They don't come much hotter than this! Dave Cox has beaten all records to bring us a First Look at the kit that's been on the most-wanted lists for years - Airfix's 1/48 scale TSR-2.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

.. Thanks Dave !

BTW anyone contemplating building this should go and order Roland Beamont's 'Testing Years' from their local library...

I have my own copy. Without getting into a political argument about the crass stupidity of the TSR2s cancellation, the evidence of the test flights proved that this aircraft could have been the best of it's type.

I have mine on preorder. Should be here hopefully by the end of the month. Hope you will do a build log of it. Parts look very good.

I don't know about doing a build log - I work so fast that it could end up being just one or two posts! White plastic doesn't lend itself to easily photography either - the 'first look' pics where heavily photoshopped just to get them to the state that they're in now.

I may decide to do a more in-depth review of the kit whilst building though!

Hi Dave

I must admit I'd prefer not to have white plastic for overall ease of working too - not just photography. How have Airfix printed the roundels etc. this time? Solid colours, or little dots as in the Canberra?

All the best

Rowan

The roundels look like solid colours, I haven't taken a magnifying glass to them.

BTW - I haven't decided yet what finish it will have, but it will be a 'what if'. I've already got a white Vulcan and a 1/48 Catalina with white underside and getting a realistic finish without it appearing 'grey' is a pig!
Otherwise it will be OOB.

Hi Dave

I looked into ModelZone (Holborn) on my way home and... no sign of the TSR-2 - it seems their first batch has sold out already!

All the best

Rowan

i pre ordered one but since i believe the model shop has stopped trading and think that i have lost my money on that one, i have since ordered another one which should be here this week. think a phone call to the orginal modelshop is in order, is it possible to claim money back through paypal from the order in september? look forward to starting this one but must get my other planes finished first. the only problem then is where to put them

Addendum to my review:

I was checking through the instruction manual aginst the kit parts before starting the build this weekend and there appears to be an error (initially I thought it was the kit, but it's the instructions!). If you look at the pic below there is a hydraulic strut connecting the undercarriage leg to the 'bogie' that has the wheels attached. This is not mentioned in the kit's instructions, but does appear to be on the sprue. Or at least the parts that I've ringed on the photo of the sprue are not shown as used anywhere else and could be employed as the missing struts!

Loads on fleabay! At 'buy it now' prices from £23.99 to £47.99 for a pair!!!

Hi Dave,

I think the struts were an early fix on the prototype to help cure u/c problems. It's good that Airfix have included them, just a shame they don't mention them in the instructions!

Got my TSR-2 yesterday and have cleared the decks! This big plane is crying out to be built NOW....!

By the way, has anybody got colour pics of the plane in the Weylands factory? Can only find the ones in the Aeroguide book.

Cheers

Kirk

Yep, the strut was added to prevent the bogie from locking in the 'tail down' position on the back wheels only as soon as weight was put on it! They will be needed for any 'plane after the first couple of flights.

I should be starting a build log in the next couple of days - a couple of sub assemblies started but I'll get some paint on them before posting as the white plastic is a lady (not the word I typed btw) to photograph.

First impressions:

1) All sprue gates are thick, but the plastic is soft and easy to work with.
2) The instructions are not that clear in some areas - notably parts 21c and 24c - airbrake interiors. Not much of a concern as they'll be closed on my aircraft.

Quick, someone get me Airfix on the Bat- phone.....my TSR-2 front windshield is perfectly molded...but too short...nnnoooooooo..............

Haven't got that far yet! Hopefully it's not on every kit......... although it's a pain in the but for you obviously.

It must just be on your kit - perfect fit on mine once I'd got the panel shroud in the right place.