New Austin K2/Y Ambulance project update.

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

In the previous edition of our blog, we focused on a pair of classic Airfix armoured fighting vehicle kits which have just taken their places as the latest additions to our popular Vintage Classics range, clearly stirring some pleasant modelling memories for many of our readers in the process. For this latest edition, we will be bringing our military vehicle tooling projects right up to date, with a comprehensive update from a new 1/35th scale kit which may not sport a huge main gun, but is going to be an incredibly popular addition to this ever-growing range nonetheless. Our new Austin K2/Y Ambulance is a delightful little kit and we are certain that the sight of the built sample model images and latest frame components we are exclusively revealing to Workbench readers this week will appeal to a great many people. It may even have you leaving a little space in your 2022 build schedule for your own classic military vehicle project.

To head off in an entirely different direction, we will be following the K2/Y Ambulance update by asking a question of the aviation modellers amongst us, ‘Do you prefer military or civilian aviation subject matter, or a little bit of both?’ To illustrate this section, we will be featuring an interesting build recently completed by reader Michael Manly, one which could take pride of place in any model collection, but maybe in an elevated position - more on that later. The weekend has come around once again and that means we can look forward to a little bit of Airfix time! 

Wood and canvas, but still 100% military

Early CAD image of the new K2/Y Ambulance which was used to announce the  project.

When looking at the subject of famous military vehicles of the Second World War, most people would probably immediately think of Sherman and Tiger tanks, or the massed tank confrontations which took place at Kursk and Caen. Having said that, whilst tanks were arguably the most impressive military vehicles of WWII, they were by no means the most numerous military vehicles on the battlefields of Europe. Germany began the war with an over-reliance on horse drawn supply transportation, differing little from the situation during the Great War, however, Britain and her allies were keen to modernise their supply lines from the very early days of conflict.

The ability to effectively supply modern, mechanized armies with the huge amounts of fuel, ammunition, food and other commodities they would consume was crucial to the success of any military campaign and as the speed of war increased, so these supply lines began to lengthen. Even if you could deploy the most devastatingly effective tank during the latest battle, it would be rendered useless unless you could ensure its continued supply of fuel and ammunition. To this end, during WWII, vast numbers of supply vehicles would be pressed into military service, initially by simply taking existing utility truck designs and re-purposing them for military use. In addition to this, modern warfare would inevitably lead to casualties, both military and civilian, and the need to transport the injured from the scene of a battle of incident to a treatment station was yet another pressing mobility need - once again, existing truck designs would in the main, have to adapt to this important new role.

Our latest Workbench image inclusive, this next selection of images show a built sample model from the latest test frame components from our new 1/35th scale Austin K2/Y Ambulance tooling, a model which was built by our Development Manager.

With gathering war clouds looming large, the British Government were only too aware that their existing force of fire engines and casualty evacuation vehicles was sadly lacking and set about a programme of huge expansion on this area. ‘Encouraging’ the Austin Motor Company to return to the production of trucks in support of this programme, Austin would manufacture their ‘series one’ range, which included two tonne K2 and three tonne K3 vehicles, rugged and reliable commercial vehicles with few frills, but a reputation for effectiveness. Using the existing chassis and adapted cab arrangement, they easily made the transition to military service and would therefore go on to become hard working general supply trucks, fire appliances with a multitude of uses and ambulances for use both on the home front and increasingly, on battlefields across Europe and the Mediterranean.

Austin K2/Y Ambulance - A most welcome sight

If you were in need of medical assistance, would you have wanted to see any other vehicle that the Austin K2/Y?

It has to be acknowledged that the general standard of ambulance casualty care effectiveness dipped dramatically during the Second World War, as the physicians who usually travelled with their ambulances were in great demand across the world’s battlefields. As a consequence of this, ambulances were reduced to being a speedy method of effectively transporting casualties to hospital, or moving soldiers from field aid stations to more robust facilities behind the front lines. Nevertheless, if you were unfortunate enough to be in need of their services, the sight of that red cross on a white disk must have brought significant comfort and if not an immediate relief from pain, at least the hope that you would be receiving treatment in the very near future. 

One of the most famous vehicles of its type, the Austin K2/Y Ambulance was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout WWII, both in the combat zones of the world and on the home front and was the perfect combination of existing automotive technologies and specially designed body shells to perform specific tasks. The vehicle utilised Austin’s two tonne K2 chassis, with its six cylinder 3462cc overhead valve petrol engine developing a reliable 63hp, which translated to a top speed of somewhere between 50 and 60 mph. The speedometer indicated a maximum speed of 80mph, but that was more than a little optimistic and with a full load of fuel and passengers, it was more likely to be half that figure.

The widely spaced four-speed gearbox was described by many who drove this ambulance as ‘challenging’ and something which definitely required some getting used to, but once mastered would generally allow for effective, trouble free operation. The K2/Y was adapted for its ambulance role by the addition of a casualty compartment which was designed and built by the Mann Egerton coachbuilding company of Norwich, but only after consultation with the Royal Army Medical Corps to ensure total suitability for the task ahead. This rear section could carry ten seated casualties, or four stretcher cases, although military folklore tells of vehicles which regularly carried many more people. One ambulance serving in North Africa was reported to have carried no fewer than 27 wounded men, with casualties seated on the wings, bonnet and rear steps and additional stretchers suspended by rifles over the rear walkway.

For your viewing pleasure, a first look at the latest test frames produced from the new Austin K2/Y Ambulance tooling, a kit which will be a welcome addition to our 1/35th scale military vehicle range.

The wooden casualty section was given an outer skin of canvas/flax, which had to be aligned perfectly to ensure all the seam lines were straight. Once the fabric had been pulled taught, it was given a liberal coat of high grade shrinking dope, so that even though the sides were only made of fabric, they still gave the impression of offering some protection. One of the main reasons why the K2/Y proved such a success was because it was so rugged and reliable, requiring only a minimum of maintenance and enabling it to be were it was needed most, transporting casualties from battlefields and incidents.

This classic wartime vehicle is perhaps best known as being one of the stars of the 1958 British war film ‘Ice Cold in Alex’, a story set during the desert war in North Africa and one which told of a group of military personnel who became separated from their unit during the frenetic actions in this theatre of conflict. Travelling in an Austin K2/Y ambulance named ‘Katy’, the group attempted to travel from Tobruk to Alexandria by crossing the Sahara desert to reach the safety of British lines, with their adventures bringing them into contact with enemy units and any number of natural hazards along the way. Underlining the rugged reputation of this distinctive vehicle, ‘Katy’ successfully transported her crew across the desert and to a promised date with an ice cold beer in an Alexandria bar. The film introduced this wartime ambulance to the British public, instantly making it one of the Second World War’s most famous military vehicles in the process.

Perhaps just as famous as this film appearance, the Austin K2/Y Ambulance also had royal connections, with this ubiquitous vehicle type having been driven and maintained by Her Majesty the Queen during her wartime ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) service. The then HRH Princess Elizabeth was pictured looking extremely smart in uniform and standing in front of one of these classic vehicles at the beginning of April 1945, underlining the fact that the K2 Ambulance was as important on the Home Front as it was on the battlefields of Europe. 

Service after WWII

Produced in large numbers, the Austin K2/Y Ambulance was in use long after the end of the Second World War and when disposed of by the military, they found new homes as delivery trucks, mobile canteens and traders vehicles.

Earning an enviable wartime reputation, the K2/Y would see service well into the 1960s and even then, many would go on to find new civilian homes and use as anything from delivery vans to temporary homes. Underlining its importance as a military vehicle, many K2/Y ambulances have become the subject of meticulous and expensive restoration projects over recent years and they are always viewed with genuine affection wherever they appear. Restored examples are always in demand at D-Day and VE-Day commemorations, where these magnificent vehicles are just as popular as the tanks and half-tracks they share the billing with. With some 13,102 vehicles produced, the remaining restored examples serve to preserve the legacy of an iconic vehicle which shared the worlds battlefields with the armoured vehicles we more readily associate with warfare.

For those of us who enjoy visiting museums and attending Airshows, it is still possible to see restored examples of these classic ambulances around the country. For myself, I remember fondly several occasions after a Duxford Airshow, heading for a quaint little pub in Pampisford and settling down for a bite to eat, only to see a beautifully restored K2/Y ambulance pulling up outside, packed full of suitably attired re-enactors. As they all pile into the pub chatting away and in need of some well earned refreshment, you can easily find yourself imagining this as a scene from the wartime years and who’s to say that this very thing didn’t happen in this exact same pub!

When finishing my meal and heading off for my digs for the night, with the K2/Y still waiting dutifully outside the pub, I often ask myself, could their possibly be a more appropriate mode of transport for Airshow weekend?

Latest addition to our 1/35th scale Military Vehicles range

Such an interesting model, the Austin K2/Y Ambulance may not have guns and armour, but it is 100% military vehicle and will be a popular addition to our 1/35th scale range.

Since the launch of our current 1/35th scale military vehicle range at the beginning of 2019, we have regularly added new models to this already mature range, with the announcement of each successive new catalogue. This year, we will be adding three new kits to the range, the Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär, Stug IV Sd.Kfz.167 and classic Panzer III, however, Workbench readers will be only too aware that we are still awaiting the launch of our Austin K2/Y Ambulance, a kit which was originally announced at the beginning of last year. Although this project has proved a little more challenging than most, it is now very much on track and the fact that we are covering two huge development stages with this single blog update will hopefully go some way to reassuring modellers that this fantastic new kit is now very much on track towards initial release.

There can be a multitude of reasons why certain products suffer development delays, most of which are not really appropriate to include in an update feature such as this, however, from a blog production perspective, if our Development Manager is not happy with how a project is progressing for any reason, we don’t receive updates to share with our readers - what can we say, he has extremely high standards! Interestingly though, in the case of the built sample K2/Y Ambulance images we are exclusively revealing here, this model was actually built by our Development Manager, as opposed to him entrusting the task to a member of his team, as would usually be the case. This new ambulance must be a special little model.

A final look at the frame components and the latest built sample model from our new 1/35th scale Austin K2/Y Ambulance tooling, a model kit with real character.

We mentioned this feature was something of a dual update, because rather than stagger the available information across two separate blogs, we decided to bring you exclusive images of the latest test frames and a full test build, in an attempt to catch up a little with the development of this kit, whilst at the same time celebrating the fact that this first ‘soft skinned’ addition to our 1/35th scale Military Vehicle kit range is now speeding its way towards its anticipated summer 2022 initial release.

With the impending release of this newly designed 1/35th scale kit now almost upon us, our new Austin K2/Y Ambulance will not only further enhance our growing range of models in this hugely popular scale, but will also surely prove to be a welcome distraction from the usual ‘armoured fare’ military modellers are tempted with. It may also bring the impressive wartime credentials of this rugged vehicle to a new modelling audience and with over 13,000 vehicles built and many restored examples still in existence, there should be no shortage of scheme and story inspiration for us to find. Featuring lots of impressive detail, our new K2/Y Ambulance may not have a huge main gun or weigh 40 tons or more, but it has bags or character and is every inch a military vehicle classic. Move aside tanks and assault guns, Katy the KTwo is coming through!

Modelling tribute to the ‘Queen of the skies’

A civilian aviation classic, Mick Manly made this 1/144th scale ‘Queen of the skies’ one of his recent build projects, one which hasn’t been in the range for several decades. 

As most Workbench readers will know, the Airfix back catalogue is so huge that it is highly likely that millions of people the world over will have enjoyed building one of our kits at one stage in their loves or another, and for those of us with a few years behind us now, will have undoubtedly played quite a significant role in our formative years. Although our current modelling exploits will usually be centred around to current kit range, it doesn’t take much for us to be transported back to our youth in a wave of Airfix nostalgia, usually due to the sight of some long forgotten box artwork, or a modeller who has raided his stash to take on a classic Airfix kit project. That certainly proved to be the case recently when we noticed a post on a modelling site which featured a beast of a model kit, one which has not been part of an Airfix range for almost thirty years and one which poses a rather interesting question - military or civilian for your aviation subject matter?

There can be no doubting that military aviation subject matter is the staple of many a model manufacturing company and Airfix is no exception. Whether you are fascinated by the birth of aerial combat during the Great War, or the huge variation in types which contested the Second World War, military aircraft are a source of constant fascination and have been responsible for attracting so many people to our beloved hobby over the years. Having said that, one of the most appealing aspects of being an Airfix modeller was the sheer variety of kits the brand brought to market, attempting to produce model kits which would appeal to everyone, but at the same time, forcing the rest of us to take on modelling projects which could best be described as taking us out of our modelling comfort zones.

One modelling distraction many of us found difficult to resist was the subject of civilian aviation kits and whilst these models may not have featured guns and bombs, they more than made up for this with their appealing profiles and stunning liveries. For many of us, once we strayed into the subject of civilian aviation modelling, these were kit projects we regularly returned to. Whether it was the Ford Trimotor in 1/72nd scale, or the more modern airliners produced later in 1/144th scale, these were really enjoyable kits and ones which made for stunning display pieces once finished.

The reason we contacted Michael Manly (Mick - we were told off for calling him Michael, as he is only called that when he is in trouble) was after the sight of his recent Boeing 747 build immediately dragged us back to those enjoyable days of building Airfix civilian aviation models, particularly as this kit, in this box presentation has not featured in an Airfix range for 35 years. Was this a kit he had had in his stash for a while, or one he had only recently acquired ….. we simply had to find out.

A really impressive kit, this particular version of our Boeing 747-136 ‘City of Portsmouth’ model has not been in a range for around 35 years.

It was a real pleasure speaking to Mick, who was not only generous with his time, but also honest with his answers. He told us that as a modeller, he would describe himself as just an ‘Average Joe’, definitely not and expert and someone who simply builds for fun, as and when the mood takes him. Like most Workbench readers, he described how he modelled regularly throughout his youth, returning to the hobby back in the mid 1980s, after life and commitments had caused something of a hiatus. He told us how modelling serves as a rather effective and enjoyable distraction from other stuff which might be going on in his life and can really help him with his concentration levels. As for his usual subject matter, Mick told us that despite the build which brought him to our attention, his first love is actually building cars and he has amassed quite a collection of built models over the years.

On to the subject of the Boeing 747 build, we asked Mick if he had a particular affinity with the Jumbo and bearing in mind the age of this kit, whether it had been in his stash for quite some time? He informed us that until recently, he didn’t really have a stash as such and would normally finish his current build, before looking around for his next project, the selection of which was very much down to whether it took his fancy or not, quite a random method of modelling really. He prefers to do it that way, because he views modelling as being quite a personal thing really and if a particular model presents itself and appeals to him, then that will invariably become his next build. He takes on a project, finishes it to the best of his ability, then moves on to something else, something which has always worked well for him.

There’s more than one way to amass a kit stash

Mick informed us that his love of modelling over the years has resulted in him having a rather impressive collection of built models on display, but how he has never really been one for stockpiling kits - that is until quite recently. When visiting a local charity shop with his brother-in-law, they came across a huge collection of unmade kits, including those from several different manufacturers, but with lots of classic Airfix kits. Knowing how much Mick enjoyed modelling, he enquired about the price for taking the entire collection and to cut a long story short, a deal was struck and they all came home with him, the first and only time he had ever had a sizeable kit stash in his life.

The interesting part of this story is that on inspecting the collection, he noticed a couple of Airfix SAM-2 missile sets within the haul and after conducting a quick web search, found that these were actually quite collectable and rather valuable. As these kits were not really of too much interest to him build-wise, he wondered if he could use them to obtain something a little more appropriate for his modelling tastes.

Mick told us that his usually picks up his model kits from a local second hand shop, one which has quite an active modelling section. The chap who runs the store has been really good to Mick over the years and when he heard about his recent large kit purchase and the two SAM-2 missile kits, he offered to do him a deal. This is how Mick came across the old Airfix Boeing 747 kit, purely by chance and something which just took his fancy. Sat there in the shop was the Airfix Jumbo kit, along with a 1/72nd scale Airfix Concorde kit and with just the SAM kits and 5 Euros changing hands, the deal was done and he had his next two aviation build projects in hand.

Our final question had to be regarding the display of the finished models. Although hanging our latest modelling creations from our bedroom ceilings may have been a regular thing in our youth, we had to ask Mick why he chose to display his finished models in this manner? He playfully replied, ‘Have you ever seen a flying car?’ Basically, cars form the majority of his built model collection and with space now at a premium, it made sense to allow his aircraft builds to feel the wind beneath their wings, so some cotton and a few drawing pins were the order of the day. In fact, Mick has elected to display all of his recent aircraft builds in this manner and he said they really do look quite impressive.

Designed to feel the wind beneath their wings, a lack of display space means that Mick suspends his latest aircraft builds from the ceiling, something many of us used to be rather proficient at doing.

Mick was quite surprised when we contacted him and asked if we could feature his Boeing 747 kit build, particularly as he describes his modelling abilities as being very ordinary and how he always thinks that he could have done better. Modelling does however bring him a lot of enjoyment and in our opinion, what could be more appealing to us than that? He already has another Boeing 747 build waiting in the wings and intends to use all the experience he gained on this British Airways build and applying this to the new model, knowing that he will do a better job next time.

The final thing we would like to mention was something Mick told us at the end of our conversation. He told us that he rarely posts on modelling social media sites, because modelling is a personal enjoyment to him and he can’t see why anyone would be interested in seeing his rather ordinary efforts, however, he thought he would make an exception with the Jumbo. He was astounded to discover that his post has received 177 likes and counting, something which pleased and humbled him in equal measure, not to mention receiving a contact from the Airfix Workbench team. All we would say to Mick is keep enjoying your modelling and keep the build posts coming, because within the modelling community, you might just provide that little spark which inspires someone with a build idea, or even encourage someone back into this fantastic hobby.

We would like to say how much of a joy it was to speak with Mick and how grateful we are that he allowed us to share his Boeing 747 build story with fellow Workbench readers. Now, do you have any more of those SAM-2 missile sets in your newly acquired stash, because we know a few thousand people who might be interested in one?

That’s all we have for you in this latest edition of Workbench, but we will be back as usual next Friday with more modelling news, updates and exclusive imagery from the fascinating world of Airfix. If you have any comments in connection with the blog, or would like to suggest a subject to be covered in a future edition, please do drop us a quick line using our workbench@airfix.com e-mail address. The Airfix team would be only too pleased to hear from you.

If you would like to continue the Airfix modelling discussions between editions of the blog, the Airfix Workbench Forum is the place to be, however, if you simply wish to keep up to date with all the latest Airfix modelling news, you can access our official social media sites, or simply head for the Airfix website, where you will find all the details you need. 

If you have yet to add our sites to your favourites, you can find links to our Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram sites at the bottom of our website homepage.  

Thank you for continuing to support our Airfix Workbench blog.

The Airfix Workbench Team