Airfix 1/32nd B-type Omnibus model bus.

[Ian Raleigh]

Anybody like plastic models ? Finished this bus today


Great little vintage kit this is! My older brother made one of these back in the 1970's and when he was out,
I'd get his bus down and play with it, one of my all time favourite 'toys' to the point I've always wanted one.

Well 30 odd years I finally got a kit a built it, didn't enjoy building it at all but she's a stunner.

Finished today on 09/02/2016. Model entirely hand brushed.

This bus is on display in the London Transport Museum.

Altered a few things on this bus to match the real B340.
Wood work in the correct colours.
Hand added to the driver.
Sun visor made for the driver.
Off-side mirror made.
Conductors bell above the driver.
Headlamps drilled out with Krystal Klear poured in them.
Modified front number plate.
Rear number plate raised to the top of the window.
Cut off two passenger heads and re-positioned them.
First upper deck seat removed the canvas cover and replaced with the correct grab handle.

Enjoy her guys:

Finally the underside of this 'Beasti'

Thanks for looking.

 

[02gf74]

Re:

Good effort. Doesnt look bad for hand brushed.

 

[Midlife]

Wow!

You haven't flattened the tyres at the contact point with the ground

Shaun

 

[Mike Muz]

Wow!

You haven't flattened the tyres at the contact point with the ground

Shaun

Great job Ian

So even then they had those guards between the wheels to stop people going under them. Interesting. You must be very pleased mate

Mike

 

[twosheds]

Great work. The paintwork and decals are superb. Just to clarify, how big is it? I am guessing around 12 inches long, by 8 inches high, judging by the height of the driver.

Shaun - I think those tyres might be solid rubber, as Ian hasn't modelled any valves in the wheel rims

Personally I never got into plastic kits, but I used to scratch build models, (before family came along), which I found very satisfying. Thanks for a bit of inspiration - I might get that box down from the loft.

Bruce

 

[daugs]

Anybody like plastic models ?

I did BITD, heard these days that a lot of the kits manufactured recently are of poor quality as the moulds were all worn out but sold off and still being used and that you need to find NOS to avoid problems from poor injection moulding of the plastic bits

But that kit looks excellently done

 

[02gf74]

WTF is knife polish? I'm guessing this was to keep carbon steel knives clean and shiny prior to them being made from stainless steel. (was told that carbon steel keeps a keener edge than stainless).

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Wow! You haven't flattened the tyres at the contact point with the ground Shaun.

The tyres on these buses was solid rubber so in reality they never flattened like inflated tyres do

So even then they had those guards between the wheels to stop people going under them. Interesting. You must be very pleased mate Mike

Read it somewhere that the fitting of extra big lower guards to the sides of lorries is a new idea! I don't think it is! Love the model Mike.

Just to clarify, how big is it? I am guessing around 12 inches long, by 8 inches high, judging by the height of the driver. Bruce

I'll measure it for you Bruce! The length is 200 mm. Width is 70 mm. Height 130 mm.

heard these days that a lot of the kits manufactured recently are of poor quality as the moulds were all worn out but sold off and still being used and that you need to find NOS to avoid problems from poor injection moulding of the plastic bits. But that kit looks excellently done

Yes this kit was terrible from day one with more flash than Flash Gordon, the kit only cost me £10 in the Airfix sale just before Xmas, I've seen original kits go for £100 on fleabay, also Airfix kits are now made in India and the quality control is shite with many kits having warped and missing parts, this bus kit had four missing parts and Airfix had to supply me them so I could build the model.

WTF is knife polish? I'm guessing this was to keep carbon steel knives clean and shiny prior to them being made from stainless steel. (was told that carbon steel keeps a keener edge than stainless).

Basically fine wet & dry rubbing paper but as a solid, similar to boot polish.

 

[The History Man]

Always wanted a Saturn V. So is a modern one india made and poor quality then?

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Always wanted a Saturn V. So is a modern one india made and poor quality then?

Built the Saturn rocket years ago, was great as all the sections came apart, one day I decided to glue it all together and got four big bonfire rockets and taped them all to the bottom, twisted the fuses together and lit it! Rocket never even got off the ground and then the rockets exploded and blew it to bits, was rate funny at the time.

Yes kits being made in India are crap and Airfix are trying to sort it out, the production line of every kit is very poor with most operatives not giving a damn and pulling out the sprues before they have even cooled, thus bad warping of them and throwing the sprues into big boxes, loosing many parts from them... worst thing is that the kits are 'quality checked' and ensure they are complete! there's no such quality control going off.

Airfix may bring back all the moulds back to the UK and be made here once again.