AIRFIX - (Hornby Group)

Review of Airfix Military Kits Scale 1/76 - 1/72

A Humbrol Product. Humbrol Limited, Marfleet, Hull, England.
Since 2007 part of the Hornby Group

Airfix is one of the oldest manufacturers in the small scale. Referring to the standard on this moment are the Airfix kits outdated. Most of the moulds are from around 1964 and mosttimes never reworked to a higher standard. Airfix please rework your moulds !!!

Click on the pictures

Catalog History

1958

1959

1960

1960-1

1960-may

1960-7ed

1962

1963

1964 1ed

1965

1965 2ed

1966 3ed

1967 4ed

1968-1 5ed

1968-2

1969 6ed

1970 7ed

1971 8ed

1972 9ed

1973 10ed

1974 11ed

1975 12ed

1976 13ed

1977 14ed

1978 15ed

1980 17ed

1981

1982

1983

1984

1984-2e rel

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2003newrel

2004

2005

2006

2007 earlyprog

2007

2008

Oldbox Layout

The picture is an thumbnail of one of first original Airfix Sherman box-art. Over the years, the bottom third of the picture has been edited out, getting rid of the dead German in the foreground.

The Airfix Box Layout History Over The Years

In early times the smal Airfix kits series 1 and 2 were packed in plastic bags with a paper label, followed by a hard-cover blister box with a carton backside,

If you want more info about the release years of the box-types, please visit next website:

For Airfix Box release info

Plastic Bag - (Boxing type 2 - 1959 until 1960 and type 3 - 1963 until 1973 )

Airfix Plastic Bag Labels Type 3 from 1963 until 1973 (type Red Flash)

Airfix boxes Type 3 from 1963 until 1973 - US Layout (type Red Flash)

The Plastic Blister Package were released in 1973 until 19?? - (kit type series 1)

Box type 4 used from 1973 until 1977 - (kit type series 2 & 3)

Airfix Box Layouts after 1977

Kit 1302 Panther Tank

Kit 1303 Sherman M4 MK-1

Kit 1304 Churchill MK-7 Tank

Kit 1305 25 pdr Field gun and Quad

Kit 1306 German Stug III

Kit 1307 JS-III Russian Tank

Kit 1308 German Tiger I Tank

Kit 1309 Bren Carrier with 6 pdr Anti-Tank Gun

Kit 1311 8 Wheeler Sdkfz 234

Kit 1312 D.U.K.W. Amphibian

Kit 1313 White Halftrack M3

Kit 1314 AEC Matador with 5.5 inch Gun

Kit 1315 WW-I MK-1 Tank

Kit 1316 Russian T34/76-85 Tank

Kit 1317 M3 Grant/Lee Tank

Kit 1318 Matilda II Tank

Kit 1319 Japanse Chi-Ha Tank

Kit 1320 Scorpion Scout

Kit 1321 LCVP Landigscraft
Kit 1322 Willys Jeep with Trailer
Kit 1323 GMC TRuck

Kit 2301 Scammel Tanktransporter

Kit 2302 Buffalo Amphibian

Kit 2303 88mm Flak Gun with Tractor

Kit 2305 Chieftain Tank

Kit 2306 Leopard Tank

Kit 2307 Centurion Tank

Kit 2308 Panzer IV Tank

Kit 2309 Bristol Bloudhound

Kit 2310 Crusader tank

Kit 2311 Sheridan Tank

Kit 2312 German Reconnaissance Set

Kit 2314 Bofors 40mm Gun with Tractor

Kit 2315 Opel Blitz with Pak 40 gun

Kit 2316 Dukw

Kit 2318 White Half-track M3A1

Kit 2320 - Sherman with Crab Mine Flail

Kit 2321 - Churchill with "Crocodille" Flamethrower

Note: This kits are not new kits. Only the parts for the "Crab" and "Crocodile" are new. Airfix works offensive and have make conversions of his old models. So they have used the old Sherman to the Sherman Crab and the old Churchill to the Churchill Crocodile.

Kit 3301 LCM III with Sherman

Kit 3302 R.A.F. Refuelling Set

Kit 3303 Sam 2 Guideline Missile

Kit 3304 R.A.F. Emergency Set

Kit 3305 R.A.F Recovery Set

Kit 3380 R.A.F. Control Tower

Airfix Dioramasets

Kit 3382 Jungle Outpost (old & new layout)

Kit 3383 Pontoon Bridge (old & new lay-out)

Kit 4380 Forward Commandopost

Kit 4382 German Outpost

Kit 6704 - Gun Emplacement

Kit 6706 - Coastal Defence Fort (old & new lay-out)

Battlefront History Series - (Out of Production)

Kit D1 (09654-9) or (40651-0) - "D-Day" Allied Attack Forces
Kit D2 (09652-2) or (40652-3) - "D-Day" German Defence Forces

Kit G1 (09657-7) or (40657-8) - "Guadalcanal" US marine Assault Forces
Kit G2 (09658-0) or (40658-1) - "Guadalcanal" Japanese Defence Forces

Kit E2 (09654-8) or (40654-5) - "El-Alamein" German Defence Forces
Kit E1 (09653-5) or (40653-6) - "El-Alamein" Allied Attack Forces

Kit S1 (09655-1) or (40655-2) - "Stalingrad" German Attack Forces
Kit S1 (09656-4) or (40656-5) - "Stalingrad" Russian Defence Forces

Airfix kits released by Heller and Airfix

Kit 49995 - LCVP Landingsboat

Kit 49996 - GMC Truck

Kit 49997 - Willy Jeep with trailer

Ex-JBModels kits re-released in 2008 under Airfix label - include the new Airfix kits

Kit A02322 - LWB Landrover (soft top) & Trailer
Kit A02323 - M113 U.S. ACAV
Kit A02325 - Saladin MkII Armoured Car
Kit A02326 - Bedford MK 4 Tonne Truck
Kit A02327 - M113 U.S. Fire Support Version
Kit A02328 - Saracen APC Mk1/2/3
Kit A02329 - Bedford Mk Tactical Aircraft Refueller
Kit A02330 - Vickers Light Tank
Kit A02331 - Landrover 1 Tonne FC Truck G.S. Body
Kit A02332 - British M119 105mm Light Field Gun
Kit A02333 - Landrover 1 Tonne FC Ambulance

Earlier announced Airfix Kits
Kit A02334 - Matilda "Hedgehog"
Kit A02335 - Sherman "Calliope" Tank
Kit A04301 - Churchill Bridge Layer

Airfield Dioramesets - This sets are a combination from existing line!

Kit 06901 - WWII RAF Airfield Set (RAF Refuelling, Spitfire Ia, Personnel, Base)

Kit 06902 - WWII Luftwaffe Airfield Set (Opel Blitz & PAK, Me-109E, Personnel, Base)

Kit 06903 - WWII USAAF Airfield Set (Willys Jeep, P-51D, Personnel, Base)

Kit 06904 - Modern RAF Airfield Set (Scorpion, Harrier GR3, Personnel, Base)

Airfix scale 1/72 ships

Kit 5280 Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat
Kit 5281 R.A.F. Rescue Launch

Kit 10280 German E-Boat

The 1/76 Soft-Skins "Snap-Togheter" Kits from Airfix

Airfix has released a long time also many soft-skin kits from the "Snap-Togheter" class.

Airfix kits released under other Labels

Hobby - Made in Japan by Tsukada - release 1988

876W01 LVT4 BUFFALO & JEEP
876W02 CRUSADER TANK Mk2 or Mk3
876W03 OPEL BLITZ & PAK 40 GUN
876W04 25 POUNDER FIELD GUN
876W05 R.A.F.EMERGENCY SET
876W06 L.C.M.III & SHERMAN TANK
876W07 DUKW AMPHIBIAN
876W08 MATADOR & 5.5 INCH GUN
876W09 BOFORS 40mm GUN WITH TRACTOR
876W10 R.A.F. REFUELLING SET
876W11 BREN CARRIER & 6POUNDER GUN
876M01 THE BRISTOL/FERRANTI BLOODHOUND
876M02 M551 SHERIDAN TANK

876W01

876W02

876W03

876W04

876W05

876W06

876W07

876W08

876W09

876W10

876W11

876M01

MPC - Made in the USA - release 1981-1985

Catalog History

1969

1972

1973

1974

1974-1

1975-1

1975-2

1976

1978

1980

1982

1983

1984

MPC issued Airfix kits as next:

1980's

1-6201 Amphibious Buffalo
1-6202 German 88
1-6203 Anti-Tank Battery
1-6204 Chieftain
1-6205 Centurion
1-6206 Leopard
1-6207 Tank Transporter
1-6208 Reconnaissance Patrol
1-6209 Anti-Aircraft Battery

Kit 6201 - Amph. Buffaloo

Kit 6202 - SKfz. 7 & 8.8cm

Kit 6203 - Opel Blitz & pak 40

Kit 6204 - Chieftain

.

Kit 6205 - Centurion

Kit 6206 - Leopard

Kit 6207 - Scammel Transporter

Kit 6208 - SdKfz. 222 & Kubel

.

MPC issued Airfix (Historama) kits as next:

Historama

2-1204 Red Baron Dogfight (1972)
2-1205 Chopper! Chopper! (1972)
2-1206 Battle of Britain! (1972)
2-1207 Balloon Buster! (1972)
2-1208 Pearl Harbor Attack! (1972)
2-8001 The Battle of El Alamein (1972)
2-8002 The Battle of Tobruk (1972)
2-8003 The Battle of Iwo Jima (1972)
2-8004 D-Day: Merville beach (1972)
2-8005 D-Day: Omaha beach (1972)
2-8006 D-Day: Sword beach (1972)
2-8007 Rescue at Dunkirk (1972)
2-8008 Battle of the Bulge (1972)
2-8009 Guadalcanal (1972)

Historama - MPC

Historama - El Alamein

Historama - D-Day

MPC Dioara's

Super Historama

2-8051 Guns of Normandy (1973)
2-8052 Breakout From Normandy (1973)
2-8053 Commados Strike at Dawn (1973 or 74)
2-8054 Tank Battle at El Alamein (1973 or 74)

1-6101 Attack: Normandy
1-6102 Attack: Rhineland

Catalog History

1966

Airfix corporation of America (CraftMaster) has issued 1/76 kits as next.

M1-49 75mm Assault Gun
M2-49 Josef Stalin 3
M3-49 Pz.Kw.V Panther
M4-49 Mk.I Sherman
M5-49 Mk.VII Churchill
M6-49 25-Pounder Field Gun with Quad Limber and Gun Crew
M7-49 Bristol Bloodhound and Land Rover
M8-49 Mk.VI Tiger I
M9-49 Bren Gun Carrier with 6-Pounder Anti-Tank Gun
M1-79 Scammell 30-ton Tank Transporter

Craftmaster (Airfix - US Layout)

KIKO - Made in the Brasil - released after 1981

Posted by Luiz Edgard Marcondes from Brasil
MR. A. KIKOLER (KIKO) took REVELL to BRASIL in circa 1960 and all (hundreds) of Revell kits produced worldwide are also produced in Brasil, even with similar boxtops.
From circa 1980 the KIKO brandname was added becoming REVELL KIKO and afterwards also HELLER KIKO (some 20 kits only) and AIRFIX KIKO (just 18 kits only). From AIRFIX only the Sdkfz 234 in 1/76 and Rommel's Halftrack (Sdkfz 250/3) in 1/32 were made in Brasil. NONE of HELLER ARMOUR was made in Brasil!
Of REVELL also none 1/76 armour kits, but several in 1/40 scale (M-48 bridge layer, T-34/85, 105 mm gun, Sherman tank, Self propeled gun, U.S. 6x6 truck etc...), this are all Revell 1960's kits, Aditionally Snaptite Panzer and Sherman on the 1980's.