Airfix 1/72 Vought OS2U Kingfisher

AIRFIX 1:72 VOUGHT OS2U KINGFISHER

Reviewer: Paul Wherran (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 5 June 2003

Aircraft History:

The Kingfisher started out as the Vought VS-310, being a cantilever monoplane with provision for fixed landing gear and floats. The type was developed to replace the already in service Vought O3U biplane. The US Navy ordered a prototype which first flew in 1938 and was designated the XOS2U-1, and after successful trials the OS2U-1 Kingfisher entered service in 1940 as the US Navy's first catapult-launched monoplane observation type. The Kingfisher served on most of the larger American surface warships.

Over 1500 Kingfishers were produced with the last one rolling off the factory line in 1942. The Kingfisher was also supplied to allies of the US including Australia, Mexico, Argentina and 100 Mk.1s to Britain, amongst others. It was used extensively throughout the second world war as an air-sea rescue aircraft and inshore sea patrols.

The Kit:

I remember seeing this kit on the shelves when I was young and thought that one day when I would be a true modeller I would be able to take on this project, because jets were more my thing in the day, which is the era I grew up with. Over the years I have seen this kit come and go and often wondered one day I would take on this classic plastic project. The day finally came when it was sitting on the hobby store shelves and it came home with me. Within a week the box was unpacked and the parts were on the workbench.

Some would say this kit comes from the golden era of Airfix and even though it has been reissued a few times over the years, the basic molding is all there, including the raised rivets! It is also basically accurate although a couple of modifications will need to be made to bring out a proper looking replica. The parts are bagged and on a number of sprue branches with raised lines and the already mentioned excessive rivets. There are a few mold imperfections which is not surprising for a kit of this vintage but otherwise the 65 light grey parts are of good quality. The transparencies are a bit on the thick side though. Options in the kit include open cockpits, a choice of either a RN version with undercarriage or the US Navy version with floats which is by far the most popular way of depicting this model.

Instructions:

What more can one say other than that these follow the atypical Airfix format in large A4 sized sheets with multi lingual information on modelling and an overview of the aircraft. The exploded assembly diagrams are blocky but clear and easy to follow and the four view diagrams for external markings are very good. Naturally all the painting information is supplied via Humbrol number quotations only.

Construction:

In terms of kit supplied cockpits it doesn’t get much sparser than this and the pilot figure supplied is a good way of filling up the void. But don’t rely too much on a figure for the rear cockpit since it only comes in a head and shoulders form. Apart from a seat for the pilot and the rear cockpit decking nothing is supplied. I cut out an instrument panel from a scrap of plastic and added in small bits of stretched sprue for radio boxes and the like. A test fit of the canopy glazing for both cockpits showed an awful fit to get them closed, so this was also borne in mind for later. A gun is supplied for the rear cockpit but in such a way it will be shown at a straight and level angle underneath the glazing. Once this was done, the cockpit was painted black and the fuselage halves were closed which fit quite well.

The wing root stubs are already molded onto the fuselage halves, and the rest of the wings come in upper and lower halves, with the usual amount of excessive rivet detail. The trailing edge flaps are separate but wrongly depicted, as they should extend right from the wing roots to the outer panel. The wing root can be painted black to depict the wing walks, which is why I suspect the roots were included on the fuselages moldings. These fit quite well but a small amount of filler was still needed at the join along the roots.

The tailplanes were added next and these fitted very well with a bit of consultation of reference photos to ensure it was set at the right angle while it dried. Next came the nose cowling which contains a one piece engine block, painted in Gun Metal with a dab of matt black to depict some oil staining. The propeller is constructed through this via a shaft painted silver and the propellers were painted black with yellow tips. A little bit of coaxing and cleaning up around the parts were needed before putting the cowling onto the fuselage, which was dealt with at test fitting stage.

After this comes the canopy glazing for both cockpits and the fit of these is quite poor, which detracts from an otherwise fairly simple to construct model. I therefore decided to go with open cockpits and naturally the raised fuselage was painted around these beforehand. Railings are provided on the fuselage around the pilot’s cockpit, and a fair bit of coaxing is needed to sit the main canopy on this. The windscreen fits quite well, and it is possible to have a closed cockpit without too much drama. The three piece rear glazing does not fit at all and needs to be shown open if one wants to keep all their hair strands in place. The middle glazing part is meant to fit under the forward one, but there is no way this will happen as it is thicker so you can either organise for a replacement, leave off, or go against the accuracy of the kit and sit it over the other way as I did, with a lot of trimming and thinning. The parts are thick and a bit distorted anyway, so not a lot would otherwise be seen inside the cockpits. After a few headaches I was happy to go onto the next stage.

The floats were next and these are relatively simple to construct and to affix as the only main landing gear for the kit, although wing floats are also provided. These also fit quite well and both areas need a bit of cleaning at the join lines afterward as the only real work required. Once this has been accomplished the smaller external bits can be added which include pitot probe, DF Loop and the like, all of which are a bit thick and overscaled.

Colour Schemes:

Two versions can be built from the box, one with the float and one with the undercarriage. Respectively these are a US Navy Kingfisher from USS North Carolina, 1944 in overall intermediate blue and light grey and a Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy from a similar period in a similar two tone grey scheme. Humbrol numbers are quoted on the instructions which is what I used to finish the model in as directed.

Decals:

The pale blue decal sheet is typical Airfix comprising of mainly roundels and wing walks, with codes and serials the only other options provided, apart from about four stencils for the US Navy version. The sheet is split into two, one side for each version and the US Navy one also includes the 1942 red bordered star and bars insignia. The decals are thin and well printed although slight scratch-like blemishes can be seen on the US insignia. They are applied easily to the model and bed down very well with Humbrol decal setting solution.

Conclusion:

It is classic plastic from an Airfix golden era that caters more for those requiring a fix of nostalgia than much else. It is basically accurate in profile and dimensions although a few flaws such as the abovementioned wing roots can be quickly picked out. It is full of rivets which will disappear under much sanding pressure but other than that the kit goes together quite well with only the canopies being a problem where fit is concerned. If you need a fix of nostalgia or are looking for a basic easy to assemble Kingfisher then I can recommend this kit.

Related Reviews:-

Airfix 1/72 Vought OS2U Kingfisher - [Richard Stracey]

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