The Little World

Those who saw Mussolini were impressed with the way he strutted. Likewise with Al Jolson and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

However, none of them were as arrogant as the Airfix company when it comes to strutting…as witnessed by their production of a 1:72 Bristol F.2B. They have produced a kit that is nearly impossible to assemble.

This is surprising. Airfix may not have had the greatest reputation for fit and engineering, but they did at least give theoir young customers something that could finally resemble the original. It might be covered with cement fingerprints but it did have wings, tail, and wheels.

The F.2B is an 8-strutted biplane with four cabanes as well…making for 12 points of contact that need to meet simultaneously on a multi-curved surface with the smallest of individual footprints.

To ask this of the spotty adolescent is gross arrogance – hence the title.

They made a BE.2 a few years ago that supplied the builder with removable plastic jigs to get the strut angles right. Would that they had applied this forethought to the Vintage Classic Bristol.