Factory BE2C Scout Recon RAF Biplane

My first recommendation is that you buy two if these kits because as soon as you finish one, you will want to build another. This is the perfect kit for someone who has never built a biplane before. Airfix made it easy and simple, yet detailed and visually interesting. You’ll also want to purchase two kits since they come with two options for markings, one a photo reconnaissance plane on the Western Front (this one is mostly a cream color), and the other is a trainer from Scotland (this one has the checkers). The quality of the model was superb, there was almost no flash, the fit was perfect, the surface detail fine and intricate without being overly delicate. With that said, there are a few recommendations I would make to the purchaser of this kit. First off, if you do the checkerboard pattern, you will want to plan way ahead of time. The checkers are decals, but they only have the black portion, so you will need to paint white underneath the checkered area before applying the decals. Also, I would plan to apply the checker decals before attaching the upper wing, the landing gear, and the tail skid. The checker decals go underneath, or below these pieces and it is pretty much impossible to apply the decals under these parts once they are on the plane. The instructions also give details on how to rig the model, which is something I definitely recommend. It looks fine without, but the rigging makes the model so much more interesting, but don’t use thread. Find yourself some black lycra of 40-70 denier, or see if you can find a product that is listed for 1/72 scale models. Overall, this is an amazingly fun kit. It would be perfect for anyone looking to get into WWI kits, and it has all the quality and detail for experienced modelers too!