Prepare to meet aviation’s ‘God of Fire’

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

With our team now settled back into our usual fortnightly blog publication routine, we would like to begin this latest edition by thanking everyone who continue to send us their Airfix related stories and build pictures, all of which genuinely make for fascinating viewing and are particularly popular amongst the Airfix team. With reader supplied model making features now regularly appearing within Workbench, if you have been kind enough to send us details, you can rest assured that we will be doing our utmost to include them in a forthcoming edition. With quite a number of features already in the blog bank, it may take us a while to get through them all, but we will get there and it will be worth the wait.

The title of this latest blog is a bit of a giveaway, so it will come as absolutely no surprise to hear that our headline feature for this edition an update from a very BIG new tooling project, a model which many readers have patiently been waiting to get their hands on, our magnificent new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2. Not only are we delighted to be in a position to inform you that your Vulcan vigil is almost over, but to celebrate that fact, we also have a stunning selection of test shot build images to bring you, featuring both of the scheme options included with this magnificent new kit, so we can all start thinking about which one we intend to build when this stunning kit arrives. We follow this up with another exclusive, this time featuring our new 1/48th scale de Havilland Chipmunk T.10 tooling and the first time pictures of the initial test frame parts have been seen outside of the Airfix office. We will be asking modellers for their help with a little ‘Super Kit’ quandary and we will be marking the release of the latest Super Car to be immortalised in our popular Quickbuild model range. As you can see, another feature packed Airfix update awaits your perusal, so we had better make a start straight away.

The RAF’s last Avro bomber

The latest in a long line of Workbench image exclusives, if we weren’t already excited at the prospect of building the new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2 kit a little later in the year, the sight of this ‘Delta Double’ will certainly move it to the top of our impending build schedule   

When discussing the subject of aircraft types which have seen service with the Royal Air Force throughout its glorious 103 (almost) year history, it is difficult to think of one which could claim to be more distinctive than the Avro Vulcan. Colloquially referred to as the ‘Tin Triangle’, the mighty Vulcan demanded the attention of everyone in its immediate vicinity, whether it be trumpeting down the runway during its take-off run, or casting its unique shadow on the ground as it passed gracefully overhead during an Airshow. Most of us will probably only remember seeing a single example of the aircraft being displayed, either the Vulcan Display Flight aircraft from the final days of its RAF service, or when XH558 miraculously returned to the air in 2007, unexpectedly enthralling the entire nation for a further seven memorable years of display flying. Whichever is the case, as far as the Vulcan is concerned, it is definitely a case of once seen, never forgotten.

Following in such famous Avro multi-engined aircraft tradition as types such as the Manchester, Lancaster, Lincoln and Shackleton, the Vulcan was a bomber not just for the jet age, but also one for the nuclear age, a machine which possessed the potential to cause such unimaginable devastation that it would deter any potential adversary from ever contemplating conflict with the UK and her powerful V-Bomber force. For such a ground-breaking new aircraft, with specifications the like of which had never previously been seen, the design team at Avro were quickly forced to explore revolutionary aviation concepts for their new aircraft and the early adoption of a large delta wing configuration, which whilst posing some significant technological challenges, offered aerodynamic benefits which far outweigh these difficulties.

As the massive construction hangar doors at Avro’s Woodford factory aerodrome were pushed open on 30th August 1952 and Avro Vulcan prototype VX770 was wheeled out onto the hardstanding, she must have made for an awe-inspiring sight. Looking absolutely resplendent in its all-over white ‘Anti-Flash’ paint finish and proudly wearing its Royal Air Force insignia, what the Avro engineers had managed to produce was not only the world’s first delta bomber, but also the most advanced bomber in the world at that time. As chief test pilot ‘Roly’ Falk embarked on the aircraft’s maiden flight, he almost brought the county of Lancashire to a standstill, as the population marvelled at the unusual sight of this distinctive bomber, becoming the very first people to experience an aviation phenomenon which we all now known as the ‘Vulcan Effect’.

Just weeks after its first flight, Britain’s new delta jet bomber was to be the star aviation attraction at that year’s Farnborough show and as the huge crowds marvelled at this awesome sight, the question on everybody’s lips was what should this amazing new bomber be called? Avro officials had their idea on a prospective name and wanted to choose one in honour of the Canadian arm of the business and the invaluable contribution they made to the Allied war effort during WWII. The British press, who are always keen to throw their weight behind a project where the nation leads the world, were championing names such as Albion and Avenger, titles they felt befitting of such an impressive aviation icon. In the end, pressures from the highest ministerial levels of government required a name which reflected the aircraft’s status as the RAF’s latest V-bomber and the name Vulcan seemed to be entirely appropriate.

When it comes to the Vulcan, it seems as if this aircraft commands such affection amongst the British public, that everyone has their own Vulcan related story to tell. One member of the Airfix team spent several happy summers touring the country, attending Airshows and RAF Families Days during the late 1980s and early 1990s, attempting to raise funds and awareness of the importance of the Vulcan Display Flight, as part of a coordinated attempt to keep it funded and in operation. His friend had purchased the large scale Vulcan model which was built as a prop for the 1965 James Bond movie ‘Thunderball’ from the film studio in London and restored it at some expense to represent the Display Flight’s XH558. Stored in his back garden, as an alarm engineer by trade, the model was wired in to the house alarm system, just to prevent any Vulcan fanatics with dishonest intentions from offering to give it a new home. The fully restored model had a working electrical system, powered by a car battery and the wings could be removed so that it could be loaded onto a flatback truck and transported to the latest venue where the real Vulcan was scheduled to display. 

Once arrived on site, the large scale Vulcan model was unloaded, reassembled and connected to its battery, usually displayed next to where XH558 was positioned in the static aircraft display. Attracting almost as much attention as the full sized Vulcan it was supporting, the model was later donated to the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, allowing the large, triangular bald patch on his lawn to finally grow back, much to the delight of his wife.

Using early test frames from the new Vulcan kit, Paramjit completed this model in the A scheme before the decals had been produced, so he was forced to be a little more creative than usual

We have also been lucky enough to speak with a former member of the RAF Police, who recounted some fond memories of guarding Vulcans whilst they were on overseas deployment. Although clearly not something of a precursor to instant messaging in an unofficial military sense, colleagues back at the Vulcan’s UK base would often write messages in pencil on the inside of the aircraft’s undercarriage doors, just for fun. If you found a message which was intended for you, surely it was only polite to send one back, to be delivered by one of the world’s first delta jet bombers.

For the rest of us, most of our stories will probably revolve around when we first experienced the thrill of a Vulcan display or where we managed to catch our last glimpse of the aircraft during her incredibly well attended two day, multi-location Farewell Tour, during the Autumn of 2015. With many hundreds of thousands of people determined to bid their own farewells to the Vulcan in the twilight of her flying career, will a single aircraft ever command such overwhelming public affection as Avro Vulcan B.2 XH558? For those of us who were lucky enough to experience the Vulcan in all its display glory at Airshows up and down the country, will any other aircraft ever provide the adrenalin rush the Vulcan did and draw so many people to shows just to see it perform? On both counts, this is highly unlikely. 

Without doubt, the Vulcan won the hearts of the nation and not just for aviation enthusiasts, but also for great swathes of the general population - it seems as if Britain still can’t get enough of the Avro Vulcan.

Airfix pay homage to the Vulcan

This full test build has been completed in the kit B scheme and in these markings, it must look similar (even though this is a B.2 variant of the aircraft) to how the prototype aircraft looked as it was rolled out at Woodford, in preparation for its first flight

Clearly, for an aircraft which commands as much overwhelming affection as the Vulcan, it also follows that the modelling world would have a similar infatuation with the aircraft, with the iconic profile of the Vulcan regularly residing on workbenches the world over. Since our previous 1/72nd scale Vulcan was first released back in 1983, the kit has always been amongst our best sellers and whilst it was beginning to show its age, modellers always wanted to see it re-released with the announcement of each new model range. Having said that, we were also left in absolutely no doubt that if modellers could choose one existing Airfix kit to benefit from all the latest design, production and manufacturing technologies, that subject would be the Avro Vulcan. These calls only grew louder following the 2015 announcement of the 1/72nd scale Handley Page Victor tooling, with the accuracy of this model only serving to whet the appetite for potentially more V-bomber new tooling action to come.

Unveiled at Scale Modelworld 2019, when the banner above the Airfix stand at Telford was unfurled, there was a discernible gasp amongst the gathered crowd, as they could hardly believe that their new Vulcan kit was finally a reality. Thankfully, we are now delighted to say that the kit will soon be entering full production and is on schedule for a summer release, so it's almost time to think about clearing a large Vulcan shaped space on our respective workbenches.

By way of marking this significant development, we are pleased to be in a position to bring you the latest in a long line of Airfix exclusives, as we have images of full test builds from the kit, featuring both of the scheme options included with the new Vulcan kit. Once again, we are indebted to the model making machine that is our product designer Paramjit, who completed both of these builds in his spare time, albeit quite some weeks apart. He has asked us to point out that the A scheme build (XM594) was completed quite some time ago and before the kit decals had been produced. The decals he used were obtained from another source and did not include much of the stencil data which will be included with the kit decals. Having said that, both models still look absolutely magnificent.

Scheme option A - Avro Vulcan B.Mk.2 XM594, The Scampton Wing (Nos.27, 83 and 617 Squadrons, RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, England 1966. Aircraft currently preserved at the Newark Air Museum

Avro Vulcan XM594 was the penultimate B.2 variant to be built at Avro’s Chadderton and Woodford factories which was capable of carrying the Blue Steel nuclear stand-off missile, Britain’s most effective deterrent weapon at that time. She was delivered to the Royal Air Force in July 1963 and allocated to No.27 Squadron at Scampton, the Squadron which first introduced the B.2 variant of the Vulcan to RAF service. Pooled into the ‘Blue Steel Wing’, the aircraft would remain at Scampton for the next nine years, serving through the period when the V-Bomber force would be required to change its role from conducting high altitude to low level nuclear operations.

From the mid 1960s, Scampton’s Vulcans gave up their iconic white anti-flash paint scheme for one which featured standard RAF camouflage on all upper surfaces, reflecting the tactical change from high to low altitude operations. Significant advances in Soviet SAM missile capability meant that Vulcan crews could no longer be expected to safely conduct their original high altitude Blue Steel delivery missions and were forced to ‘head for the deck’. Unfortunately, this altitude switch significantly reduced the tactical effectiveness of the missile and the nuclear writing was already on the wall for Britain’s V-force. Vulcan B.2 XM594 would still be at Scampton when all eight aircraft of No.27 Squadron were converted for a nuclear laydown bombload and assigned to fly deep penetration raids into Eastern Europe, supporting Allied ground forces in the event of conflict.

By the end of 1971, the Vulcan’s of No.27 Squadron had relinquished their nuclear delivery role altogether and by the following year, XM594 had made the short hop to the nearby Waddington Wing, where she joined No.101 Squadron. During her 20 year RAF career, this Vulcan would see service with Nos. 27, 101 and 44 Squadrons. Her final operational sortie was as part of the last Vulcan scramble on 17th December 1982, where no less than 7 Vulcans took part in this impressive demonstration, as the Vulcan prepared to bow out of RAF service. On the same day, four of the seven Vulcans involved in the scramble demo also flew in formation over former RAF Vulcan stations, as this unique aircraft made its farewell flight - XM594 acted as a reserve aircraft for this tribute.

The last flight of Avro Vulcan B.2 XM594 took place on a rather cold and wintery 7th February day in 1983, when she was flown from her home base at RAF Waddington to the Newark Air Museum site at Winthorpe, the start of a new chapter in her life. Not only would she be one of the largest aircraft to have ever landed at this former RAF Winthorpe site, but on this historic occasion, the aircraft was captained by decorated Falklands War pilot Squadron Leader Neil McDougal. On landing, he was more than happy to recount some of his Vulcan flying exploits to enthralled NAM volunteers  who had gathered for his arrival. Significantly, at that time, XM594 was the only Vulcan disposed of by the RAF to be flown into an unlicenced airfield.

This magnificent aircraft is now kept in fine condition by the museum volunteers and is a hugely impressive exhibit and until relatively recently was maintained in an ‘electrically live’ condition. At regular occasions during the year, volunteers would conduct an electrical systems check, where the lights, airbrakes and bomb bay doors would all be operated. Unfortunately, a tightening in regulations meant that these checks can no longer be performed on the Newark Air Museum site, though this magnificent museum is definitely still well worth a visit. Indeed, most UK aviation enthusiast visitors will probably tell you that enjoying the sight of this magnificent mighty delta bomber is worth paying the modest museum entrance fee by itself, even before you consider all the other aviation delights on show at Newark.  

Thanks to the continued efforts of museum volunteers, work on their beloved Vulcan is an ongoing process and she is constantly being cleaned, inspected and restored so this Cold War warrior can be enjoyed by the thousands of visitors who will surely flock to her in the years to come. If you are lucky enough to visit the museum when staffing and weather conditions allow, you may actually be allowed to climb aboard the Vulcan for a very reasonable fee. Clambering into the cockpit area and also sitting at the navigators table, you really do get some appreciation of the operating environment RAF Vulcan crews had to endure - for such a mighty aeroplane, there really isn’t much available moving space inside. It seems probable that most Vulcan crews would probably have been rather slim chaps!

Thanks to our good friends at the Newark Air Museum, this is the magnificent aircraft we were fortunate enough to be allowed to scan at the very start of this project, making this lead scheme a popular choice amongst members of the Airfix team.

Scheme option B - Avro Vulcan B.Mk.2 XM602, RAF No.12 Squadron, Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England 1963. Nose section now preserved at the Avro Heritage Museum, former Woodford site

Avro Vulcan XM602 emerged from the assembly hangar at Avro’s Woodford factory in 1963, resplendent it its stunning all white anti-flash nuclear scheme. Immediately joining the RAF’s V-Bomber force, her first posting would be to RAF Coningsby and No.12 Squadron, where she would be tasked with maintaining the nation’s nuclear deterrent threat, helping to ensure the country was not dragged into another devastating conflict. She would actually turn out to be quite a well-travelled Vulcan, spending much time on overseas deployment around the world and representing a modern RAF at international Airshow events. In 1967, she would prove to be a huge attraction at the Dulles International Airport Airshow, where she rather effectively showed the American audience what a real aeroplane looked like.

During her service career, XM602 would spend time based at Coningsby, Cottesmore and Waddington and in 1971, operated out of McCoy AFB in Florida, as she took part in the US Air Force’s ‘Giant Voice’ Strategic Air Command bombing competition. A little closer to home, she was a regular UK Airshow attendee, where she would usually take her place in the static aircraft display, leaving display performances to other Vulcans. A series of magnificent pictures of the aircraft were taken at the 1981 Greenham Common Airshow, which can be found via a quick web search, interesting as these were taken during the twilight of her RAF career. That career ended in 1982, when XM602 was flown to RAF St Athan to take up residence with the Historic Aircraft Museum located there, but that was not to be the end of her story. In the Autumn of 1993, the aircraft was unceremoniously scrapped, with just the nose section surviving the cull - this surviving section was secured by the Avro Heritage Museum based at Woodford and was later transported back to the airfield of her birth. Regularly worked on by heritage volunteers and Woodford apprentices, the nose section would be displayed at the annual Woodford Airshows, a popular attraction at this home of the Vulcan.

With the Woodford show falling victim to a change in status at the site, the nose section was loaned out to the Vulcan to the Sky trust, where she toured the country in an attempt to gain public support and funds to keep Vulcan XH558 flying for as long as possible. Returning to Woodford some years later, the now beautifully restored nose of Vulcan XM602 is now one of the highlight attractions at the new Avro Heritage Museum, a purpose built facility on the site of the old Woodford factory site. Museum visitors can climb aboard this fantastic exhibit and experience what it was like to sit in the pilot’s seat of one of Britain’s most famous bombers, made all the more special by the knowledge that you are doing so just a few hundred metres from where the aircraft was originally built.

It is also interesting to note that her sister aircraft, XM603 is also on display at the museum, standing majestically in an enclosed outdoor section, having been the subject of a concerted restoration program. This aircraft is finished in the iconic anti-flash white scheme and is currently the only preserved Vulcan airframe presented this way.

Adding a little additional local interest to this particular scheme option, most of the former Woodford factory site was demolished to make way for a modern housing development and a recent Vulcan related story in the local press caught our attention. A couple who were thinking about purchasing a house on the development did so because they wanted to be close to family, but also because the location had some sentimental meaning for them. The man of the new house was a former RAF pilot who later embarked on a career as an airline captain. He remembered with some fondness regularly flying out of Manchester Airport and seeing a distinctive white Vulcan on the Woodford airfield site (XM603) as he flew over, always looking for it as an interesting aviation landmark. When the couple were looking round their new house, the story was mentioned and the agent told them that the developers had helped to establish the new Avro Heritage Museum, which was on the opposite side of the airfield and open to the public. Significantly, the white Vulcan he remembered with such fondness was now over there.

The former pilot couldn’t resist going across and reacquainting himself with the aircraft he remembered having seen from the air so many times during his civilian aviation days and once in the museum, he was also shown the beautifully restored nose section of another Vulcan, and was invited to sit in the pilot’s seat, bringing back happy memories of his Royal Air Force service. On returning home and checking his service log book, he discovered that he had flown both XM602 and XM603 during his RAF career! What a fantastic story and a development which must have certainly sealed the deal when considering the new house purchase.

It already seems clear that our new 1/72nd scale Avro Vulcan B.2 kit is destined to become a firm favourite with modelling enthusiasts all over the world and we fully expect this to be one of the most popular model kits we have produced in recent times. With the two scheme options offered with the initial release presenting this magnificent aircraft whilst serving in its RAF nuclear deterrent role, the compelling stories behind each one’s post RAF careers will make scheme selection a particularly difficult one. This will be a popular addition to the range, so it’s definitely time to check the status of your pre-orders, as this stunning new model is now only a couple of months away - it will soon be Vulcan time!

Chippy test frame exclusive

An aircraft which may not be able to rival the Vulcan in physical stature, but one which can certainly boast the fact that many more people spent time in its cockpit, the de Havilland Chipmunk is also due to take its place in the Airfix kit line up during 2021, as one of the four new tooling projects announced at the beginning of the year. Although our Vulcan kit is ahead of the Chipmunk in terms of the release stakes, this classic training aeroplane is not that far behind it and this first showing of the new 1/48th scale kit’s initial test frames is a significant stage in its development. From a design and development perspective, this stage will now see quite a period of feverish activity for the kits designer Matt, as he assesses every aspect of the new kit, from the accurate representation of detail, to the general fit of the individual components. He will probably have already completed his detailed report on everything Chipmunk, with a view to ultimately releasing his design for production - we might even be lucky enough to see several built sample models over the coming few weeks.

The de Havilland Chipmunk ultimately resulted from a decision by this aircraft company to establish an overseas manufacturing subsidiary in Canada during the late 1920s, primarily to produce the Tiger Moth trainer and to allow its use by Canadian Airmen. As war looked increasingly likely in Europe, this decision would prove significant, as wartime Allied aircraft production could carry on uninterrupted in Canada, without the threat the Luftwaffe posed to British factories. In combination with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Canada, her manufacturing plants and her fighting men, would make a huge contribution to the Allied war effort during WWII.

Following the end of the Second World War, de Havilland Canada started to develop its own indigenous aircraft designs, aircraft which became known for their rugged effectiveness, being particularly suited to use in the sometimes harsh environments which covered large areas of this vast country. The first major indigenous aircraft project completed by the company was their DHC-1 Chipmunk, a primary trainer which was the intended replacement for the impressive, but now ageing Tiger Moth. Built using heavier gauge aluminium and with rugged reliability as its two central design philosophies, the Chipmunk is incredibly robust compared to other similar aircraft types and as it incorporated many of the admirable qualities of its famous predecessor, it soon began to find favour with both Canadian and British air forces.

The first Chipmunk took to the skies in May 1946 and almost immediately began to attract interest from air forces who were looking to upgrade their primary flight training capabilities. By April 1948, the Royal Canadian Air Force had taken delivery of their first Chipmunk, but they were not the only ones admiring the qualities of this extremely capable aeroplane. With the aircraft clearly possessing excellent export sales potential and the fact that it had also been selected to equip the RAF Volunteer Reserve Flying Schools, a decision was made to produce the aircraft in Britain. Twenty-one years after the Canadian subsidiary of the company had been established, production of their Chipmunk began initially at the company’s famous Hatfield plant, later transferring to the former Vickers Armstrong shadow factory at Broughton, which had been purchased by the company. In the end, the vast majority of the 1,283 de Havilland Chipmunk trainers built would be manufactured under licence in the UK, with around 735 of these going on to see service with the Royal Air Force, as the direct Ab initio flight training replacement for the venerable old Tiger Moth. 

For an aircraft which possesses such a rich history in terms of both military and civilian flight training throughout the post war years, it has come as absolutely no surprise whatsoever to the Airfix team that our new 1/48th scale de Havilland Chipmunk T.10 kit has been received so favourably by the hobby world and that advanced orders for the model have been so strong. With so many people having flown in, worked on, or owned/operated the type, this is one model kit a great many people are looking forward to building, not just those who would class themselves as committed modellers. The sight of these first test frame images confirm that the project is advancing nicely towards its initial release and it will not be too long now before we can form our modelling attachment with this delightful little aeroplane. 

The new de Havilland Chipmunk T.10 kit is destined to be an incredibly popular addition to the range and we are delighted to be in a position to show Workbench readers this series of images which show the first test frames from the new tooling, yet another blog exclusive for our readers

For an aircraft which possesses such an impressive military pedigree, it is also interesting to note that the Chipmunk has gone on to become one of the most popular aircraft types on the civilian aviation scheme and it is estimated that well over 300 aircraft remain in airworthy condition to this day. Indeed, the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden aerodrome continue to hold their annual celebration of the aircraft with a Chipmunk dedicated fly-in Airshow which attracts many of Europe’s airworthy examples, a must for owners and enthusiasts alike. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the Chipmunk, they will be hoping for a particularly impressive line-up of aircraft, as well as the ability to allow more people onto the airfield to witness the spectacle. 

The Chipmunk is sometimes described as the ‘Poor man’s Spitfire’, a title which may at first appear a little derogatory, but in actual fact is a definite complement. Not everyone has millions of pounds to lavish on the restoration and ongoing operation of Britain’s most famous fighting aeroplane, but if you want a rugged, cost effective aircraft which is fully aerobatic, has fighter-like performance and is both relatively affordable and much more attainable, then look no further than a de Havilland Chipmunk. Even better than that, unlike most Spitfire’s, this aircraft was specifically designed for two! Indeed, the Chipmunk must surely now qualify as a historic aircraft type in its own right and one which continues to underline the effectiveness of its impressive design. As the aircraft served with the RAF, Army Air Corps, Royal Navy and was the mount of several RAF display teams, there is certainly no shortage of attractive schemes available for you to present your Chipmunk in if you are lucky enough to own one, not to mention the fact that the aircraft was also operated by several overseas air forces.

As a training aeroplane, it is obvious that more people would have had personal experiences with the de Havilland Chipmunk as opposed to perhaps the more glamourous aircraft types which are so popular with enthusiasts. Indeed, the greatly increased possibility of actually flying in one of these equally historic aeroplanes has ensured that the Chipmunk is now held in great affection by owners and enthusiasts alike and as we have already seen, is an aircraft type which is not out of the reach of prospective pilot/owners. The aircraft even has royal connections, as both the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles both learned to fly in a Chipmunk. Significantly, the Chipmunk continues to perform the aviation role for which it was originally designed when making its first flight almost 75 years ago, training new pilots and allowing people to experience the thrill of flying for the first time.

Scheduled for a summer release, we look forward to bringing you the next update from this new project, one which is destined to be an incredibly popular addition to our range.

Stunning ‘Super Car’ is an impressive addition to the Quickbuild range

When it comes to the world of motoring, millions of people lavish money, time and attention on their cars, making sure they look as good as they possibly can, whilst at the same time needing them to performing the essential task of getting them and their families to and from their latest appointment, or simply a trip to the shops. If you love cars, there is no doubt that your mind will regularly wander to the subject of hopefully winning the lottery some day and which exotic car you would make your first purchase, even if that expensive beast was actually much less practical than your current ride. At the head of the current list of world ‘Super Cars’ is a machine which is much better described as a ‘Hypercar’, one which is incomparable in the world of motoring and one which only a select few of the world’s most wealthy people could ever hope to own, the stunning Bugatti Chiron.

When describing the Chiron, the use of superlatives comes as standard and as far as ‘Super Cars’ go, this is definitely the most ‘Super’ of them all. Incorporating technologies which have come straight from the world of Formula 1, Bugatti’s latest masterpiece may be the epitome of opulent luxury and manufacturing excellence, but at its heart, it has been produced with one specific thing in mind - speed! This is the fastest car in the world, with its 8 litre, 16 cylinder engine capable for propelling this four wheeled bullet to over 260 mph and with acceleration performance which would put most of the world’s current jet fighters to shame. This is a beast of a car, but with a price tag in the region of 2.5 million pounds for each one, it is unlikely that most of us will ever see one in the metal (or should that be carbon fibre), let alone own one, but that is where we at Airfix come in. The latest new tooling release in our popular Quickbuild range is a model of the Bugatti Chiron and it’s a little cracker.

Our Quickbuild model range has recently welcomed the awesome new Bugatti Chiron kit into the fold and who wouldn’t want a model of the world’s most impressive ‘Hypercar’ in their collection. Time for yet another Quickbuild challenge 

The impressive design brief behind every Quickbuild model tooling is to produce a brick based model which whilst intended as an introduction to modelling for youngsters, can be enjoyed by people of all ages, whether they have previous modelling experience or not. Construction is a simple, push together exercise and does not require the use of either glue of paint, with the finished model being decorated with a selection of high quality self-adhesive stickers, but once finished, there is little or no evidence of the model’s brick based construction. This means that after construction and some serious playing time, the model is accurate and appealing enough to take its place on your shelf as a display model, or taken apart and returned to its box, to be constructed again when the mood takes you.  

In many ways, the design of a Quickbuild kit can be more challenging for our designers than working on a traditional Airfix model kit. The moulds themselves can be extremely complicated and incorporate additional side actions to create the unique parts for a Quickbuild kit – this also which means that tooling costs associated with these models can actually be much higher than with other Airfix kits, just heaping a little more pressure on our designers. This is mainly due to the fact that each Quickbuild kit may require four or five separate moulds when creating the parts, as different coloured selection of brick components will all require separate tooling moulds.

This ever expanding range of Quickbuild kits now has an impressive selection of cars, trucks, aircraft and tanks to tempt us with and we are delighted to confirm that the stunning Bugatti Chiron is the latest addition to the collection. If you want an easy to build, glue and paint free model representation of the world’s fastest car, or if simply biding your time before you can afford to buy the real thing, our new Quickbuild Bugatti Chiron kit is an enjoyable and immersive way in which to spend a little de-stressing time modelling by yourself, or with the family and once constructed, makes for a really appealing display model. Ready for your own Quickbuild road test, our new Bugatti Chiron is available now.

Workbench needs your help

We end this latest edition of our blog by asking for help from our fantastic readership. As illustrated by the lead feature at the beginning of this edition, one of the most popular aspects of Workbench is being able to share build images of the very latest new tooling projects with our readers, something which not only helps to give everyone a clearer indication of exactly what they can expect in a modelling sense, but also alerting everyone to the fact that its release may now not be that far away. Logistically, despite the undoubted appeal and commercial importance of featuring these fully built and finished new models within our blog, it can be a challenge to arrange for these builds to be completed on time and to the required standard, the standards which our readers now expect. Thanks to the prodigious modelling talents of our designer Paramjit Sembhi, we really have been spoilt over the past couple of years, with the fruits of his after work modelling labours delighting all who clap eyes on them, helping to show us what we can attempt to replicate following the release of the kit build in question. Sometimes though, the odd model, or modified kit release, does slip through the built sample net, which is where we are hoping one of our readers may be able to help.

Modellers who have a leaning towards our large 1/24th scale Super Kits may recall that back in 2019, we enhanced our Hawker Typhoon IB ‘Car Door’ kit offering by including an additional scheme option and decal sheet to accompany the four options already included with the kit. This additional offering presented the Typhoon in a truly unique and utterly fascinating scheme, one which represented an RAF Typhoon which had crash landed in enemy territory during an offensive operation and was subsequently repaired by the Luftwaffe and used for evaluation and demonstration purposes.

As the air war over Northern Europe entered 1943, Allied air forces were predominantly on the offensive and as a consequence, a great number of sorties were conducted over enemy territory. At around the same time, the powerful and highly capable Hawker Typhoon was given a new role to perform and was now required to undertake low level ground attack operations, as Allied military planners attempted to severely disrupt enemy infrastructure in advance of the D-Day landings. These missions were incredibly dangerous for the pilots flying them, as everything from small arms fire, to heavy flak would be hurled towards the attacking aircraft and as they were operating at such low altitudes, suffering a hit of any severity would leave them with little chance to react and even fewer options when it came to making it back home. 

On the morning of 24th March 1943, Flight Sergeant William K. Mawson of RAF No. 486 (New Zealand) Squadron embarked on a Rhubarb mission over the Normandy region, when his Typhoon (EJ959) was hit by flak as he crossed the French coast. Managing to safely crash land his aircraft in a field near Fecamp, he immediately set about the task of destroying his aircraft, but was stopped in his tracks by German troops who were quickly on the scene, taking him into captivity and preserving their relatively intact aviation prize. Hawker Typhoon Ia EJ956 would later become the first RAF Typhoon to be operated and evaluated by the Luftwaffe!

Back in 2019, our impressive 1/24th scale Hawker Typhoon IB ‘Car Door’ kit benefited from the addition of an additional decal scheme option, one which featured the first aircraft of its kind to be flown and evaluated by the Luftwaffe

Mawson’s Typhoon was recovered and repaired by 2./Versuchsverband (Luftwaffe trials and research unit) at the unit’s Rechlin test centre, where it was given distinctive new markings and evaluated to discover its strengths and any potential weaknesses. As a type not usually operated by the Luftwaffe, the captured Typhoon was extremely vulnerability to attack by friendly Luftwaffe fighter and flak units and in an attempt to prevent their prized asset from suffering such a fate, the aircraft of 2./ Versuchsverband adopted special high visibility paint schemes. Featuring oversized National insignia and sporting bright yellow undersides and tail, these measures were intended to clearly identify the aircraft as being under new ownership, with locally based flak units being instructed to check closely before firing. 

Hawker Typhoon EJ956 was given the new Luftwaffe coding T9+GK and following the completion of its flight evaluation programme, it was transferred to the care of Theodore Rosarius and his famous enemy aircraft flight, which became unofficially known as ‘Zirkus Rosarius’ or ‘Wanderzirkus Rosarius’. This special test unit not only evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of captured Allied aircraft, but they also toured Luftwaffe fighter stations around Europe, allowing pilots the opportunity to closely inspect their enemy’s latest aircraft and to discuss tactics on how best to defeat them in combat. The airfield touring nature of the unit is clearly reflected in the unofficial title it gained and definitely where the captured Typhoon was concerned, excitement levels prior to its arrival at any airfield would have been high amongst bot pilots and their ground crews.

From details obtained after the war, it seems as if 2./Versuchsverband personnel found operating the Typhoon to be something of a constant headache, with the massive Napier Sabre sleeve valve engine being the major cause of their woes. This hugely powerful unit had a unique starter system, which involved the use of an explosive cartridge to turn the massive engine when starting from cold. The cartridge resembled a giant shotgun shell and would have everyone on the airfield either flinching or diving for cover when it went off. In fact, the engine also had a tendency to catch fire on start-up and during its wartime RAF service, at least 28 Typhoons were known to have been destroyed by fire during start up. Obviously, the German unit now attempting to operate the aircraft would not have supplies of the dedicated starter cartridges the engine needed and would have had to improvise, however, there are stories of frustrated pilots and ground crews trying in vain to start this beast, with dozens of spent cartridges scattered around them and a frustratingly stationary Typhoon propeller!  

The eventual fate of Hawker Typhoon IB EJ956 is the subject of some historical conjecture. Some sources report the aircraft as being written off following a ground loop accident after a forced landing at Meckelfeld on 10th August 1944, whilst others cite it as being destroyed at Meckelfeld on 28th July 1944 and claiming the life of Luftwaffe test pilot Herbert Gold. As this was the first Typhoon to be operated by the Versuchsverband, it seems likely that the latter is most probable, but it is also interesting to note that whilst this unusual unit operated a variety of unfamiliar captured Allied aircraft types, only two Versuchsverband pilots were to lose their lives on operations, which is a real testament to their flying abilities.

As we have yet to feature images of a built example of our 1/24th scale Hawker Typhoon IB in this fascinating Luftwaffe scheme, we are hoping that at least one reader would be good enough to send in a small selection of pictures of their own Typhoon build, which we could include in a forthcoming edition of our blog. We think in this scale, it must look truly magnificent and we really can’t wait to see your builds. Could we please ask if you would be good enough to send your pictures to our usual workbench@airfix.com email address, where we wait with some excitement to see what turns up - your model may just be the one which stars in a forthcoming edition of our blog.

That’s another edition of Workbench done and dusted, and we hope we managed to include at least one feature which was of interest to you. 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.

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The next edition of Workbench is scheduled to be published on Friday 2nd April, when we will have more interesting features from the world of modelling.

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The Airfix Workbench Team