The Little World

Ten of them, to be precise. And probably as likely to set the BE2c alight as to down an enemy zeppelin.

I have a weakness for sky rockets on aircraft ever since my Aurora 1:48 scale Nieuport 11 model back in 1957. They seemed such dramatic weapons. I have yet to read an authentic account of them being used with success. I know on the occasions when I have tried to bring down an RFDS Pilatus flying over my home, they have proved ineffective.

But there they are on the BE2c at the correct angle. Disregard the one with the broken stick – it has since been repaired. No other armament is specified for this variant in the Airfix instruction sheet, so I guess it’s the rockets or nothing.

The kit was spindly enough to satisfy the fussy, and the novel building jigs supplied with it were perfectly suited to the strut angles. Kudos to Airfix for a plane that is square and true.

I intend to hunt down one of their older kits of the RE8 and see if it can be coerced into the same sort of shape. These were a long ago affair but they may make it into the Vintage Classics one day.

The pilots are the best WW1 types yet seen – and if they make more kits in this era I hope they will remember to include them on the sprue trees. The genre cannot be a big seller, but Airfix have such a grip on the British and English-speaking market, that I feel they must needs have a WW1 subject in each year.

If they would only mould their sets of 1:76 and 1:72 figures in hard plastic, all would be well.

Note the grey rubber tyres…a novelty for me.