Dear Gary, your opening comments made me grin like a fox. ''I have control Sir.'' My 1st flight was also in a Chipmunk RAF Manston (Kent) 1979, oh happy times. I bought 2 x chippies, one for OOB the other with Hannants etched metal details for the memory of my maiden flight. Thank you for sharing. Kind Regards Johnny
Same for me. 8th November 1973, Filton, Bristol in Chipmunk WG350. I dug out my cadet log book as I would like to build this kit as a Chippie I flew in. On one of those flights we hung around in flight to the side of the airport to watch a new Concorde depart on it's first flight. I've just realised that's fifty years ago next month, a good reason to finally get around to building this kit
@@garys_stuff I got an Xtradecal set so I could do the high speed silver and dayglo orange scheme that Filton's Air Experience Flight used. With some editing I can do WG350.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has two Chippies for the same reason as the Royal Navy Historic Flight - to train and maintain currency in taildraggers for those lucky B's who get to fly the warbirds. Slightly different colouring and they seem to use International Orange in place of red.
When you zoomed into the leading edge where the gate entered the wing that’s a stall strip so one has to a bit of fiddling to leave that at a sharp point!
I would be interested to see how the Chipmunk turns out.I have duplicate kits I can do to see how I get on but one 172Tiger Moth is enough but I want a go at the 1/48 one over the winter.
So so glad your building this kit, I have a soft spot for trainers. It has a great pedigree & hope Airfix might produce a Scottish aviation Bulldog one day. Great box opening. 👍👏
Thanks man. I would love a SA Bulldog in 1/48th - there's a 1/72 Bulldog kit from KP or someone like that and there's a Swedish scheme in splinter camouflage, looks epic!
When I flew in a Hunter T7, the pilot ran through the ejection seat drills - he said if we needed to get out he would shout "eject, eject, eject!!!" but if I heard the third one I'd be on my own because he'd be gone...
l remember this from when l was a kid, never knew it started life in the late 40s then l wasn't very fond the kit didn't have any guns on it 🤔but now l'm a lot older and wiser and not all aircraft have to have weapons, all over camouflage will very interesting 👍
Seems like a decent enough kit, Gary, but what a wonderful prototype! My local school has a lovely example, haven't flown it yet but sneaked a few mins sitting in the cockpit. Love the intro too, I remember my first time very clearly as well, but the one that really sticks in my mind is my first solo... plus the bucket of freezing water dumped over me afterwards! 😅
I have only been solo in a glider, way back when, but the feeling of freedom was exhilarating. Almost bodged up the landing on my first by leaving the air brakes out for too much of the approach so my arrival over the fence was on the low side of the approved glide path, but I arrived on the strip safely. Less distance for them to recover me, I thought.
Another cracking review video. I flew in a Chipmunk back in the early 1980's when I was with the Northampton air cadets. Looking forward to watching the build video of this one 😀
This is a nice looking kit, according to my research released in 2021 however, those pilots really do look 1970's vintage. I am currently making the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk1and the pilot looks a lot better moulded than those pilots, and this kit was released in 2015, so no excuses really. The instruments do look out of scale, as in my Hurricane, but once in the cockpit they can still be seen as instruments and they look ok to me. Having criticised Airfix we must remember that the kits are half the price of some of the more exotic kits out there.
@@garys_stuff Full of fond memories too! Waddling out with a parachute strapped to your derrière feeling like your were going to a Spitfire or Hurricane ! 😊
@@bugler75 did the erks make you waddle out bent double because they tightened the straps while you were awaiting your turn? They used to at Abingdon until I had the confidence to loosen the shoulder straps when they weren't looking then cinch them up in the cockpit.
Built 2 of these and it largely falls together but there is a problem with the pin and locator holes on the wings with both my kits causing the wing ( cant recall which one lol ) to warp, easily fixed by sanding off the pins and carefully lining up the wings
I remember this on my first one. The designer told me to clamp the wing to something else while it sets - maybe like the work bench, but I'll look at that in dry-fit. Good suggestion though!
Looks like a gteat kit but its not for me simply becaise of scale....with space being what it is i dont build bigger than 1/72....i did build the 1/72 Chipmunk they had out a few years ago....the only negative thing i would say about it (this kit ) is...and its just a small nitpick....with the amount of countries that used the Chipmunk down through the years it would have been nice to see other nations represented on the decal sheet and not just the u.k..
It's smaller than a lot of 1/72 aircraft so don't let that put you off. As for the other schemes, paint is paint and there are plenty of aftermarket generic décals out there, you've got the internet and we've all got an imagination...
As for other schemes, remember Airfix has a habit of doing 2nd and 3rd releases of a kit, wouldn't surprise me to see a box with some others before too long.
@@garys_stuff thats true...just saying it would have been nice to see....for example Ireland didnt retire its last 1 until as late as 1980 and 3 of them have been fully restored to flying condition as part of the Irish historic flight preservation group so hopefull they might do a boxing with that acheme....granted they (airfix) wont do every scheme but Ireland is on your doorstep so airfix dont have to look very far for an alternative nation.
@@jaws666 you re right - I can't speak for Airfix of course, but I think the way forward for them for any release would be the box art scheme, an alternative scheme closely related to it, then a scheme of something completely different. For example, with the first Anson release we had the box scheme of 500 Sqn with the brown and green of the early war, then a training scheme from 31 GRS, RCAF that is much the same but with yellow undersides, then an aircraft from 71 Sqn RAAF in a trial maritime scheme with the Aussie foliage green and dark brown over a largely white aircraft (the scheme I chose to do). They could have kept one of the four Chipmunk schemes back for a second release and done something a bit more, shall we say, international?
@@garys_stuff true....i suppose we can wait and see...speaking of the Anson it too saw service with Ireland so there is another option if they do a reboxing of it....delighted the Army Air Corps option won the poll...thats the 1 i voted for.👍👍
Gary, what is ‘high speed’ silver please? Lovely video as usual and I don’t follow the keenness for the Army Air Core colour scheme!!! Only just picked up it was a De Havilland product…..dooh! On the decals these must be the worst Cartagraph versions I have seen!? Many many registration errors. Good on’yer Gazza…… Bob England PS. When taught to do close presentations, the finger is never to be ‘dabbed’ around the pages, instead use, as you do for the decals, a pointer or a pen. It’s far more elegant and accurate. Just saying mate.
High Speed silver was a paint used by the UK in the late 40s through to the 60s. It's not bare metal, but a paint. If I need to use it I add a bit of white to a standard aluminium, although the Humbrol 11 being a bit less 'shiny' than others is not a bad representation.
My only experience was in a Tigermoth! What a windy experience that was!😊!
Dear Gary, your opening comments made me grin like a fox. ''I have control Sir.'' My 1st flight was also in a Chipmunk RAF Manston (Kent) 1979, oh happy times. I bought 2 x chippies, one for OOB the other with Hannants etched metal details for the memory of my maiden flight. Thank you for sharing. Kind Regards Johnny
Same for me. 8th November 1973, Filton, Bristol in Chipmunk WG350. I dug out my cadet log book as I would like to build this kit as a Chippie I flew in. On one of those flights we hung around in flight to the side of the airport to watch a new Concorde depart on it's first flight. I've just realised that's fifty years ago next month, a good reason to finally get around to building this kit
You can get decals for pretty much every AEF and UAS that operated the Chipmunk...
@@garys_stuff I got an Xtradecal set so I could do the high speed silver and dayglo orange scheme that Filton's Air Experience Flight used. With some editing I can do WG350.
My first air experience flight was in a Chipmunk at RAF Valley. I really fancy getting this kit.
My first air experience flight was at RAF Leuchars. CCF summer camp in 1970. I seem to remember the Chippy was in the old scheme
It's really nice looking . The molding is really good 👍.
Looking forward to the build Gary , cheers marra . Regards Gav.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has two Chippies for the same reason as the Royal Navy Historic Flight - to train and maintain currency in taildraggers for those lucky B's who get to fly the warbirds. Slightly different colouring and they seem to use International Orange in place of red.
I think that's the 50s high-speed (!) silver and dayglo combo, like the one Airfix did a Jet Provost T.3 in, maybe also one of the Gnat releases too?
This is a video for me,as i have this one in my stash.
When you zoomed into the leading edge where the gate entered the wing that’s a stall strip so one has to a bit of fiddling to leave that at a sharp point!
I know, it's like they wanted to find the most inconvenient place possible!!
I would be interested to see how the Chipmunk turns out.I have duplicate kits I can do to see how I get on but one 172Tiger Moth is enough but I want a go at the 1/48 one over the winter.
So so glad your building this kit, I have a soft spot for trainers. It has a great pedigree & hope Airfix might produce a Scottish aviation Bulldog one day. Great box opening. 👍👏
Thanks man. I would love a SA Bulldog in 1/48th - there's a 1/72 Bulldog kit from KP or someone like that and there's a Swedish scheme in splinter camouflage, looks epic!
Ah Abingdon airfield been going there since the 70s still going there now nice model the chipmunk
Jump Jump John. Jump Jump Sir ! - Happy days with 5 AEF in Cambridge as a cadet.
When I flew in a Hunter T7, the pilot ran through the ejection seat drills - he said if we needed to get out he would shout "eject, eject, eject!!!" but if I heard the third one I'd be on my own because he'd be gone...
l remember this from when l was a kid, never knew it started life in the late 40s then l wasn't very fond the kit didn't have any guns on it 🤔but now l'm a lot older and wiser and not all aircraft have to have weapons, all over camouflage will very interesting 👍
Once at Abingdon I saw one of the crew had drawn a “Jet Chipmunk” that was armed as well!!!
Seems like a decent enough kit, Gary, but what a wonderful prototype! My local school has a lovely example, haven't flown it yet but sneaked a few mins sitting in the cockpit. Love the intro too, I remember my first time very clearly as well, but the one that really sticks in my mind is my first solo... plus the bucket of freezing water dumped over me afterwards! 😅
I have only been solo in a glider, way back when, but the feeling of freedom was exhilarating. Almost bodged up the landing on my first by leaving the air brakes out for too much of the approach so my arrival over the fence was on the low side of the approved glide path, but I arrived on the strip safely. Less distance for them to recover me, I thought.
Another cracking review video. I flew in a Chipmunk back in the early 1980's when I was with the Northampton air cadets.
Looking forward to watching the build video of this one 😀
Cheers Joe!
Really want to get this kit now, cheers for the review mate!
I really wish they would do more with their figures than the same old same old….!
This is a nice looking kit, according to my research released in 2021 however, those pilots really do look 1970's vintage. I am currently making the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk1and the pilot looks a lot better moulded than those pilots, and this kit was released in 2015, so no excuses really. The instruments do look out of scale, as in my Hurricane, but once in the cockpit they can still be seen as instruments and they look ok to me. Having criticised Airfix we must remember that the kits are half the price of some of the more exotic kits out there.
I swore I wouldn’t buy any more aircraft until I’d completed some of my many ongoing projects but I may make an exception !
It is an irresistible little thing, eh? Full of charm.
@@garys_stuff Full of fond memories too!
Waddling out with a parachute strapped to your derrière feeling like your were going to a Spitfire or Hurricane !
😊
@@bugler75 did the erks make you waddle out bent double because they tightened the straps while you were awaiting your turn? They used to at Abingdon until I had the confidence to loosen the shoulder straps when they weren't looking then cinch them up in the cockpit.
@@garys_stuff Yup! And they were tight! I could sing like Michael Jackson 😁
Built 2 of these and it largely falls together but there is a problem with the pin and locator holes on the wings with both my kits causing the wing ( cant recall which one lol ) to warp, easily fixed by sanding off the pins and carefully lining up the wings
I remember this on my first one. The designer told me to clamp the wing to something else while it sets - maybe like the work bench, but I'll look at that in dry-fit. Good suggestion though!
Yes 100% get rid of those locating pins and the wing will be straight and true.
Looks like a gteat kit but its not for me simply becaise of scale....with space being what it is i dont build bigger than 1/72....i did build the 1/72 Chipmunk they had out a few years ago....the only negative thing i would say about it (this kit ) is...and its just a small nitpick....with the amount of countries that used the Chipmunk down through the years it would have been nice to see other nations represented on the decal sheet and not just the u.k..
It's smaller than a lot of 1/72 aircraft so don't let that put you off. As for the other schemes, paint is paint and there are plenty of aftermarket generic décals out there, you've got the internet and we've all got an imagination...
As for other schemes, remember Airfix has a habit of doing 2nd and 3rd releases of a kit, wouldn't surprise me to see a box with some others before too long.
@@garys_stuff thats true...just saying it would have been nice to see....for example Ireland didnt retire its last 1 until as late as 1980 and 3 of them have been fully restored to flying condition as part of the Irish historic flight preservation group so hopefull they might do a boxing with that acheme....granted they (airfix) wont do every scheme but Ireland is on your doorstep so airfix dont have to look very far for an alternative nation.
@@jaws666 you re right - I can't speak for Airfix of course, but I think the way forward for them for any release would be the box art scheme, an alternative scheme closely related to it, then a scheme of something completely different. For example, with the first Anson release we had the box scheme of 500 Sqn with the brown and green of the early war, then a training scheme from 31 GRS, RCAF that is much the same but with yellow undersides, then an aircraft from 71 Sqn RAAF in a trial maritime scheme with the Aussie foliage green and dark brown over a largely white aircraft (the scheme I chose to do). They could have kept one of the four Chipmunk schemes back for a second release and done something a bit more, shall we say, international?
@@garys_stuff true....i suppose we can wait and see...speaking of the Anson it too saw service with Ireland so there is another option if they do a reboxing of it....delighted the Army Air Corps option won the poll...thats the 1 i voted for.👍👍
Well I was thinking of buying one until that unboxing. It is not as good as I was expecting from Airfix maybe that was a bad example
Gary, what is ‘high speed’ silver please? Lovely video as usual and I don’t follow the keenness for the Army Air Core colour scheme!!! Only just picked up it was a De Havilland product…..dooh! On the decals these must be the worst Cartagraph versions I have seen!? Many many registration errors.
Good on’yer Gazza……
Bob
England
PS. When taught to do close presentations, the finger is never to be ‘dabbed’ around the pages, instead use, as you do for the decals, a pointer or a pen. It’s far more elegant and accurate. Just saying mate.
High Speed silver was a paint used by the UK in the late 40s through to the 60s. It's not bare metal, but a paint. If I need to use it I add a bit of white to a standard aluminium, although the Humbrol 11 being a bit less 'shiny' than others is not a bad representation.
@@garys_stuff thanks Gary