I think they’re South African roundels, hence the orange.

The markings that is orange as you say are correct for this version.That version of aircraft is for the South African airforce.

I do like the 1/72 Airfix Spitfires, built a few in my time. One point to bring up, Thats a South African Spitfire not a British - so the Orange in the roundel is correct

Well done for having a go at yourself Nigel. The starters these days are gems. Just a note. The full kits decals are fine. The "British" version is actually South African and they had orange centers instead of the red. All the best.😀

Thanks Nigel, I had no idea the current starter sets were so good!

My only experience with the present Airfix company has been extremely positive. Their Junkers 87-R in 1/48 is a fantastic model in all regards. Bravo!

Really enjoyed the comparisons and up to the end when you came clean, I thought that you were talking of Moss! Well done!

To be fair the old starter sets were just a normal kit with brush, pain and glue! Its only been recent they have a proper starter set!

Cudos for the excellent comparisons and for correcting yourself. Build the SAAF version as penance!!!!!

Was not expecting calling yourself out….ultimate professionalism…..more you tubers could learn a thing or two from this…

First time I've seen inside a starter set box - a really well executed concept with brilliant first-timer instructions. Thanks for the comparison Nige.

Nigel, the roundels on the Vc have orange centres as they are for a South African aircraft not a British one.

Nigel, WOW, you’re got so many important videos being released I’m having trouble keeping up. I haven’t even watched your last two Scharnhorst episodes. You’re working too hard. Go spend some time with your mum and Jess. Best always!

The starter set RNLI lifeboat looks stunning! Looks like a proper little advanced kit, despite the lower part-count and would be a great introduction to building ships for those, like me, who have never touched them in all my years as a modeller.

Perfect timing. Wifey bought me the Airfix Spitfire starter set for Christmas after a 45 year break from modelling. It’s inspired me to buy the Dambusters Lanc as a proper challenge and, low and behold, my favourite YT modeller is going to also build one. Can’t wait for the new series! 😀

Aprreciate your candor Nige. Only last night I was watching a review of the Airfix F-80C Shooting Star vintage classic. I suddenly realised why I used to be able to sling a kit together in a couple of hours back in the 60's 70's. There were so few parts and if you were lucky most were still hanging onto the single sprue by the skin of their teeth. Putting aside the advances in my modelling skills. I have often tried to relive this experience through the new tool kits, such as the 72nd Spitfire (out of the box no frills) I just cannot do it... After your review I can see why. Airfix have done a great job of giving us an updated kit in a simplified starter set, that will go together quickly with fewer parts and on sprues that will retain them. So they do not fly off into the void when you open the bag😆 Maybe I will have a go at putting one together in an afternoon like the good old days? Keep doing what you do mate, openess and honesty are appreciated.

Please make that video of the starter set, Nige. My Missus wants to get into modelling but I'm not too good at explaining things in basic terms. Excellent video, and humble rollocking of one's self.

Great stuff, interesting to actually see the difference. Looking forward to the beginners build to see how long you go before going off piste with the tools you use 😉

Well Nigel, I have built both those kits as has my daughter who was 8 when the spitfire starter set came out and she managed to build both. The difference was she built the starter set with almost no help and advice and she was a lot more proud of it. she really struggled with the decals, especially the sharks mouth on the other kit she also found some of the fiddly parts difficult to clean up, which has always been the reason that channel has argued starter sets should be a bigger scale, so dont be to hard on him because essential was correct until these excellent starter sets came out. In fact the starter sets are an excellent weekend project and light relief for experienced modellers wanting a break from something major like a 1/200 Scharnhorst for example. one point however is that the separate sheet with beginners instructions should be the first page of the instruction book, as my daughter ignored it and did not even look at it. Great vid Nige

Tropical filter, dusty around Alex 😄

whispers to nige - they're SAAF lol

My goodness Nigel, you had me going there for a moment, I thought that you were about to slag off one of our own. But tis you and fair play to you for having the character to admit you wefrom each other re wrong. Both of those kits are buildable as you have shown and both will be indistinguishable from four feet away.

Great video as always, love your content.. One thing I would really like to hear you say is the importance of supporting your local model shop. I think in Engalnd Modelling is still more popular than France but I popped into my nearest shop yesterday and he told me he's retiring 5 years early as his shop just doesn't make enough money anymore.. My next nearest shop is 2 hour drive.. I have always bought everything from him despite it being slightly more expensive than buying online.. High Streets are suffering the same everywhere, Everytime I come home to visit the UK going to any high street is frankly a depressing experience..

Great video Nigel! I've recently just got back into modelling and am currently building a 1:72 Bristol Beaufighter TF X

Nigel, very refreshing in this day and age to see someone admitting they’ve made an assumption that’s no longer true. Really like Airfix kits; I could use that little diagram showing the part location on larger part count kits too. 😊A nice touch. I do like the shadow stands too. As always a nicely done video.

What a revealing video! Truth be told I don't recall you knocking Airfix starter kits but to make a video to name and shame yourself is... well, fabulous. As with everyone else who's ever taken modelling to more than half a dozen kits I wish they'd ditch the tube glue- but think of the perils of an 8 year old with a bottle of Tamiya extra thin and the ruination of carpets, pets, accidental ingestion etc and I begin to see their point of view in providing the tube glue. Exellent video, hurrah for our Nige!

Nigel ! , AFTER watching your videos for the 1st time I am NOW a subscriber , As I follow every one "else" in the the KZfaq UK model building trade , and it was nice to hear your review on these kits , ... As simple as the kits they may be, I hope you build them into something amazing , All the very best from New Zealand mate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hii Nigel good review. Ithink am rigth in saying theres a table top gaming company thats gone in with airfix to help them out with there starter sets .Appently airfix owen 25% of warlord games.. Theres an interview on youtube on the modeling for advantage channel its worth a watch.

I have the new version of the Spitfire, and I find it interesting with the American insignia, something out of the ordinary, the other version is South African.

Hiya mate. The orange is correct it’s a South African Air Force aircraft

I'd add a couple of cocktail sticks for application of the glue as well. People always try to use the glue directly from the tube and end up making a mess. I still use the tube glue sometimes as i gives some wiggle time like when doing undercarriages.

I rather like the shadow stand, they do look like nice kits.

Nice review

Great to see Airfix doing simplified kits for beginners, I see more have been announced in the 2024 range. Hopefully they've managed to stop their paint pots drying out, but if they are still the same as they've used for years, I think that's unlikely, and will likely lead to disappointment for anyone who doesn't already have a paint collection. I think for beginners, they ought to ditch the squeezy tube of glue and include a small bottle of liquid poly with a tube applicator - there's no point giving instructions showing to apply a fine layer of glue when one squeeze of those tubes gives a huge spurt all over the kit.

You are quite right they do vary in complexity. I have made the spitfire mk1 and 109E and they are girgeous kits and yet a lot dismiss them assuming they must be rubbish and beneath them because of the name.

The latest release of the standard Vc has a scheme which uses the clipped wings. It's much easier for them to plan for possible future releases as early as possible.

Shouting at the screen, “it’s South African”! Both kits design by Paramjit at about the same time using the same source cad model, then different kits created .

I think the difference between an old starter set and a standard kit was simplified decals. Which the new starter set also has.

My invisible crystal ball has shown me more 72 scale Airfix kits in my future.

Thanks Nige for fessing up!

On the second kit, it looks like the standard nose chin is there under the Volkes filter chin and to the side of the slip fuel tank.

The orange colour caracterised Australian air corp I think...

Till the Eduard will realese Vc in 1/72 :))

SAAF = South Africa

I just wish they had better glue with them. Italeri do some interesting looking starter sets which contain clippers, sanding sticks, brush and paints from what I recall which is an interesting idea. Obviously more expensive.

I finished the not-starter Vc a few days ago. Lovely to build, but I made a mess of some of the decals!

Great video again, thanks! Might I ask a question? - I bought a Tamiya tank kit to begin with but what company should I be looking to buy kits from next? I'm not a fan of airfix (sorry) so what others would you recommend to someone who has decent building skill but low painting skill?

Didn't call you out as i have never built a starter set ,when i first started most kits were pretty basic

The orange is due to it being a SAAF version

Their starter sets are strange. Some are simplified and others are full kits with paint and glue. With this spitfire i would have to change the propeller as the built in boss is just horrible but the mk1 has them separate. EDIT. I should have watched the full video first. I thought they would be the same sprues as with some other starter kits but fair enough they are not in this case 😊

South african roundel's

I'll make a couple of remarks if I may. Both kits have the hole for a stand in the bottom of the wing (even though the second does not have a stand). The kits with a thin breakout for a stand are ok but this pit is intrusive and yes there should be a plug if you don't want to use it. With the second kit, hooray for the canopy rails and the option of open. The Revell Mk2 I had in about 1968 had a sliding canopy, much better, but at least we have the option here. Most important, lets say I'm in Hobbycraft looking at these 2, how will I know what the difference between them is, because I will be very disappointed if I get the simple first one by mistake instead of the better second one. Lastly, I need to coment on the advice to paint small parts on the sprue. I did that recently and discovered that after parting them from the sprue I had to clean up the "pips" of sprue and then touch in the resulting bare patches. Not so bad if its one colour from a pot but I had to mix the colour and now I have to mix up a match, so that is really irritating. What I do now is sepate the part from all but one bit of sprue and then trim (snip through) the sprue out so that I have one handle, preferably attached to the part where it wont be seen (the tab of an aerial or in the case of the pilot we see, his foot which will be out of sight). If I need more handle then a croc clip (on the sprue) will do the job. Beginners need better advice.

I don't bother painting decols as I'm disabled