Airfix 1/48 Chipmunk T.10 Build Review

By Fotios Rouch

Build Review

After I completed the RAF Bulldog the Mr Paint colors arrived. Since I liked the RAF trainer tricolor scheme, I decided to do yet another aircraft in the same scheme. The Airfix Chipmunk looks like a gem in the box, and I quickly started the prepping process by washing the parts and getting ready for assembly. Looking at the parts, I was very pleased to see the raised detail, the raised rivets, and the fine engraved panel lines. The kit includes a nicely detailed motor and the option to pose the engine bay panels open. I gave it some thought but there would be too much scratch building for all the missing details and wiring, etc. so I decided to build the engine and paint it for fun but keep the panels closed. If down the road there is a resin engine available, I might build another Chipmunk in a slightly different scheme with a viewable engine. Test fitting the main parts showed very good fit. So, building and painting started.

I had purchased for this build the Eduard Look instrument panels, the photoetch seatbelts, the resin wheels and canopy masks.

Everything came together very well until I got to engine compartment. The engine supports fell together well but when I tried to close the engine panels, I had some small issues. Maybe it was me and maybe the kit is meant to have the engine panels open. After some adjustments I got to an agreeable result.

Painting with Mr Paint colors was a dream. I used for the first time their 2-part white paint, and this too was great. Great series of colors even if I feel that the mileage you might get out of the ready to airbrush bottles might not get you as far as you would like for the price per bottle. The model is pretty much done and now I must do the decals.