BASIC BUILDS
Airfix Model World encompasses a wide range of skill levels and we do the same here on KeyModelWorld. In this section you will find a growing collection of Basic Builds features from the latest and past issues of the magazine, all fully searchable and covering a wide range of subjects. Each build has been reformatted to suit the site so you can get the most from it.
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.
Bomber Nemesis: Arma Hobby's 1/72 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Arma Hobby's 2018-tooled Hurricanes - in both 'Junior' and 'Expert' editions - are examined in this double build by Jamie Haggo. Discover the differences between these iterations and the superb features apparent in both inside...
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...
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.
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.
DE HAVILLAND'S 'DRACULA'
Dean Large sinks his teeth into the latest tooling from Airfix: a 1/48 scale de Havilland Vampire.
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.
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.
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.
GIANT OF THE SKY
Paul Cawte builds Mark I Models’ 1/720 R33 Airship –a craft that evolved from a weapon of war and marked the golden era of inter-war aviation, when such vessels appeared to be the future for commercial travel.
RETIRED RHINO
Kev Baxter snaps up the latest offering from FineMolds in the form of its outstanding 1/72 F-4EJ Kai Phantom and builds this state-of-the-art release to represent a museum airframe.
CHEERFUL ‘CHIPPIE’
Chris Jones gives Airfix’s brand-new 1/48 de Havilland Chipmunk a thorough examination.
ANYONE FOR COFFEE?
Kev Baxter tackles MikroMir’s 1/72 Canberra T.17 straight from the box and enjoys using AK Interactive’s lacquer-based paints.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Björn Kågner is delighted with the simple construction of Tamiya’s recent 1/35 Valentine infantry tank, finishing the model to represent one of the thousands supplied to the Soviet Union.
THE RAF’S CUTTING EDGE
Bringing supersonic capability to match Soviet MiG-15s, the Canadair Sabre was an important aircraft for the RAF in the early Cold War period. A 1/48 representation is the latest addition to Airfix’s fleet of early jet fighters, built here by Alan Price.
Return of the Fire God
After a wait of almost 38 years, Airfix has released a newly tooled 1/72 Avro Vulcan B.2. Andy Davies takes a close look at what is on offer.
OLIVER'S ARMOUR
Airfix’s return to the large-scale military kit market has been marked by a delightful newly tooled 1/35 Cromwell tank offering, according to Nick Shuttleworth.
TORPEDO TWIN
Airfix takes another dip into the Bristol Aeroplane Company’s history with a newly tooled 1/72 Bristol Beaufort Mk.I, as Stu Fone discovers.
‘FRIGHTNING’ DUO
Mike Grant finds a flash of inspiration building a pair of Platz 1/144 BAC Lightnings.
SUPER-SIZE DRAGONSLAYER
Zoukei-Mura’s large-scale 1/32 Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu is examined in depth by Dean Large.
GHOST PIRATE
Hasegawa’s splendid 1/72 F-4N Phantom II receives VF-84 ‘Jolly Rogers’ colourful markings in this ‘out of the box’ build by Huw Morgan.
CZECH-MATE
Out of the box isn’t Toni Canfora’s normal way of building models, but with Tamiya’s recent 1/35 Panzerkampfwagen 38(t), it meant more time for painting and weathering.
KNIGHT OF THE AUTOBAHN
Nick Shuttleworth replicates a continental load-carrier with Revell’s superb 1/24 Büssing 8000 S13 truck.
BAD TO THE B-ONE!
Academy’s all-new 1/144 B-1B Lancer does not disappoint, as Massimo Santarossa discovers.