Is the Airfix SR.N1 still good after 6 decades?! | Unboxing and full build of a Vintage Classic

[@chrispomphrett4283]

My father has one of these original kits he made. I have the Dinky metal model too. I have a soft spot for hovercraft in general as my parents both met at Saunders Roe at Cowes on the Isle of Wight where my mother was a secretary to Christopher Cockerall, the designer/inventor and my father a draughtsman.

[@guypoole3444]

I built this in 66 as a 8 year old who used tube glue and house paint that took days to dry I loved it even though the end product looked dreadful... Welcome back..I will rebuild this....

[@VFCproductions]

I think such an unusual subject matter deserves a revisit.

[@standrewpics]

My mother can remember this SRN-1 hovercraft coming up the beach at Dover for the first time . I think she said they had a day off school to see it arriving .

[@Slycockney]

I will definitely buy this. Would love to see the 007 autogyro again, made it way over 50 years ago.

[@mp-modelplastic]

Very nice kit. I love old school kits. In my chilhhood , i start in modeling with Airfix kits in bags and old Matchbox from 70' . Thank you for sharing this old kits. Greetings from Portugal 😊

[@jimsmalleimb7709]

Fun fact.... the blue side ribbed bits are seen on the landing gear feet of the 2001 Moon Bus studio miniature used for the VFX shots in the film.

[@alangilbertson8239]

I bought this kit when it was first released at the beginning of the 60s. I'm sure that in those days, when only the bigger and more expensive series kits came in a box, that this, like all the Series 1 & 2 kits, costing about 2 shillings or 3 shillings and sixpence (10p & 17.5p), came packed in a small polythene pouch, with the instructions, main illustration and description being all on one sheet of folded paper that formed the seal to the bag, fastened to it with staples. In those days, with written construction details as well as the illustrated blow-up version, each part was identified in the (English only) text by name, leaving the guesswork out of what each bit was. From memory, your blue looks about right. It was certainly a mid/dark blue rather than a light shade.

[@lesliedavison752]

Two shillings and three pence I seem to remember, used to get change from half a crown?

[@user-account-not-found]

My dad got me one of these to drive to school in 1977, all the ladies loved it.

[@johnbruce2868]

I remember the excitement accompanying the news of these very hovercraft, along with other wonder technologies like Telstar, the communications centre at Goonhilly, the telescope at Jodrell Bank, being released on the general public in the decades of great hope and high adventure for humanity. My word, how badly things have turned out.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

yes, i still want my hover car on the moon.

[@uingaeoc3905]

I made this kit 60 years ago! SARO was a remarkable company especially its post WW2 produces. There was the Princess the largest of British flying boats ten engines, might have been largest practical ever because it flew a lot more than the Hughes H4; the SR A-1 Flying Boat Jet Fighter; the SR-53 Rocket and Jet interceptor; the Skeeter and P531 early light helicopters; the SRN1 the first hovercraft, the SRN4 Mountbatten the largest ever passenger-car hovercraft ferry. If that was not enough they produced the early full size satellite launchers Black Prince, Black Arrow and Black Knight.

[@TrueFork]

I think this was the first kit I bought and build because it was the cheapest, I didn't even paint it... no idea what happened to it, probably got tossed

[@martinwelsh323]

A lovely build! I’m hoping Airfix re-release the SR.N4 hovercraft next!

[@VFCproductions]

I would like that as well. Definitely one I'd add to my collection!

[@uingaeoc3905]

They did so a year ago.

[@terryblackman6217]

I built this kit about 60 years ago. If memory serves me right I think it came in a polythene bag. Very much enjoyed your video.

[@pauladams286]

I am really looking forward to building this kit. It was very rare to see these more unusual subjects in the shops in New Zealand in the 1970s, and I only recall seeing this kit once. Now I will have a chance to build it. By the way, this kit is older than I am.

[@cameroncampbell2564]

One of the first kits i built in the late sixties. I think i still have the box, or at least the top. I seem to remember painting mine silver and yellow for some reason using Himbrol enamels of course. We learnt about the invention of the hovercraft in primary school .

[@truthhurts9241]

Yep, I'm afraid that I also made one of these back in the 1960s. Flashback time. Whilst not even being a teenager, I couldn't understand how it could form an air cushion. No holes in the bottom ? ! Also, when it's been broken a few times and it is time for it to go (I was a kid and it had a hard life) without the wheels, it can skim over smooth floors quite well if thrown like you were skipping stones across a pond. (not so good on water.) Mine of course looked nothing like yours'.

[@Mariazellerbahn]

4:59 This is the air smoothing vanes and dome. The fan is the four bladed part that fits underneath. If you relieve the hole in the four bladed fan, you can have it rotate (otherwise it is tight). Painting the four blades in a contrasting colour to the white will make them stand out better beneath the 11 vanes. Of note, the instructions don't give any indication of orientation but I can tell you ... having a single vane to the rear and two vanes to the front is correct.

[@VFCproductions]

Excellent! Thank you for the info!

[@spencerhardy8667]

I wonder how many of those kits ended up as part of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbird/Captain Scarlet model works. I could see the amount of kit bashing potentials as soon as you showed the sprues.

[@dogwalker666]

This with a few Bridge parts you could make anything.

[@petemitchell4690]

As anyone ever played Airfix Dogfighter combat simulator ? You actually fly model aircraft inside a home. In the living room, kitchen, bedroom, basement, attick, garage...every room in the house and even in the backyard. To this day it is one of my favorite games and flying a model kit inside a home is absolutely amazing and fun !

[@MsModeller]

Your content has come on so well. This is one of the best videos you've ever done. Love how much you've changed and grown as a creator!

[@VFCproductions]

Thank you!

[@racerdeth]

Honestly, that Tamiya Blue is a shade I'd consider a french blue, so you did right there, i reckon. Some of that knife tekkers gave me The Fear but I love the content. Not often i don't do a lot of skipping forward in model videos. Your conversational style suits my brain just right.

[@andrewcox4386]

I remember building this as a kid and being amazed at the quality and detail. How things change 😂 but it still looks like a fun and interesting kit to build.

[@Flingwing24]

I suspect that airfix vintage classics will soon have a warning..." may require modelling". Sure its not Arma or IBC but any stinker can be polished

[@Lambonights]

I remember building this in the early '70s! And yes, I made the same error with the exhaust!

[@Mariazellerbahn]

5:11 The part on the runner bottom right is the four blade fan. To get this to rotate freely on the spindle, relieve the centre hole. As it is, it's a really tight fit and the blades will most likely get broken when fitting. I painted my fan blades red (wrong I know) so that they can be seen below the smoothing vanes.

[@sweetcorn1968]

I remember having this as a child. I remember “helping”my Dad make it with (for) me. I think I’ll have to get one for the memory value. Maybe I’ll get my 12 year old daughter to “help” me.

[@VFCproductions]

It's how I started in the hobby. I still have the first kit I "helped" with.

[@sweetcorn1968]

I got HMS Fearless for my birthday last year for exactly the same reason.

[@Paws4thot]

The checkerboards on the control vanes are photo-reference markings for analysis of film (this kit is older than I am, although not by much) images.

[@andrewmccririck8412]

I did this and the full sized passenger and car hovercraft hopefully they will bring it out too in reality my experience of travelling one was like being inside a washing machine very noisy and no view because of the spray

[@lpjmodels]

Love the effort you're putting in with video quality. Also great result 🎉

[@VFCproductions]

Thank you so much!

[@davidfrancis7515]

One of the very first airfix kits I built! Remember srn1 going up and down the solent when on sea trials ❤

[@Sarah-JaneR32]

I remember building this in the 60s, aged better though, nice build well done

[@t-mar9275]

This kit stands out so much in my mind because it was so unique when I built it back in the mid-1960s. The re-issue stands the test of time well, probably because there's nothing else with which to compare it. The re-issue is great and I'll build it again but I would have loved to seen a completely new kit in 1/48 or an even larger scale. (Not sure if that should be 1/35 or 1/32 scale. It's a land and sea vehicle but actual travels above them, in the air. So, should be be larger AFV scale or larger airplane scale?).

[@philbedford8979]

The guys who made Thunderbirds used parts from this kit (amongst others) for background detailing.

[@bigdaddydons6241]

Maybe its because im watching on a phone, and im mostly unfamiliar with vintage model kits, But the detail on the moulding is PHENOMENAL, not much rounded parts, the flashing is minimal. And it all looks modern?

[@VFCproductions]

It does look like Airfix have made an effort to tidy up the moulds. This is by no means confirmation of that as I have no affiliation with Airfix, but 8t certainly does not feel like a 60 year old kit in some places!

[@StevenPotts-ij9ue]

Well spotted concerning the position of the exhaust, I will keep that in mind when I build mine. I have looked at some old pictures online and some seem to show no exhaust at all, weird.

[@paultanker5606]

G'day to you Squire, My slightly off Center Brain saw a Brilliant place for a Turret at 8.56,always looking out side the Box, I have enjoyed watching this , I remember when it first came out,Ex Pat Mancunian, Perth Western Australia 73 going on 10🤣

[@Rich77UK]

Airfix have listened to us builders with releasing the vintage line. It's a great job too. I suspect the likes of Revell and Heller will follow suit.

[@fenman1954]

Interesting the model depicts the hovercraft in it's prototype form, later it gained a more pointed bow , doors to the cabin and twin fuel tanks one either side towards the front, also the front windscreen was fitted with window screen wipers instead of the circular spinning clear screen.

[@VFCproductions]

I expect the R&D for it was either done before the changes were made, or from drawings supplied by Saro. It is fairly standard for Airfix kits of this era to be made from prototype drawings over the real thing - part of their commitment to get a model out asap.

[@renefrijhoff2484]

I didn't know they released also a model of the SR. N1. I'm lucky to have obtained the SR. N4. again, since my original one got lost.

[@kevinatkins9154]

If I remember, when this was first released, this kit was moulded in a silvery plastic👍

[@nigelcole1936]

Love this kit, I had one that I built in 1976

[@SteveJonesScaleModellingSite]

Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos

[@Ronno4691]

I've got a set of Iron Gear single coils in a Partscaster Strat....where's MY T-shirt!? I'm getting several of these kits and this has helped me prep my own builds very nicely 😊

[@VFCproductions]

Available at Axetec, where I bought mine from!

[@VFCproductions]

I have been fitting Iron Gear pickups on customer's guitars for about 5 years. I've tried most of them but only actually own 1 set - a pair of humbuckers in a Mexican strat

[@Ronno4691]

I've not tried any Iron Gear Humbuckers yet (I can get pre-owned Seymour Duncans fairly cheaply if I'm patient) but their From Hank to Hendrix Strat single coils (Edit: non-overwound Pig Irons) sounded tasty so I bought a set. So, your a guitar tech too? Kewl!

[@VFCproductions]

@@Ronno4691 not so much these days, but yes, I have a little side hustle as a guitar tech. At the moment I'm kept busy with all of the band instruments before our shows

[@Ronno4691]

@@VFCproductions Waitaminit....you're the Prog Rock guy who documented building an Airfix tank (?) whilst on a short UK tour!? Awesome!

[@cyberleaderandy1]

We went across to France on the hoverspeed hovercraft service ( Princess Ann, the other wa Princess Margaret). They are long gone with the only remaining passenger one from Portsmouth to the IoW in think.

[@Flingwing24]

SARO. Sadly another company hoovered up by the bigguns and a lot of their achievements too. What most people don't realise is that yep, Westland (now Leonardo) built a lot of helicopters, the majority were licensed whereas the SARO Scout was British (from the ground up less the engine, A129/later Nimbus that was licenced from Turbo mecca. It ended up in the SRN2. This beauty was developed locally (think it flew with a Bristol Leonides radial....noisy thing trialled on our Beavers and in the Bristol Sycamore. I have a pair of these, totally agree about the blue, there are images out there and some quite good archive footage so the research is out there. I dont think the kit has what appears to be trim vanes behind the rudders. Hovercraft behave differently in and out of water so need trimming as well. Nice job, its an icon, give it what it's worth ❤️

[@jozuavanlangenhove6586]

Old but gold! 😊👍

[@DaveandKimGarrett]

The first original hovercraft is at Teterboro Airport museum in New Jersey, USA

[@stephenrose1343]

I have a feeling, that this kit was probably the source of a lot of Sci-fi special effects models in the 60s and 70s.

[@ZinzanModelling]

Dear Mr VFC, Ah ha!! So I was wrong! Definitely not an ice cream machine… Regards, Z

[@VFCproductions]

I haven't yet tried to make ice cream with it. It might be possible!

[@ZinzanModelling]

@@VFCproductions But I was right with my other guess eh? Z

[@billgriffiths1685]

Love this channel and just needed to subb, very easy watch.

[@dameceliamolestrangler3379]

My eldest brother built that model, I am pretty sure it came in a plastic bag with a paper header,it was in still in one piece the last time I saw it. 😄

[@ianallan8005]

I’ve found a video on KZbin showing the srn1. It shows the crew wearing white overalls with oxy masks and silver bone domes. It also shows an exhaust pipe on the left side of the engine trumpet, right where you assumed that it was incorrect

[@VFCproductions]

I still have the figures - I may paint them up and fit them. The exhaust is on the left side on mine - following the instructions would have put it on the right side.

[@ianallan8005]

@@VFCproductions yeah that’s what I meant. You thought you’d fitted the ducting the wrong way, but you havent

[@smoluk1]

Jolly well done!

[@PuffPuffPass0420]

Those old kits can be fun..Keep em coming..I was curious why they have fighter pilots with oxygen masks in the kit though?

[@mikefromwa]

I would have loved to make silicone molds or the parts, and also 3D scanned them as well.

[@manifestman132]

Very cool. Looks like some nice kit bashing parts too.

[@cliffordhallam3270]

Remember it coming out. The plastic was a silvery one, I think, and the ducts and rudders weren’t very well formed. The glue we used then was very corrosive and it was incredibly easy to melt the rudder mounts. Modern plastic works much better than the old stuff. 👍

[@davesmith9325]

You commented about it being jet powered .. wiki's srn1 page notes that cockcroft and Saunders roe studied jet power during research leading up to the srn1 but notes the srn1 itself "was powered by an Alvis Leonides radial piston engine "

[@cherchezlesoir7166]

Missing the"old" Airfix kits,playsets, train, multiposr figures etc etc. Airfix blister packs...Airfix presented dreams, the new catalogue always awaited ...nowadays evetything toooo oetfect, investing more in equip than in models. Crazy times

[@fredtedstedman]

don't DAB with your paintbrush ......STROKE in one direction ! Finished Model looks nice , despite being old Airfix !

[@mikesmith2905]

I make up sets of toy soldiers to give away and I'm waiting for the SR71 jet/rocket plane repop - It's perfect for a sci-fi 'fighter' (but I will replace the red top missiles with 'blasters').

[@kevinvicedomini8745]

I remember building this model

[@markknight6267]

Got to get one of those again

[@lesliedavison752]

It looks a lot bigger than I remember!

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid thanks lee

[@Ronalddegroote]

Look.I just made half a kit. Famous words.

[@FrankJCarver]

The Ford Zodiac Mk.III should be released next. The prices for the original are ridiculous.

[@pikricky]

Why did you not put the two crew members on their seats or did I miss the reason during the video,enjoyable and informative video

[@VFCproductions]

I don't particularly like painting figures and these ones are not exactly the most detailed. I still have them to hand so may paint them up and see if they look ok

[@stephenwhelan2515]

Great review - has persuaded me to buy it and to subscribe to the channel.

[@wullie3xv923]

Bought a SRN-1 this week & was gutted to find some of the Cartograf produced decals on the sheet are way out of register ! ( No.3 SRN-1, No.4 NRDC & No.6 Hovercraft decals ) Anyone else got the same problem with their SRN-1 decals ? This is the first time I've had this problem with any of Airfix's Cartograf made decal sheets ... and I've got lots of the new mold & Vintage Classics kits in my stash. What is Airfix's customer service like these days, will it be easy enough to get a replacement decal sheet ?

[@VFCproductions]

Is this not how they are supposed to be? The photos of the real thing show a very heavy shadow on the text

[@wullie3xv923]

@@VFCproductions Thanks for your reply. If I could post a photo you would see that the blue shadow effect on my sheet is way, WAY out of register. My decals are nothing like the sheet in your video. They are most definitely out of register ... by several millimeters ! The blue shadow effect is totally separate from / doesn't touch the white lettering, it's miles off ! Very un-Cartograf like, they're always "spot on" register / quality wise. Thanks again.

[@VFCproductions]

@@wullie3xv923 I would absolutely message Airfix then. Certainly a surprise, as you say, but I'm sure they'll be able to send out another sheet. I've not needed to get a replacement from them for some time, but I hear they're still good - let me know how it goes if you do.

[@wullie3xv923]

@@VFCproductions I've just finished pinging off an email to Airfix with a photo of my decal sheet attached. Lets see how long it takes me to receive a replacement sheet. This is the first time in decades I've needed any kind of replacement from Airfix so I hope their customer service is still functional ! Thanks again ....

[@wullie3xv923]

Great news, folks. A perfectly printed replacement sheet of SR-N1 decals from Airfix was delivered this morning. From emailing Airfix to receiving it in 5 days flat. I'm a very happy ( long time ) Airfix customer. Their Customer Support seems to be alive & well.

[@lesliedavison752]

I’m pretty sure this may have been my first Airfix kit, but in a bag not a box?

[@flybobbie1449]

SRN-4 next, and paint every seat individually.

[@lxtechmangood9503]

I'm suprised airfix haven't cleaned up the moulds better! Or I wonder if it's a qc issue or the plastic!!!

[@Mariazellerbahn]

My kit is very clean with no flash whatsoever.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i'm not sure cos it was some time ago, but i think i had an airfix of this when i was a kid.

[@SteveKxyz]

I had one of those when originally released. Don't think it came in a box. Probably polythene bag.

[@ironbomb6753]

Is this kit a reissue ? Neat!

[@VFCproductions]

It is indeed.

[@confuseatronica]

disappointing lack of eels

[@copee2960]

I had a cast iron/ dinky toy of this model....not boxed ...I played with my toys...but I bet one boxed would be worth a few quid.

[@stevenbland1455]

I built one as a child in the 60's

[@batworker]

I built that kit as a child in the 60s… So less of the ‘vintage’ and ‘before my father was born’….

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

The crew figures aren't bad for the time, I found as a child that the pilot or crew were often just vaguely humanoid shaped blobs.

[@andrewwalker2378]

Though the oxygen masks are a bit strange for a sea level vehicle. Clearly the standard figure just plonked into the kit.

[@simongee8928]

The 'beauty'of buying the Airfix vintage classics is, as they're using the original moulds, you'll have plenty of flashing and mould faults to correct - ! 😅

[@VFCproductions]

Flash is just extra plastic for your money!

[@MCT954]

I gave bough a couple of the Vintage Classics kits like the Beaver and the Bassett, as swell as the SR-N1, and Airfix have obviously taken the time to make sure the moulds are clean, helps that these kits haven't been around much. If you want flash try a Mach2 kit. Real sense of achievement as well.

[@thelj3279]

💚!!!

[@Mariazellerbahn]

Affectionately known as "The Flying Eggcup".

[@confuseatronica]

oh its a new kit, OK. I thought this was going to be opening an old kit and hoping the parts hadn't perished. I'm scared just opening and building 5 year old Gunpla, all brittle and scary.

[@StuartWoodwardJP]

I built it in the mid 1970s.

[@kennethmaney914]

Did you know the hovercraft was invented by a man with the surname of Driver and not Chris Cockerel. He was an engineer that worked for Cockerel and he had built a large scale model of a modern type hovercraft before Cockerel had even thought of his type that your showing. My wife's grand parents ,his parents found it in the loft years later.

[@MrChopsticktech]

Wow!

[@milanondrak5564]

Why have the pilots got oxygen masks on? How high were they expecting to hover?😂

[@jackieramsay-fraser8396]

Not sure why the pilot/co-pilot should have oxygen masks considering they were no more than 1M off the ground

[@VFCproductions]

From the excitement?

[@Mariazellerbahn]

They were kitted up due to the noise of the hovercraft and having no doors, for communicating with each other and with the control centre.

[@Georgeconna32]

Scuba gear in case it sank.

[@QuackVideo]

I'd hazard a guess that the shade of blue was closer to RAF Roundel Blue than French Blue

[@fueu2617]

Loved the video! However, let's steer clear of dwelling too much on waste paper. While environmental concerns are important, it's crucial to gather all the facts before jumping to conclusions. Let's focus more on model making. lol ;)

[@6yjjk]

5:00 Oxygen masks definitely needed at the cruising altitude of this thing....

[@noodles2459]

revell and does the same thing they never update anything it's infuriating.

[@Georgeconna32]

Bundle of knowledge......Tools...Mmmmm.maybe look over the instructions before telling people incorrect stuff.

[@poseidonswe]

Sloppy stressed assembly.

[@whiterabbit1632]

hide the mic! ffs! so unprofessional!!!!

[@VFCproductions]

It's a good job nobody is paying me for this then! Thanks for watching.