150 editions of Airfix exclusives
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
We are celebrating a significant blog anniversary in this latest edition, as Workbench reaches its landmark 150th edition, in this sixth year of uninterrupted website publication. Even though we will be taking a little nostalgic look back over the previous 149 editions in this special blog, there will definitely be no let-up in bringing you our usual selection of exclusive imagery and fascinating details from behind the development of some of the very latest Airfix model kit projects. Following a little stroll down Workbench memory lane, we will be featuring the design, development and recent release of a new series of kits which have an incredibly important role to play for Airfix in the years ahead, kits which are aimed at a particular target audience. Indeed, these new kits are so important to us that they will be our main feature for this anniversary blog, as we chat with the designers responsible for each of the projects and share some of the stories behind their development.
As you might well expect, we could not let such an occasion go by without offering one of our readers the chance to win some Airfix goodies, so please keep a lookout for our anniversary competition and what we have awaiting our lucky winner. Before we make a start, could we please just extend a sincere thank you to each and every one of our readers for supporting our blog. We know that many of you will have been with us right from the start, as our readership figures have always been impressive and have grown steadily over the years. Although the entire Airfix team are always delighted to share details of their work with fellow modellers from all over the world, this is made all the more humbling by the knowledge that these details are of interest to so many people. On behalf of the entire team, thank you to each and every one of you. Now then, is everyone ready for the next 150 editions?
A celebration of all things Airfix
It seems such a long time ago now, but when members of our team sat in one of the meeting rooms at our previous offices in Sandwich to discuss the subject of producing a new, regular Airfix blog for the website, we could have hardly imagined just how popular a feature this new initiative would actually prove to be. Traditionally, information regarding the latest Airfix model tooling projects would usually only be confirmed at range launch at the beginning of each year, with the first images only shown in catalogue and on the new model’s product page on the website. Our intention back then was to do something about that. We wanted to be a little more open in bringing this information to Airfix fans, sharing new tooling details with them as soon as we were allowed to do so and in addition to this, to show exclusive imagery from the actual design and development of all our latest model projects.
Our new blog would be having its own dedicated area on the main Airfix website and would be a content rich feature of the site, with each new edition posted coming with a supporting notification e-mail, letting readers know that a new edition was available for their inspection. Significantly, the decision was made at that early stage that each edition would remain on the website for posterity, so that people could return to features any time they liked, whilst people discovering the blog for the first time could go back and read earlier editions at their leisure. We knew that we had lots of interesting information to include in our blogs, but we didn’t really know how well it would be received, so to that end, we initially decided on a four weekly production schedule, particularly as this had to be built around existing team workloads.
When the first edition of Airfix Workbench went live on the website in the early summer of 2015, we watched with absolute amazement as the readership numbers started from a high level and continued to climb steadily. From a Hornby website content perspective, the Airfix blog was not the first to go live, however, despite the fact that it was going up against established publications, it immediately showed that it was a web force to be reckoned with and would be able to rely on the support of a large and dedicated readership of modelling enthusiasts. From those humble beginnings, we have never really looked back and have been fortunate enough to maintain our standing as a hugely popular feature of the Airfix website. Our initial plans to post blogs every four weeks soon came under pressure, not only because our ever growing audience had to be kept informed, but also because there was so much Airfix content for us to manage. Workbench readers soon became accustomed to receiving a new update every two weeks, a production schedule we proudly maintain to this day.
Looking back though, it’s no wonder Workbench proved to be an instant hit, as we were talking about one of the world’s most famous hobby brands and we did start with something of a bang! The very first edition included the exclusive development announcement of not one, but two new 1/72nd scale tooling projects which would be joining the Airfix kit range early the following year, with both being representations of aircraft types which first engaged in combat almost exactly 100 years prior to this first blog. The Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c was an exceptional aeroplane, but one which history has judged to be akin to a flying death trap. At a time when accurate battlefield reconnaissance information was the most important asset any armed force could secure and bearing in mind military aviation was still in its infancy, the BE2c was designed to allow its crews to efficiently obtain the aerial photographs they needed with a minimum of effort, indeed, it was said that if the pilot took his hands off the controls of a BE2c, it would continue to fly straight and level. As this stability was a major consideration during its design, the aircraft performed exactly as intended over the Western Front, however, its designers had not reckoned on the appearance of a fearsome new adversary.
Starting our new Airfix blog with a bang, readers would soon get used to seeing plenty of Airfix modelling exclusives, including a first look at all the latest model tooling projects we were working on. Shown in 3D computer rendered form, edition one included a fist look at both the Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c and Fokker Eindecker in 1/72nd scale
The second new tooling announcement was an aircraft which proved to be the nemesis of the BE2c, an aircraft which was designed with one aim in mind, to hunt other aircraft and to dominate the sky. The Fokker E.II/E.III Eindecker is one of the most famous fighting aeroplanes in the history of aviation and one which can claim to be the first successful fighter aircraft. Although still a relatively primitive design, the light and manoeuvrable Eindecker featured a technical innovation which made it a deadly fighting aeroplane, interrupter gear. This synchronized machine gun firing mechanism allowed the gun to safely fire through the arc of the propeller and crucially in the line of sight of the pilot. Now, Eindecker pilots could concentrate on the task of shooting down their opponent, developing tactics which would improve their success rates - as their victory tallies began to mount, so the age of the fighter pilot had arrived. With both of these aircraft meeting in the skies over the battlefields of the Western Front for the first time almost exactly 100 years before the announcement of these new kits, could there have been a more appropriate aviation pairing with which to launch our Workbench blog?
Since that very first blog, the Workbench team have been proud to bring our readers countless exclusives, as we have continued to chart the development progress of all our latest models from initial announcement right through to release, covering every stage in-between. With the kind assistance of our talented product designers, we are allowed an insight into every aspect of their work in turning an iconic machine into an accurate scale plastic model kit, as they show us scan data, their early skeleton model creation and the breakdown of individual part design, as these early stages are all computer related. We next move on to the manufacture and first building of SLA prototype models and the sight of the first test frame components, which are all stages which occur before the model can be released for production. Following this, we can look forward to seeing the first fully built and painted production samples from the new model kit, before moving on to featuring details of the first scheme options to be included with the new kit and later, the always popular box artwork reveal. By the time we get to full build review, the new kit is only weeks away from arriving in model stores everywhere, but as we always have several projects on the go at any one time, there is never any let-up in the exclusive content we are lining up to bring you and long may this continue.
Stunning box artwork would soon become a hugely popular feature of the Airfix blog, as we charted the ongoing development of the latest models and looking at this stunning image produced for the first BE2c release, it’s not difficult to see why
Whether it be a new tooling announcement or details regarding a popular kit re-issue, there is always something interesting to talk about when you are in the world of Airfix and the Workbench team are committed to bringing these exclusives to our readers. With so many highlight editions within the previous 149 blogs, it would be difficult to pick out any one which is particularly memorable, but if forced to, it would probably be one of the Scale ModelWorld unveiling editions, which usually mark such an important occasion in our annual events calendar and as a consequence, is of real interest to the entire modelling hobby. With such aviation classics as Victor, Phantom, Hellcat and Vulcan all announced over previous Scale ModelWorld weekends, please don’t press us further on choosing a favourite, as it would be like to having to choose which was your favourite child!
And then there are our readers and fellow modellers, a talented bunch one and all, who never fail to impress and inspire us with what they manage to create with the kits our designers produce. For us, modelling is a form of art and what you can do with this art form is often quite breath-taking. As we can hopefully look forward to a more positive future and the return of the model shows we all love to attend, let’s hope that our beloved hobby continues to go from strength to strength and that Workbench has the opportunity not only to document this return, but also to bring our readers many more Airfix exclusives in the years to come. For now though and on behalf of the entire Airfix team, thank you for your magnificent blog support over the past 149 editions and we look forward to charting the continuing story of Airfix in the next 150 editions.
Blog anniversary competition time
Read on to see how a large print of this stunning artwork will be presenting our competition winner with a unique piece of Airfix memorabilia
With almost six years of Workbench blogs now behind us, we think we have a pretty good idea of the features our readers enjoy most and there can be no doubt that new box artwork reveals are very much at the head of this particular list. Box artwork has been such an important and instantly recognisable feature of the Airfix brand since the 1960s and something which many people associate not only with our kits, but more widely with the enjoyment of modelling itself. With the latest digitally created artwork continuing this proud legacy and inspiring many a model build with each visually impactful image, it’s no wonder that new box artwork reveals still rank amongst the most popular inclusions in any Workbench blog. For this reason, when we were thinking about a suitable competition to celebrate this 150th edition of the blog, we thought that our artwork would make for both a suitable prize as well as a suitable subject.
Over the coming few days, the Airfix team will once again be relocating back to their socially distanced workstations in our Margate offices, following a second period of working from home due to the current national situation. It will be really quite special to have everyone back together again, particularly as we have a couple of new members of the team to welcome, even though we are already used to working with them through our computer screens. As such, we thought it would be nice to document this Airfix gathering and to allow one lucky Workbench reader to be the lucky recipient of a unique piece of Airfix memorabilia. The box artwork image of McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 XV582 ‘Black Mike’ A06019 featured above, is a fine illustration of why people are so attached to these works and is why we decided to select this particular image as the basis for our main competition prize.
In commemoration of our 150th edition of Workbench and the office return of the 2021 Airfix team, we will be printing a copy of this Phantom image in large format and asking every member of the current Airfix team to sign it in the border. This will be a unique Airfix snapshot of this moment and something that just one person in the world will have the opportunity to own. In addition to this, our lucky winner will receive a £150 credit to spend on the Airfix website, so you can keep your kit stash stocked up, maybe even choosing to go for a ‘Black Mike’ Phantom as one of your selections. We do have a couple of competition entry caveats to make you aware of, notably the fact that this is a ‘virtual’ token credit which can only be spent on the Airfix website and there is no cash alternative available to the winner - we are sure you would have expected that, but we had to reaffirm it all the same.
In order to be in with a chance of winning this prize, all you have to do is let us know which is your favourite piece of box artwork from the selection featured above. Each one has a corresponding letter A to H and we would simply like you to tell us which one gets your vote in this 150th anniversary poll by using this workbench@airfix.com e-mail link. Please include the title Edition 150 in your e-mail and make your selection A to H. All entries received by midnight on Thursday 13th May will be in with a chance of winning our prize, with one e-mail address being selected at random as our lucky winner. We will send out an e-mail confirmation to this person, opening the lines of communication to allow us to arrange for your prize to be delivered. Good luck to everyone who takes part and thank you in advance.
From all e-mail selections received, we will rank the box artwork images in order of popularity and include this as a feature in a forthcoming edition of the blog - will your particular favourite end up being our winner? Once again, please use this workbench@airfix.com e-mail link to send us your selection.
New Starter Sets - Same Airfix quality, only simplified
There is absolutely no doubting that over the course of the past 149 editions of Workbench, the work of our talented team of product designers has been a source of fascination for our readers and the highlight feature on any blog in which these details appear. With their particular skills being unique in the UK, readers like nothing more than finding out the stories behind the latest model projects and how individual designers approach each project, using their ever increasing knowledge and experience to produce the most accurate scale plastic kit representations of some of the world’s most iconic aircraft and vehicles. Each member of the team is continually writing their own contribution into the continuing Airfix story, with the work they are doing now being something pretty high-profile they will be able to take with them throughout the rest of their lives, a work achievement that a great many people would surely be impressed with. Significantly, since the posting of the first Workbench blog back in 2015, the personal development of all our product designers is far more public than it ever used to be and we will always be grateful for the enthusiastic way they have helped us to put many a design feature together, for the enjoyment of our readers.
Two of our relatively recent design recruits (although we can hardly believe how this time has flown by), Tom and Paramjit, have certainly been rather active since joining the company and have both been more than happy to allow Workbench readers into their world, not only sharing CAD images of their designs, but also being incredibly open with their thoughts on the projects they have worked on. Both of these young men have already brought us details of several major new tooling projects they have been proud to put their names to and indeed, two of those projects are about to feature again here now, only with a fascinating little design twist to each. Readers may recall that when we recently introduced two new 1/72nd scale classic WWII tanks to the range, Paramjit took on the Tiger I, whilst Tom attacked the Sherman Firefly V, with both of these fantastic kits now taking their place in the current Airfix range. Well, as we are about to discover, included in their initial design brief for these particular kits was the requirement to give them a fascinating ‘dual purpose’. In addition to producing the standard kit, they would need to further develop the CAD and design the tooling to incorporate additional parts for a version with simplified construction, something which would appeal to the novice modeller, someone looking for a quick and enjoyable build project, or indeed someone returning to the hobby after a long break.
Test builds featuring both of the two new Starter Set tanks which will soon be available for everyone from the novice modeller to wargamers to build
This new breed of ‘beginners’ model kits were destined to take their places in our popular Starter Sets range and would have a significant role to play in both the future of the Airfix brand and for this type of kit moving forwards. Crucially, these designs must feature the same Airfix quality our customers have come to expect, retaining the same levels of detail and accuracy, but also featuring a reduced part count which would simplify the building of the kit somewhat. Making quite a statement on the future direction of this type of introducer kit, this range of newly designed tooling includes four 1/72nd scale model kits, two WWII tanks, a classic WWII fighter aircraft and one of the world’s most recognisable post war jets. We begin our review of this new breed of starter sets by looking at the two tank models we have already featured, but this time focussing on how the new models differ from the enthusiast kits and how we have only previously told half of their design stories.
A55004 - A classic Tiger I with a design twist
Even though this new Starter Set Tiger I is designed specifically to have a slightly simpler construction, it still benefits from spectacular new box artwork
When new Product Designer Paramjit Sembhi joined the Airfix team back in September 2018, we would probably all assume that he might have been given a short period where he could get himself acclimatised to his new colleagues and new work surroundings, however, we would all be mistaken. On just his second day with the company, Paramjit was handed his first design project and whilst he clearly had the ongoing support of an established and extremely experienced team of designers, this must still have been quite a daunting prospect, even though it definitely gave him less time to worry about making a start. As for the subject he was handed, it was only a 1/72nd scale representation of the most famous tank the world had ever known, the mighty German Tiger I.
In addition to tackling this incredibly famous subject, the project design brief was rather unusual, in that it had two specific aims for the new model/models. Not only would he have to design a kit which was both a detailed and accurate representation of the Tiger, but one which was also aimed specifically at less experienced or first time modellers, in addition to the more usual enthusiast audience. As an avid modeller himself, Paramjit could not wait to get started, but as he had been away from CAD design for a short while and had never actually used the particular type of design software used by the Airfix team, he was definitely in for a busy few weeks. Having built many a Tiger model himself over the years, he already knew which areas of the kit’s design he would like to improve on and immediately started to think which areas of his design could be simplified for the easier build. As a subject, a tank was probably the ideal subject for Paramjit to start his Airfix design career with, as it is basically a collection of relatively simple shapes which could be described as almost boxlike, but even at this early stage, he was encouraged to innovate.
CAD design images which show how cleverly Paramjit designed the simple version of the Tiger’s complicated road wheel and track arrangement, including the innovative way he detailed the drive and idler wheels
This fascinating image shows the tooling design split for the frames included with the Starter Set version of the new Tiger I kit
As we have already covered the main design details of this kit in the 134th edition of Workbench, we will not be going over this same ground again here, but simply discovering how the simplified version differed from a design perspective - the link above will take you to this earlier blog, should you wish to check these details again. Despite his lack of Airfix design experience, Paramjit described the Tiger tank as being quite an easy project to undertake, with one significant exception, the road wheels and tracks of the model. The road wheels on the Tiger were quite a complicated arrangement and incorporated three rows of interleaved wheels which can be a challenge for any modeller to work on, let alone for wartime engineers to manage in the field. Making the roadwheel and track assembly easier would be a major consideration for Paramjit, as would the costings of the new model and trying to ensure all components could be designed in the same single tooling block.
At the initial design briefing meeting, Paramjit was told that the new kit would not be using the rubberised tracks which were traditionally a feature of tank models, but that he would have to design new plastic tracks which were easier to work with, whilst at the same time making the finished representation more accurate. He described how in the CAD design software, he used the skeleton model to actually produce a single section of track (with its own separate sub skeleton), before patterning this across the rest of the drive and road wheels. This innovation would clearly be used on the enthusiast version of the kit and whilst this would definitely add some accuracy to the representation of this distinctive feature, he would probably have to be even more radical with the design idea for the starter/beginner kit.
The challenge he faced here was to replicate this distinctive feature of the Tiger tank, whilst at the same time removing the need to construct each wheel separately, but with this combined piece still retaining impressive detail. He achieved this with some style, designing a two piece track part for each side of the tank, which proved to be the major difference between the two versions of this same basic Tiger. Other differences on the simplified version are the removal of some hull side and turret detail and some slight modifications to the gun and mantlet, but in the main, the simplified Tiger kit is the same as the enthusiast version, only easier to build.
This final trio of images show different views of a built sample of the new Starter Set version of the Tiger I tooling - it looks really impressive!
From a design perspective, Paramjit described how the biggest challenge for this entire project was the layout of parts for the tooling block. The biggest consideration here was that a single tool would clearly make this project more cost effective (in fact, had a second tool been required, it may not have even proceeded to production), but it had to be designed in such a way that all the parts moulded correctly during the manufacturing process. This is a hugely complicated and crucial aspect of any new tooling design and requires the combined experience of the entire Airfix team to get right - this fascinating subject will be covered in detail in a forthcoming edition of the blog.
Impressively, Paramjit did managed to fit the five part frames from the new Tiger I tooling into a single manufacturing tooling block, so the Airfix range will soon have its two construction versions of the awesome Tiger I tank. Readers will be interested to note that the enthusiast version which is already available, has ALL FIVE of the part frames in its box, so modellers will have the option of choosing which version of the kit they want to build, in addition to seeing first-hand how Paramjit managed to solve this design problem. When the Starter Set version of the kit is released in a few weeks’ time, this one will feature the two piece simplified track design and will be supplied with just three component frames. This new direction for the Airfix brand will surely only gain more momentum in the years to come, with these impressive, if slightly simplified new kits having a huge role to play in the future of not only Airfix, but also the wider modelling hobby.
Tom and his two Shermans
More new box artwork goodness, this time showcasing the Starter Set Sherman which includes Tom’s single piece track and running gear design innovation
Keeping his new colleague company in the new tank kit design stakes, Tom Alderman was a little further on in his Airfix product design journey than Paramjit, with his tank being the third design project he had undertaken, in addition to him starting his project a few weeks later than Paramjit. Taking on a tank which may not have been quite as famous as the Tiger, but one which had a destructive capability which would have worried any German tank commander, Tom would be taking on the Sherman Firefly, a British development of this famous American produced tank, one which matched the US M4 hull, running gear and modified turret with the powerful British 17 pounder anti-tank gun. The result of this combination produced a Sherman derivative which was capable of taking on and destroying the heaviest of German tanks and proved so successful that German tank commanders were ordered to take out the longer barrelled Shermans at the start of any engagement.
Having already designed two new Airfix aircraft kits, Tom was keen to get stuck into the Sherman project, with his design brief being exactly the same as his new colleague’s - an accurate representation of this classic tank, but produced in both enthusiast and beginner versions. From the outset, Tom had the same instruction that traditional rubber tracks would not be used on this new kit, which immediately dictated that the tracks and running gear would be the most complex part of the model’s design from the enthusiast version perspective and consequently, the feature which would similarly challenge him when working on the simplified version.
Making a start, Tom told us how he began by designing the larger components of the kit, namely the single piece hull top and lower hull components, which would act as his design base. Once he was happy with the shape and dimensions of these, he could work outwards to include all the additional details and design features of the tank, all the while knowing that at some stage in the near future, there would be a divergence into the enthusiast and starter version options. Clearly, the two designers were able to compare their efforts and to exchange ideas throughout these projects, although Tom was keen to point out that whilst there were clearly areas of commonality, they certainly could not take a ‘cookie cutter’ approach when designing their respective tanks. What might work for the Tiger man not necessarily be appropriate for the Sherman, from a product design point of view.
This series of images show a selection of Tom’s design files created whilst he was producing the new Starter Set version of the Sherman Firefly, including the single piece track and running gear design and a fascinating view of the tooling layout
With both designers given some flexibility when it came to how they would design the simplified tracks for their respective tank, they were encouraged to develop a number of possible solutions to the problem, before reviewing the pros and cons of each alternative with the rest of the Airfix team during a development meeting. Each member of the team then had the opportunity to give their opinions on each option and perhaps give a little guidance on how they thought the design might be modified slightly. This combined team knowledge proved to be crucial, with the end result very much being a combined team effort, even though Tom (in this case) actually went on to fully design it.
As with the Tiger, it was important that Tom managed to get all the component parts for both his new Sherman kit options in the same tooling block, something he managed to do without too much trouble. Differing from the Tiger somewhat, the running gear on the Sherman is a little less complicated and therefore lent itself to being designed as a single piece component on either side of the hull, in respect of the simplified version of the kit, whilst at the same time retaining impressive levels of detail. Another innovative design feature he managed to include in his new kit concerned the smaller parts which provided additional detail to the hull. Many modellers will no doubt of had prior experience of these smaller parts pinging off the sprue and hiding themselves in the pile of your front room carpet, only to be located following a frustrating few minutes of searching. In a design development which also supported the simplified construction of this kit, he designed these parts with a much larger base, ensuring that rather than simply gluing them to the hull in the traditional manner, they were actually fitted from the inside of the kit’s hull. This greatly reduced the potential for exterior glue mess, whilst at the same time making these small parts a little larger and much easier to work with.
This final trio of images show a built sample example of the new Starter Set Sherman Firefly
Tom went on to describe how in his view, the design of the actual tooling layout is as important as the kit design itself and is something which is crucial to the success of any new model. Having quickly gained experience in this specialised industry (our words, not his), he told us that it was important that he ensured the correct flow of molten plastic through the tooling block, with larger components being placed in the centre of the tool, so that injection pressure can be maintained to ensure every part receives the intended amount of plastic and therefore results in an accurate manufacturing shot. In summary, if he were asked to design a tank again in the future, this experience has ensured that whilst he might do everything in a similar way, it would probably take him less time to complete.
As with the Tiger model we looked at previously, the standard version of the new Sherman Firefly is already available and features ALL FOUR of the part frames Tom designed, including the simplified one-piece tracks. The Starter Set version of the kit is scheduled for release in a few weeks’ time, with this one featuring only the one piece simplified track design and will come supplied on two component frames.
New Red Arrows Hawk Starter project
Having completed his Tiger I design, Paramjit’s next project would be the first new aircraft destined to take its place in this simplified Starter Set range of kits. His subject this time would be a perennial Airshow favourite and the mount of arguably the most famous aerobatic display team in the world, the Red Arrows Hawk. This time, he would be inheriting a project which was initially started some time ago by one of our senior designers, but one which was put on hold as another project took precedence. Despite the fact that this particular design was well underway, Paramjit still had plenty of opportunity to innovate, something we will discover a little later in this review. This particular project had the benefit of starting with existing CAD data from the Hawk model already in the range, even though Paramjit would only have to use this for reference.
At the outset of this design project, Paramjit already had a clear indication of what was required, even though he was again given some parameters to adhere to. In this case, the only option needed would be to produce a simplified version of the existing Hawk kit, but with a low part count requirement to adhere to. By the very nature of this particular subject, this kit was destined to be one of our most popular in coming years and one which would be coming into contact with huge numbers of novice modellers, youngsters we are hoping will enjoy the build experience so much that they will be keen to spend time modelling again in the future - no pressure there then Paramjit!
This next series of exclusive images feature a built sample of the new Starter Set Red Arrows Hawk and a fascinating look at the different stand designs Paramjit produced before finally settling on this ‘Shadow’ design
As well as being one of the most capable training aircraft in the world, the Hawk is a sleek and rather simple design and even though Paramjit was required to produce a kit which was simple to construct with as low a part count as could be achieved, he had to remain faithful to the classic lines of this famous trainer. As far as modern aircraft go and especially when wearing this iconic livery, the Hawk is familiar to many millions of people the world over and as this kit was destined to be a future perennial range favourite, it would be coming in for plenty of scrutiny following its release, so he simply had to get it right. He was extremely honest when giving credit to his colleague Chris from whom he inherited the project and who had completed much of the design work already. He told us that all he really had to do was to add a little bit of detail, check general clearances and do some work on the simplified undercarriage and cockpit/canopy.
One area where he was definitely able to place his design mark was in developing the kit’s new ‘Shadow Stand’, a little innovation which is sure to find favour with anyone building this kit in the future. Something Paramjit had been planning to do when finishing one of his own modelling builds at home, he thought it would be an ideal addition to these new kits and an appealing way in which to display the finished model. Once he decided he was going to pursue this feature, he set about designing several different options, trying to find the most appealing version of the idea, whilst at the same time also keeping an eye on potential cost implications. His first thought was to produce something which was a slight deviation from a traditional theme, with the stand arm locating under the fuselage, however he quickly thought he could come up with something a little more impressive. Having quickly decided that using a shaped arm fitting into the jet pipe of the model would be the way to go, something which would allow the model to be angled in any desired position, his challenge then became one of designing an appropriate display base plate.
As you can see from the selection of images we have included here, there were several different iterations of the stand design before Paramjit settled on the shadow design featuring a raised centre section, with Airfix logos on either wing shadow. We think this looks rather effective and will definitely be one of the appealing features of this new Starter Kit and a great way to display your finished Red Arrows Hawk. The new kit features the ability to construct your model with either the undercarriage extended or retracted, but in a slight deviation from his Tiger project, this kit needed to be produced with two separate tools. This is because the clear parts the model would need have to be produced separately from the other parts, so this kit was always going to require two tooling blocks. Interestingly though, the clear part tooling included four identical canopy parts, meaning that each run would provide a canopy for four complete kits, a clever little innovation which will support the economical production of this kit for years to come.
The standalone Red Arrows Hawk Starter Set is currently scheduled for a winter 2021 release, however in conjunction with the subject of our next model review, it is already available as a Best of British two kit release.
New Spitfire at the double
As far as Paramjit’s time as an Airfix designer goes, he will always remember the Spitfire Small Starter Set tooling with great fondness, as this was the first project where he was effectively flying solo and allowed to really show what he could do. Another kit which had a design brief similar to that of the Tiger I and Sherman, this tooling would also be used as the basis for a standard enthusiasts kit, in addition to a slightly simplified introducer version of the same design. As we already have an excellent Spitfire Mk.I in our current Starter Set range, it was decided that this model should be based on the later Mk.V variant of the world’s most famous fighter. Described as arguably the most effective ‘stop-gap’ aircraft the RAF ever introduced, the Spitfire Mk.V combined the additional power of the Rolls Royce Merlin 45 engine with the original Mk.I/II airframe (plus a number of design improvements already developed for the proposed future Mk.III) and proved to be more than a match for the latest Luftwaffe fighters. With the increased production capacity offered by the new Castle Bromwich shadow factory, Spitfire Mk.V fighters were produced at a spectacular rate, with this interim variant going on to be the most produced version of the Spitfire, with almost 6,500 aircraft manufactured. Seeing service in every theatre the Allies contested the war, Spitfire Mk.Vs fought in the home defence role, above the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of the Far East.
Making this an appealing addition to our 1/72nd scale kit range, Paramjit did have access to existing scan and skeleton model data, but as he was determined to really start learning his design craft by this stage, he didn’t really want to use this and decided to produce his own skeleton model. This would clearly prove to be a more challenging option, but one which really allowed him to make his mark. As he started work on this exciting project, he was initially intending to produce the standard and starter set versions of the kit at the same time and occupying the same tooling space, but after only a short period of time, he knew this would not be possible. If the project had proceeded as a single tool, this would have created far too many design compromises, with the simplified version being too complicated and the classic enthusiast version not being complicated enough. From this stage, it was clear that these would have to proceed as separate projects, but as this was a Spitfire and this aircraft has always been a favourite subject with Airfix modellers, this wasn’t really too much of an issue.
Starting with a built sample of this new Starter Set Spitfire Vc kit, this penultimate selection of images show design screenshots from various aspects of the model’s design, including the simplified propeller, engine exhausts and cockpit detail. We have also included a design image of the complete model and its impressive shadow stand
Paramjit’s design of the standard enthusiasts version of the Spitfire Vc was covered extensively in the 119th edition of Workbench, so again, we won’t be going over these details again, but instead will concentrate on its Starter Set relative. Once again, the simplified nature of this new model dictated that it would have a much reduced part count, which for the Spitfire would end up being just 26 parts. With the shape of the Spitfire being even more iconic than the Hawk, Paramjit would have a real challenge in replicating a shape that was familiar to people the world over, whilst at the same time incorporating clever design elements to make this kit easier to build. Areas of the kit which he was able to simplify his design were by incorporating the pilots seat into the single piece lower wing, making the propeller and spinner assembly a single piece and also making the exhaust stacks part of the engine cowling top.
This new kit would also benefit from Paramjit’s shadow stand design, although he did describe how this one was much more of a challenge than the Hawk’s stand. Knowing this design would have to locate under the fuselage, getting the centre of gravity right would be crucial and being able to pose the model at an appealing angle did result in a few head-scratching moments. One thing that was never in question was the fact that this shadow stand base would be a representation of the Spitfire’s iconic elliptical wing shape and in this, becoming an extremely distinctive feature of this new kit.
Despite being a much simpler kit to build, this new Starter Set still retains impressive levels of detail and is faithful to the classic lines of this magnificent aircraft, one which is arguably the most famous fighting aeroplane in the history of flight. Paramjit describes his new design as something of a modelling stepping stone, one which is simple, yet enjoyable to build and one which if you are flushed with your first build success, will act as an introduction to the fantastic modelling hobby which brings so much pleasure to so many people. With a bewildering array of appealing models in the current Airfix range, this one little model opens up a world of modelling opportunity and could act as a gateway to years of enjoyment. For models which were specifically designed to be extremely easy to build and something which can be completed in a relatively short time period, they could go on to be responsible for introducing a new generation of people to the modelling hobby and a really enjoyable and rewarding way to spend their free time, without the need for either a mobile phone or a computer.
Model kits which not only have an important role to play in the future of Airfix, but also in the modelling hobby as a whole, our new simplified build Starter Sets will hopefully be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people in the years to come
We are afraid that’s all we have for you in this special 150th anniversary edition of Workbench, which we hope you found enjoyable. Please join in the celebrations and make sure you enter our competition at workbench@airfix.com as you may well end up being our lucky winner. As always, if you have any suggestions for particular subjects you would like to see covered in a future edition, please do drop us a quick line, using this workbench@airfix.com link to contact us.
In between new editions of our blog, the Airfix conversation continues over on our Airfix Forum Workbench thread, with further discussions taking place on both the official Airfix Facebook page and the Airfix Twitter channel – please do get involved in the discussions and let us know what you think about Workbench.
Whenever you decide to visit, the Airfix website is always the place where you will find all the latest model availability information, previous editions of our blog, a selection of modelling tips and much more.
The next edition of Workbench is scheduled to be published on Friday 14th May.
Here’s to the next 150 editions and thank you for your fantastic support.
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