Workbench Edition 411- Saracen – Britain’s classic Cold War Armoured Personnel Carrier

Workbench edition 414 - A world of warships gathering on the Airfix Workbench

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. When it comes to modelling the machines which took part in the two world wars of the 20th century, few have the aesthetic gravitas of the mighty warships which fought for control of the oceans, leviathans of the sea which in addition to wielding unimaginable firepower, were also home to hundreds, if not thousands of men. By the time of the Second World War, even the mightiest warships were vulnerable to attacks from the air, so despite their impressive size and firepower, it could be argued that aircraft carriers were now the most important vessels in any military fleet. Nevertheless, cruisers, pocket battleships and battleships remain some of the most awe-inspiring weapons of war ever conceived by man, and therefore make for thoroughly engaging modelling projects. In this latest edition of Workbench, we will be returning to the nostalgic world of our popular Vintage Classics range [https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vintage-classic-kits?langPath=airfix-uk&filters%5Bmandatory_filter_by%5D%5Bproduct_collection%5D=Vintage%20classics&page_id=116325&sort-by=8&page=1] to feature a ‘squadron’ of recently released warship kit additions to the range, our scale tributes to some of the most significant naval vessels of the 20th century, with each one making its own contribution to the world of naval history. Warship kits have featured relatively sparingly within Workbench blogs over the years, and we have never featured three different ship kit subjects in the same edition, so in that respect, this week will be something a little bit special. We will certainly be hoping to inspire one of two readers to perhaps consider tackling their first scale warship project, over the course of this edition. At the very end of this edition, we will be bringing you news about the future of Workbench, and a change to what readers can expect from us as we head through the rest of the year and beyond, so please do stay with us until the end. Our model kit tributes to vessels which attempted to rule the waves are on our Workbench radar in the latest edition of our blog.

Workbench edition 413- First knights of the Air

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. For those of us who have a few years invested in this wonderful hobby of ours, we know only too well how the model kits we’ve enjoyed building over the years, particularly early on in our modelling journeys, helped to provide us with a different perspective on the facts we learned about in our history books at school, if not by actually bringing those details to life, but certainly by allowing them to take physical form and becoming appealingly tactile. In this latest edition of Workbench, we will be making reference to this by featuring two kits which are both currently available in the 2026 range, both 1/72nd scale representations of fighting aeroplanes, and both writing their names into the annals of aviation history from the very earliest days of aerial combat. Our main subject is an aircraft which possesses unrivalled aviation credentials, the first ‘hunting’ aeroplane, one developed specifically to prey on other aircraft, dominating the skies and creating a new breed of fighting aeroplane. The second subject ended up being prey for the first one, despite the fact that it was an impressive aircraft in its own right, one which performed exceptionally well in the role for which it was intended. Unfortunately, a new breed of enemy aircraft ensured that history records its service years as being extremely challenging, despite its many commendable qualities. We’re in the presence of true aviation pioneers and their aircraft in this latest edition of Workbench.

Workbench edition 413- The ‘Flying Shed’ becomes an Airfix Vintage Classic

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. This week’s title and header image serve as confirmation that we will be returning to the nostalgic world of Vintage Classics [https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vintage-classic-kits?langPath=airfix-uk&filters%5Bmandatory_filter_by%5D%5Bproduct_collection%5D=Vintage%20classics&page_id=116325&sort-by=8&page=1] in this latest edition of Workbench, as we prepare to welcome the scale model kit induction of one of the most unusual looking aircraft of the 20th century into its ranks. When talking about the subject of basic aviation aesthetics, the Short SC.7 Skyvan [https://uk.airfix.com/products/shorts-skyvan-a04018v?_br_psugg_q=skyvan] certainly wasn’t going to be winning a great many plaudits, even though it proved to be extremely capable in several important areas. Importantly, once crews came to appreciate the many qualities of the Skyvan, it definitely earned their respect, and would even reveal itself to be the ideal aeroplane in a number of specialised fields in the years to come. As we prepare to welcome the Short Skyvan into the 2026 range this summer, we’ll be taking this blog opportunity to look at the development of this unusual aircraft, and see how some of them are still working hard to this day, providing specialist aerial support 63 years after the maiden flight of the prototype, using Airfix artwork to help illustrate the story. With the Vintage Classics range [https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vintage-classic-kits?langPath=airfix-uk&filters%5Bmandatory_filter_by%5D%5Bproduct_collection%5D=Vintage%20classics&page_id=116325&sort-by=8&page=1] being our focus of attention this week, we will also be including artwork and built model imagery of a recent release addition to the range, a model kit which has to be considered the most requested Vintage Classics kit return since the range was announced back in 2018, our scale tribute to one of the most impressive machines to have ever hovered above the ocean waves. We’re riding the crest of an Airfix wave of kit nostalgia in this weekend’s edition of our Workbench blog.

Workbench Edition 412- Swedish Air Force centenary tribute in scale

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. UK based enthusiasts know only too well how the centenary of their air force’s establishment is a time for national celebration, as they will no doubt have the pictures, books and memorabilia all gathered during a year of RAF 100 commemorations from back in 2018. With that being the case, we will be slightly envious of the Swedish people this year, as they’re already in their centenary year of the Flygvapnet, and have a massive Airshow event to come in August, to be held at Malmen Air Base at Linköping, unquestionably the most exciting place to be in this significant centenary year. In this latest edition of Workbench, we will be paying our own blog tribute to this year’s Swedish Air Force Centenary [https://uk.airfix.com/products/swedish-air-force-100th-anniversary-set-a40004] celebrations, but from an Airfix perspective, and doing so in 1/72nd scale. Scheduled for release later this summer, our Swedish Air Force 100th Anniversary Set charts the development of the Flygvapnet from the inter-war purchase of British Gloster Gladiator fighters, to the introduction of the spectacular Draken fighter, an indigenously produced sensation of a supersonic aircraft. A set which is in addition to the current Swedish Air Force related Club kit [https://uk.airfix.com/products/airfix-club-membership-2026-uk-nclubairfixplus2026]being enjoyed by active members of the Airfix Club, we’ll be making a sizeable scale Swedish Air Force Centenary entry in our modelling logbooks in this latest edition of Workbench.

Workbench Edition 411- Saracen – Britain’s classic Cold War Armoured Personnel Carrier

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix. We have a real Airfix treat for you in this week’s edition of Workbench, as we pay our first blog visit of the year to one of the new tooling projects joining the range in 2026, the latest classic addition to our incredibly popular 1/35th scale military vehicle range. With the Ferret Scout Car having successfully completed its scale reconnaissance mission for future 1/35th scale projects, were delighted to be welcoming the third in our series of classic post war British military vehicle kits to the current range, with the impending release of our Alvis FV603 Saracen Mk.5, and she’s a beauty! As we pay our first visit to this exciting new project, we will be bringing you designer insights, exclusive CAD imagery, and a run through of the three scheme options which will be supporting the initial release of the new Saracen, a kit we already know a great many Airfix fans will be looking forward to rumbling on their own workstations. There’s nothing quite like a new tooling project review to usher us into another Workbench weekend, and with the British Army’s Combat Caravan in our sights, we’ve got an absolute cracker for you this time around.