Reviewer: Geoff Coughlin
Our thanks to Airfix for supplying the review sample www.airfix.com
Initial assessment
This is certainly a striking package, both in look and weight! Airfix’s new packaging is substantial and the box is packed. I really like that box art and Airfix clearly understand the sales advantages to be had with kits packaged well. A brace of Buccs in Gulf War I racing to toss their LGBs into a laser designated target… Wow, the pulse is up already!
You get six grey sprues, with a clear sprue packaged separately; 114 parts all told.
Accuracy plus…
This isn’t a completely new tool, there are mainly raised panel lines, but there are some new parts to update the kit and provide several options, not least that you can make a decent representation of all three variants of the HS Buccaneer. Accuracy looks pretty good overall. New Buccs in any scale are going to attract great interest and this one will be no exception. Some aspects of this kit are a real treat… the jet exhaust cans for example – simply stunning in terms of thinness? Superb! The slipper tanks for the wings are neat and look pretty accurate in the unassembled state. It’s a shame that there isn’t an option to open the big air brakes at the back. They are in separate halves but are clearly designed to be fitted closed, lacking any internal detail. Well, there’s a challenge for you? Moving on the gear bays are also a bit sparse on detail, although the general shape is ok, so again, it could be out with your mini spares box for detailing – the choice is yours.
Perhaps another slight disappointment is the absence of a wing-fold option? But, again, it’s not beyond an intermediate level modeller to have a go here, and it may be that if you can locate an Airwaves resin aftermarket set this would help. Speaking of which there are many sets of aftermarket items that will help you greatly detail this kit – check out Hannants website at: www.hannants.co.uk for what’s currently available, plus your usual supplier of course. The undercarriage could certainly do with some hub detail.
Into the cockpit now and decals are supplied for the main instrument panels and side consoles. This is very reasonable in 1:72 scale and will look fine on your completed model. There’s clearly more scope for you to add any more detail that you want to the ‘office’ the Buccaneer has a very cluttered, old-style cockpit and so you may well want to do something here.
Other panel line detail is a little heavy for 1:72 scale, but under a coat of paint, I think that it should look fine.
Optional wing tips is good, allowing the ‘flatter’ ones fitted to the S.2B as used in the Gulf War to be added, or the slightly extended wingtips appropriate to both the Royal Navy S.2D and South African S.Mk.50.
A dry run shows the separate upper and lower fuselage halves to fit quite well, as does the main wing. Alignment of these major parts presents no obvious problems. The smaller components have good mating lugs and therefore, should not present too many issues.
The plastic may be a little on the soft side for some scale modellers, but personally I like it, as cleaning up and preparation involving sanding will be easier. Tooling is flash-free, but there are some small round mould ejector pin marks that will need to be filled.
Stores and weapons
- Slipper tanks x 2
- Wing tanks for S.Mk.50 x 2
- Matra rocket pods x 4
- AIM-9L Sidewinder AA x 1
- LGBs x 2
- ALQ-101 (V)-10 ECM pod x 1
- AVQ-23E Pave Spike laser designation pod x 1
The instructions are good, with 19 stages, starting with the cockpit and choice of bomb bays. Construction looks very straightforward in terms of complexity and I hope that the actually experience is relatively pain-free – unlike its big brother in 1:48 scale!
Humbrol paint numbers are called out throughout the build. The painting and decal placement instructions are on a separate, colour fold out, which is very good.
The decals are Airfix’s own, are matt and in register. You get options for:
- Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2B, RAF Lossiemouth Gulf Detachment, Operation “Granby”, Muharraq, Bahrain, 1991
- Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2D, No.809 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, H.M.S. Ark Royal, 1976
- Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk.50, No.24 Squadron, South African Air Force, Waterkloof, South Africa, 1970
This kit is excellent value for money. Considering what you get in the box, the options and the presentation, Airfix’s Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer is a welcome re-introduction to their range and will be welcomed by many.
Recommended
Geoff C.