Airfix Bristol Bloodhound Missile scale

[Delanie]

Hi guys,

 

I've just seen a review of the recent release of the bloodhound on you tube and having built this kit several times as I was growing up I seem to remember that it was in 1/72 scale however the video shows that it is 1/76 has anyone built this or can remember which is correct?

 

This just intrigued me any ideas?

 

 

 

[BWP]

According to Airfix Tribute Forum:

 

Kit was originally issued (in 1960) as 1/72 scale.  When it was reboxed in 1971-ish it was reclassified as 00 scale (i.e., 1/76).

 

Wander down the years to 2006 and Hornby, having just acquired the brand, issue it as 1/72.  And now re-issuing it once more in 2023 it's 1/76 again.

 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=323

 

Why this continued uncertainty?  My guess (and it's only a guess) is that Airfix decided the kit would sell better if it was claimed to match their 00 series of military vehicles.  Having made that decision, decades down the line no-one remembered the origins of that decision and just kept repeating it.  Ironic, given that there was a period in the 1990s where all the vehicles were re-issued as 1/72 because it was thought they would sell better!  (No-one was fooled.)

 

The most recent Vintage Classic claim would, I think, just be purely an error on Airfix's part.

 

I don't have the confirmation details to hand, but I have read that somebody eventually decided to measure the bloody thing (at least, the Land Rover part of it) and it scales out perfectly as 1/72.

 

[Delanie]

That's interesting I think the last time I built a diorama with this set was when I was at school in the 70's. I do remember being really satified with the build.

 

Having seen some of the relaunches of kits over the years of, if not beloved, but well remembered projects from when I was younger and seeing some of the 'franken kit' changes they made over the years , notably having recently found my 'stached' version of the Angel interceptor, when they converted kits to 'snap' or 'quick' builds, I wondered if they had scaled it down somehow.

 

On a slightly different note I did find myself shouting at my screen when a You tuber reviewed the Airfix Failey Rotodyne rerelease and said that being a 60 year old kit he thought it would be difficult to build and I got to thinking that I built that as a nine year old and I didn't have any problems Sigh!