# James May "Toy Stories" Spitfire



## Upkeep (Oct 26, 2009)

Tuesday 27th Oct BBC2 8pm James May's "Toy Stories" kicks off with building a full sized Spitfire Airfix style, here's a link to Gateguards who are the company behind the manufacture of the Spit, look half way down this link Flickr: Gateguards' Photostream

Also in the link some replica P51 Mustang's can be seen which are for a forthcoming Gerorge Lucas film about Tuskegee airmen.


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## Airframes (Oct 26, 2009)

Interesting stuff, thanks for the link. They certainly look realistic, and the George Lucas replicas look good up close too. Roman (Seesul) recently posted some pics of the film being shot on location, not far from him, in the Czech Republic.


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## herman1rg (Oct 27, 2009)

I just watched the show and the succeeded in completing the building of a 1:1 replica of the original Airfix model Spitfire.

Review of that kit here.

Airfix's First Aircraft Kit: The Spitfire BTK

It will be repeated on BBC2 Sunday 1st November at 19:00


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## herman1rg (Oct 27, 2009)

Or you can watch it here.

BBC - BBC Two Programmes - James May's Toy Stories, Airfix


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## proton45 (Oct 27, 2009)

I'm gonna watch it tomorrow...looking forward to it!


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## vikingBerserker (Oct 27, 2009)

Now there is a model kit I could REALLY get into!


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## Airframes (Oct 28, 2009)

Watched the show, and it was very good. May got to fly in, and fly, Caroline Grace's Spit MkIX, lucky bar steward!! Well worth seeing if you can, as James May got the company to actually make a 1:1 kit, not their usual, fully braced, strong GF replicas.


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## conkerking (Oct 31, 2009)

Just watched it - wonderful stuff for a Spit nut like me!

BBC iplayer link below, I think it only works in the UK though.

BBC iPlayer - James May's Toy Stories: Airfix


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## proton45 (Nov 1, 2009)

conkerking said:


> Just watched it - wonderful stuff for a Spit nut like me!
> 
> BBC iplayer link below, I think it only works in the UK though.
> 
> BBC iPlayer - James May's Toy Stories: Airfix



Ya, the link don't work...I had to get it by "other means".


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## rochie (Nov 1, 2009)

just finished watching it now, but my wife took one look and just said NO !!!!!!!!


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## v2 (Nov 7, 2009)

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-gjJIbBEBI_

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTFCyZWfzcM_

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTTHZOJMPYk_

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e433yczzEPU_

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkDx0N49zUU_

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oig_i__sgv0_


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## djos (Nov 18, 2009)

This is my dream 
and my wife's worst nightmare


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## conkerking (Nov 21, 2009)

Nipped into my local Modelzone for some paints yestreday, was talking to the manager. I asked him if the May show had influenced their sales in any way, he said they had done four months' sales of model kits in a week, and that Spitfires in particular are walking off the shelves (or should that be flying )


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## Airframes (Nov 22, 2009)

That's bl**dy marvellous news! If sales go up, especially from younger modellers and/or newcomers to the hobby, it'll be a great boost not only for the UK market, but it'll have a knock-on effect elsewhere too. Which could mean more new kits etc.
The owner of my local model shop has been seeing an upturn in kit sales over the past few months too, with 'new' customers coming into the shop. She told me that the feeling among the importers, and manufacturers at the last Trade Fair (I think in Stuttgart) was that if sales continue to increase as they have, then some planned releases which have been held back will go ahead earlier than last planned.
Thank you James May, it seems your wish may be starting to come true!


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## Heinz (Nov 22, 2009)

Ah Mr May is personal favourite of mine. Australian tv haven't picked up this series yet, no doubt we will eventually....but its really pleasing to hear sales are up!


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## conkerking (Nov 22, 2009)

What's interesting (and heartening) is that he said it wasn't just the middle-agers-revisiting-childhood types (like me), but a lot of dads and lads coming in. This of course is a "high street" (or in this case shopping mall) chain, but I guess there would be efefcts throughout the trade. Good stuff. The more money comes into the manufacturing base, the more they have to invest in new products, that's my logic anyway.

Here's a good one: it was my son's friend's birthday recently, he had seen my Spitfires and wanted to have a go at a kit, so we bought him the Airfix Red Arrow (Gnat) kit with the paints and glue. Saw him the other day and asked if he had done the kit yet. His dad had hijacked it.


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