Airfix 1/72 scale
Shorts Stirling Mk.III

by Mick Evans

Airfix's 1/72 scale Stirling is available online from Squadron.com
 

The Airfix kit is still the only 1/72 scale kit of the Shorts Stirling available.

The Airfix offering is a Mk III and was first moulded nearly 35 years ago. The kit is quite accurate but suffers from a few gimmicks, such as moving turrets and guns, and moving flight controls. Unfortunately, the kit is simplified and made inaccurate as a compromise to allow the gimmicks to operate.

A nice rendition of a tractor and bomb trolleys is included for a diorama if you so wish to use them.

All of the rivet lines and raised panel lines are very heavy, so were sanded off before re-scribing the flaps and some other major panel lines that are always visible.

The cockpit was completely scratch built from plastic card. Some seats were found in my spares box that looked the part for the pilot and co-pilots seats. The kit was then assembled as per the instructions.

Flying controls were modified with plastic card to look more realistic when fitted and certainly made not to move. The kit gun turrets were thrown away and replaced with scratch built items. This detailing of the turrets goes a long way to improving the kit.

The bombs that come with the kit are a bit simplified, so I elected to close the bomb bays in the wings and the main fuselage. The wing bay doors were a horrid fit along with heavy sink marks around the bays, so heavy use of Tamiya putty and some re-scribing was in order.

The undercarriage received some subtle detail work to enhance the look, as this area is quite complex and well captured by Airfix.

The kit transparencies were replaced with vac formed Falcon canopies from set no17.

The kit was finished depicting an aircraft from No 199 (RGM) Sqn based at North Creake in 1944/45 and the colours are Xtra Color Dark Earth /Dark Green over Night Black.

The decals came from an old Esci sheet.

The kit was weathered and sealed in semi gloss before the windows were made from Microscale Krystal Klear.

I was very pleased with the finished result.

Photography Notes by Brett Green

The Stirling was photographed near the end of a lengthy shoot at Mick's house. The batteries had gone flat on my Nikon Coolpix 5700, my regular model photography camera.

These photos were therefore taken using my Nikon D70 digital SLR fitted with a 60mm Micro Nikkor lens.

The close-up performance and depth of field offered by this lens are excellent, but with the cropping factor of digital SLRs taken into account (ie, the focal length of the 60mm lens on my digital SLR would be equivalent to around 95mm on a 35mm film SLR), I had to back halfway out of the room to get the whole model in the photos!

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Model and Text Copyright © 2005 by Mick Evans 
Images Copyright © 2005 by Brett Green
Page Created 13 February, 2005
Last Updated 13 February, 2005

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