1:72 AIRFIX R.E.8,1957
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'HARRY TATE' !
ONE of four Airfix 1:72 scale WWI kits produced in 1957, the RE8 has been a staple of their annual catalogues on and off ever since and is well overdue for a re-tool! Our original is from initial production runs with minimalistic surface detail overall and undernourished crewmen. It's reasonably accurate for its time and with care and dedication an excellent RE8 can result. Apart from the yellowed decal sheet and worn paper header, plastic content is mint with only a few parts on the loose which we've bagged separately to thwart the dreaded 'carpet monster.'...
EARLY example of the '1916 Reconnaissance Aircraft' (Pattern No. 1401) from Airfix is bereft of frills offering a fairly accurate model comprising 29 silver-grey parts. Rib stations on all flying and control surfaces are represented by finely raised lines that if carefully sanded create realistic flat rib tapes. Fuselage detail is minimal and remaining parts typical of early Airfix biplanes: clunky struts,simplified guns,airscrew and customary 'Alien grey' crew figures! RAF 1a cylinder banks are basic but the vertical exhaust pipes look more prototypical.An early 'teardrop' display stand is included and the decal sheet presents markings for presentation aircraft F3556 bearing the legend A Paddy Bird From Ceylon which the extant original IWM RE8 has worn ever since its public debut at Lambeth in the 1950s. One redeeming feature of these early Airfix British WWI aircraft kits is the authentic roundel blue and red shades,far closer to the original VB.3 and VR.3 than many other subsequent WWI kits when it seemed that any shades would do!
Plastic content of our kit is near-mint with most parts remaining on their runner,although the paper header is rather tatty, pock-marked with staple punch holes, and exhibits a number of tears.It's typical of the kit's second iteration with the 'Type 1' design's vertical central stripe underlaying Charlie Oates' artwork.Those were the days of letter-press block-making for print. Oh, the nostalgia!
