The Little World

There is a fine line in scale aircraft modelling…and if you’re not careful you scrape it right off with an Xacto knife…

No, there’s a fine line between not enough detail and too much. ie. the French Mach 2 for the former and the Czech Special Hobby for the latter. With the Chinese Hobby Boss hovering on the meagre side. Airfix were also on this sparse section of the trade with their early efforts, but I would venture to suggest that they have hit upon the exactly right formula now with their new moulds.

The Grumman Martlet Mk IV is a tiny aircraft – in keeping with the designs of the late 30’s. It has spindly and complex landing gear that retracts the wheels pretty well but presents the modeller with a veritable maze of plastic struts. The cockpit is alternately open and closed in different sections and, like the FAA pilots said, it is all tits and clocks. In 1:72 you’re either going to think of it being a bare tub or some $ 50 worth of aftermarket resin and PE – and neither prospect cheers.

Well, look at what out of the box with some MEK, spray paint, and decals can do. There’s colour pick out yet to come with the undercart, but this should be pretty simple. The cockpit is glorious and I’ll be happy to keep the canopy open.

This is on an inexpensive model. The instructions clearly detailed this level of subassembly and there was little if any fettling required to get the parts to do what Airfix thought they ought to. With memories of the resin cockpit on a Czech model of an Anson, I have been happily whistling all day.