Airfix

Workbench edition 393- Prying Photo-Reconnaissance Spitfires updated

As most of us will still be clinging steadfastly to the festive spirit on this first Friday in the new year, we thought we’d embark on a new year of Workbench blogs by updating one of our popular editions from last year, particularly as we now find ourselves in possession of built model samples of the kit in question. As our subject aircraft just happens to be arguably the most famous piston engined aircraft to have ever graced world skies, we didn’t think there would be too many dissenting voices amongst our, particularly as this variant marks a powerful new direction for this potent performer.Unquestionably the highest profile design to come from the British aviation industry, the Supermarine Spitfire served throughout the Second World War and beyond, with ever more examples undergoing restoration to airworthy condition, such is the enduring fascination with this aircraft. Our new kit subject for this latest edition really is something special, only the second stand-alone kit release from this particular tooling, and a release which charts the post war career of a true stalwart of the historic aviation scene here in the UK. Significantly, this kit release presents the same aircraft in three different scheme guises, spanning almost 70 years of flying.As many readers will no doubt have this stunning kit on their build schedule for the coming year, let’s see why our 1/48th scale Snooping Spitfire makes for an ideal way in which to start our modelling journey for 2026.

Workbench Edition 392 - Return of the RAF’s Defiant turret fighter

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.It’s somehow fitting that whilst we still find ourselves just about in the 85th Anniversary year of the Battle of Britain, that our 1/48th scale model tribute to the RAF’s most unusual fighter type to take part in this aerial duel has just returned to the current Airfix range. An aircraft which remains relatively anonymous to the majority of the world’s population, and can be quite divisive amongst those who are aware of it, the Boulton Paul Defiant may well have been a fighting contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, but it has never been able to compete with either in the aviation popularity stakes, despite being far more interesting a design than both in the eyes of many.Unquestionably one of the more interesting British aircraft types of the Second World War, whilst we won’t be producing a Defiant charm offensive edition of Workbench this weekend, we will be welcoming the re-introduction of our beautiful 1/48th scale kit version of the aircraft to the current range by looking at why Britain’s turret fighter is definitely worthy of modelling subject consideration. We will also be challenging one or two popular misconceptions about the Defiant in operation, and how no modelling tribute to the ’Few’ can be considered complete without the inclusion of at least one Boulton Paul Defiant within that display.We prepare to sign off on this 85th Anniversary year of the Battle of Britain with the Defiant return of a classic 1/48th scale model kit in this latest edition of Workbench.

Workbench edition 391 - Supermarine’s much needed Focke Wulf slayer

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.It’s been quite a year for Supermarine Spitfire related developments, anniversaries and associated media content. With this year marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which was arguably the Spitfire’s finest hour, and the end of the war in Europe, with the Spitfire still an important aircraft in Royal Air Force inventory at that time, 2025 also marked 90 years since construction work started on the Spitfire Type 300 prototype K5054.From an Airfix perspective, we have also seen the continuation of the incredible popularity of the aircraft in scale model form, with our modified ‘Flying Dray’ 1/24th scale Spitfire joining the recently released Mk.VIII export variant of the model in that same ‘Superkit’ scale, and two newly tooled models joining the range over the past twelve months. Our new 1/48th scale two seat Spitfire TR.9 was as unexpected as it has proved popular, but with so much going on over recent months, our new 1/48th scale Spitfire Mk.IXe kit appears to have slipped under the modelling radar somewhat, despite it actually being a really significant addition to the range. We intend to address this situation with this latest update.The focus of our attentions this Workbench weekend is to provide an appropriate introduction to this new kit, even though it’s actually been available for a couple of weeks now. We will be looking at the importance of this stop-gap, but crucial variant of the Spitfire, in addition to bringing you all the relevant details related to this latest new tooling addition to the Airfix range. With stunning box artwork, scheme details and more, this latest update is definitely one for the Spitfire aficionados amongst our number.

Workbench Edition 394- Bulldog – the RAF’s classic inter-war interceptor

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.Well, we’ve managed it – we’ve safely negotiated another hectic year! With this being the final edition of Workbench for 2025, we wanted to go out with a serious cracker of a BANG, so that being the case, what could be better than to feature our final secret model release for the year, one which just happens to be a silver winged beauty.Earlier this week, the various Airfix information channels carried the news that as part of the festivities here at modelling HQ, we’d held back our final secret model release of the year for this most festive of periods, the second release from our new 1/48th scale Bristol Bulldog tooling. A beautiful inter-war British fighter which not only found favour with the Royal Air Force, but also with several overseas air arms during the early 1930s, this second release includes additional parts to allow the much modified Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA variant of the fighter to be modelled. This was an aircraft which was unquestionably one of the most important British fighter aircraft of the late 1920s and early 1930s, and was an aircraft which stimulated a significant period of upgrade and expansion for the Royal Air Force.In this final update of the year, we will be looking at why the Bulldog was such an important aircraft for the Royal Air Force, why this second release presents the fighter in arguably its most iconic form, and what made this such a highly regarded aircraft in RAF service. Of course, we will also have our usual selection of spectacular subject imagery, which will hopefully highlight why this makes for such an appealing modelling project.We’re dancing the skies on laughter-silvered wings in this final edition of Workbench for 2025.

Workbench Editon 393 - Fast Attack Craft wreak havoc in coastal waters

As the Airfix team have been working hard on preparing the 2026 Airfix catalogue over the previous few weeks and the heady modelling nostalgia this always invokes, it could hardly be more appropriate that this week’s edition of Workbench see’s us returning to the world of Vintage Classics, and the latest addition to this popular range. Indeed, we don’t just have a single kit subject for your delectation this time around, we have two closely related models which many modellers regard as some of the most appealing to have ever graced the Airfix range, in a case of double Vintage Classics trouble.The one thing each Airfix kit range has always been able to boast is the sheer variety of subjects available in scale model form, everything from famous fighter aircraft of the Second World War to dinosaurs and historical figures, and all types of craft in-between. An incredibly popular sub-range of kits over the years have been scale ships, from historic galleons to lifeboats, but also including some of the most powerful warships to have ever sailed the world’s oceans. Making for incredibly impressive built model displays, it may have been a while since we’ve seen a new tooling addition to this line up of kits, but we do still have many classics to tempt us.This latest update features two fast attack craft from the Second World War, stunning model representations of impressive coastal attack craft which were intended to create havoc in coastal waters, one British and one German. With classic box artwork and a selection of built model images to share, we’re unquestionably in the realm of classic Airfix kits in this week’s edition of Workbench.You’re going to be needing your sea legs this weekend, as we’re on a mission with the sea dragons of the Second World War.