I built the Airfix 1/72 Standard Tilly truck to accompany my Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, which I had completed recently. Creating a small “Battle of Britain” era RAF scene. The Standard Tilly was a versatile utility vehicle, used by all branches of the British armed forces during World War II. Wich therefore makes it ideal for the scene i have in mind.
For this project, I used the Airfix 1/72 WWII RAF Vehicle Set. While the kit mainly includes painting and marking options for later war vehicles, I wanted my Tilly to reflect an “Battle of Britain” scheme. To achieve this, I spent time researching references online, using period photos and colour guides. To come up with a more appropriate scheme.
The kit itself is a pleasure to build, featuring excellent surface detail and a well thought out parts breakdown. Overall, it’s a great little kit.
Construction
Construction of the Tilly began in a very straightforward way. I followed the kit instructions, carefully removing the chassis parts from the sprues before cleaning up all the components. Once prepared, the parts were glued together without any issues.
The fit of the parts was excellent, and everything went together smoothly, which made the build very enjoyable. I kept the model largely out of the box, only adding a small scratch-built gear lever to enhance the interior detail.
Painting
With all the parts fully assembled, I began the painting stage by carefully masking the windscreens on both the inside and outside. After masking, I sprayed all the components with a black primer coat of Mr. Surfacer 1500. Providing an base coat for the rest of the painting proces.
Rather than following the Airfix painting instructions, I opted for a “Battle of Britain” era camouflage scheme. Using my airbrush, I painted the chassis in Mr Hobby H73 “Dark Green”. A colour well used on early WWII British vehicles. The seats and the canvas cargo bed cover were brush painted using Vallejo Model Color 70.988 “Khaki”.
To add depth and realism, I applied some highlights and shadows by lightening and darkening the base colours.
Once the basic painting was complete, I moved on to assembling the model. after wich i carefully masked the camouflage pattern. Next, I airbrushed the second camouflage colour, using Mr Hobby H72 “Dark Earth”, which was used a lot on “Battle of Britain” era British military vehicle.
After the painting stage was finished, I applied a gloss coat of Mr. Color GX100 “Super Clear III”. This step not only sealed the paintwork but also prepared the surface for decals. Following a drying period, I applied the kit-supplied decals, which settled down nicely on the glossy surface.
Finally, I added a light layer of weathering to bring the model to life. I used a combination of washes and weathering powders, focusing on creating a subtle dust effect along the sides of the chassis and inside the wheel arches. As a result, the finished model has a more realistic, well used World War II RAF vehicle appearance without being overdone.
The final result
Finally, I sealed everything with a coat of flat varnish. Before carefully removing the masking from the windows, which revealed the finished glazing and brought the model together. With that done, the Airfix 1/72 Standard Tilly was complete.
Overall, this is a great little kit with excellent detail for its scale, and it builds into a very convincing World War II British utility vehicle. In conclusion, I think it pairs perfectly with the Arma Hobby 1/72 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I that I built recently. Making it an ideal addition to a “Battle of Britain” themed display or diorama.
