Airfix Vulcan 1/72 Scale (New 2021 Tooling) Model Kit Unboxing Review with hi-res sprue pictures

Unboxing and kit review of Airfix's newly tooled Avro Vulcan B.2 V-Force Bomber model in 1/72 scale. Product Ref A12011.
This is Airfix's big release, and big in many ways. Firstly this model has been very highly anticipated, and definitely made waves when Airfix announced they were going to be releasing a completely brand new tooled 1/72 scale Vulcan Bomber.
I personally didn't think it is something Airfix would do as they already produced a 1/72 Vulcan. This was a very old kit with raised panel lines, inaccuracies and lacking in detail - however it sold, so why would Airfix do another?!
Fortunately they have, and the amount of interest (and pre-sales) shows that this probably was the correct decision to make. In fact the pre-sales were so popular that they had to be sent out in batches over the best part of a week. I also heard that the first shipment Airfix received wasn't even enough to fulfil the pre-orders.
Coming on to the model itself - and again it can be described as "big".
The box is large, heavy, and well packed - this is a box filled with plastic sprues - not fresh air. And it's nice to see that the sprues are in individual bags. This means that if anything does come off in transit it will be kept with the sprue it came from.
Airfix have also designed the sprures with the build process in mind, so that each sprue relates to the various sub-assembles and stages of the build. This means that you should only need to have one or two sprues on your workbench at a time. And as some of the sprues are huge that will definitely make life easier for those that don't have a dedicated workbench.
The plastic is the standard plastic used by Airfix. It feels softer than that of the likes of Revell and Tamiya, though it still holds details crisply.
The first sprues are the upper and lower delta wing shapes, and they really give an idea of the size of the completed model. Even in 1/72 scale this Vulcan is going to dominate a display.
It is on the wings that we see why Airfix needed to release a newly tooled Vulcan, and that is panel lines. Whereas the old kit had raised panel lines (which the serious modeller needed to sand down and painstakingly rescribe), these are recessed. This means that once painted the modeller can apply a panel line wash and within minutes the details will "pop" out to the viewer, making for a visually interesting model.
The panel lines to seem a little large though - and I do wonder if Airfix have done that deliberately to ensure they stand out? Comparing the panel line detail to that of another 1/72 Airfix kit they do appear larger and deeper. However, I'm sure this will be welcome to ensure modellers don't just end up with a large plastic triangle, especially if they paint their Vulcan in the anti-flash white option.
Some detail doesn't look so fine and crisp (such as the landing gear), but others do (such as hydraulic lines). This is no doubt because the prototype is lacking in detail. Remember this is large cumbersome bomber designed 70 years ago - and the landing gear doesn't have the engineering a modern jet would have.
Internal cockpit detail is good, but not great, but the windows are so small I doubt much of it will be visible on the completed model (the clear part has been cast very well - but most of that will be painted. I assume that Airfix have provided enough detail to keep the average modeller happy in the build process - though some modellers may want to add a little detail but it's likely that this will need to be photographed as it won't be seen once finished!
Airfix have also taken care to assist the builder by moulding on engine numbers on the internal sides of various engine parts and coverings. This parts all look similar but will have slightly different curves and tapers. Therefore the modeller can remove the parts of the sprue, and still ensure they will go together correctly without keeping track of part number.
The are two build options (but the space for a "missing" sprue implies that Airfix may re-issue this kit with a third option in the future), with either the camouflaged upperside (armed with the Blue Steel nuclear device), or in anti-flash white (with a payload of 1000lb bombs). Decals are very nicely printed, and I have found the decals in Airfix's recent releases are superior to other manufacturers.
With an RRP around £60 it is quite an investment. It will be a long build, and create a dominating model on completion. Unlike it's predecessor the modeller shouldn't kit to spend money on aftermarket parts, or face the laborious task of resribing and the general fit issues that hindered the old kit. Therefore it represents good value.
I plan to build this kit soon and will be filming my progress (or livestreaming it) so please Subscribe. As with my builds, once complete I'll do a final review to discuss the build process - though I am not expecting an major fit issues.
For more see www.robsmodels...

[@CubejamF1]

Looks fantastic!

[@RobsModels]

Looking forward to getting "back to the bench" and building some models again soon

[@CubejamF1]

@@RobsModels really look forward to this one. It's such an icon. A plane even I would do!

[@bengriffin4883]

dose it not come with the glue and paints

[@RobsModels]

No, you need to purchase those separately. (There was a version of the Vulcan that did include glue and paint - but the kit was terrible so best avoided!)