Scale Aviation Modeller International – April 2019

it Easy’ #214 Squadron, 100
Group RAF Sculthorpe and RAF
Oulton 1944. (Dark Earth, Dark
Green over Night with frosted
radome). The decals look to be
well printed, and to my eye the
colours look about right. The
Airix instructions follow the
recent pattern of being based
on 3D Computer Aided Design
images, with incremental
parts addition being shown
in red, there being some 127
assembly stages altogether,
although some are duplicated
for the wheels up/down options.
Exterior painting instructions
are covered by two separate A3-
sized colour sheets with patchy
internal colour information and
paint references are to Humbrol
enamels only, although there’s
no listing table, so you’ll need
a paint equivalence chart to

be able to ind alternatives.

There are no sprue maps to

help ind those elusive parts.

The detail looks excellent,

with lots going on in the

interior and gun turrets, and

the engine front faces and

turbo/superchargers look to

be reasonably rendered. The

engineering of the kit is well

thought out, albeit perhaps

a bit over-complicated,

apparently to simplify

moulding. Airix have

made good use of clear

parts around the nose such

that the smaller glazing

there is incorporated in

sections of the outer fuselage.

There’s a full interior for

the bomb bay, but only four

bombs (which aren’t called

for), a hefty central spar

on which to hang the

wings, and the representation

of the internal structure is

continued for the full length

of the interior. At irst sight, it

looks like it will be generally

trouble-free, although care

will be needed in alignment

where there are multiple parts

making up sub-assemblies,

the complex structure of the

engine nacelle interior and outer

shells being a case in point.

Just to make life interesting

however, the Editor had passed

on a complete set of Eduard etch

The Airfix instructions follow the

recent pattern of being based on 3D

Computer Aided Design images

A rough dry assembly of the main

fuselage parts shows the main

internal structural elements

Part through the

build of the interior

structure, before the

nose compartment

is added

The clever clear nose sections need to be masked inside and out for painting, I cut

interior masks by mirroring the outer ones

The main fuselage section interior

and the completed fuselage halves,

note the amount of work that was

needed on the latter

The flight deck is neat and

is enhanced significantly

by Eduard’s belts

First stages of the interior build, these are the kit’s

plastic instrument racks which were removed to be

replaced by etched items

BOEING FORTRESS MK.III

MANUFACTURER: Airfix

SCALE: 1:

PRODUCT CODE: A

PANEL LINES: Recessed

TYPE: Injection moulded plastic

STATUS: New Tool

DECAL OPTIONS: 2

KIT DETAILS

SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL • APRIL 2019

1/

7