Airfix 1/48 Jaguar GR.1

Originally conceived in the 1960s as a jet trainer with a light ground attack capability, the requirement for the aircraft soon changed to include supersonic performance, reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike roles. A carrier-based variant was also planned for French Navy service, but this was cancelled in favour of the cheaper, fully French-built Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard. The aircraft were manufactured by SEPECAT (Société Européenne de Production de l'avion Ecole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique), a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation, one of the first major joint British-French military aircraft programmes.

The Jaguar was exported to India, Oman, Ecuador and Nigeria. The aircraft was used in numerous conflicts and military operations in Mauritania, Chad, Iraq, Bosnia, and Pakistan, as well as providing a ready nuclear delivery platform for the United Kingdom, France, and India throughout the latter half of the Cold War and beyond. In the Gulf War, the Jaguar was praised for its reliability and was a valuable coalition resource. The aircraft served with the French Air Force as the main strike/attack aircraft until 1 July 2005, and with the Royal Air Force until the end of April 2007. Its role was replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF and the Dassault Rafale in the French Air Force. Indian built Jaguars are still in service and recently took part in operations against Pakistan in May 2025.

Not surprisingly, this kit comes in a rather large box, similar to their Hunter and Meteor kits in this scale. External detail is up to Airfix' current standards and those who have already built the kit have a positive response to it. Previous to this the only other Jaguars in this scale were the old raised panel line version from Airfix and a more recent kit from Kitty Hawk. Memory is a bit fuzzy on this, but perhaps Heller did one in 1/50. I know they did one in 1/48, but that was the old Airfix tooling.

Looking through the instructions I noticed several interesting things. One is that there are two different styles of MB9B bang seat that differ mostly in the upper portion. Instructions tell you which of the markings options take which seat. One of the options on the sheet is a very early Jaguar without the undernose range finder. A jig is provides so that you can cut off the molded in nose in order to attach the earlier version.

The cockpit has nice raised detail along with decals so you can use either or both. The finished cockpit fits atop the nose gear well and once both are built up, those fit into a separate forward fuselage section. This may well indicate a future two seater. Main gear wells are built up and installed in the appropriate fuselage halves along with blanking plates for intakes and exhaust. Most aircraft kits with the engine arrangement of the Jaguar have a separate lower fuselage section and this one is no exception. Note that there are differences in terms of holes that need drilled out depending on which version you are building.

Once the fuselage halves are joined and the nose section attached, the gun troughs are glued in place. Intakes are next and there is an alignment jig for those as well. Lower wings will need the outer holes drilled out for pylons. When the wing is all together, instructions show them being clamped in place. Another jig is used to drill the holes for the antennas atop the heat exchanger. Exhaust are next followed by the wing fences. Two fence options are provided with one having Sidewinder rails. Flaps, slats and ailerons are all molded in the drooped position.

Landing gear is fairly complex. Airfix provides a number of helpful illustrations on just how to get everything to fit properly. Tires have a flat bottom, which I know some don't like, but there it is. The gear doors and speed brake are next. This is followed by a myriad of small bits and antennas along with the installation of the pilot figure and the clear bits. Canopy can be posed open. The kit also provides intake covers, something I think a lot of kits could use. The final parts are the pylons and various ordnance. Airfix provides enough to fill the pylons among which are iron bombs, fuel tanks and countermeasures pods. There are Sidewinders if you chose to install the upper wing rails.

Instructions are excellent and provide Humbrol paint numbers so get out your conversion chart to figure out what colors are used. Four markings options are provided. One is a 54 squadron plane in green/grey uppers and light grey underside. This is the one without the range finder. Two in a green/grey wraparound are from 2 squadron and 6 squadron. Finally, the box art plane, 'Buster Gonad' from Desert Storm. You'll have to mix paints for the overall sand if using Humbrol paints. Other brands have this shade ready mixed. The large decal sheet is nicely printed and provides full stencils. There are, of course, aftermarket sheets if you want something a bit different.

It wouldn't be too far fetched to say that this is the best kit of this aircraft in this scale. I'm sure it builds easier than the Kitty Hawk offering, which is apparently very fiddly. Well worth seeking out if this aircraft is a favorite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPECAT_Jaguar

November 2025