The British Mark I was the first tank ever to see combat, representing one of the most revolutionary developments in military history. It was developed during the First World War as a response to the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front, where barbed wire, machine guns and artillery made conventional attacks extraordinarily costly. The British solution was an armored, tracked vehicle capable of crossing trenches and difficult ground while providing infantry with protection and firepower. The project was developed under the Landships Committee, with engineers William Tritton and Walter Wilson playing key roles in creating the distinctive rhomboid-shaped design.

The Mark I entered service in 1916 and was produced in two versions, known as Male and Female. The Male was intended to provide greater firepower against enemy machine-gun positions and other fortified targets. It carried two 6-pounder guns mounted in large side sponsons, together with machine guns. The Female replaced the main guns with additional machine guns and was intended primarily for dealing with enemy infantry. The two types were designed to operate together, providing complementary firepower on the battlefield.

The Mark I made its combat debut on 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Somme offensive. Forty-nine tanks were committed to the attack, although only a fraction were initially able to advance, illustrating the considerable mechanical and operational problems of these pioneering machines. Nevertheless, their appearance had a profound psychological effect and demonstrated the potential of armored vehicles in overcoming trench defenses. The Mark I was slow, mechanically unreliable and extremely difficult for its eight-man crew to operate, but it marked the beginning of the tank as an important weapon of war.

A total of 150 Mark Is were produced, divided roughly equally between Male and Female versions. The original design also featured a pair of steering wheels at the rear, intended to assist with steering and trench crossing, although these proved largely ineffective and were subsequently removed from many vehicles. Despite its shortcomings, the Mark I remains one of the most historically significant armored vehicles ever built: an experimental battlefield weapon that established the basic concept of the tank in combat.

This little Airfix tank has a surprisingly long history. The original tooling dates from 1967, making it a genuine first-generation Airfix military vehicle kit. It has been boxed and reboxed several times over the decades, with the Male returning to the range in 2009 and onwards as part of the Vintage Classics range. The 2009 release was accompanied by a Female Tank, based on the same basic tooling with additional parts for its different armament.

One of the charming things about my particular example, which I believe is the 2015 edition, is that it comes in a plastic bag rather than the more familiar modern box. Personally, I love this presentation. It adds enormously to the vintage character of the kit and immediately recalls the simple, inexpensive Airfix kits that introduced generations of modellers to the hobby.

This particular example is also special to me for another reason. It was among a number of kits generously donated by one of Greece's beloved hobby shops — and one of the best names in our hobby — to our local club, for use in our club seminars for children. So this little 1967 mold is not simply an old kit; it is helping introduce another generation to modelling. What is not to love?

There is also an interesting historical footnote. Although Airfix calls it a Mark I, the original designers based the model on a tank displayed at the Tank Museum at Bovington in the 1960s. The museum did not yet possess a genuine Mark I, and the vehicle Airfix studied was essentially a Mark II-based hybrid with the rear steering wheels of an early Mark I. Consequently, the kit reproduces that museum vehicle while differing in some respects from a true Mark I, and if for a modern modeller this is an interesting curiosity, for a vintage-kit enthusiast it is part of the charm.

Happily opening the bag, I found 48 light-grey parts arranged in two sprues and two rubber tracks. The 1967 origins are immediately obvious. Detail is somewhat soft, almost entirely raised, with molded rivets and a fair amount of flash here and there, which will be easy to clean-up.

I am certainly no armor expert, so I will leave the finer points of accuracy to those who know the subject much better than I do. Judged as a vintage kit, however, the molding is perfectly acceptable. In fact, the soft detail and occasional imperfections are exactly what I would expect from tooling of this age. It is not hiding its origins — it is shouting them.

No interior is provided, which is hardly surprising for such a small vintage tank. The 6-pounder guns and their sponson housings are nicely represented, while the rear steering-wheel assembly is surprisingly elaborate for a kit of this age.

The two rubber tracks look decent and should work perfectly well. They are entirely appropriate to the character of the kit and, naturally, should not be compared with the highly detailed individual-link tracks of modern armor kits.

Only one scheme option is provided: a British Army vehicle of the Heavy Section, Machine Gun Corps, H.M.L.S. Dragonfly, September 1916, during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The suggested colours include Linen, Dark Earth, Grass Green, Black and Rust. The small front decal is nicely printed and should present no particular problems.

The nice instructions come as a four-page, black-and-white leaflet, in the traditional old Airfix style. They include a short history of the tank and divide construction into 12 simple steps. The diagrams are clear and straightforward.

Construction begins with the side guns and their sponson housings, followed by the two large track sponsons and the central hull. The running gear and track guides are then added, followed by the rather interesting rear steering-wheel assembly. 

The rubber tracks are fitted towards the end of the build and may require a little attention to achieve the correct tension. They need to sit naturally around the running gear without being too loose or excessively stretched. Some controlled heat can be used to help tighten and shape them, although care is obviously needed not to damage the rubber or surrounding plastic. It is probably the one stage that may require a little experimentation, but it should not present a serious problem on what overall looks like a straightforward and pleasant build.

If you have an affection for vintage kits, this is a wonderful little model. Airfix deserves congratulations for continuing to reissue a kit like this, especially at such a low price. At €8 or less, you get a historic subject, genuinely old tooling, a simple construction sequence and plenty of character.

Personally, I much prefer the bagged version to the boxed one. Peeking at the parts while still sealed, then opening that little plastic bag and finding the old-fashioned grey sprues and rubber tracks inside adds enormously to the experience. It brings back some of the feelings associated with the old days of modelling. That does not mean I think the past was better — modern kits are vastly superior in engineering, accuracy and detail — but there is something very nice about occasionally reconnecting with those simpler experiences.

Molding is acceptable for its age, with soft raised detail and some flash to clean up. The fit should not be particularly challenging, and there is nothing here that should frighten an inexperienced modeller.

That is perhaps the kit's greatest strength. It is small, inexpensive, uncomplicated and full of personality. An inexperienced modeller, or even a child with some adult guidance, could easily tackle it and have a finished tank within an afternoon. That is exactly the sort of kit that can introduce someone to the hobby.

For me, that makes this particular Airfix Mark I even more special. A kit first tooled in 1967, still being produced more than half a century later, and now being used to introduce children and adults to modelling — there is something wonderfully fitting about that.

I have a real soft spot for kits like this. They are not perfect, and they do not pretend to be. But at a small price, with a straightforward build and an enormous amount of vintage character, they offer something many modern kits simply cannot.

When that little bag is opened and those old 1967 sprues come out, you realise that this tiny tank is still doing exactly what it was designed to do all those years ago: giving someone the pleasure of building a model.

Happy Modeling!

Spiros Pendedekas

September 2026

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