A TALE OF TWO WELLINGTONS! 1/72 Airfix 2018 v Matchbox 1975 Kits Review 

I agree with you, Peter. The 1970s Matchbox Wellington is one of the best kits they made. I loved mine! Now, some 40 years later, Airfix have done the same thing, supassed themselves with a Wellington! The kit you have reviewed is definitely the next one on my shopping list! As you say, it is stunning! For decades the Matchbox Wellington was my go to kit for this aircraft type (you had to build the 70s Airfix kit to appreciate how TRUELY awful it was). Now Airfix have released this little beauty, I can build a great model of one of my favourite aircraft without sacrificing my mint Matchbox kit. Thanks again for a great review! 😊

Ah memories of matchbox.... soothing in crazy times....

I loved the unique coloured sprues Matchbox kit did👍👍

The Matchbox Wellington definitely a step up from the Airfix offering of the time. I built both but Roy Cross' artwork for Airfix remains definitive to my mind. Wonderful work Peter. Excellent.

1975 was the year I was born, matchbox was one of the company's that got me intrested in modelling in the 80,s I have the new airfix kit that is great my only beef is that some of the new airfix kits plastic is somewhat soft compared to other companies, amazeing story about the crews of the Wellington, the one in lochness was salvaged in 1985, anyway keep up the good work, love the reviews etc, many thanks.

Superb! A great look at a gorgeous old vintage Matchbox kit - which was amazing for it's time, and then that new Airfix kit just looks like a work of art!! Such incredible detailing... they're not the old Airfix that I remember from my childhood, with rivets everywhere, a pilot and maybe a seat if you're lucky!! I've built a fair few of these newer Airfix kits; the Hurricane, Spitfire, BF109E, Mustang, etc, and a few of the new 1/48 scale kits and they too are just wonderful, compared to what we had in the late 1960s, and 1970s!! Matchbox were a breath of fresh air at that time as they were better molded, often had more detail, and very quickly started using the recessed panel lines... a wee-bit thick perhaps, but once a kid got going with his paints, then those panel lines soon filled-up!! :-D

Cracking video. I love the way you link the models to the real aircraft and events. I have become a big fan of your channel and have just subscribed. On the subject of box art, I always assumed that the rear gunner in the incident depicted on the Matchbox kit had to be a gonner. Poor chap. The Roy Cross artwork on the old tool Airfix Wellington was also brilliant - depicting a Wellington flying at low level being chased by two 109Es. The radar in the nose of the Wellington was called ASV radar - for Anti-Surface Vessel. R for Robert was raised to the surface of Loch Ness in 1985 and has been on display at Brooklands for over 20 years. It was recently moved - but only into the newly restored hanger. It's still at Brooklands. It looks magnificent. The only other preserved Wellington is the one owned by the RAF Museum. This one is currently at their restoration facility at Cosford undergoing a long term refurbishment.

thank you Peter. You went to a lot of tumble, what with lights and the tripod .... but you gave us a great video with fantastic clarity cheers!

I had this precise Matchbox Wellington ! I agree absolutely. The beauty of the Matchbox artwork were phenomenal. I loved it as a 10 yo kid, I couldn't stop watching them. And they gave you that little diorama with the ground vehicles that kept the pictorial feeling alive all along. You built scenes, not tank models. And of course, I could not throw the boxes after the build: the box arts became posters on the walls of my bedroom.

A bit difficult for the matchbox kit. But matchbox kit brings you so Good memories....it s the best one. Thanks Peter

When you showed the srpues it all came back! (especially the bright green )I understand why these beautiful kits are reserved for `browsing enjoyment` now and again, rather than being built. I can see why these kits ( not that I own one... but built many! ) provide much happiness. I still have memories of many. For some reason I built the F6 Hellcat at least three times and used to use a hot needle to imitate bullet damage for `extra realism`..lol The Matchbox Jag kit STILL resonates all these years later as well. One day I will add one to my collection ( not for building ).Cheers

Another trip down the Memory Lane. This was my first “big” Matchbox kit. And again, after saving enough pocket money (including a generous “subsidy”), I got my Wellington. I was pretty impressed by the sheer size and the plastic colours. It went together without problems, but I used way too much glue back in the day. The boxart was dramatic, as was the boxart of its Airfix contemporary, where a Wellington was under attack by two Bf 109 (IIRC it was shot down in southern Germany).

Great visit down memory lane with that Matchbox kit Peter. Great days! I also wish that they would put a clear stand in with new kits.

Airfix finally doing justice to the Wellington. I recently built the 1/72 Trumpeter version. It is as good as the Airfix kit.

be interesting to see a vintage airfix kit compared to a modern airfix kit, I seem to remember that some of the earlier airfix kits left a lot to be desired!

You can get various Eduard sets for the Airfix 1/72 Wellington for even more detail.

I like that Airfix kit. Shame it's not 1/48. Will have to look for it.

Wow really nice looking kit for 1/72 scale.. Personally I only build 1/48. 1/32 & 1/24 scale.. But this looks really good... Think I'll end up getting one of these...Still got the hawker typhoon in 1/24 scale to build. Bought it just over 4 years ago. £100.00 pound kit.. Had it for £45:00 . In a sale from my local model shop. In Cardiff. Also got a couple of airfix 1/48 scale kits as well.... Gotta say though really impressed with the Wellington 👍👍

As a kid I preffered Airfix over Matchbox, - the Airfix might have had too many rivets, but the Mathcbox always feld too clunky and toylike, with the thick colorfull plastic and huge panel lines. I did like the 1/72 B-26 though, but the new tooled Airfix B-26 is better (especially the two small intakes above the cowling). But the Matchbox B-26 boxart is in a league of it self!

I had the original one, the top one. Your channel really is a feast of recognition, Peter.

an interesting comparison demonstrating how the hobby has developed in terms of both the product and its market. but remember how basic the Airfix Wellington was and how much better this kit was both at the time and for may years until the new Airfix Wellingtons. my son thought contemporary kits too complicated and there's much can be said about this is the hobby more 'adult' today?

R for Robert Wellington Bomber raised from Loch Ness in 1985 on display in Brooklands Weybridge

The Airfix Wellington story was the subject in Warlord comic back in the 1970's

If you like the look of the Airfix kit, it is kit reference AO8019. 👍🏻

Stumbled onto this channel. Nice visit. The Wellington has been well served in 1/72 by Airfix (1959) FROG in the 60's, (maybe 1970?) Matchbox in 1975, MPM and finally Airfix again. I may have missed Trumpeter. Every kit seemed to be a different variant. The Matchbox fit together extremely well. If you find an old example of the Airfix kit it also fit together well the last pressings did not fit together and needed persuasion. The tooling was so old that it finally broke and Airfix produced this gem. With plastic strip, the 1959 Airfix can be really improved. I think if you built both and used the spare parts from the new kit you could really enhance the old model. I saw someone use their spares from their Whitley to upgrade the old FROG kit. Going on scalemates, FROG put out an identification kit in 1939! The number of different manufacturers who produced their own tooling of the Wellington is mind boggling. Then add in all the reboxing agreements.....

Новый ,веллингтон, от ,airfix, потрясающе хорош!!😊🎉

You made me buy one!

Wow! How the heck anyone would have the notion of climbing onto the wing in hopes to extinguish an otherwise uncontrollable engine fire is beyond me. Then trying it, and actually succeeding, seems outrageous: What would you hold on to, and what would you fight the fire with? I am verv curious, and my BS meter is pegged!

I loved the scene in The Dambusters where the War offine offiicial asks Barnes Wallis how he could justify asking the RAF to lend him a Wellington? Barnes Wallis replied "if you tell them I designed it, do you think thar might help?"

I have seen the new italeri tornado review looks good, I have the older 1/32 revell one.

Short Stirling operational 1941, Avro Lancaster operational 1942, close.

Matchbox included the parts to build a different version , nowadays you would have to buy a whole new kit

In the 2020 Airfix catalogue they now have stands for sale as a separate item???

I made an Airfix Wellington in 1969, I guess is not the same Airfix model, rigth?

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That green is a bit urgent! I have fond memories of Matchbox kits in the 70s- Wellington, Mitchell, He111 etc.

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" I,'m not skimping on the lights"- man, you're not joking! Watching your videos they're the main thing I see....very distracting. Why on earth do you need so many? It must be positively dazzling with them all turned on.