Airfix 1/72 BAC TSR.2

AIRFIX 1:72 B.A.C. TSR.2
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: Tony Cook (rec.models.scale)

My first impression of the new TSR-2 in 1/72 from Airfix is that the packaging has improved! The (flimsy) huge box comes shrink-wrapped to stop the box collapsing… The illustration is of XR219 on full afterburner accompanied by the Lightning Chase-plane (serial XM698 on the picture, but this serial actually belongs to a Gnat T1…) But I digress.

The parts come in 90 white plastic parts with the 6 transparencies in another sealed bag, and the TRANSFERS (I refuse to call them decals) are on a large sheet giving 3 serial options - XR219, the only one to fly, plus XP220 and XP221, all of which are in museums in England.

Slightly raised panel lines are found throughout.

The sheet measures 23cm x 10cm, and includes the instrument panels, which will be invisible unless you chose open cockpits. The canopies provided allow for this option. There are masses of stencils, plus the slightly pale, anti-flash roundels and fin stripes as seen on the white-painted V-Bombers. All of the stencil positions are clearly indicated on the colour-scheme (??? It’s white overall…) page. There are 72 individual markings to deal with, of which 4 are roundels, 2 fin stripes, 4 serials, and the rest are stencils! Eye-tests are required before attempting this exercise.

The instructions comprise an A4 10-page offering, of which pages 2 and 3 are the usual (learn-yerself-foreign) variety…

The moulding reminds me of the old traditional Airfix moulds - some thick gates (joining parts to sprue), and plain, slightly (on mine) fuzzy edges to some of the parts.

It is a big aeroplane, and the cockpit comes in 10 parts. The fuselage is split vertically, and wheel-wells are boxed-in, as is the bomb-bay and the intakes too have ducting inside. The jetpipes have blanking-plates for the inner ends, and the afterburners are plain, with no detail at all, which seems odd to me since the insides of the wheel bays are well detailed! After-market parts will soon be available!

The fuselage halves measure about 31cm and are sturdily moulded. The bomb-bay and wheel-wells are moulded together, the intakes and nose-wheel-well are separate and the main undercarriage wells are also separate boxes, with some internal detailing. Lower engine covers are also separate. Airbrakes can be displayed open, and the hydraulic rams are there to operate them.

The all-moving fin and tail-planes ( what do “horizontal stabilizers” mean if not “tail-planes”? Another hobby-horse of mine…) are secured by small collars – do we really want to have movable surfaces? Of course, these can be fixed as required.

Wings comprise 2 large pieces – upper and lower, strangely enough, and moveable surfaces (flaps since the main controls were in the tail) have raised lines – I would have expected a slight recessed line here…)

Canopies are clear, requiring an easy bit of painting around etched-in windows. Good idea, this, as the problems of fitting small transparent bits into opaque plastic bits is a real pain…

The cockpit comprises 10 parts, but the bang-seats may be better replaced with John Adams’s Aeroclub white metal seats. They just don’t look right to me. Nor do the aircrew figures provided…

The complex undercarriage is there, in its substantial glory, and the twin-wheeled bogies will have to be carefully aligned to get all wheels on the deck...

The pale-coloured anti-flash colours of the original roundels and serials look right to me, and the paint scheme, overall matt white, will show the slightest bad joint in your model!

Overall, I think we have the potential for some great models, no doubt the after-market brigade will soon be pushing detailing sets in our direction.

Price in the UK is Ł19:99. I understand stocks and production may be limited. Get one when you see one, or order it on the web – when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Kit courtesy of my own pocket – ouch!!!

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