Airfix

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’re expecting several new Vintage Classics kit releases to arrive in our warehouse, as we move towards welcoming the final kits from the current range as we head towards the back end of the year. This seemed like the ideal opportunity of us to offer a little Workbench update support in this latest edition. Announced as a heritage addition to the Airfix range back in 2018, the enthusiast support for the Vintage Classics range has been nothing short of incredible, and whilst these kits may not always share the tooling finesse of a modern design project, they do possess modelling heritage and hobby nostalgia by the absolute bucket-load. The kit we’ve selected for review this time around is a classic release which first appeared in an Airfix range back in 1970, an impressive new kit to match the exciting new international jet collaboration which was in its trials stage at that time, the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar. Back then, the kit was marketed as the BAC Jaguar, but represented the pinnacle of model kit design and manufacture at that time, as we’re sure many a Workbench reader will attest to. We will be featuring the Jaguar in this latest nostalgia fuelled update, but have already scheduled the Puma HC.1, British Army 4 ton truck and Lockheed Hudson for future inclusion, by which time, we hope to have a full suite of built model images available for our blog update use. So, it’s one of the best loved Airfix kits of one of the best loved RAF aircraft of the Cold War era for your delectation in this latest edition of Workbench and a case of collaboration áeronautique avec nos amis d’outre-Manche.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. After last weekend’s bumper Battle of Britain 85th Anniversary edition and Hawker Hurricane linked feature in Airfix Aerodrome, we’re taking things just a little bit easier this week for a number of reasons, mainly scheduling and holiday related. That being said, there is no let-up with regard to Workbench exclusives, as we have an appealing new selection of built model images to bring you this time around. As we continue to retain a subject link with the Battle of Britain, or at least with one of the aircraft types which contested this aerial dual, we will be revisiting a subject covered just a few weeks ago, not just because we now have built model images which weren’t available at the time of previously posting, but because the kit is now in stock and available, and is in our opinion, unquestionably one of the most appealing kit releases of the year. Our latest Heinkel He-III kit release presents this famous bomber in H-6 torpedo carrying variant configuration, however, modellers looking to produce a scale tribute to the Luftwaffe’s most famous bomber currently have TWO individual kit options available on the Airfix website. We will be including details of both kits and their featured scheme detail options in this latest update. We have double Heinkel He III kit release updates for you in this latest aviation ‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’ edition of Workbench.

In a year which has already seen the world commemorating and celebrating several significant WWII anniversaries, this year’s Battle of Britain Day commemorations will be marking 85 years since the pilots of Fighter Command repelled the incessant Luftwaffe attacks against British targets, including day and night attacks against London.With Britain standing alone, and Europe firmly under the heel of the Wehrmacht, the summer of 1940 would see a nation preparing to face an onslaught the like of which had never been seen, a fight for its very survival, along with that of the free world at that time. With the English Channel acting as a natural barrier to invasion, German military planners knew they would have to rule the skies over Britain, if a risky amphibious assault against the country had any hope of success, but with the Luftwaffe sweeping all before it during the early months of the war, and with overwhelming odds in their favour, surely such a victory was only a matter of time.On this side of the Channel, Britain prepared to defend everything they held dear, and whilst the Battle of Britain is often championed as the ‘Few’ facing the many, what the Luftwaffe and German forces were up against was an entire nation, a Britain steadfast in its resolve, and ready for the challenge ahead.In this latest edition of Workbench, through the medium of scale modelling, we will be attempting to highlight how the Battle of Britain was much more than just Spitfires against Messerschmitts, and how this aerial struggle proved to be pivotal in the wider context of the Second World War, with many different facets making significant contributions.It's Battle of Britain anniversary weekend in this latest edition of Workbench.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. We have something very different to the norm in this latest edition of Workbench, as we will be featuring no fewer than THREE impending model kit release additions to the current range this time around, with this trio of models all linked by both scale and subject matter. In fact, each of the models featured will be of great interest to those readers with a passion for creating engaging diorama scenes, particularly those with a leaning towards British Army operations during the post war/Cold War era. With their rugged, go-anywhere, no-nonsense reputation, several variant incarnations of the classic Land Rover design have seen extensive British Military service over the years, with many thousands of these fantastic vehicles going on to wear the military colours of Britain’s armed forces. In addition to featuring our scale tributes to this magnificent series of support vehicles, our third subject is a lightweight, modern field gun system which was designed to provide British forces with a highly mobile field artillery piece, one which was effective enough to bring down meaningful suppressing fire against enemy positions quickly, but also to be light enough to be transported either by helicopter, or towed by 1 tonne Land Rover vehicles. We’re all on rapid deployment duties with the scale modelling version of the British Army, in this latest edition of your weekly Workbench blog.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.We’re excited to be back in the fascinating territory of new kit additions to the current Airfix range in this latest edition of Workbench, or to be precise, the actual design of them, as we bring you details of a project which is literally ‘Out of this World!’ In this latest designer interview edition, we will be featuring the new SLS Artemis kit in 1/144th scale, our latest space exploration related kit addition to the range, and our scale tribute to NASA’s current high-tech Space Launch System.When you need a designer of some industry standing to cope with demanding situations such as these, we’re lucky to have just the man for the job, and you’ll be pleased to hear that Workbench regular Paramjit Sembhi will be in our hotseat again this time around, as we review what must have been quite the significant design challenge for him. Just as was the case with Ethan Barker over the previous two weeks and the Westland Wessex being his first helicopter design project, so SLS Artemis was Paramjit’s first foray into the world of spacecraft kit design, and that being the case, we had plenty of poignant questions lined up to ask him. As you would expect, we also requested a selection of supporting imagery to illustrate some of the points covered, and Paramjit didn’t let us down – we’re all in for a real design treat.We continue exploring the latest kit additions to the current Airfix range, as we go interstellar in this latest edition of Workbench.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. Following on from our Designer Interview edition, which was posted last weekend, we once again return to the subject of new 2025 tooling additions to the Airfix range in this latest edition of Workbench, and the hugely impressive Westland Wessex in 1/72nd scale. Having been allowed a fascinating insight into the design world of talented Product Designer Ethan Barker in our previous edition, we return to the subject of his latest impending new project addition to the Airfix kit range in this follow on feature, as we move from his computer screen to the wider modelling world and modeller workstations everywhere. This latest update will see us taking a more detailed look at the work done in support of his design efforts, as we feature box artwork, scheme details and include images of built models finished using the final test frames from this impressive new tooling.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.We’re delighted to be in a position to confirm that for the next two editions of Workbench, the focus of our attentions will to be exclusively related to one of the headline new tooling announcements made to the current 2025 range, as we take this opportunity to introduce you to our new Westland Wessex kit in 1/72nd scale. In this first blog, we will be spending some time with the talented product designer who brought us this fabulous kit, and as this was his first helicopter design project, you can be sure we have much to ask him.Not only will we be bringing you details of how the design phase of the new Wessex kit was successfully negotiated, but we will also be sharing an impressive selection of exclusive CAD screenshots with you, as we guide you through some of the design nuances of this impressive helicopter addition to the Airfix range.It’s time for lift off with our fortnight of impending Westland Wessex kit new model tooling introductions.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.In this edition of Workbench, we will be looking at our latest scale model kit tribute to an aircraft which has to be considered one of the most notorious of the entire Second World War, one which became synonymous with the destructive intentions of the all-conquering Luftwaffe, the Heinkel He-III bomber. Unquestionably one of the most distinctive aircraft of WWII, the Heinkel He-III was one of several inter-war aviation projects which started development as a fast, modern civilian transport aircraft, only to later reveal its true intentions as a strike bomber. Produced in large quantities, wherever the Luftwaffe were operating, so you would expect to see the sky full of Heinkels.As we prepare to welcome the H-6 torpedo attack variant of this aircraft to the current Airfix range, we will be spending this edition looking at how this famous aircraft was able to adapt to take on a great many operational roles, and become the Luftwaffe’s main attack bomber for the duration of the Second World War.In other news, can you believe that this summer marks the 10th Anniversary of our Workbench blog? That being the case, and with this clearly being an opportunity to celebrate, we will be announcing our ‘Workbench Aluminium Anniversary Competition’ shortly, with an impressive Airfix prize haul awaiting our lucky winner, something no self-respecting Workbench reader will want to miss.We had hoped to launch our competition this week, however, the technology gods have not been on our side, so it’s going to be something to look out for in next week’s edition, so this is just our way of putting everyone under starter’s orders.On to matters pressing, and we have a classic WWII Luftwaffe kit addition to the 2025 range firmly in our sights in this latest edition of your weekly Workbench blog.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. We have something very different as our subject matter up for review this time around, as we prepare to welcome the first of three appealing High Speed Craft additions to our Vintage Classics range in 1/72nd scale. Some of the most impressive kits to have ever taken their place within various Airfix ranges, and models which make highlight additions to any collection of built kits, the first anticipated arrival of the three is the RAF Rescue Launch, a series of high speed vessels which plied their trade in the English Channel, North Sea and whilst stationed on overseas deployments. Real speedsters of the seas, these vessels were not only dedicated to the rescue of downed airmen forced to ditch or bail out at sea, but could also be required to support wider Royal Naval operations on occasion, bringing their great speed and impressive firepower to bear in either a defensive, or offensive capacity. A fascinating subject which has resulted in the creation of this truly classic Airfix kit, we will see how these ‘Spitfires of the Sea’ possessed more than just a passing connection to Britain’s aviation industry, along with how the use of the RAF roundel was more than just for decorative purposes. With an impressive selection of built model images to illustrate this latest feature, and two appealing scheme options for us all to discover, please join us as we step aboard some of the most impressive boats to have ever launched from a UK boat house in this latest edition of Workbench.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. As the Airfix team return from our attendance at the Royal International Air Tattoo, and four long and intense days of working and talking all things modelling and aeroplanes, we wanted to take this Workbench opportunity to make those who couldn’t make this year’s show aware of our exclusive show announcement, and a further unexpected kit addition to the 2025 range. If you’re attending the world’s greatest military Airshow and intend to unveil a new kit at such a prestigious event, you’d better make sure it’s a BIG one, and in this regard, we pulled out all the stops. When it comes to aircraft types which can claim to have earned the status of aviation icon, nothing comes close to rivalling the reputation of the Supermarine Spitfire, so if you need a new kit announcement which possesses real hobby gravitas, look no further than the Spitfire in our largest 1/24th scale, a Super Kit in every sense. A project which has seen us collaborating with some influential partners, this latest large scale kit announcement is so much more than just a re-issue of an existing kit, it’s one which boasts some unique and appealing additions, but one which also attempts to draw attention to an unusual and very human story from the final year of the war in Europe.

One of the main offensive assets the Allied air forces could call upon during the Second World War was the availability of large numbers of capable four engined heavy bombers. Both Britain and America introduced aircraft capable of carrying the fight to enemy occupied Europe, with the Luftwaffe’s inability to match them thought by many to be one of the most significant factors in them ultimately losing the war. Both Britain and America could call upon the destructive services of three different four engined heavy bombers during WWII, with the Avro Lancaster joining the Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax in Bomber Command service, pounding countless German targets by night.The Americans also had three such aircraft, the impressive late war Boeing B-29 Superfortress joining the B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator which were already in service, although as far as many people are concerned, this particular story started and ended with the Flying Fortress. For whatever the reason maybe, the B-17 seemed to capture the imagination of the world, and as such, is often regarded by many as the most famous and most important four engined heavy bomber of the war, even though the B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers and was arguably the better aircraft.As we welcome what is just the second release from our new 1/72nd scale Consolidated B-24 Liberator tooling to the 2025 range, this latest update will help us attempt to redress this historic imbalance by discovering why the B-24 was much more than just an aircraft which served as a support act for the Flying Fortress throughout the USAAF daylight bombing campaign against Germany in WWII, and is deserving of much greater recognition than it usually receives. A true WWII aviation heavyweight is under the Airfix modelling spotlight in this latest edition of Workbench.

As the Airfix team are engaged in making final preparations for our attendance at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo, our latest Workbench update features our latest scale tribute to an aircraft which has to be described as one of the most significant of the post war era, the current RAF incarnation of which is scheduled to be thrilling the crowds at Fairford in just a few days’ time, the mighty Boeing Chinook. This twin rotor behemoth is a heavy lift helicopter phenomenon, an aircraft whose everyday routine taskings are anything but routine, and a helicopter the world has come to rely on over the past 63 years or so.As the second release from our newly tooled Boeing Chinook HC 1 kit is just about to arrive in our warehouse, and is surely destined to prove as popular as the inaugural release, we’re devoting this edition to the wonderful world of the Wokka, looking at why both the aviation world and modelling/enthusiast communities just can’t get enough of this magnificent and historic aircraft. In addition to taking a little historic overview of the Chinook’s service life with the Royal Air force, we will be looking in a little more detail at the two scheme options which are included with this second release, with the added benefit of having eye’s on a selection of built model images, featuring kits finished in both of those scheme options.

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.With so many new model release additions joining the Airfix range at this present moment, it didn’t take us long to decide that it was time to unleash the latest double blog weekend on our loyal Workbench audience, as we try to keep pace with all the new model arrivals. The subject of this latest kit update is the return of our 1/48th scale Folland Gnat, particularly as it’s returning with the two scheme options with which this delightful model made its range debut back in 2014. A famous British jet trainer from the 1960s and 70s, the Gnat continues to attract new modelling admirers to this day, by virtue of its diminutive size and stunning good looks. How two fully equipped RAF airmen managed to squeeze themselves inside the cockpit of a Gnat, is another story altogether.With this beautiful little model already in our warehouse and available, we will be marking its re-introduction by looking at the history of this jet which not only trained hundreds of pilots, but also became one of the most famous in post war history, as the mount of the celebrated Red Arrows. We will also take a closer look at the two scheme options which feature with this kit, and by showcasing a selection of built model images finished in both, attempt to help readers decide which of the two gets their vote, in advance of this kit taking up residency on their own workstations.We have a true British aviation ‘Pocket Rocket’ for your consideration in this second blog release of the weekend.

In this latest edition of our Workbench blog, we will be attempting to chart the early development of military aviation through the medium of impending new model kit releases to the current Airfix range, as we have a trio of Great War related releases scheduled for imminent arrival. All three aircraft were introduced over a 30 month period from the period just prior to the outbreak of war, with each one highlighting the increasing influence of aviation on military thinking and ultimately, how the aeroplane transformed from an aerial observation platform, to a deadly dominator of the skies.

As we welcome this new Ferret kit to the current Airfix range, we will be taking this update opportunity to look a little more closely at the wider Ferret story, to showcase a beautiful selection of built model images, and to include details behind the three scheme options which are included with this highly anticipated second release.With two different variants, and six scheme options now available across two kit releases, we can now genuinely boast a ‘business’ of Ferrets hiding somewhere within the 2025 Airfix kit range, just waiting to be discovered and given new homes.

Our new Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9 kit has unquestionably been at the top of the new tooling pre-ordering charts since it was announced early this year, and along with the new SEPECAT Jaguar, have shown themselves to be the two new models we know people are most desperate to get their hands on. For this reason, we know that news of its release will come as a welcome development, and we hope this full project overview will serve as a fitting introduction for this highly anticipated new kit.

Welcome to the very first episode of our brand-new podcast! To kick things off, we’re diving into the golden age of aviation with the iconic Boeing 314 “Clipper.” A symbol of luxury and long-haul travel in the late 1930s and ’40s, this majestic flying boat offered passengers an experience more like a cruise than a flight—complete with dining rooms, sleeping bunks, and plush lounges. Operated by Pan Am and later BOAC, the Clipper flew across oceans in style, defining the glamour of early air travel. And now, thanks to Airfix’s Vintage Classics range, you can recreate this aviation marvel in model form. It’s a fitting subject for episode one—celebrating the elegance, ambition, and craftsmanship of a bygone era.