Supermarine Walrus model aircraft

The Supermarine Walrus was a successful amphibious flying boat designed in the thirties and serving through WW2.
This 1/72nd scale model for the mk1 version started out as a Matchbox model kit some years ago, this being the reboxing by Revell who own many of the old Matchbox plastic model kit moulds at the time of writing in 2008.

As many modellers will know Matchbox models were generally easy to assemble and featured heavy recessed detail, this Walrus however has fine raised detail.

I've dry fitted the main parts together and was very pleased with both the fit and the straightness of the assemblies, the moulding quality is first class so I reckon this little model will be an easy build.

The Walrus kit comes on three grey plastic sprues, with a separate clear canopy. The decal sheet on this boxing is printed in Italy and includes markings for two aircraft, a camouflage Fleet Air Arm Walrus and a silver French Navy aircraft.

Click these sprue images to open a large view.

General detail level while not up to the new tooled model kits of today is still good enough to make an interesting model. There is plenty of room for extra work here though should the model builder want it. I've been studying pictures of the Walrus and the kit looks to compare pretty well with these.

The cockpit and crew stations are all undetailed consisting merely of simple seats (with crewmembers to sit on them). If you use the optional covers for the front and aft stations then this is not a problem. The canopy while quite nicely moulded is thick and will not allow much detail to be seen in the cockpit anyhow. This is a typical Matchbox kit in these areas.
The side windows are not cut out but this could easily be done with suitable fullsize reference material, clear plastic sheet then being inserted.

The wings are neatly moulded in halves which accurately fit together, and the engine/prop/naccelle assembly is pretty decent for an old model mould.

In general this looks like a decent model Walrus which anyone could put together in short order (if you choose not to do the rigging wires!), while providing plenty of scope for the more ambitious model builder to improve and detail things.
At the current price of this kit at three to four pounds you can't go far wrong, even if you just build it to test some paint schemes out before building from an expensive kit, or making a R/C version.

Aftermarket items available include a Falcon canopy which is sold as part of a wide set of vac-formed canopies I believe. Also decals are made by the aftermarket for the aircraft.

Other Supermarine Walrus kits are out there at the time of writing. There's the Valom kit of the plane again in 1/72 scale, which costs about six times the amount of this one.
In the larger 1/48th scale Smer make a Walrus as do Classic airframes, there is a wide gulf between prices between these kits but both Valom and Classic Airframes make some real advanced, detailed and accurate model kits in their range which are aimed squarely at the static model aircraft experten.