Aifix Quiz. Answers are at the bottom of the page

1. Airfix produced a number of James Bond kits. These are now amongst the most sought after (and hence valuable) of all Airfix releases. Everybody knows about the James Bond Wallis WA116 Autogyro kit of 1967, but beware if somebody tries to sell you one - the 1990s re-release is not the same kit as it does not have the firing rocket missiles. It is also has different box art-work. But - what were the TWO James Bond cars released by Airfix ?

2. Modern jet aircraft are so large that the traditional 1/72 scale makes for a very big (and hence expensive) model. Most manufacturers (including Airfix in recent years) are moving towards 1/144 scale. But why would Airfix have made a DH Sea Vixen model in 1/600 scale?

3. Over the years, Airfix produced very few US warship kits, preferring to leave the market to Revell and others. The USS Forestall was a rare exception. But Airfix did release a model of the USS Buchanan, but under a different name. What was it?

4. Airfix is well known for the quality of its box-top artwork, especially in the 1960s and 1970s from their artist Roy Cross. Most Airfix enthusiasts can recognise a Roy Cross painting. But do we really look beyond the picture of the model itself? What about the whole scene, including the background? The following are the background scenes from Type 3 box-tops. What was the model?
- Beirut airport
- The Pyramids
- Tower Bridge, London
- A girl on a beach
- Heathrow Airport control tower
- Dover harbour
- not really a "background" but which box-top artwork included a yellow AA van ? (AA= Automobile Association of Britain)

5. Some Airfix aircraft kits were issued with a less-than-obvious choice of decals. Which kits had the following markings:
- USAF C-10A
- WWII Free French
- Iranian Air Force
- Chinese Air Force
- Braathens SAFE airline

6. It is rumoured that the Airfix Spitfire 1a of the early 1950s (their first aircraft kit) was not actually Airfix's own work. It is suggested that this model was a direct copy of another manufacturer's kit. What kit is Airfix supposed to have copied?

7. Some of the Airfix trackside kits are modelled on real buildings in England. For example, the Village Church kit is supposed to be a real Norman church on the Isle of Wight, although reference sources differ as to whether this is the church of the village of Godshill or Bonchurch! (For non-historians - the Norman invasion of England was in 1066, nearly a thousand years ago now! Some Airfix kits look almost this old). Whether real or fictitious, what is the station name featured on the boards supplied with the Platform Fittings set?

8. Two very early Airfix Catalogues featured the same four kits on their front cover. Which four kits and which two consecutive years?

9. Airfix made a number of motorcycle kits, but one set also contains a motor scooter - a Lambretta. I guess you have to be European and of a certain age to recognise this vehicle, but in what set was this provided?

10. Airfix produced three different Tank Landing Craft (not including the Buffalo & Jeep). They were in different ranges, and different scales. Can you list them?

11. Airfix railway series kits are said to be OO/HO gauge. Now, as all model railway fans will know, these are two different gauges - OO is 4mm to the foot (1/76 scale) and HO is 3.5mm to the foot (1/87 scale). In fact, all Airfix kits are OO gauge, except ONE, which was manufactured to HO gauge. Which one?

12. Which Airfix set included a dead horse?

13. The 54mm Figure series began with the issue of two kits - the British Guardsman (C201S) and the British Hussar (C301S). But in what year was this? (Hint : same year as the release of the first 1/24 scale aircraft kit)

14. Many people know that Roy Cross was the Airfix artist responsible for much of the famous box-top artwork. Roy is still alive, and lives in my part of the world (southern England). The Roy Cross artwork is fabulous, but Roy made a big mistake on one of his paintings. He shows a scene of one of the real articles, but minus a crucial mechanical component. The vehicle simply would never have moved (or might have moved but not very well). What box-top artwork was this, and what did Roy Cross omit from his painting? (Hint : think railways)

15. Which Airfix kit series were all motorised? (Not the slot cars)

16. Which two WWII Aircraft Carriers were part of the Airfix ship range?

17. The complete Airfix railway and trackside series of kits were sold to Dapol in 1985. This was at one of those times of crisis in the early 1980s when things were again not going well for the company. Palitoy were Airfix's owners at the time. Dapol still manufacture most of this excellent series under their own logo. Dapol are based in Llangollen, Wales, and have a visitor centre that is open most days of the year. You can watch kits being made. BUT there was one building kit that was not included in the transfer to Dapol as Palitoy claimed it was not Trackside Series. Unfortunately, there are many Airfix Catalogues that suggested otherwise. Whatever, Airfix retains this one mould and it is still on sale today. What kit is this - what "trackside" kit did not go to Dapol?

18. Probably the two most valued Airfix kits are the Stingray and the Fireball XL5. Those of you around the world who missed these British Gerry Anderson TV puppet sci-fi series really lost out during your childhood. Rubbish? - probably; Cult? - definitely! These kits were only available via a promotional offer. You had to collect the required number of tokens. But from which product?

19. What was the first kit (of any subject) that was issued in a Type 3 box? (For definition of a Type 3 design, go to the plastic bag styles page of this web site (click here). The Type 2, 3 and 4 designs were shared across bags and boxes)

20. What was the name on the side of the Mk1 Sherman Tank?

21. The 1974 Catalogue price list supplement lists under "1/24 Scale Aircraft kits" an Airfix product with a catalogue number of 09329-5 and a description of "Propmotor 24th scale aircraft". What was this?

22. What motorcycle does Ton-Up Tony ride? (catalogue reference 331, Weird-Ohs series, 1967-68)

23. Is the Airfix Skeleton kit male or female? (catalogue reference A301N or 03451-5, 1965-84 and re-releases)

24. What Airfix kit was transparent?

25. There is a rumour that Airfix did a "Colditz Glider" kit. When was this kit produced, and was it in any catalogue? (Colditz was a high security WWII POW prison into which the Germans put British prisoners who were notorious for their escapes or escape attempts. It was supposed to be escape-proof. The prison became the subject of a popular British TV series in the 70s, in which one episode featured an escape attempt using a wooden glider secretly built in the roof space of Colditz castle by the British prisoners. I have no idea whether the TV glider is fact or fiction)

26. What was the original telephone number of the Airfix premises in Haldane Place? Before modernisation of the phone system, all British telephone numbers used to be of the form "Exchange name - Number". The most famous example of this is "Whitehall 1212", which everybody knows was Scotland Yard. What was the Airfix telephone number in this old "Exchange Name - Number" format?

27. Early Airfix kits (both box and bag) contained a little paper slip. On one side was the current list of kits. What was on the other side, and what was the slip's primary purpose?

28. "Just Like The Real Thing" was an Airfix advertising slogan. True or False?

29. Which Airfix kit included a 1/72 scale dog?

30. It was a long time before Airfix produced kits of the cancelled 1960s supersonic bomber, TRS2. But this is not strictly true - Airfix produced a kit of "a" TSR2 aircraft back in 1957. What was it?

Answers
1. The Toyota 2000 and the Aston Martin DB5
2. The Sea Vixen was required for the deck of the Victorious aircraft carrier kit, which was in 1/600 scale
3. HMS Campbeltown was previously known as the USS Buchanan
4.
Beirut Airport - Sud Caravelle
The Pyramids - HP42 Heracles
Tower Bridge London - Fairy Rotodyne
Girl on a beach - BSA C15 motorcycle
Heathrow Control Tower - Vickers VC10 (I did say "Control Tower" - there are some other box-tops which look suspiciously like other parts of LHR)
Dover Harbour - Free Enterprise
AA Van - Bristol Superfreighter
5.
USAF C-10A - HP Jetstream
WWII Free French - Bristol Blenheim
Iranian Air Force - Northrop F-5A
Chinese Air Force - IL-28 (any others?)
Braathens - Fokker F-27 Friendship
6. It is suggested that Airfix directly copied and scaled down the Aurora 1/48 Spitfire. The markings BT-K are the same
7. The railway station is Oakham
8. The 3rd and 4th Edition Catalogues both had the SS France, Saddle Tank loco, F-104 Starfighter and the Jaguar E-type on their front covers
9. The S6 Civilians set
10.
LCM3 and Sherman (kit 1/72 scale)
1658 Attack Force (ready assembled polythene model)
HMS Fearless
11. The Interfrigo Refrigerated van
12. My answer is set S36 - Waterloo French Cavalry, but other people suggested the US Cavalry?
13. 1971
14. The BR Mogul locomotive. It's missing a connecting rod!
15. The Museum series
16. HMS Victorious and HMS Ark Royal
17. The Airfield Control Tower kit
18. Lyons Maid Ice Lollies (popsicles)
19> The GWR 262 Large Prairie Tank kit
20. Charger
21. This was a small electric motor that allowed the propeller of 1/24 scale aircraft to be motorised. Picture below

22. The Ariel Arrow
23. Apparently it's female
24. Well, a number of people suggested the SRN-4 Hovercraft. No, I meant the Series 3 Ford J car kit, catalogue reference 829. The SRN-4 was, after all, only partially transparent
25. Yes, there was such a kit, Catalogue ref 51320-9, box dated 1974. I've seen one! It's in a very large box and has polystyrene parts. Was it part of the fly-able glider series of models that Airfix did?
26. VANdyke 7575/9 (5 lines). Back in the 60s, old British telephone dials allowed you to dial V-A-N 7575
27. Well, the slips changed over the years, but the early ones were for ordering missing or broken parts from Airfix. As a young boy I remember the need to do this several times. It seems Airfix QA wasn't too hot in those days and often kits had missing parts
28. True
29. The Bristol Bloodhound missile kit
30. The original TSR2 was the Fairy Swordfish - this WWII bi-plane is a little bit different to the 1960s supersonic bomber