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What is Locomotion No.1?
Posted in: Rolling stock
10th February 2025
Locomotion No.1 was the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger train on a public railway. Built in 1825 by George...
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What is a fogman?
Posted in: Model Railway
22nd March 2021
A 'fogman' was a railway worker tasked with laying detonators (fog signals) on railway tracks during snowy, foggy or...
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What are meant by the terms clinker and carvel built hulls and what advantages does each one have?
Posted in: Best practices
20th November 2023
Clinker and carvel are two different methods of constructing the hull of a ship or boat. Clinker built hulls, also...
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What is meant by the term CDA Hopper?
Posted in: Rolling stock
17th July 2023
The term "CDA Hopper" refers to a specific type of hopper wagon that is used for transporting various bulk materials...
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Can I use ground cork ballast rather than gravel ballast?
Posted in: Model Railway, Tracks
28th January 2020
Traditionally gravel ballast has been the forerunner for track beds in railway modelling and gives your layout an...
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What is the skill level on Airfix kits?

When deciding which Airfix kit to buy most people will understandably want to choose one that is relevant to their capabilities. To help guide you through this decision Airfix kits have a skill level printed on their packaging. But this is only half the story!

The skill level is the last little bit of fine-tuning that you need to do when selecting a model, solely relying on this information could land you with a model that is unsuitable for your needs.

The first step is to choose which range of kit is right for you. There is a quick build range which is most suitable for children under 10 years of age and simply clips together, these kits don't even require painting or gluing.

The next level up is the starter set range which is ideal for younger modellers or first-time kit builders, these do require painting and gluing but everything you need is in the box including brushes, paints, plastic glue and transfers (decals).

Finally, there is the standard range for the more experienced modeller, these do not come with paint or glue because experienced modellers will most likely have their own ideas about what they want to achieve with the model, these models will usually come with decals though.

Once you have decided on your range you can further narrow down the complexity of a model by looking at the product code on the box. The product code will start with the letter A followed by some numbers, the two numbers directly after the A indicate how complex the model is with 01 being perfect for a beginner and 06 models better suited to advanced modellers.

Only now is it time to pay attention to the skill level, it is rated between 1 and 4 with skill level 1 for beginners, 2-3 for intermediate modellers and skill level 4 for experienced modellers. The skill level is based on the number of parts in the kit. By choosing your skill level within the correct range and level of complexity you are sure to have hours of fun building your new Airfix kit.

Posted in: Kit building

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