Paul Brown

My point is if the Mosquito tooling is no longer capable of providing a product that is fit for purpose, then a new tool is a no brainer. I’m sceptical there’s much, if any mileage left in the current tooling.

@Paws4thot

It's not immediately relevant, but I've got one "other make" IXc which has separate clipped, standard, and 2 lengths of extended tips in the box.

If Airfix take the same approach with their XIV it will make a lot of people very happy.

Wow, that's a big list for starters! First off, welcome to the forum. I won't try and answer comprehensively and I'm sure others will chip in and expand the discussion.

• Acrylic vs Enamel

Everybody has their own preference. The only way to find out is to try them both.

• Is it necessary to prime a kit for Acrylic and Enamel paint?

I wouldn't regard it as a necessity, although I'll never be convinced that aqueous acrylic paints have enough sticking power to adhere without a primer coat to give them a key. Priming is useful in giving you a uniform layer as a starting point, this is especially the case where you might have areas of filler, or multi media construction. A primer coat will also show up any joints that might not have been filled and sanded 100%

• Do you bother with washing the kit before painting.

It's a good idea, especially if there's obvious contamination with release oil. I'm usually OK with a good wipe with a cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol.

• Do Humbrol Acrylics deserve the lesser reputation?

In my opinion, no. Whilst I rarely use them for the main part of the paint job, I'm happy to use them for detail painting.

• What is the best glue ?

As with paint media, the only way to find out is to try different glue/cement and find which ones work best for you.

• What is best primer for Acrylic / Enamel ?

Again, this is subjective, it's a matter of trying out different media. You can't go far wrong with auto paint aerosols.

• Is Decalfix a must?

If the decals are applied to a good glossy surface, no, but it doesn't hurt to use it. If you check out the Humbrol video they claim you can use Decalfix to place decals on a matt surface. You can, but personally I prefer to place decals over a glossy surface. I would recommend diluting Decalfix, especially if it has a strong whiff of ammonia.

• Which combinations of finish must be avoided - i.e. finishing varnish

Generally speaking it is a good idea to avoid mixing media, but with experience you will find out which topcoats can be used with different types of paint media.

I hope this helps.

@T2B

I tend to disagree on a couple of points. Yes Airfix have produced a lot of lovely new tool kits over the past 10 years, though due to range rotation not all are in the catalogue at the same time so if a modeller has such a kit in his/her stash the finished build cannot be shown in customer images?

Is that not a further argument for having galleries on this forum?

And some of the old tool kits are still appearing in the range such as the venerable Mosquito and Marauder! Which sadly means we won't be getting any new tool kits of those aircraft anytime soon ☹

My motto is never say never. The Mossie (in particular) has been a very strong seller over the years and the tooling must be approaching retirement. A new tool would be a no brainer for Airfix.

It's a fair point, but at the end of the day it's down to the warbird owner to decide how their aircraft is painted. One thing that's better nowadays is that owners seem to have moved away from personalised schemes and look for something that's authentic. For instance, MH434 used to carry codes that were initials of its then owner, Adrian Swire. Nowadays it's painted as it served with 222 Squadron. Another point is that if you own a Mk I, then a BoB scheme is a bit of a no brainer if you want to offer the aircraft for hire, either for film or TV work.

Concur with Ratch. Plus Airfix have spent the last 10+ years attempting to eradicate the old catalogue with a  new catalogue and are still working on it. I can't see them offering a space on what is the promotional part of the website to showcasing old stuff. I think you'd be better off asking for gallery forums here.  

It's re-box of the KGV kit, they also re-boxed the Repulse, some time in the '90s so probably 20+ years ago.

I wouldn't dispute that, except that an approach is not in equilibrium and lift<weight, otherwise you wouldn't be descending. The lift available would depend on the power setting - at least that's how it always worked for me, more power, go up, less power, go down.

@T2B

I'm no expert so don't know how easy it is to down scale a tooling

It's perfectly feasible, but with various caveats. A parts breakdown that suits a 1/48 model may not suit a 1/72 model. Panel lines that work at 1/48 would probably look out of place at 1/72, etc etc. The plus point with CAD is that you only need to put together the 3D model once, after it's done it can be adapted.

I'd use brake fluid, but it's nasty stuff to work with and not everyone's cup 'o char. Dettol disinfectant is another possibility, or your favoured brand of foaming oven cleaner.