Armstrong Whitworth Siskin MK IIIA 1:72
Hi folks! This is the old Matchbox Siskin with some minor modifications.
The kit itself is quite good, as the biplane Matchboxes in general and simplicistic in some area (as Matchboxes in general 🙂 ), namely the interior and the small details. I focused on detailing these areas (added the prominent prop-driven generators, lights, some rigging, aiming telescopic sight and so on). I had to modify the landing gear (as the kit provides it “in-flight” condition, and the struts doesn’t fit too well) and added the very prominent push-rods onto the Jaguar engine (however the kit’s engine not bad just from the box).
The decals were in bad condition as this is a chinese incarnation of the kit from the mid 90’s so I had to paint/correct them a lot. The silver dope colour is Gunze silver, the polished parts made from Bare Metal Foil while the green is mixed from various Gunze greens (I don’t remember exactly which colours were used).
Hope You like it.
34 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Craig Abrahamson said on April 12, 2015
A nice little build and an even nicer set of photos….good work all around.
Paul van Acker said on April 12, 2015
Very nice build. Beautiful paint jib, great looking aeroplane. 🙂
Frank Cronin said on April 12, 2015
Gabor, great build. You obviously have s touch win these smal scale biplanes.
Rob Pollock said on April 13, 2015
Lovely job, Gabor. You’ve made a great looking model.
Christian WERY said on April 13, 2015
1/72 Biplans are a challenge, great build well photographed.
Gábor Szabó said on April 13, 2015
Thank You very much! For some reasons I like these old Matchbox kits (these vere the first true “western” kits here when I was a child and You could buy them literally everywhere – even from newspaper stands 🙂 ). Hardly beleive they are became collectibles.
Maurits De Ridder said on April 13, 2015
Very nice model! I love the engine and the cockpit!
Phil Steele said on April 13, 2015
Smashing !! Canada’s first demo team used Siskins.
Gábor Szabó said on April 13, 2015
😀 and this was the first fighter equipped with radio (sometimes 😉 )
Phil Steele said on April 13, 2015
Yes–two way military radios–another Canadian first !!
Greg Kittinger said on April 13, 2015
Wonderful work! I’m partial to 1/72 and love to see such detail work at that scale – it inspires me!
Bernd Müller said on April 14, 2015
Great build on the lovely old Matchbox Siskin, your detail work in the cockpit
and the engine is really amazing. Awesome 🙂
Gábor Szabó said on April 15, 2015
Thank You!
George Williams said on April 16, 2015
Hard to believe you managed to get all that detail and such a good finish in any scale, let alone 1/72, another great job, Gabor.
Gábor Szabó said on April 16, 2015
Thank You! I really like these interwar little biplanes.