A trio of Gladiators

The Swedish air force bought 55 Gloster Gladiators in the 1930s and these were designated J8 (Bristol Mercury IX engine) and J8A (Mercury VIII engine) in the Swedish air force.

Up until now one the best 1/72 kit of the Gladiator was Heller one and it has been hard to find recent years. The other two is the old Airfix kit from the 1960s and Matchbox/Revell kit. But in the recent month’s two new kits has hit the hobby shop shelves, a new tool from Airfix and an “Easy Assembly” kit from HobbyBoss. I was a little curious to see how these kits would compare, and if the old Heller is still holding up.

Let´s start with the new Airfix Gladiator.

I´ve got the latest issue with skies and markings for the Swedish volunteer force in Finland (*).  At first glance the parts looks a bit crude but no worse than any other new offering from the firm and the kits usually turns out nice once painted. You get some different option like skies, weighted or non-weighted wheels and two or three bladed propellers. The parts match my scale drawings perfectly. The decal sheet is just fantastic with crisp stencils and perfect color. Apart from the Swedish markings you have the option of a RAF machine from 605 Squadron.

(*) Note the “Jolly Roger” markings were not worn in combat. On the return to Sweden the original Finnish blue swastikas had to be painted over but instead of just paint it over in black they added a cool skull and bone.

Next up is the HobbyBoss.

This kit has gotten some criticism on the forums but I don’t think it´s too bad actually. The parts are crispier than the Airfix but some of the parts look simplified. The parts matches my drawings with one exception, the front of the fuselage were it meets the engine cowling doesn’t look right. It´s minor flaw but it´s noticeable. The decal sheet is nice with two options but there are no stencils, just basic markings. As usual Hobby Boss makes a nice simple model but it doesn’t have any edge to make it worth buying over Airfix at the same price point. It will however be a perfect kit for first timers or a short weekend project.

The classic Heller kit.

This kit actually holds up rather well despite its age. The parts are finely molded with thin raised lines and the canvas covered parts are very well done, much better than both Airfix and HB in my opinion.  This kit also comes with optional skies and the same F19 marking as Airfix. The low mark of the kit is the wheels and propeller, the wheels are missing the hubs and the propellers are crudely molded.  The decal sheet gives you five options, all Swedish(*). Two planes from F8 with pre-war style crown markings (lacks the yellow ring), one from F19 with skull and bones, one from F10 with ghost marking, and finally one machine from F9. I’m actually itching to build this one and with some left over parts from the Airfix kit I’m sure it will turn out nicely.

(*)In the 1980s Heller re-boxed many of their kits for the Swedish market with Swedish decals and instructions.