A compound autogryo designed as a VSTOL passenger and transport aircraft, the Rotodyne was a technical success and had exciting civil and military possibilities. But it was hampered by noise problems from its prop-mounted tip jets, which given time may have been conquered, but political decisions eventually cancelled the project and all interest therein. Perhaps today's V-22 Osprey points the way to what could have been achieved in the last 30 years - and what was lost in revenue and expertise by short-term thinking.

The Rotodyne's cancellation must have been bad news for kit companies too, as by the early 1960's, Airfix, Frog and Revell had all added 1/72 replicas of this revolutionary aircraft to their range. Airfix's decision to resurrect their 1959 relic must have been bad news to the inflated collectors market too.

Considering that the moulds are nearly 40 years old, the kit looks to be in good condition, but time hasn't really been kind, evidenced by a poor fit of parts and crude moulding in places. Surface detail consists of raised panel lines and rivets with separate control surfaces. This was one of the first Airfix kits to feature internal detail and the cockpit consists of a pair of seats, floor and rear bulkhead, instrument panel (decal provided) and two pilot figures, all quite sophisticated for its time. Airfix's ambition didn't extended to the passenger section though, and while the entry hatch and rear clamshell doors can be posed open they only reveal a big empty space.

Building this Rotodyne was rather like making a limited-run kit and called for the same kind of skills and techniques. Removing locating pins and sanding all mating surfaces smooth improves things, but there are problem areas, worst of which are the clamshell doors. A dry run showed that one side was about 3mm longer than the other and when taped together they were both narrower than the fuselage itself. My remedy here was to fix each one to the fuselage halves and then bridge the gap down the middle with plastic card and plenty of superglue.

As the fuselage seams fall on flat spots, I reinforced them from the inside with strips of plasticard and superglue. I had to use filler to even up the fuselage sides, to blend the engine pods into the wings and then to smooth the finished tail and wing subassemblies into the fuselage. I applied several passes of thick white primer sanding between each to get a smooth, seamless airframe, choosing not rescribe any panel detail. I then installed and painted the cockpit. The canopy is in good condition and easily masked with Magic-Tape prior to painting.

In trying to eliminate the heavy mould part lines on the spinners, I accidentally broke off a couple of prop blades. I found it easier to remove them all, clean up the spinners and then reattach them. The undercarriage doors are thick, poorly formed, the wheels fare a little better but there were some awkward webs of flash the needed to be carefully cut away from the hubs. The undercarriage legs are basic but well defined. The rotor head is marred by sink marks and needed filler to plug some gaps.

Finishing instructions are for XE521, the prototype aircraft in a gloss white/natural metal scheme with blue trim. I used Humbrol's 'Krylon' sprays for the white, the metal areas being various shades of Metalcote. The new decal sheet is superb and includes all the blue trim for the fuselage, split into three sections. They fit well, but care is needed in aligning them over the cabin windows and in keeping them straight. I had to shorten the trim for the forward sections so that they would fit a little better. The decals for the clamshell doors fall across compound curves so be prepared to slit them and use plenty of decal solvent to get them to conform.As I had chosen not to fit the transparencies for the cabin windows, I glazed them with Humbrol's 'Clear-Fix'.

The finished model is certainly impressive, due in part to it's unusual shape and size - the fuselage is an a par with the Chinook but the 15 inch (37mm) span of the rotors means you'll have to find considerable shelf space to display it. It certainly provides an interesting bridge between the Chinook and the V-22 with which is shares some similarities..

Airfix give the kit a skill rating of 3 out 4, but rectifying the poor fit, refining some smaller parts and getting a satisfactory white and natural metal paint scheme makes this one for experienced hands - or diehard rotary wing fans - only. That's not to decry the return of the Rotodyne though, it remains the only kit of this unique subject available at the moment and no doubt many will grab one just to own a piece of polystyrene history.