Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $66.95 Web Site: www.airfix.com Can it really be that Nimrod, the mighty hunter*, has been a part of British maritime defence for almost 40 years? Developed from the DeHavilland Comet 4 airliner, the aircraft entered service back in 1970 and in addition to patrolling the seas around Britain, has taken part in the Falklands Conflict, the Gulf Wars and now operates over Afghanistan. The distinctive "double bubble" fuselage holds a cavernous weapons bay and the heavily modified wings carry extra fuel, electronics and, on the port wing, a powerful searchlight. The fuselage ends with a long MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection) "stinger" and begins, at least since the early 1980's, with a long refueling probe. Recent problems with fuel lines and an avoidable fatal crash have somewhat tarnished the aircraft's reputation, but the Nimrod is destined, in its new MRA.4 guise, to be part of the British maritime defence sphere for at least another 20 years, and is still one of the best maritime patrol aircraft around. The new Airfix kit had been part of their plans before their much-publicized collapse in 2006 and the announcement from new owners, Hornby, that the aircraft would still feature in their new program was warmly welcomed in Britain, and by those in the know around the world. This is a large aircraft, and the kit comes in a commensurately large box, which is packed with parts - some 230 in all in 6 sprues. Surface detail consists mostly of fine engraved lines - no raised lines or rivets, either sunken or golf ball variety, here! The surface texture of the plastic is smooth and does not feature the sometimes grainy or pebbly texture that has plagues other fairly recent Airfix releases. The plastic itself is quite hard and care is needed in cutting parts from the runners, as the plastic is somewhat brittle. The clear parts are nicely molded and are not at all cloudy or otherwise marred by imperfections. The kit's features include a comprehensive selection of stores for the weapons bay, for which the doors can be posed open; poseable flaps and control surfaces; and a huge decal sheet with very comprehensive stenciling and no less than six colour scheme options: MR.1, 203 Sqn, Malta, 1977. White over Light Aircraft Grey (LAG). MR.2P, 201 Sqn, Ascension Island, 1982. Operation Corporate (Falklands War), Hemp over LAG. MR.2, 201 Sqn, RAAF Richmond, Australia, 1988. Fincastle Trophy, and Bicentennial Airshow. Hemp over LAG. MR.2P, 42(R) Sqn, Saudi Arabia, 2003. Hemp over LAG. MR.2P, Line Squadron, RAF Kinloss, Scotland, 2007. Overall Camouflage Grey. R.1P, 51 Sqn, RAF Waddington, 2007. Camouflage Grey over LAG.

I shall be building Option 3, as I took photos of this actual aircraft when I was visiting Australia in 1988. It's a small world!

What is not included in the kit is a comprehensive cockpit, cabin interior or highly detailed weapons bay. I would argue that the first two are largely irrelevant in any case, as the amount of window area on this aircraft is minimal. Once the cockpit window part is glued into place, and the cabin windows fitted, little can be seen - I may opt for a little scratchbuilding to give the impression of busyness inside the cockpit. By not including that extra detail, Airfix have saved us all some money - lower tooling costs mean a lower retail price. I would like to have seen a bit more detail in the weapons bay though - this area of the real aircraft is quite complex and the single part included really doesn't do justice to this. At odds with this lack of detail is a thorough selection of stores, ranging from the usual torpedoes and sonobuoys to Harpoon and Sidewinder missiles. This will look a little lost in the bare weapons bay, it has to be said. However, the Nimrod sits very low to the ground and with the kit parked on its undercarriage; nothing will be seen unless you opt for a mirror base. Airfix have cleverly opted for a full-span lower wing. This includes part of the weapons bay structure and I'm sure this will give strength to the structure once complete. Separate control surfaces are offered for the flaps, the rudder and the elevators, and as Nimrods can often be seen with slightly lowered flaps, this will add a little character to your model. As each version of the Nimrod varies very little - mainly in the aerial fit - Airfix have been able to provide all the necessary changes in a single box. Kudos to them for not trying to milk the molds for all they are worth by offering 6 different boxings each with a handful of different parts and decals! The instruction book has a separate page for each variant, so you'll have to decide early on which of the 6 options you are going for. Access to good references is a must, as the Nimrod has been constantly updated during its nigh-on 40 years of service. So my first impressions on opening the box are very positive. This kit has what I feel is a good balance of detail to simplicity that bodes well for the build. I shall report on the basic airframe construction in the next part of this review. *Nimrod was a mythical king of Mesopotamia, as mentioned in the Bible.

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