...the key here is to be very very precise in the text prompts that you give the app; eg after creating some of the images here I learnt to add a 'Do not modify the aircraft' prompt ..but even that does not always work..

Below; Dick's GWH Victor in 144th scale. AI image by FalkeEins

Below; Stu's Hasegawa Sabre of JG 71 seen getting airborne from Fliegerhorst Oldenburg

Airfix Jaguar in Gulf War setting..despite specifying 'RAF' the ChatGPT app still gave me a 'pointy' nose French-like variant and got the undercarriage doors 'wrong'!

Here's Keith's Viking from my last post. I asked the app to depict a scene from Manston, Kent in 1967. However it shows passengers attempting to board via a non-existent 'door'. The door is at the rear of the real aircraft on the port side! I could perhaps have used the 'edit' button to eliminate this error I presume. Being a little more 'precise' on the ChatGPT 'prompts' would possibly make for a better image.

This is Dale's Kittyhawk Mirage - the image I took of the model on club night last week and then uploaded to the ChatGPT app and the AI-generated result from the app. Note how the app will modify the 'pose' of the model according to the scene you ask it to 'create'. I don't think this AI result is too bad - although note the typo on the tailfin and the weird 'hybrid' airframe in the background!

Harmless fun or a threat to modellers and model-making everywhere? I can see some modellers building models just to create these sorts of images- no need to detail cockpits or worry about a decent paint scheme. The AI image generation app really renders the detail on the aircraft - including 'metallic' finish - really rather well...but - and its a big 'but'. AI is a divisive topic at the moment. Everyone and his dog appears to be using it - use it or be seen as 'out-of-touch'. The ChatGPT app is free to use at the moment - 'creating' a 'dependency' as some would have it. And while there are some constraints to usage in the 'free' app, an unlimited 'subscription' costs around $20/month. It is in the field of music particularly where the 'science' is moving faster than our law makers, where AI has copied millions and millions of songs to 'create' new material for whoever - no musical knowledge necessary- with no apparent thought for plagiarism or copyright. But it is hardly the end-users' fault that our legislators haven't ruled on this yet! As usual, there are big bucks to be made..

Here is Nigel's AI image generation attempt with the Airfix Jaguar. Well unfortunately the nose is still 'wrong' and the app has 'mis-rendered' the base of the tailfin.

East Kent Scale Modellers February club night (1) - Keith's Invicta Airways airliners

2026-02-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

There were a host of superlative scale models on display at our second club night of 2026 - none more so than Keith's Invicta Airways airliners. The Valom Vickers Viking was accompanied on the table by a fantastic build of the Revell C-54/DC-4 Skymaster. Invicta Airways (later Invicta International Airlines) was based at Manston in the 1960s. Founded by Hugh Kennard, the company was a noted user of the Vickers VC.1 Viking (including registrations G-AOVF, G-ANCF, G-AHOY, G-AHPL, and G-AHOW) alongside Douglas DC-4s..

The Manston-based Invicta Airways fleet flew passenger and cargo charters between 1965 and 1968 both within the UK and to Europe and was the last British operator of the Vickers Viking, a type derived from the Wellington bomber. This particular aircraft, G-AHOY - registered to Invicta Airways during 1966 as G-AIVF - operated her final service on January 30 1968 when she flew from Liverpool to Manston. During 1968 Invicta Airways became an all-Skymaster operator.

Models built by Keith Jones

new-tool Airfix for 2026 at The Model Works show

2026-02-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

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 tour around the RAF Museum Hendon, James Holland and Al Murray

2026-02-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

James Holland and Al Murray take a tour around the RAF Museum Hendon in north London. Certainly one of the world's great aviation collections, but somewhat diminished in the view of this blogger since the move of key airframes both to Cosford and abroad. The twin-seat Fw 190 is in Germany, the Me 262 and 'black 6' are in Cosford. However since I was last there the Me 163 Komet has come down to London from Cosford at least. This video is well worth watching as the guys climb inside, inspect, and analyze with contemporary footage some of WW II's most legendary fighters and bombers. Subtitled 'beyond the ropes', the nice thing about Hendon is that there are so few ropes - as you can see from my photos below - and certainly no staff around to keep visitors the 'right' side of them! So many types in the museum at Hendon that were not mentioned - eg, Bf 110 G, Ju 87 Stuka, He 111- lets hope there's another video soon.

A single click inside the red box to view here

00:00 - Intro: Behind the ropes at RAF Hendon
00:19 - The Avro Lancaster: Inside the heavy bomber
08:48 - Bristol Beaufighter: The Twin engined bruiser
14:30 - The Wooden Wonder: De Havilland Mosquito
20:10 - The Rocket: Me 163 Komet
31:06 - Spitfire Vs Hurricane
33:40 - Hawker Hurricane: The unsung hero
43:33 - Supermarine Spitfire
53:45 - The Bf 109

Some photos taken by this blog on our last visit of the types looked at in the video . Click on the image to get a bigger view.

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

2026-01-06T00:37:00.000-08:00

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)

2025-12-11T00:52:00.000-08:00

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...