Airfix RAF Red Arrows Gnat (starter set 1:72 A55105)
Well, here it is, my 2nd Cold War related model build the Airfix RAF Red Arrows Gnat. I’ll admit, I had some issues putting this one together. That is not a reflection on the quality of the kit but on my lack of building skills.
It is actually a very nice kit, with some lovely detail and panel lines, which you can see in the photos. The Gnat is a small aircraft in real life. This made it is also quite small and fiddly to build (for me) as a 1:72 scale kit.
Things I would do differently next time I build Airfix RAF Red Arrows Gnat kit (2 more in the stash). I would leave the main undercarriage off until the building is complete. I added it as per instructions but managed to break them when removing the blue-tak that I had used to mask the wheel wells.
Not matter how careful I was with the aerial fins during construction, I still managed to break 2 off, and one almost off. Sod’s law, I lost the two that broke off but replaced them with some plastic cut from some spare plastic I had.
Paints used were Vallejo grey primer and Hataka Signal Red from their ‘Modern Royal Air Force Paint Set Vol.3’. I first for me on this model, was to mask the canopy and spray paint it while it was attached to the aircraft. Previously, I have always hand painted canopy frames. Can see from the photos, that it’s not as neat as I would have hoped.
Decals went on well and settled well with microscale Sol.
Conclusion on the Airfix RAF Red Arrows Gnat
Overall, fairly pleased with the end result considering I did struggle at times with this kit. However, still need to improve seam line removal, spraying skills and canopy masking.
See more about the Gnat kit on the Airfix site.
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