A tale of two VICTORS! 1/72 Matchbox v. Airfix kit reviews
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- Опубліковано 20 кві 2021
- Get ready for THE MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES!
Matchbox's 1986 Victor K2 tanker v. Airfix's 2016 Victor Mk2 BS go head to head in another old v. new comparison in box review.
Bear in mind no in-box review is ever a final verdict though, so please also see my recent after-build review vids, see: @Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab
Thanks for watching, - please like, share & subscribe. - Наука та технологія
The victor always reminded me of Gerry Andersons productions, it wouldn't look out of place in a sci fi movie, it always looked futuristic.
Thanks for a great review. Considering buying one on eBay and think you've talked me into it
Peter: you Brits have more model UA-cam channels than here across the pond. I wonder why? I listen to yours, Nigel, Flory, Makeit Stuff, and one other person. In the US, there are two: Max’s Models and Doogs. Keep up the good work....
I think modelling is making a big come-back in popularity in the UK, maybe more YT channels will start to appear in the US too soon?
Hi Peter, nice video. New Subscriber. Jason over at Modelkit Stuff mentioned your channel, so I had to come on over and take a look.
Thanks Jeff, welcome to the channel. 😃
Hi Peter, I haven't gone through all of the comments to see if anyone had mentioned this, but the Google translate app on your phone can help with translating print. I've used the Google translate app on many occasions to do this and it works quite well. All you need to do is go to the app, choose the foreign language that needs to be translated, and use the app to take a photo of the print that you need to translate.
Tuxfords book contact a must read!🤔
Jman
Before any of these came out I had the 1/72 Rareplane HP Victor, very nicely molded for a vacform kit, but I only managed to do one wing before I binned it, but I was only 12 at the time
Seeing what the new tool 1/72nd Airfix victors go for i will just stick with my cheap 1/72 Revell victor in my stash! Liked and subbed Peter!
Great video, Peter, much appreciated.
Already the Airfix Victors are difficult to find in the UK. Sadly both Airfix boxings suffer from another Airfix curse . . . not just putting everything into two bags, but the box itself is so oversize that the parts slide around inside it. There is absolutely no need for Airfix to do this.
In his book Sea Harrier Over The Falklands, 'Sharkey' Ward has a very different take on the effectiveness of the Black Buck missions in the South Atlantic. Whatever one's opinion of the success of these raids, no-one can deny the dedication, skill and efforts of the Victor tanker crews and ground staff involved. Without the Victors the raids just would never have been possible.
Thanks Neil. Yes, manufacturers must do this to enable a std box to be used...I recently had some figures from MiniArt and the contents were rattling around a box x3 bigger than needed. 🙄
Hi Peter! I made this Matchbox kit last year during my lockdown in Madrid. I had not assembled any kit since 1992 and it was fun! I have to say the kit fits very well, especially the wings root into the fuselage impressed me most. Fortunately the kit I have includes a large instruction sheet and all sprues and large parts have the marking 'Made in England'. I had been thinking long before start building, because your actions are irreversible and it feels almost like doing something wrong. But I could feel why I enjoyed this so much back in the day, the time that I made drawings of air battles and had my scale models and books for inspiration. I enjoy your reviews and I hope to see more!
My Swordfish was from the same period, and included one of those plastic pods of cement - it went together beautifully, thanks to the Matchbox engineering.
Great review Peter! loving your vids :)
Thank You Brian. Hope they bring a smile. 👍🏻
Another nice detailed review Peter thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Thanks Jason...& Thank you for recommending my channel. 😊
Now that’s an interesting review! I was tempted to buy me a Matchbox Victor and was also wondering, why they never did a Vulcan bomber in the tradition of their Lancaster/Halifax kits.
Being a big fan of the V-bombers myself, I went down a different alley, however. In the venerable 1/96 scale. - due to limited space. This required some patience, determination, sometimes tears and a big wallet…😅
Revell did a rebox of the old Lindberg Vulcan and Victor kits back in '82/'83, most probably to eke out some cash in the aftermath of the Falkland War.
And then there were the old Frog kits of the early 1960s, which covered the whole V-force. Made in England. Luvverly, innit?
And comparing these Victors is interesting as well.
While both suffered from some inaccuracies, the Frog one is much nicer with finely engraved panel lines (that was in 1958!) whereas the Lindberg one was quite crude and chunky with a toy-like appearance.
The same goes for the Vulcans. I’m going to finish the Frog one as the “secret” movie star from “Thunderball”, and the Lindberg filler queen into a B.2.
Good luck with the build, Patrick! 👍🏻
Not just one Vulcan Peter. 6 Attacks took place ,1,2,3 & 7 dropping bombs. 4 Aborted. 5 & 6 carried anti-radar missiles, with 6 having fuel problems & landing in Rio. The Vulcans dropped seven 1000Lb bombs afaik, (a very light load for the sake of range compared to the normal 21 bombs). There are still a number of large craters visible diagonally across the boundary of the Airport if you look on Google Maps. I used to have a photo of me at the bottom of one of the roughly 30ft crater on the runway edge at Stanley, (near miss) taken in 1982, (photo and crater long since disappeared), but I still have a chunk of 1000lb bomb shrapnel or two that was in the bottom.
You are right Pete!
The Matchbox Victor which I bought it in the 90s is painful to work on!
I had so much cut and bruise on my fingers in preparing and assembling those real hard and sharp edged plastic members . So much so that I abandoned it halfway!
The Airfix one is excellent!
Thanks.
This guy was going in on China! You funny, I'm subbing!
Peter, this is yet another admirable video! I check in with you occasionally and you never disappoint. Interesting to compare these two Victors. the comparison will of course favour the newer technology but it does reveal some interesting comparisons notably the raised panel lines of the Matchbox typical of its era and the arguably over engineering of the newer Airfix. There is also the notable price differential between the two kits. With the Airfix one certainly gets what one pays for. The largely obscured cockpit is a good example. My question is, is the modeller paying for more than they need?
Thanks Jules, I think you make a good point there! 👍🏻
Hence why i am sticking with my cheap Revell 1/72 Victor, I'm not interested in interior detail etc, As long as it accurately- ish resembles a victor externally i am happy!
I bought the Matchbox Victor last year at a model show in the USA. The instructions are in English with German, Italian, French, etc summaries. There is one line of Chinese on one side of the box and that's it. Instructions are much bigger and in English- colors too. Camouflage guide is as big as the kit. It's got raised panel lines but plastic looks much crisper than your example. Pilots are much better nice detail with no flash. Instructions marked 1983 printed and made in England. Maybe Matchbox made some before they went out of business? Price was $18 which was kind of expensive for 1983 in the USA. Has Airfix done the tanker version of the Victor? I like the Falklands War aircraft. Got a few Sea Harriers and the Matchbox Victor tanker so far.
When this kit came out in 1983, raised lines were still the main way of depicting panels on injection moulded kits so I wouldn't be too harsh on Matchbox. By modern standards, I agree they don't look great but at the time we weren't too fussed about such things. The fact we had a 1/72 injection moulded Victor was good enough. To be honest, even engraved panel lines can be unrealistic, especially if they are overemphasised by panel washes etc.
And don't forget that Revell have been re-issuing this Matchbox kits in fairly recent times. I was given a Revell version only a couple of Christmases ago.
I thought that the prime Vulcan on Black Buck 1 had to return to base because of a pressurisation issue.
The Victor B1 had Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires and the B2/K2 had Rolls Royce Conways. The Olympus was considered for the B2 but the Conway was chosen instead.
Regarding the demise of Matchbox, the kits were only one aspect of their problems. Just a general inability to compete with toys manufactured in the far east caused British toy manufacturing massive problems. And don't forget that Airfix also ran into trouble around 1980/81, being eventually bought by Palitoy and then, after another financial catastrophe in 1986, Humbrol . The early to mid 1980s was a tough time for both Matchbox and Airfix. Airfix survived - Matchbox didn't.
that airfix kıt is beautiful. 10 / 10 to your revıew Thank you
Thanks Gary...check out the new vid on the Spitfire 1/32 After-build review tonight?👍🏻
really enjoyed the video, Peter. When you were talking about the Falklands operation, I had an idea for a ceiling diorama - Victor tanker refueling a Vulcan in flight. Would take an awful amount of work on the Matchbox kit, even with the photoetch update set. If Airfix would release a tanker variant after the new Vulcan kit, it would make life easier.
Airfix has done a K.2 A12009
@@Reactordrone thanks Darren! I'll look it up. I've recently gotten back into the hobby after a 25-year break
That sounds really cool 👍🏻...hope you have a BIG ceiling! 😬
@@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab I was saving a spot for a 1/72 B-36 BUT the Victor/Vulcan pairing is more interesting to me so the B-36 will have to stay in box 😜
Pedro: te felicito por el video👍
Muchas gracias, Sergio. ☺️
Great video, Peter! Luckily Scalemates has a pdf copy of English instructions for the Matchbox kit available for downloading. I agree with your comment about Mattel Hot Wheels cars vs. Matchbox. I loved playing with my Hot Wheels cars as a child, but even at a young age, I could clearly see the Matchbox cars were at a much better level of detail and quality.
"Low vis" is anti-flash. The roundals and markings were intended to absorb as little heat energy from the bomb flash as possible. Important at high altitude.
I’m half way through the a Matchbox Victor as I type this. Erm...I’ll finish it, but it’s not really enjoyable. Let’s just say that the Airfix Victor’s been posted to me yesterday. And I can hardly wait. 🤤
My Matchbox instruction sheet looks nothing like yours- full size: the same dimensions as the painting guide. No Mandarin at all. If you want it and the paint guide sheet sent to you for free (when I finish building it), find me on FB and PM me with your mailing address, Peter. 👍🏼
As for building the Matchbox kit- Here’s my review. The worst part is fitting the outer wing to the inner wing at the dog-tooth leading edge crank-point. There’s no internal support, so they droop. There’s a huge gap, but I had to champher away the tab and flatten the mating surfaces for them to fit, and two-part epoxy is necessary to prevent the wings drooping due to their weight. The air-brakes fit terribly when closed and the undercarriage is way to flimsy to support weight. But she’s an impressive aircraft and worth throwing together. My Airfix Victor arrived, and it’s as you point out in this video- stunning.
Kind regards.
Theese raised panel lines look better than Matchbox usual "trench" recessed panel lines.
That 1980s chineese glue is great for sniffing
Had matchbox Victor. I thought it was good at the time. But came with parts missing on weak sprue
Yes, that Matchbox may be a knock-off; I think the font with the kit number was different on the genuine article as well because the Privateer kit I had would have been from the same era (bought it in 1989). And apart from the language, that instruction sheet looks a bit too small as well from what I remember. Very impressed with the Airfix one, though!
The chineese writing was the genetic sequence for covid
The original Matchbox Victors has standard English instructions, I have owned a few and have never seen this style. A copy aimed at the Chinese market?
At 29:10 you say "that's the Vulcan K2 from Matchbox..."
Ooops! Soory Peter, a 'Freudian slip'. ☺️
the single wing roundel still looks very odd to me on RAF aircraft, it was used on and off during the cold war and now all RAF aircraft seem to adopted the American style single roundel, I can't say I approve. Shame about the demise of Matchbox it would have been interesting to see what they could have produced with todays design technology. They always seemed ahead of airfix back in the day.
I agree with you completely...seems really weird to me, too!
Peter: I don’t think this model was not made for a 10-12 kid. I think it was for a 15 year old.
Generally, Matchbox were aimed at the younger market.
To add to my first comment, the kit you have there is a wrong 'un. Yes the original kit has those raised panel lines but it was moulded to a much higher standard than what you have there, with much better transparencies and with better quality plastic. I have heard of Chinese copies of Matchbox kits and you have one there. Basically this one is a fake. The Airfix kit was made in the UK.
Martin - it was purchased from a ‘U.K. ‘high street’ Matchbox retailer (back in the day).
@@Russell-1 This makes things even more mysterious. I have an original issue in the loft. I have to do some sorting there next week and I will see if I can dig it out and we can do a comparison.