Gloster Javelin

This was my first Airfix kit, and I'm very impressed by the quality of the plastic and design of the kit. The fit of parts was the best of any kit I have ever done. The join between the wings and fuselage was perfect - no putty required. All panel lines are finely engraved, and the parts look beautiful. The instruction sheet is large with clear steps along the entire build process. Paint colors are only given as Humbrol numbers, but it was simple to find equivalent colors in other brands. I chose the two tone camo scheme, but there is also an overall silver scheme. The decal sheet that comes with the kit is huge, with literally hundreds of decals, most of which are used. Be prepared to spend many hours putting all these on. Markings for three different planes are given, but most of the decals are common among all versions. The decals themselves are pretty good. I did have to use Walther's Solvaset to get some of the larger decals to snug down properly, but once they did, they looked great. There were a few things that weren't so great, however. The clear missile tips had a few small sink holes, the wheels for the main landing gear did not seem to slide completely onto the axle, although that may have been my fault. The under-wing fuel tanks needed some work, as the two halves did not line up perfectly - surprising since the rest of the kit was so outstanding. As with many kits, the modeler is responsible for making their own seat belts. I did out of masking tape, but a little research on the internet showed them to be quite complex. Unfortunately, no pilot figures come with the kit either. Also, while not really an issue with the kit itself, the delta wing structure and size of the model made it very difficult to hold and handle while working on it - just not many areas that you could firmly grasp and have the plane balance properly in your hand. Looking back, I probably would have looked for a Javelin in 1/72 scale. I also have to give kudos to Airfix customer support. I accidentally destroyed the original nose cone, but after a quick trip to Airfix's web page, they sent me a new nose cone from England, free of charge. I was impressed! Overall, this was a large, time consuming kit, but it turned out very nicely. I would recommend this kit if you have the shelf space and a bit of time.