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AnigrandVC-10012a.jpg

AnigrandVC-10016a.jpg

AnigrandVC-10013a.jpg

Overall I am pleased. The wings have a case of "built-in" droop apparently but that can be solved with internal metal strips to counteract that. They appeared to get the engine pylons correct. The nose does seem a bit pointy and the windscreen not quite accurate, but can be fixed to more closely resemble the real thing. The Windex bottle is there to provide a sense of the size of this model.

The landing gear is injected white plastic and due to the weight of the model, I would prefer metal. The tyres seem to be quite accurate in size and shape. I still hope to make it a BOAC jetliner but we'll see. I will take photos of the decals and post them as well.

Aside from some shape issues, it closely resembles a VC-10. I am pleased. After my experience with his Jetstar, I took the photos of the resin bits from his website and superimposed them on photos of actual VC-10's and though I wasn't expecting much, it turned out that he got it mostly right. So it was on that basis that I decided to drop $150 on this kit. Like many people, it was an emotional decision and although there are rumors that Airfix was talking about doing this machine in this scale, it has yet to materialize. So I decided to take some hard-earned cash and add this to my collection. It will go nicely with my 1/72 Concorde and Comet. However, Having room to display them is another thing entirely.

Cheers

Fang

Edited by VADM Fangschleister
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[Aside from some shape issues, it closely resembles a VC-10.

Hmm... that alone, plus knowing the box says "Anigrand" is more than enough to put me off it I'm afraid. I'll patiently wait for Airfix :)

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Hmm... that alone, plus knowing the box says "Anigrand" is more than enough to put me off it I'm afraid. I'll patiently wait for Airfix :)

Curious: why?

I have no plans to buy this kit as it doesn't fit into my modelling theme and it's too expensive to buy "just for fun", but I think if Anigrand were to release a 1/72 Avro Jetliner or Tu-134 I'd probably very seriously consider it, despite the various negative things I've heard about their kits. And, I have seen more recent comments saying their product is improving...

EDIT: I'm just finishing up my first Airfix kit, a P-51D... I got it on special for $14, and I wasn't very impressed with it at all. If I'd have paid the full $22 for it I'd be feeling pretty annoyed. I can't say much good about it, but should I not buy any other Airfix product because of my experience with this one?

Edited by Litvyak
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Airfix put out their much coveted 1/72 Concorde some years ago and when I got mine, I couldn't believe the glaring errors in the nose, the hinge-line, the visor and other things. It was an expensive injected-molded model and I had easily 70+ hours to just correct the nose. Their goal, perhaps was to have the whole thing articulated but, experience in the last 40 years has shown that movable clear plastic parts break very easily. I suppose it was a nifty idea but they sacrificed accuracy for the "fun-factor" in having a moving part. So even if Airfix provides a 1/72 VC-10, there's no guarantee that it'll be more accurate than Anigrand's and though it will be less expensive, the amount of work to correct will most likely be just as costly in terms of time.

But it's a hobby. There are some things I'm willing to overlook. Even with the big Concorde; I'm willing to re-do the nose in order to have the great beast in my collection. Same with the Anigrand VC-10. And it's not that bad. All things that appear inaccurate at first glance are fix-able with a little effort. This isn't an exercise in trying to repair something that doesn't look like a VC-10 to begin with and when fixed, STILL won't look like a VC-10. It looks like one now and can look even better with just a little work.

As to the ongoing argument about "why didn't he just do it right to start with"? I cannot answer to that but I suppose time, resources, amount of work required may all factor in there somewhere. But, given the absolute glut of 1/72 VC-10's out there, I mean, there are just so many of them, I'm quite happy to have a kit that's very close. If it was just a blob of expensive resin, which it's not, I wouldn't have bought it. Like I said, I compared the resin pieces with actual photos and it's very, very close in many respects. Reshaping the nose won't be such a chore as I already have an idea. I've never seen a resin kit be a "shake 'n' bake" affair and most of the outlines and shapes are good. Nitpickers can choose to not spend their money and that's all that's required.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Take it you are doing RAF......... which version is it? C1 ? looks like it has the Fwd feight doors, though some panels are missing off the fin and eng's.... BUT it looks bloody good to me and Ex RAF VC10 Engineer :D with tons of hours on and in em.

EDIT: Just found it was a K2, so wouldn't have the fin access panels for the tanks

Ignore the none operational use of the grey green scheme on here

http://www.anigrand.com/images/items/AA2096_VC-10/AA2096_VC-10_parts.gif

They lived accross from my room and were in that scheme on the squadron for quite a long time......The RAF ain't the type to splash out money on none neaded repaints, indeed they dont often do full repaints on any of them.

Hope you do it justice, it looks fantastic :D

Edited by TonyT
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Tony,

It may seem sacrilegious but I am way fond of the BOAC paint scheme and...if you have any ideas to make the airframe accurate to that extent, it might save me a lot of research, or it may be impossible or too effort-intense. However, my first thought was to fill the windows and use a decal to replace them. I can pick/choose colors to match and airbrush away.

I'm not trying to insult your service; I myself would've loved the opportunity to be connected with this jet in any way. I once flew in the Super from London to Tripoli in 1968. I loved the plane from the first moment I saw it at the airport. I was 7 years old. I had the Aero-Mini Airliner of it for years. A most cherished possession.

But, I think in 1/72 the beautiful CUNARD paint scheme might be striking. As I said, it would look very impressive next to the (to be built, someday) 1/72 Concorde and Comet. A large display but perhaps very necessary for my sanity.

cheers

Fang

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Tony,

It may seem sacrilegious but I am way fond of the BOAC paint scheme and...if you have any ideas to make the airframe accurate to that extent, it might save me a lot of research, or it may be impossible or too effort-intense. However, my first thought was to fill the windows and use a decal to replace them. I can pick/choose colors to match and airbrush away.

I'm not trying to insult your service; I myself would've loved the opportunity to be connected with this jet in any way. I once flew in the Super from London to Tripoli in 1968. I loved the plane from the first moment I saw it at the airport. I was 7 years old. I had the Aero-Mini Airliner of it for years. A most cherished possession.

But, I think in 1/72 the beautiful CUNARD paint scheme might be striking. As I said, it would look very impressive next to the (to be built, someday) 1/72 Concorde and Comet. A large display but perhaps very necessary for my sanity.

cheers

Fang

The BOAC scheme is cool, and I take it you know the website

http://www.vc10.net/Misc/vc10_models.html

http://www.vc10.net/index.html

:)

were the best to fly in and still the fastest passenger airliner out there, they got the nose shape just right, the new dreamliner has a VC10esq nose job on it too.

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Yes! I have it hot-linked in my browser. Spent a week one night reading much of it. Oddly, it hasn't been updated to include Anigrand's offering of models yet, though I'm sure it will be added once someone has the opportunity to critique it sufficiently.

I'll build mine, "someday". Lord willin' and the crick don't rise.

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  • 1 year later...

I got this kit about a month ago.Glad you didnt go for the Magna kit!Had a quick look.the 1st things that stand out are The No1 & 4 tank fwd lid isnt in the right place it needs to move inboard,so it is central to the rear two lids on the same plank as it's been positioned in/on and at least one isnt parallel to the plank line which it is supposed to be and all of the tank lids are too small.the fin detailing isnt right either,the rudder shroud panels have an extra panel line on this kit.The fwd line is ok its the panel line in the shroud panel that shouldn't be there.The outbd elevator outbd edge line is missing and if you look at the rudder shroud detailing,see those oval "bumps"they should be on all the control shroud panels where the Powered flying control unit sits,lower surface panels for the elevators and ailerons, On the wing lower surface the aileron shroud detail is missing.Nothing major from a quick look.Thrust reverser detail on the stub wing aswell,you dont want.As with all VC-10 kits the wing fence is the wrong shape and if its a k2 in the wrong place.On the k2 its further inbd and sits on the fwd tank lid,with a removeable section to get at the tank lid csk bolts so you can remove the lid for access.At least rib 22 is in the right place and angle.Look at the Airfix version wrong angle to leading edge.The cam markings were not in service.The prototype k2,ZA141,came to Brize in '84 for a quick visit in the cam markings.It did all the trials in cam.mkgsThat was re sprayed (before entering service) at Filton.The rest were delivered in Hemp scheme.Either way that scheme wasnt about at Brize.

There are few things Anigrand could have done,given the scale.The mush hd taper bolt heads are best part of an inch. (i got some Archers rivet hd decals for those) on ribs 22,10 and 8 upper and lower wing,the fridge pack exhaust grill (s)pt and stb l/edge,Heat exchanger on the dorsal fin both sides.

Overall i'm happy with it,plenty to do and play with.

I spent 20 years on these at Brize and wish i could do it all again.

BOAC Cunard marked VC-10 services were Supers BTW. Not the Standard we have here.pretty sure about that (i'm diving for cover tho'!)

One more thing!The fin bullet,on the aft end is all nav light,its clear perspex.

Hopefully it wont be too long before i start mine,although its looking like after christmas at the moment.Obviously i will be watching you build yours with intrest!

Edited by bzn20
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Curious: why?

Because I've purchased three Anigrand kits, and all three have turned out to have *major* errors. And I'll go out on a limb and state that of all the other Anigrand kits I've seen, nearly every single one has had some kind of major, totally avoidable error or errors in it. The guy simply doesn't do his homework, it's that simple. He's been offered all kinds of assistance for free, and has declined. If I'm going to spend the kind of money he asks for kits, then I expect him to have done his basic research and produced a quality product. He doesn't and they aren't. Some are better than others, but I haven't seen a single one that I'd call better than okay. Most of them, IMHO, are essentially a waste of resin.

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I take it you're not impressed!

I agree with you that there are some glaring errors that he,who ever he is, should have sorted,omitted,added depending on the different areas not done correctly that i've seen on the VC-10 kit.What i have in mind for mine i think it will be ok and give me something to make a complete mess of.

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Cool subject. I too will agree that Anigrand quality has improved very nicely from their early kits. I saw their 1/72 Air Force One kit at a show last year and it was awesome and I'm sure their getting better and better with every newer subject or atleast I hope. :rolleyes:/>

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cool subject. I too will agree that Anigrand quality has improved very nicely from their early kits. I saw their 1/72 Air Force One kit at a show last year and it was awesome and I'm sure their getting better and better with every newer subject or atleast I hope. :rolleyes:/>/>

Their VC-25 kit is an absolute abomination. There is almost nothing about it that's accurate (and I mean that literally).

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That bad?))))))

How it compares with AIM kit?

The AIM kit is ok (my mind thinks "okayish" but my hands type "ok") but the Anigrand kit is hopeless.

You will always find people thinking "it looks like a 747 enough" and I certainly will not criticize them for investing $328 in that kit, after all, as long as they are happy with it. But in the case of the Anigrand VC-25 kit, it is no more "rivet counting/armchair talk", it is about serious accuracy issues. I saw the kit in Zurich 3 weeks ago, it is just too gross, nothing is accurately shaped, and again, I am not talking of a nose being 2mm too short or 2-3-5-10 panel lines missing : $328 should buy you perfection and nothing less, think of Authentic Airliners 1:72 727-200 resin kit.

Most of Anigrand's kits will suffer from accuracy issues, some are just easier to hide or correct (VC-10, KC-10, etc) but the VC-25 certainly will not fall into this category.

The AIM kit is a much better starting base, though I still find it ok... "ish" as it lacks the prominent wing to fuselage fairing (there is an embryo of it aft the wing but it is very poorly shaped), a bit like on Airfix's 1:144 747-100 kit.

To get back to the VC-10, I think it looks rather nice and I sure look forward to additional photos and comments from the creator of this topic.

Cheers, Steven

Edited by PMG Offramp
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