Airfix Model World | The builds
The Need... For Speed! Revell's Top Gun: Maverick F/A-18E Super Hornet
Chris Jones brings the silver screen to quarter scale with Maverick’s Super Hornet from the hotly anticipated 'Top Gun' sequel, via Revell’s 1/48 kit. Relive the high-octane movie with this fast-paced build feature!
Bat out of Hell: new-tool 1/48 Messerschmitt Me 163 from GasPatch Models
Jay Blakemore discovers that building GasPatch Model’s new quarter-scale Komet is far from being rocket science... Discover the kit's contents and construction of this striking late-war interceptor in this full build feature.
On the Wrong Track: RyeField Model's 1/35 Sherman Vc Firefly
Huw Morgan goes off the rails to give RyeField Model’s 1/35 Sherman Firefly a decidedly different setting... a custom diorama base featuring a length of same-scale railway track. Discover how these elements were constructed in this full-build feature.
Aussie Cent: 1/56 scale Centurion Mk.5/1 tank by Rubicon Models
Huw Morgan builds a Vietnam-era Centurion tank in a different scale – 1/56, usually favoured by figure painters - courtesy of Rubicon Models’ kit. Discover why this wargamer-aimed offering could be your next military build project here...
Seaborne Striker from Airfix: 1/72 Sea Harrier FRS.1 in Falklands livery
Airfix’s 1/72 Sea Harrier FRS.1 makes a return for the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. Editor Stu Fone adds a few spares and tweaks to recreate a veteran airframe from the 1982 undeclared war.
Hobby 2000's Maritime Mauler: 1/72 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VIc
Chris Jones builds Hobby 2000's re-boxing of the Hasegawa-tooled 1/72 Beaufighter Mk.VIc, (almost) out of the box - employing just the kit styrene and familiar painting techniques to produce a convincing finish.
Mercurial Messerschmitt
Border Model has managed to unite the aircraft and military genres by releasing a 1/35 Messerschmitt Bf 109... the first in this scale and ideal for dioramas with vehicles and figures.
CLOSE-SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Jen Wright demonstrates simple building tips and upgrades on Revell's re-boxing of the 1/72 Academy OV-10A Bronco.
STORM FORCE
Dean Large completes Revell's re-boxing of the 1/32 Special Hobby Hawker Tempest Mk.V, incorporating a wealth of aftermarket detail in the process.
EXCLUSIVE BUILD: Airfix's all-new 1/72 Hawker Tempest
Garry Tobiss has fun with this test-shot build of Airfix's new-tool 1/72 Hawker Tempest Mk.V. As you'll see, it's a wallet-friendly kit with excellent engineering - ideal for novices and more experienced modellers alike.
FLYING ARCHER
Czech manufacturer Sword appears to have shed its limited-run status with the 1/48 Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario.
SUPERLATIVE MGB
Aoshima's 1/24 MGB is a crisply moulded product. Here, though, its stance is improved and it receives a superb metallic paint job, courtesy of Dr James Whalen.
SWEDISH GHOST
Niklas Knutzén adds aftermarket improvements to Hasegawa's re-released 1/72 SAAB J 35F Draken.
BASKET-WEAVE BOMBER
We offer an early look at Airfix's third 1/72 Vickers Wellington release, which features the Merlin-powered Mk.II variant built by Huw Morgan.
CYLON NEMESIS
Moebius Models has produced a 1/32 replica of Battlestar Galactica’s Raptor, which Steve Budd garnished with Greenstrawberry’s FruitPACK.
PUŁAWSKI’S FIGHTER
It’s a build of discovery for Dean Large as he encounters an unusual subject in IBG’s large-scale PZL P.11c.
THE MIGHTY MO
Well covered in the larger scales, Academy’s 1/700 World War Two-period USS Missouri is explored by Andy Davies.
NEITHER DEAD NOR ALIVE
Following its 1/16 Night King, ICM has released another figure seemingly inspired by the Game of Thrones series: one of the reanimated minions from the frozen land beyond The Wall. Johan Augustsson introduces painting theories on this creepy fellow, a 1/16 Wight.
CLOWNING AROUND
Jen Wright takes a break from reality with a couple of cartoon-style fighter builds from Great Wall Hobby.
WEATHERED WORKHORSE
Joe Turner turns MiniArt’s 1/35 US Bulldozer into a weathered machine, and places the model in a period scene.
OLD 'CAT, NEW TRICKS
Despite a challenging construction process, Mike Williams completes Italeri's re-issue of AMT's old 1/48 F7F Tigercat and adds a convincing weathered finish...peeled paint and all!
HOW DO THEY GET IN ?
Sometimes a project can snowball if just a simple question is raised during construction – for Editor Stu Fone and Airfix’s re-issued 1/72 Beaufighter TF.X, it was wondering how the crew entered the aircraft.
HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP
Kinetic's 1/48 Harrier has been reformated to portray the RAF's GR.1/GR.3 airframes. The moved prompted Jay Blakemore to jump for joy and produce a wonderful build.
CIRCLES IN THE SKY
Andy Davies has fun building and modifying an oddity from the golden age of aviation in the form of the 1/72 AviS Lee-Richards Annular wing No.3.
DESERT HAULER
Jay Blakemore settles in for the long haul when he takes on Thunder Model’s highly detailed 1/35 Scammell Pioneer SV/2S recovery tractor.
NIGHT RAIDER
David Holmes builds Airfix’s newly tooled 1/72 Mosquito B.XVI out of the box to represent an aircraft from RAF Bomber Command’s Light Night Strike Force.
SUPERCAR, SUPER KIT!
Usually more at home building flying machines, Alan Price tackles Tamiya’s 1/24 McLaren Senna hypercar – whose wings are meant to keep it firmly on the ground!
MINIATURE MESSERSCHMITT MASTERPIECE
What can a newly tooled depiction of a classic and popular aircraft type bring to a market full of competitors’ takes on the subject? Mike Williams finds out with Special Hobby’s brand-new 1/72 Bf 109E-4.
ON THE CASE
Airfix has re-boxed Thunder Models’ 1/35 US Military Tractor, and Steve Budd makes the Case for this diminutive model.