¹⁄48

Airfix has released images of the sprues and initial test build of their 1/48 scale de Havilland Tiger Moth

”For the project designer leading the Tiger Moth project, the arrival of the first test frames from the new tooling is both exciting and a little nerve-racking. Clearly, he will be keen to see how the kit he has invested so much time and effort into producing has translated into plastic form and in particular, if all the fine detail he managed to incorporate has been correctly replicated. For young Airfix product designer Tom A, the arrival of these first test frames was particularly poignant, as this was the first major project he had undertaken since joining the company two years ago. As important as a thorough inspection of the kit test frames undoubtedly is, the first model construction from these parts is arguably the most significant responsibility for the lead designer on any new tooling project and the one which links in to so many different facets of the model’s overall development. Having assessed the component frames and the detail of each part, the building of the kit itself is absolutely critical in ascertaining whether the tooling blocks require any further modification, or if improvements can be made to the overall design – much of this information only becomes apparent during the build process itself. Building the kit will also allow Tom to see if there are any aspects of the Tiger Moth’s construction which may pose any potential challenges for the modeller once the kit is released and may require specific construction guidance. If this is the case, he will work with Richard to incorporate specific information in the instruction booklet, with the pair also potentially deciding to slightly alter the construction diagram order at this stage. Tom was pleased to report that the kit components went together easily and more or less how he had envisaged it would do whilst designing the kit - whilst there were a couple of little issues he wanted to work on, he was generally very pleased with his Tiger Moth.
At the time we were gathering information for this latest blog, Tom informed us that he was the only person in the world to have built an example of the new 1/48th scale Airfix Tiger Moth and at that time, had two different model builds to his name. One of these initial test builds was photographed for marketing purposes and we are pleased to bring you a selection of these images now. As we have already pointed out, these images are being shown on the understanding that they feature a pre-production example of the model and could still be subject to change.
The new Tiger Moth kit also incorporates several features which will be of great interest to the modeller, including a representation of the blind flying hood which was fitted to the rear cockpit of the aircraft. A distinctive, if rather rudimentary feature of RAF basic flying training, this foldable pram type cover was pulled over the student pilots head and locked into place by a spring loaded clip situated just above the instrument panel. The hood was intended to challenge the student whilst engaged in instrument flying training, restricting his view of the outside world and replicating the challenge of flying when visibility was extremely poor. Made of flame resistant canvas, when not in use, the hood was folded back behind the rear cockpit, on top of the aircraft’s fuselage and held in place by strong elastic cords, secured to clips on either side of the fuselage. Although Tom replicated this feature in both open and closed configurations during the development of the model, it was felt that the covered canopy looked so strange that most modellers would not be interested in finishing their Tiger Moth build with the closed hood and for that reason, only the folded back option progressed to full production stage.
Another feature of the new model and something which presents the modeller with a further build option is the inclusion of the anti-spin strakes which are such a distinctive feature of some Tiger Moths. Despite being quite a forgiving aircraft to fly, the Tiger Moth did have some rather unpredictable spin characteristics in certain situations and a reluctance to recover from spins resulted in a number of unfortunate accidents. With the sheer number of RAF pilots being trained on the aircraft, a solution to the problem had to be found and the addition of aluminium anti-spin strakes on either side of the fuselage, just ahead of the tail may not have solved the problem completely, but certainly improved the situation. Whilst not a compulsory modification on all Tiger Moths, it was fitted to the majority of RAF trainers and would indeed feature on the later Chipmunk trainer which replaced the Tiger Moth. It was discovered after the war that this spin issue could have been attributed to inconsistent manufacturing processes and the use of materials which varied in quality during wartime construction and may not have actually required such a visible modification to the aircraft. In any case, the new Tiger Moth kit will include the option to finish your model with or without the anti-spin strakes featured.”
Airfix

Expected: Autumn 2019 and the price £18.99

A04104 - de Havilland D.H.82a Tiger Moth – 1/48

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE