Airfix designer goes Ferreting

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

For this latest edition of Workbench, we return to the subject of new model tooling projects and our first visit to a new model design which has been causing quite a stir since it was announced with the launch of the current 2023 product range. As we enter the realm of scale Military Vehicle kits for the first time this year, we also take this opportunity to allow another member of the Airfix design team to make his blog bow before a Workbench audience, as he guides us through some of the design features of his latest project, the 1/35th scale Ferret Scout Car Mk.2. A really distinctive post war British high speed reconnaissance and liaison armoured vehicle, we will be asking designer Ethan about some of the finer points of his work in introducing this heavily requested military vehicle to the current Airfix range and what modellers can look forward to when the kit eventually makes it onto our respective work stations. As usual, Ethan has supplied us with an exclusive selection of design screenshots to help illustrate the points raised, which we hope you are all going to find interesting.

From a blog introduction perspective, even though Ethan has been with us for quite some time now and is a regular on the Airfix stand whenever the team attends one of the many Airshows and events which take place throughout the year, for one reason or another, this will be the first time that his design talents have featured within an edition of Workbench. With several projects already in his design log book, this certainly won't be his last appearance in the blog, however, we are delighted to be getting all the introductions out of the way in this latest edition. 

Anyone up for a bit of Airfix design ferreting? 

A stealthy armoured four wheeled snooper

A computer rendered image produced from the new Ferret design files, which clearly show why this has proved to be such a popular addition to our 1/35th scale Military Vehicles range. 

On battlefields throughout the ages, the ability to know where your enemy is and in what strength they are massed is crucial intelligence which not only allows appropriate actions to be taken, but can also save many lives in the process. As we are all now only too aware, drone technologies currently play an important role in fulfilling this essential requirement and be that an expensive military drone for strategic intelligence or a small, consumer device used in close contact situations, this real-time information about the enemy you are facing can prove decisive. For these reasons, denying your enemy the ability to obtain these details is just as important as securing your own intelligence, however, in the days before the drone, this work had to be carried out by specially trained units and if they were lucky, they had access to a vehicle designed specifically to help them in their task.

A highly successful series of light armoured reconnaissance and liaison vehicles, the Ferret Scout Car would see widespread military service with British and Commonwealth forces from the 1950s onwards, with later variants of the Ferret still being in service and taking part in the Gulf War of 1990. A vehicle type which can trace its lineage back to the successful Daimler Dingo scout car of the Second World War, the Ferret was designed with stealth in mind, a light and fast armoured vehicle which could probe enemy positions, reporting any discovered weak points back to commanders, with their own forces moving to exploit what they found.

Weighing in at just over four tons when at operational weight, the Ferret was of all welded construction and featured armour protection capable of withstanding most small arms fire, but nothing much heavier, as it was never intended that the vehicle would be operating in direct opposition to heavy enemy armour. If it did find itself in a spot of bother, the 4 wheel drive Ferret was powered by a reliable 4.2 litre 6 cylinder Rolls Royce engine, which gave the vehicle a top speed of between 45 and 50 mph, a speed it could impressively also achieve in reverse should the situation require, something which might prove extremely useful if the crew found themselves in a tight spot when in contact with the enemy. 

The large 'Run Flat' tyres were designed to get the Ferret back to base even when one or all of them had been damaged, so it was therefore unlikely that a crew would need to use the spare, even though they were still carried on many vehicles. What makes this all the more surprising is the fact that fitting the spare wheel to the hull of the Ferret actually blocked one of the crew emergency escape hatches, placing even more emphasis on its ability to use speed and stealth to get it out of a contact situation.

Heading for trouble, the Ferret Scout Car would use stealth and speed to report on enemy positions, and if discovered, would use those same attributes to get itself out of trouble. 

Despite being armoured, the Ferret was never intended to be placed in a position where it would have to face enemy heavy armour and instead relied on its low profile, speed and stealth in order to make contact with enemy units which may be engaged in a similar role. Creeping into contested territory, the Ferret was built for sniffing out the enemy, but not to actually cause trouble directly in an offensive sense. Sending real-time radio reports back to HQ, if their scouting took them out of radio range, a second HQ Ferret could be sent closer to it to receive and relay messages, helping to build up a picture of enemy activities and direct any impending offensive contact.

If detected, the crew could extricate themselves from any combat situation at high speed and as long as they were only targeted by small arms and light machine gun fire, they would have adequate protection until the driver could get them out of range and speeding back to friendly lines.

In operation, the Ferret was quite the capable performer, sporting a five-speed pre-selector gearbox which was accessed using a simple two position drive lever and the ability to travel as fast in reverse as it could moving forward. The suspension units employed were robust and capable, allowing for a very pleasant ride, even at high speed and in all but the roughest of terrains and even though the steering system did not feature power assist, it was light and responsive, all leading to a vehicle with impressive operational performance.

A chunky little number, the Ferret series of British Scout Cars were hugely successful in the post war years, with some still remaining in service around the world to this day.

The driver’s field of view was excellent in most operating environments and utilised several armoured hatches which would normally be open to offer an excellent view, even sporting rear armoured panels which could be opened for reversing. If the Ferret should come under fire, the hatches would be closed and the driver would revert to a periscope unit for his driving view. The Ferret also boasted excellent water fording capabilities, with all automotive and electrical equipment protected against the ingress of water - in fact, it was thought that the vehicle would keep on going even though the crew would have been forced to abandon the vehicle due to the height of the water inside.

Each Ferret carried plenty of internal equipment and therefore, the interior was rather cramped. In normal operation, the commander would sit half out of the vehicle, just to make travel a little more comfortable, but as they approached contested areas, it would be back inside, with hatches battened down. The Mk.1 Ferret typically had a crew of three, whilst later marks would usually only be operated by a driver and commander.      
 
Over 4400 Ferrets were built during the ten years from 1952 and they would see extensive service with British forces across the world, in addition to those of many overseas nations. You would always be sure of spotting a Ferret or two in many of the world's hotspots during the post war years and hundreds are still in service across Africa, the Far East and the Pacific region to this day.

Ferret Scout Car the Airfix way

A rather colourful rendition of Ethan's Ferret design files, but an appealing format we have become familiar with when detailing new project reviews.

We are delighted to be introducing Ethan Barker to our Workbench audience, one of our new breed of product designers and a young man who has been with us for over eighteen months now, despite this being his blog debut. Ethan has several design projects already to his name, all which will be coming to our attention over the coming weeks and months, but as the Ferret is his latest and arguably most interesting new tooling design project, we wanted this to be his introductory feature.

Ethan heralds from rural Essex and told us that as far back as he can remember, he has always enjoyed modelling and being creative and from an early age, became interested in designing things. When it came to selecting a university where he could study product design, he had some rather specific requirements which had to be satisfied, all of which were intended to get him where he needed to be. Rather than focus on the reputation of a particular institution, he was looking for a university with good teachers (of course), but also one which didn't have too many students on his course, because he was confident that in an environment where he had access to both practical and support opportunities, he would flourish, which is exactly what he did.

Enrolling for a BA course in Product Design at the University of Huddersfield, Ethan's time up north proved extremely fruitful and he came away with exactly what he was hoping for, although modesty prevents him from allowing us to include his impressive achievements here. The next thing on his career path was work and to select an industry which was suited to his rather specific talents. He did have us laughing when recounting this period of his life, because he told us that not once did he consider designing boring, ordinary products, for him it had to be in the toy and modelling industry and anything else would be a waste of his talents (ok, we added that last bit). 

With grateful thanks to Ethan, this next selection of images are taken straight from his design files, showing the early stages of his design work and the creation of his skeleton model.

Ethan has been a passionate member of the Warhammer community for many a year and was determined he would be involved in designing products which were fun. For that reason, when he had the opportunity to interview for a position at Airfix, he gave the process everything he had, because he knew this would be the perfect fit for him. He must have impressed the Airfix team, because we snapped him up straight away and the rest, as they say, is history. Ethan has become a talented and extremely popular member of this small, yet capable team and to the rest of us, it seems as if he has been here for ages - obviously, we added this bit too and meant it in a good way! 

Although Ethan has several successful Airfix design projects to his name, we actually wanted his Workbench introduction to focus on the new Ferret Scout Car Mk.2, simply because this new model has been receiving such great support over the past couple of months and has been welcomed so positively since it was announced at the beginning of the year. Ethan told us that when he was presented with the project, researcher Luke provided him with an absolute wealth of information, including excellent scan data which covered both external and internal features of this distinctive military vehicle. As the project progressed, Ethan and Luke worked closely together to ensure that any areas of design ambiguity could be worked on jointly, before the project advanced much further.

It has to be stressed here that the work of an Airfix product designer really is multi-faceted, because all the time they are attempting to make a faithful scale representation of a military vehicle (in this case), they have to also think about designing it as a kit of parts which will manufacture correctly and will be both relatively straightforward and enjoyable for a modeller to build once it has been manufactured. Thankfully, they are not alone in these endeavours and in addition to the invaluable support provided by our researcher Luke, also have the incredible wealth of experience possessed by the wider Airfix design team at their disposal. Their knowledge and experience is always there to be accessed, be that via an impromptu discussion at their workstation, or during a more formal project development review meeting with the full team.

This next selection of CAD image files show a more mature version of the design, accurate scale and surfacing data and much more detail added.

Small but perfectly formed - the Ferret Scout Car was a rugged little performer and one which was built in significant numbers.

Using the design files to render an image of the internal turret detail, illustrating just how well the project was advancing by that stage.

I have been fortunate to be present at several team development meetings and with my notepad in hand and planning subjects for future blogs very much in mind, will normally find myself open-mouthed at the capabilities of this group and how they overcome challenges in really innovative ways. I am always particularly impressed at how everyone is more than happy to share their design experiences with their colleagues, helping them at every stage of their latest project - even our most experienced designers are eager to learn new skills. Clearly, the projects being discussed during these meetings are usually far in advance of the model range we are currently following within the blog and therefore only destined to be covered in the years ahead, but in an environment which would seem incredibly pressured to the rest of us, seems strangely serene amongst the group.

As each designer takes their turn to inform the group about the progress they are making on their current project, everyone is glued to the screen to see if there is anything they could learn and incorporate into their own design workflow, or more importantly, if there is some advice or guidance they could give which might help their colleague overcome a challenge they may be having. Even though they are all expert in the same field, the different levels of experience each designer has and the different projects they might all have been involved with means that some design feature they may have come across in the past might just work in this instance and will introduce this as a possible solution within this group environment.

As a designer goes through aspects of his latest project, if one of the wider team spot something which may cause problems further down the line, or have a suggestion about designing a particular feature in a slightly different way, this sharing of knowledge is really valuable and indicative of the unselfish nature of this group. To them, they are representing this fantastic brand as a group and as such, it's a case of 'All for One and One for All!'

Radio Times. For those modellers who would choose to build the Ferret kit with panels open, Ethan wanted to make sure there was enough detail on display to make those viewing it happy, whilst at the same time not over-complicating the kit and forcing others to spend time building features they would never see. This designing lark really can be quite a challenge. This image shows the actual radio unit behind the Commander's seat.

Radio unit detail as CAD design file representations

More CAD file screenshots, but this time showing how the radio set detail can be seen through the open hatches of the driver's position.

Getting back to matters Ferret, we wanted to ask Ethan which aspects of the Ferret's design proved to be the most challenging for him and he told us that there actually were quite a few. He described how every kit design project will have its own particular challenges, because they are taking a real vehicle or aircraft and replicating it in scale kit form and therefore, have several linked but very different elements to consider at all times. Getting shapes and dimensions right is only one aspect, because then, everything has to be designed and broken down into many different, but related components, each one conforming to the limitations of the injection moulding industry, but all the while with the modeller's build experience in mind. If a model looks great in design but doesn't manufacture correctly or is a nightmare to build, then you have failed to conform to your design brief, which clearly wouldn't be acceptable.

In relation to the Ferret, Ethan informed us that the shape of the vehicle may look relatively simple to the naked eye, but from a design perspective was really challenging to replicate. With it being quite a diminutive vehicle and with there being precious little interior space to work with, bringing everything together with the required levels of detail proved to be extremely time consuming, not to mention the fact that everything appeared to have been designed at unusual angles on the Ferret. The driver's compartment is really quite busy from a design perspective and with so little space to play with and things like seats, controls and the radio system to fit in there, he had to challenge himself on many occasions. The design phase is as much about experience and compromise as it is about design prowess, and as we have already seen, overcomplication, cost considerations and build enjoyment are all important aspects of any design project.

Ethan was particularly impressed with the robust nature of the suspension arrangement on the Ferret and was keen to represent this in his design, something which actually turned out to be quite the challenge, but one he was pleased to have successfully negotiated. 

A fascinating picture which shows the scan data of the wheel and suspension arrangement overlaid on top of the CAD files Ethan created.

Two different CAD renditions of an area of Ethan's design work he was particularly pleased with.

Linked to this, we also wanted to find out what turned out to be the most time consuming aspect of the Ferret's design process and Ethan chose to break this down to an individual feature. He told us that during the design phase, he had the opportunity to inspect a preserved example of the Ferret, something which proved absolutely invaluable as he replicated it as a scale model kit. He was particularly impressed with the rugged, heavy duty suspension units and how he wanted to replicate this in some detail. The only trouble was that there is quite a lot going on there and if he introduced lots of separate parts into the assembly of this section, it would add unnecessary complication and therefore additional build complexity for the modeller. Determined not to be beaten, Ethan found a way of incorporating all this detail with clever design whilst not increasing the part count significantly - whilst it was challenging and time consuming to design, it is easy to build and looks great, something he really is quite proud of.

Latest Airfix addition to the Military Vehicle kit range

Something a little different for our 1/35th scale Military Vehicles kit range, the Ferret Scout Car Mk.2 is our scale tribute to one of the most successful British armoured vehicles of the post war era.

We always like to ask a project's designer which aspect of his work proved to be the most frustrating and we are sure they just humour us on this one, but probably does catch them off guard a little bit, so is likely to be something our readers would be pleased to hear about. With regard to the Ferret project, Ethan told us that whilst he will answer with his recollections from this project, this will probably be the case for every project an Airfix product designer has ever been involved with. Designers are always looking at ways in which they can make improvements, be that in replicating fine detail, or making a kit more enjoyable a build for the modeller. With that in mind, periods of reflection can often have you looking again at aspects of the design and going back into the files to make little tweaks, alterations which can come with consequences.

During his visit to inspect a real Ferret, Ethan noticed some fine details on the vehicle he just wanted to re-visit when he returned to his computer, just to check they would manufacture as he intended. On making a couple of slight alterations, he soon discovered that these created something of a knock on effect, involving parts which were either connected to the altered components or in the way they these changes affected potential moulding accuracy once committed to plastic. Ethan did find this additional design time requirement a little frustrating, but was glad he did it and is more than happy with the results on the kit itself.

On to the subject of what Ethan found to be the most rewarding aspect of the design and he told us in a much cheerier voice that getting test shots and having the ability to build a physical representation of the kit was incredibly satisfying for him. Having spent so much time in the design software and being happy with how everything looks on screen, you are always a little trepidatious until you actually have sample components in your hand and therefore finally have the ability to assemble everything as intended and perhaps of even greater importance, the chance to assess how a modeller might attack the build process. Having a completed model in hand is really quite a special moment, but is still very much a part of the overall development process. At this stage, small design tweaks may have to be made to both better replicate certain features of the kit and to have parts manufacture and assemble as intended, but in the case of the Ferret, Ethan was delighted with how everything turned out and not many changes were needed.

More CAD imagery from the new Ferret Scout Car Mk.2 project, although we wouldn't suggest finishing your own model in this particular scheme. 

The business end of the Ferret, the rear section of the vehicle which housed the powerful 4.2 litre 6 cylinder Rolls Royce engine, which gave the vehicle an impressive top speed of between 45 and 50 mph.

At this stage, Ethan will also be making his construction notes, before spending time working closely with our illustrator Richard in ensuring the instruction booklet not only includes all the guidance a modeller might need, but how it also flows with the most effective assembly order, something the kit's designer is clearly the ideal person to determine (with a little help from his friends).

Our final question to Ethan was, "When you look back on the Ferret project in the years to come, what will you regard as the most memorable aspect of the entire process?" Ethan told us that aside from any design aspects, meeting so many people who were passionate about the Ferret Scout Car was both memorable and humbling, particularly as they were all so excited that a military vehicle which means so much to them, was now attracting the attentions of the Airfix design team. Everyone seemed to be really looking forward to getting their hands on one of the new kits and for people who either own, have served in or are just passionate about the Ferret Scout Car, to have this level of interest in his work really was quite special. He was determined to deliver a great model for them all.

Taking a particular aspect of the design he will recall as being memorable, Ethan suggested his scale representation of the Ferret's chunky 'Run Flat' tyres would be a suitable candidate. Because of the curved design of the tyres, accurately replicating this distinctive feature was only part of the challenge, as the possibility of the design creating moulding injection snags was a constant concern. Obviously, Ethan managed to successfully overcome this problem, but this feature did prove to be a really pleasing aspect of the design for him.

Ethan's CAD files have been used to produce a series of images for use in the current catalogue and on the kit's web page, helping to give us an idea of what we can all look forward to once this model has been released. 

In summary, Ethan is delighted with how the new 1/35th scale Ferret Scout Car Mk.2 kit has turned out, a really chunky and interesting little kit which will hopefully not only delight Ferret owners and devotees everywhere, but also find favour with modellers looking to take on a slightly different build challenge. The Ferret series of armoured scout cars were incredibly successful and saw widespread service across much of the world and if people who spent time with the Ferret think this is a fine scale representation, then Ethan will be absolutely delighted with that.

The kit itself is a clever combination of using design and manufacturing expertise to produce an accurate scale representation of a really distinctive post war military vehicle, one which does have a certain charm about it. Featuring a host of optional and poseable parts, the amount of detail included in the restricted internal space is just enough to please the modeller when inspecting the build through the open drivers hatches, but without over complicating the actual construction process. This is a really accomplished little model and one which Ethan hopes will be enjoyed by a great many modellers in the years to come.

Ethan summed up the design process as being no different to any other industry and a constant search for technological advancement. As the injection moulding industry continues to develop, designers are more than happy to take advantage of the situation, continually pushing boundaries and always looking to incorporate ever greater levels of detail into their designs. For the modeller, we will be the beneficiaries of this drive for constant improvement, as the kits we have access to both now and in the future will be even more accurate representations of some of the world's most iconic and interesting vehicles, aircraft and machines.

A final look at a new model kit which will be a welcome addition to our 1/35th scale Military Vehicles range and something that little bit different for the modeller.

We would like to thank Ethan for spending so much time with us in the producion of this feature and for supplying us with such a spectacular selection of design images to illustrate many of the points raised. We have broken your blog duck now Ethan, so have to put you on notice that we will be back for more of the same in the very near future. 

For now though, thank you for your help with this, your first starring blog role.

Finally, Ethan, Luke and the rest of the Airfix team would like to thank the following people and organisations for their invaluable assistance throughout the development of the new Ferret Scout Car project - 

• Simon Mallett
• Brian Laker
• John Dews
• Isle of Wight Military & Heritage Museum
• Paul Thompson

Ferret experts one and all!

'Special Mission' for Dambusters kit

To commemorate the impending 80th Anniversary of Operation Chastise, the famous Dambusters raid, we have made a rather special addition to our recently released 1/72nd scale Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) The Dambusters kit, a model we reviewed in Workbench just a couple of weeks ago. If this fantastic model were not appealing enough in this anniversary year, he have commissioned 500 commemorative coins to be included with the kit, but on a strictly limited basis. Just 500 individually numbered coins have been produced and the kit/coin combination is only available whilst stocks last.

Product details are as follows:

Introducing a new, very special bundle, the 1:72 Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) ‘The Dambusters’ and a limited-edition coin commemorating its history, we remember the 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise.

Airfix Coin – Dambusters 80th Anniversary

The ultimate collector’s item, individually numbered from 01 to 500, these Airfix commemorative coins really are one of a kind.

Measuring 2.00” in diameter and 4mm thick, each metal coin comes in a protective capsule, available with the 1:72 Avro Lancaster B.III (SPECIAL) ‘THE DAMBUSTERS’ only, recognising the 80th anniversary of Operation Chastise. 

Our 1/72nd scale Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) The Dambusters kit and coin bundle is available now and please use this link to visit the relevant page on the Airfix website for all the details you might need.

We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence. 

To re-visit any of the Airfix blogs we have produced over the past seven years or so, please head to our main Workbench hub, where you will find our entire blog back catalogue and all the Airfix design projects we have already covered.
 
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Please join us for more Airfix updates next week and thank you for your continued support.

Airfix Workbench Team