Classic castle playsets and new Saracen kit update

We’re pleased to be bringing you this latest edition of our regular Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

After several recent editions of Workbench where we featured exclusive updates from some of the most eagerly anticipated new tooling projects scheduled to be joining the current range during 2026, we find ourselves on new release watch this time around, but with a nice little mix of everything Airfix nostalgia. We begin by focusing on a pair of classic figure/castle kit combinations, releases which herald from a time when history and the discovery of it was the domain of every young mind in the nation, and how this enjoyable phenomenon dictated that the people behind Airfix at that time could really do no wrong.

We will be following this by revisiting a recent new tooling addition to our growing 1:35 scale military vehicle range, the Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5 British Armoured Personnel Carrier, by virtue of the fact that we have yet to showcase the selection of built model images we now have in hand, with each scheme option available with this kit being on offer. For those who have been waiting patiently for us to introduce this iconic AFV, you might already have this kit in your stashes, however, this update might be useful in helping you select which scheme option you’re going to opt for, when starting your build.

So, that being the case, we have Romans, a heroic English outlaw and his merry men, and Saracens awaiting your attention in this latest edition of Workbench.

Airfix figure sets – let OO/HO scale battle commence

Sherwood Castle looking like everyone has left for a date with Robin and his Merry Men.

Although our Vintage Classics range is now a cherished and established sub range within the current Airfix kit story, when this initiative was first proposed almost a decade ago, there were some within the Airfix team who were a little trepidatious, to say the least. At a time when the latest and greatest CAD created new tooling projects were unquestionably the modeller be-all and end-all, how would a collection of vintage model kit toolings be received by the current breed of modelling enthusiast – we needn’t have worried.

From a modelling enthusiast’s perspective, even though these were not new model introductions to the latest range, they were re-introduction of some kits which possessed real Airfix gravitas, kit classics which endowed them with unrivalled validity in hobby terms and therefore,  if we did have any initial launch misgivings, we really should have known better. Right from the very beginning, Vintage Classics have been seen as a real positive for both the current range and the hobby itself, unleashing an enjoyable wave of modelling nostalgia to break out across workstations everywhere, in an era when new kit releases are far too easy to work with.

Essentially, our Vintage Classics range about the joy of modelling, taking tens of thousands of modellers back to a time when getting hold of the latest Airfix catalogue was just about the most important thing in our lives. Of course, it was of almost equal importance that our parents were made fully aware of which new kits in that catalogue were required as Christmas and birthday gifts, an exercise which had to be executed with the highest levels of military guile and absolute precision. As a consequence, all the kits released in this range will no doubt bring back pleasant memories for older modellers from the world over, with the visual treat of iconic box artwork and classic kits taking us straight back to those enjoyable formative modelling years.

The Sheriff’s men might look in fine fettle know, but just wait until they venture too close to Sherwood Forest – I hope they don’t have any gold with them. 

Adding to this nostalgia and helping to position where individual kits appear within the production timeline of Airfix heritage, the box presentation of each ‘Vintage Classics’ release also includes details of the year in which the respective model tooling was produced, in addition to confirming the year in which the style of artwork used to grace the box was first introduced. The Vintage Classics logo identifies these as a modern twist on a classic Airfix kit theme, but make no mistake, these kits are an unashamed celebration of Airfix heritage, and are loved for it.

Despite the fact that our Vintage Classics range now allows some much-loved Airfix kit classics to have their day within our latest range of model kits once again, some of the re-introductions released over the past few years have required the use of modern design technologies to allow them to be enjoyed once more. Over the passage of time, kit moulds can suffer from damage, or the loss of smaller sections of the tooling and should that turn out to be the case, the model in question is at risk of being ruled out for reintroduction as a Vintage Classic.

In the majority of cases, the main part of the tooling, which is known as a Bolster, is relatively easy to locate, however, many of these kits can also include much smaller mould inserts for components such as the clear parts, inserts which can often be where the problems start. These metal tooling inserts can be as small as a sandwich box and are therefore the most likely parts of a model tooling to either go missing or to suffer damage - if that turns out to be the case, it's now an exercise in time and cost to see if redesigning new parts is feasible and subsequently, if a particular classic kit will ever be released again.

In what is actually something of a fascinating hobby juxtaposition, in some cases, the very latest design and reverse engineering technologies have to be brought to bear in order to allow some of these classic Airfix model kits to take their places within an Airfix range once more, a definite case of a classic needing contemporary assistance.

Standing guard over their conquered lands, this Roman Fort will be remembered by many a Workbench reader as being the stimulus for many hours of playtime fun.

For many though, just the sight of that classic box artwork takes us right back to those days when you could pick an Airfix model up at any number of shops in your hometown and how at that time, it really did appear that we might all have to live to be centenarians if we were going to work our way through the entire Airfix kit range. With the current state of our kit stashes, it now seems like 150 is going to be the required age if we’re not going to leave any kit unmade, so let’s hope for some stunning advancement in medical science over the coming few years.

When the Vintage Classics range was initially announced, it comprised of a collection of twenty-five proposed introductions which included both kits and figure sets, a tentative beginning for a range which has gone on to become such an important feature of any Airfix range launch. It was fitting that scale figure sets featured right at the beginning, because these really did play an important role in our appreciation of the Airfix brand during our early modelling years, not only serving as valuable diorama props, but also as play items prior to more serious modelling matters taking over, items which truly gave us hours of fun.

The subject of scale with regard to these first figures and why Airfix elected to go with HO/OO scale (1/76th scale) back in the late 1950s continues to stimulate some debate, but was an entirely logical one at the time. Intended to serve as diorama accessories for OO gauge railway modellers, 1/76th scale gave these new figures an instant market and whilst not exactly matching their own existing 1/72nd scale kits, the scale difference was negligible to the naked eye. Certainly, when first released, I think we are correct in saying that initial subject matter didn’t possess any 20th century military links in any case.

Airfix Ancient Britons figure set gives us all something to chase those Romans with – they do make for a colourful bunch.

Early figure sets included a collection of civilians and zoo animals, but also served to satisfy our insatiable appetite for history, with sets such as Ancient Britons and Romans, Cowboys and American Indians, British and French Horse Artillery and Waterloo Cavalry, all of which required minimal preparation and assembly, but offering unlimited play possibilities.

In addition to these figure sets, a series of clip together fort and castle sets were introduced in the late 1960s, initially released complete with figure sets representing the relevant belligerent forces contesting the structure. A Wild West fort served as a reconnaissance release for this fascinating series and proved to be incredibly popular with the young people of the nation, helping them to bring the characters and stories they had been learning about at school to life, albeit in scale form. These new sets were gratefully welcomed into our play worlds and for those of us who have more than a few years of Airfix collecting apprenticeships under our belts, how many of us remember seeing hundreds of usually unpainted Airfix OO/HO figures strewn across the living room carpets of our own and our friend’s homes.

These nostalgic castle and figure sets may well play a significant role in our hobby past, but have been absent from the Airfix range for far too long – until now. We are delighted to confirm that 2026 will witness the return of both our Roman Fort and figure set, along with our Sherwood Castle and supporting figure set, two releases which represent something very different for an Airfix range in modern times.

Romans – Roman Fort and Figurine Set

Although seen as unwanted invaders at the time, the Romans would go on to have a profound influence on Britain and the British way of life, bringing law and order, roads, buildings, currency and taxes to a land which may not have been as barbaric as they would have everyone believe, did benefit from some structure and organisation. Other than our weather, the Romans liked it here in Britain and it was turned into something of a mini Rome, and before they left, their network of forts protected Britain against a succession of invaders from across the water, or closer to home. When they did eventually leave, they left Britain with so many things we still benefit from to this day, along with over 400 years of fascinating history.

Arriving in 43 AD, the Romans may not have exactly been welcomed with open arms by the various indigenous peoples and tribes which called Britain home, but they would bring with them a level of order, structure, and organisation that transformed these Islands over the next four centuries.

Whilst they undoubtedly left us with much, the Roman occupation certainly wasn’t a one way arrangement, as they were able to secure vital commodities like gold and tin for return back to Rome, and found the population ripe for the picking when it came to bolstering their legions and sourcing slaves to work in their cities and villas.

Few of us will probably remember seeing fully painted examples of this set back in the days of those memorable carpet battles.

Testament to their time here in Britain, many of the structures they erected for their security and comfort have been preserved to this day and serve as fascinating links to a past which enthralled so many of us during our school years, a fascination which still endures to this day, with Roman historical sites always attracting healthy numbers of visitors each and every year.

From an Airfix heritage perspective, the Roman Fort followed in the wake of the release of the Roman and Ancient Briton figure sets, providing an obvious opportunity to combine all three in an engaging, logical and cost effective offering which immediately became a popular play pastime for thousands of youngsters across the country. Back then, it does have to be said that few of us had the inclination or skillset to actually paint the fort or figures, particularly as this just got in the way of hours of fun, but as the years past and our modelling capabilities improved, we always had the opportunity to bring some colour to these most colourful of characters.

I suppose that in this current guise, there is less likelihood of our Roman figures being hoovered up by our mums, as this job is probably one on our own chores lists these days, and how taking a little more care means that they’re less likely to be spending time on the carpet in the first place. Whatever the situation, there’s no doubting that the release of this Roman Fort set will bring back pleasant memories for many an Airfix modelling enthusiast, even if it does only serve to bolster our stashes still further and adds to our modelling to-do lists. 

Robin Hood – Sherwood Castle and Figurine Set

A much loved legendary figure from popular British folklore, the story of Robin Hood has inspired generations of working class people (Guy of Gisbourne would probably have called them peasants) by virtue of his steadfast defiance against oppression and injustice, perfecting his own brand of social security support by taking from the rich and re-distributing it to the poor.

Always at odds with the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham and his cruel subordinates, Robin Hood and his followers used the vast expanses of Sherwood Forest as their natural hideout, but regularly use this for a staging post for mounting raids against the Sheriff’s men and their strongholds, usually resulting in them relieving the Sheriff of a chest of gold or hoard of treasure in the process. The overdue return of this iconic Airfix playset will allow us to recreate these historic clashes in Sherwood Forest, hopefully with a little less bloodshed.

To this day, Robin Hood still stands as one of the most beloved characters in British folklore, symbolising unbowed defiance against the oppression of power, and a champion of the downtrodden. Ordinary people have told stories of Robin Hood throughout the ages, evolving from medieval ballads into the rich tales of heroism and defiance we all know and love. Whether he was leading an ambush against tax collectors on forest trails, sneaking into Nottingham Castle itself, or protecting the innocent from unjust treatment, Robin Hood's adventures represented the struggle between the common people and their feudal lords. 

His signature act of taking from the rich and giving back to the poor elevated him from a mere outlaw to a revered folk hero, inspiring countless adaptations in literature, film, and popular culture since the 15th century. The castle battlements at Nottingham, like those replicated in this set, would have witnessed many encounters between Robin's followers and the Sheriff's soldiers, each battle adding another chapter to the legend that was Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

As the historic tales served to confirm, Robin Hood was a highly skilled archer and swordsman, with some versions of his story claiming him to be a man of noble birth, and having spent time fighting overseas during the Crusades. Whether this time fighting in the Holy Lands created his strong sense of justice, or whether these were ideals he had always held dear we’ll probably never know, but what seems to have laid the foundations of this story was his return to England, to find that his lands had been seized by the Sheriff of Nottingham, the stimulus for his own rebellious crusade against tyranny.

Other stories tell of a man from the Yeoman class, one who had witnessed the oppression and injustices vast swathes of the population were forced to endure, and how those with wealth, title and influence knew nothing of the struggles of ordinary folk.

Other stories tell of his love for Maid Marion and the unflinching loyalty of his Merry Men, along with the many righteous adventures they embarked upon together, but always returning to the stories of the triumph of good over evil, a man who stood up for ordinary people in the face of power and the threat of violence. The champion of the people, when Robin Hood ‘took from the rich to give to the poor’, he assured his venerated position in British folklore, one which has endured to this day.

With an introduction like that, how could this castle and figure set not be firmly on our future purchasing radar? Forget Love Island, Britain’s Got Talent, or constantly checking your mobile phone, Robin Hood is definitely where it’s at! 

With quite a number of returning Airfix figure sets gracing the current Vintage Classics range, it could be argued that 2026 is taking us back to those glory days of Airfix modelling, a time when every new release was gratefully received by an ever growing audience, and how young minds were presented with fascinating new items to keep them engaged and enthralled.

We currently expect both the Roman Fort, and Sherwood Castle and figure sets to be with us towards the end of the year, but if we receive updates which bring this release forward, we will be sure to include details in a future edition of Workbench.

New Saracen looking good from any angle

Following the end of the Second World War, the experiences of conflict led Britain’s Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment to begin work on the future introduction of a series of modern military vehicles to perform several important roles in the post war era. Much had changed in the world of contemporary AFVs during six years of fighting, so this opportunity to develop and introduce an effective series of new vehicles for British military service was one they were not going to waste.

The Alvis Car and Engineering Company Limited impressed officials with their FV600 series of modular chassis vehicles, and would eventually be awarded the contract to produce their FV601 Saladin armoured car, the first in a proposed series of new vehicles for Britain’s military. The Saladin was a punt hulled, six wheel drive armoured car which was compact and purposeful, but one which utilised many components intended to be shared across a series of future armoured vehicle designs.

Possessing impressive performance and looking very much the part, the Saladin was due to be the first of this new vehicle series to enter production, and subsequently British Army service, however, the eruption of the Malayan Emergency, and the need for a capable Armoured Personnel Carrier to deal with the unrest there, and across the wider Commonwealth led to an immediate change of plan. The Saladin project was passed over to the Crossley Motor Company of Manchester, which allowed Alvis to concentrate on the development and production of a new Armoured Personnel Carrier, the Saracen.

The Saracen’s massive wheels and drivetrain arrangement feature some of the most eye catching detail this impressive new design project boasts.

The Malayan Emergency and the need to undertake counter insurgency operations had highlighted the pressing need for the introduction of an effective protected armoured personnel carrier over that of the fire support capabilities of the Saladin. That being the case, Alvis started work on the new Saracen towards the end of 1948, having originally started development work on the Saladin armoured car the year previously. Introduced in 1952, the Saracen certainly was an imposing looking vehicle, one which really did look like it meant business, and one which was intended to not only provide protection for the troops inside, but also to portray a sense of power and control, preventing the escalation of violent disorder simply by its very presence.

Regarded as something of a priority vehicle project, the Saracen was powered by a Rolls Royce B80 engine which provided 160 hp and was capable of pulling this AFV to speeds of up to 45 mph on normal roads, reducing to around 20 mph across uneven, off-road terrane. It employed a Daimler produced pre-selector gearbox which was relatively simple to operate and allowed the vehicle to be driven at similar speeds both forwards and in reverse.

The driveshaft ran along the inside of the vehicle’s hull, and the steering was hydraulically assisted, employing a system where the front four wheels were all steerable, ensuring mobility was as effective as possible.

The armour protection the crew relied on ranged from around 16mm thickness on the front of the turret, to just 8mm on its roof, but was designed strategically to provide the maximum effective protection for the crew in transit, but specifically against such perils as small arms fire, grenades and explosive blast damage.

Offensive firepower came from the gun mounted in the Saracen’s turret, which could traverse a full 360 degrees, and usually employed either a .30 calibre machine gun, or Bren light machine gun There were also three small opening shooting hatches down both sides of the vehicle, which were available for the troops inside to use should they need to bring suppressing fire during a patrol situation. Obviously, firepower could also be brought by opening the rear doors, and should the commander wish to mask the whereabouts of his Saracen, he could employ the use of smoke grenade launchers, with two mounted on the front mudguards of the vehicle, on either side of the vehicle.

Always deployed in action hotspot, the Saracen excelled through some of the most volatile periods in post WWII history.

The main role of this vehicle was that of an armoured troop transport, and in this role, it proved to be particularly effective. The sizeable hull of the vehicle had room for 10 fully equipped troops in relative comfort, in addition to the two man crew of the Saracen, a driver and the commander in the turret. The section commander and wireless operator were positioned in two forward facing seats just behind the driver, whilst the remaining troops sat facing each other in seats down either side of the Saracen, with their backs to the armour and knees usually touching. Beneath them, each seat lifted to reveal a storage area which could be used for anything, from personal items, to equipment needed to keep the vehicle running.

The driver’s position was particularly interesting on the Saracen, being centrally located behind the engine, but with the steering wheel being positioned behind the actual control column, exactly the opposite to how most of us would expect, and indeed how most other vehicles are configured. It looks really strange to us, however, it would be really interesting to hear from former Saracen drivers to find out if this arrangement was problematic, or if it was just something that required a little getting used to – please do get in touch if you could enlighten us.

Designed and introduced primarily to perform an infantry transport role, the Saracen excelled through some of the most volatile periods in post WWII history, and is probably the configuration most people with Saracen time in their service logbooks will remember the vehicle being used. Having said that, its impressive modular design and construction methods resulted in several different marks of vehicle being introduced, each one featuring improvements and additional equipment, or being designed to fill different, yet equally specific roles. Every one of these machines helped to establish the reputation of this impressive military vehicle, one which will still be familiar to a great many people.

If there was unrest nearby, and you needed to calm things down fast, then you definitely needed a Saracen on station.

Scheme A – Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5 ’83 BA 08’, B Squadron, 1st Royal Tank Regiment, Northern Ireland, May 1973.

Most people who think about military operations and the deployment of armoured fighting vehicles, they probably think of hedgerow lined country lanes, rolling field, or long distance tank versus tank engagements, however, for those people in Great Britain who lived through the troubles in Northern Ireland, the sight of Saracen armoured personnel carriers sharing the roads of Northern Ireland with ordinary family cars became commonplace, with these vehicles providing much needed protection for the troops deployed there.

It’s interesting to note that within the rich and glorious history of the British Army, it’s sobering to learn that its longest continuous deployment was actually on British soil, with around 300,000 soldiers eventually serving through the Irish Troubles between 1969 and 2007. Sectarian violence in Ireland had occurred many times over the centuries, but took a dramatic turn for the worse during the late 1960’s, with rioting mobs overwhelming police and security forces in the North of the country. The British Army were deployed in an attempt to keep the peace, but this was a complex situation, and one which cannot be explained by anyone who didn’t serve or live through it, so we won’t be venturing into that territory.

In total, around 300,000 British troops would serve/rotate through Northern Ireland during the troubles, attempting to keep the peace in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances. Troops would be required to mount foot or armoured personnel carrier patrols, always heading into potentially life threatening situations, and always thankful of any armoured protection they could get. Using the Saracen to speed to any reported incident, or during numerous border patrols, this British armoured vehicle must have looked particularly imposing when operated on the town and city roads of Northern Ireland.

Model finished as an Operation Banner deployed 1st Royal Tank Regiment Saracen.

At this point, we should also consider the fact that the British Government of the day had quite a lot to deal with when authorising Operation Banner. Despite the fact that the Saracen had been in service for 17 years and was still the ‘go to’ option for this kind of work, the authorities had huge reservations about the potential negative publicity of having pictures and video of tracked vehicles patrolling the streets of Northern Ireland circulated widely. For this reason, if the Saracen wasn’t already high on their list of priorities, it was now absolutely vital. In addition to this, it just had the imposing appearance of an armoured version of a British Lions prop forward, and you wouldn’t want to mess with one of those!

The Mk.5 was a specialised up-armoured variant of the Saracen 6X6 APC which was optimised for urban patrols in Northern Ireland during the British Army’s Operation Banner deployment. These vehicles benefitted from the fitting of additional armour protection, additional protection for vision blocks and headlights, along with extra harnesses for troops using these vehicles, when a quick getaway was required, or  when the vehicle was being driven over uneven terrain.

As the deployment advanced and the threats faced evolved, additional protection against petrol bombs, IEDs and RPGs saw the addition of rather crudely applied wire mesh structures around the hull of the Saracen, additions which attracted the colloquial designation ‘Kremlin Cages’ amongst British Troops.

These vehicles were upgrades of existing Mk.1 and Mk.2 Saracens and would often also feature additional riot control equipment, such as the ability to discharge CS gas canisters and the use of a loudspeaker system. 

Within the service life of this impressive vehicle, these Operation Banner Saracens have to be considered pretty iconic and of massive interest to the military modeller.  

Scheme B – Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5 Prototype ’83 BA 29’, Alvis Limited, Coventry, Warwickshire, England, November 1972.

This particular scheme is interesting due to its development role within the lineage of Saracen production, a test and evaluation vehicle retained by Alvis in support of the project to up-armour vehicles destined for deployment with the British Army as part of Operation Banner. Although they couldn’t have imagined this to be the case at the time, this deployment would last over 30 years, and see a great many British Army units rotating through Northern Ireland, and tragically, also a great many people losing their lives.

The Saracen was a vital component of the British Army’s presence in Northern Ireland, and must have looked incredibly imposing operating on roads which were normally frequented by ordinary motorcars. In addition to their usual riot control and troop patrol use, the Saracen could be used in several other roles, where they performed as HQ vehicles, and provided communications control and ambulance support duties, but always providing the support these vehicles were originally developed to provide.

Interestingly, with the Army’s School of Mechanical Transport being based at the former RAF Leconfield site near Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, British Army Saracens could regularly be seen operating on the roads of Hull, as drivers were given the opportunity to get to grips with the vehicle prior to being assigned to an operational unit. If that unit was destined for impending deployment to Northern Ireland, they surely must have valued such an opportunity, as the streets of Hull must have been a far cry from the hostile environment they would be facing in and around Belfast.

A scheme option which allows the sinister shape of the Saracen to be admired in all its glory, this scheme could hardly look more different from the vehicles which ended up patrolling the street and roads of Northern Ireland, which featured any hull addition that might serve to protect the vehicle and its occupants from coming under attack.

Scheme C – Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5 ‘334’ Sierra Vista Police Tactical Unit, Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States of America, 2011.

By its very nature, the Saracen would only usually be deployed at times of unrest or insurrection around the world, and as those situations also tended to attract the attentions of the world’s media, millions of people would only see pictures and film footage of Saracens in the world’s hotspots, almost as if they invite trouble. That being the case, it could even be argued that the Saracen gained something of an infamous reputation amongst the general public, even though it was doing exactly what the vehicle had been designed to do.

As the world was in the midst of quite a volatile period during the service life of the Saracen, it will come as no surprise to learn that a great many nations were attracted by the impressive, armoured attributes of Britain’s Saracen, and from Nigeria to South Africa, and Australia to Indonesia, these hard working and extremely effective armoured personnel carriers were always at the forefront of operations when hostile gatherings and military intervention was required.

In addition to military service across the globe, several civilian organisations operated the Saracen, including the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, the South African Police and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

This unusual scheme option depicts one of the few Saracens to find their way to America, with this machine serving with the SWAT unit of the Sierra Vista Police Tactical Unit in Arizona. Other Saracens were operated by the Special Weapons and Tactics teams of the San Franciso Department and the Snohomish County Sherrif’s Department, as well as an organisation called ARGUS, the Armoured Response Group United States. Apparently, this was an organisation founded by a group of wealthy individuals in Virginia, who seemed to want to offer their armoured vehicles and training in their use to departments and organisations who couldn’t afford to buy their own vehicles.

This scheme must have taken some time for our researcher to corroborate, but makes for an interesting decoration option for the impending first release from our new Alvis Saracen model tooling. Adding a splash of colour to a military vehicle which was always in the thick of the action, there could be an argument for taking on a dual build project, one finished in a traditional British Army scheme, with the other in this unusual scheme from the other side of the Atlantic.

The newly tooled Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5 is now available in our warehouse and proving a fine addition to our post war 1:35 scale AFV range.