Kit Review - Airfix A11010 1/48 Scale Sepecat GR.1/GR.1A
About the Sepecat Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is a British-French supersonic jet attack aircraft initially deployed by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force for close air support and nuclear strike missions. As of 2025, it remains operational with the Indian Air Force.
Originally designed in the 1960s as a jet trainer with light ground attack capabilities, the Jaguar's role evolved to include supersonic performance, reconnaissance, and tactical nuclear strike capabilities. A carrier-based version was planned for the French Navy but was ultimately cancelled in favour of the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard. The aircraft was produced 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, marking one of the first major British-French military aircraft collaborations.
The Jaguar was exported to India, Oman, Ecuador, and Nigeria and saw action in various conflicts and military operations in Mauritania, Chad, Iraq, Bosnia, and Pakistan. It served as a nuclear delivery platform for the UK, France, and India during the latter half of the Cold War and beyond. The Jaguar was highly regarded for its reliability during the Gulf War and was a valuable asset to coalition forces. It remained the primary strike/attack aircraft for the French Air Force until July 1, 2005, and for the Royal Air Force until April 2007, when it was succeeded by the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF and the Dassault Rafale in the French Air Force.
Airfix’s Rendition….
So, this was a massive though welcome surprise to the model community when it was announced in January everyone along with the Buccaneer and Vulcan has been asking Airfix to re-do this big cat as their previous boxing was from 1994.
The box for this is quite big with again the box art rendered with digital art, which to my eye, isn’t the most flattering image of the Jaguar but is still eye catching.
The box for this is quite big with again the box art rendered with digital art, which to my eye, isn’t the most flattering image of the Jaguar but is still eye catching.
The kit comprises:
· 243 parts
· Decals for 4 options
Great instructions by Airfix!
So, let’s get cracking starting with the instructions, Airfix have done something interesting here with the 1st page showing the stores layout for the different options. They then move onto a page that shows how to position the decals in the cockpit, which, I really like as the pictures are really clear and to the point.
The rest of the instructions are normal Airfix, they have concise and clear pictures of where everything goes. There are also a few parts where they explain what they want you to do really well. For example, one of sections they explain with the use of a jig how to remove part of the nose for the different options (option A). There is also a jig to help build the engine intakes which is a great touch.
Moving on to the plastic parts….
The plastic is Airfix’ s newer dark grey plastic.
Excellent Cockpit Details
Let’s start with some of the cockpit parts, the bang seat looks excellently done with raised details where needed as well as appropriate recess details. The cockpit control panel is nicely rendered so would work well if you’re just painting it or using the decals for the controls,
Two Pilots, One Seat?
The two pilots are well done also, though both have their hands on their laps and not on the controls so would be hard to do in flight, I think. Having two of them could point towards a two-seater coming along in the future, along with other pointers which I’ll talk about later. The only omission is that there is no seatbelt at all, not even any decals so this will need to be address by the modeller either by aftermarket or homemade.
Nicely designed Wheel Wells
The wheel wells are brilliantly represented for all 3 wells, with separate bulkhead and side walls the make painting easier, the tubes or cabling are really sharp and once painted will quite accurately show of this area. The wheels themselves are really nice, with beautifully refined wheel hubs, they also have weight on wheels, which can be seen below.
Crisp panel lines on the nose and fuselage
The nose and fuselage have lovely crisp panel lines that are perfect for this scale, the rivets are well done too. The nose is of the same standard, and has a rather big area for the plug insert, so once this is glued in place it should be really secure with no movement and with how these parts break down it definitely looks like other versions could be due in the future The rear clamshell part for the heat protection is really goodlooking, which once painted and a wash added will look excellent. The engine nozzles are ok, and this may be an area that some aftermarket will help elevate things, however, how much would you see? well that’s the question.
No Seam Lines?
The wings are well done with really fine rivets and the join for the top to bottom is on the underside, so we don’t have to worry about a seam line which is great, though we still have to deal with it underneath. The tail is made up of 3 parts, however looking at things should go together well. There is also a vertical stabilizer for the trainer and other versions without the sensor.
The weapons are beautifully moulded and broken-down, so will be easier to build without having to worry about trying to get fins at 90 degrees to each other.
Crystal Clear from Airfix
The clear part are up to Airfix’s normal standard, they are crystal clear and really well moulded with great rivet detail. The nose radar is moulded back from the radar so makes up part of the nose section so will be easier to deal with any seam line.
The marking options
A. Sepecat Jaguar GR.1 – No.54 (F) Squadron, Royal Air force Lossiemouth, Scotland 1974
B. Sepecat Jaguar GR.1A – No.6 Squadron, Royal Air force Coltishall, Norfolk, England, 1990 – 1994
C. Sepecat Jaguar GR.1A – XZ118/Y “Buster Gonad”, Operation Granby/Desert Storm, Muharraq, Bahrain, Oct 1990 – Mar 1991
D. Sepecat Jaguar GR.1 – No.II (AC) Squadron, Royal Air Force Laarbruch, West Germany, 1976
The decals, printed by Cartograf, are of exceptional quality, as expected. The glossy items feature pin-sharp registration and minimal excess carrier film, only present where elements are grouped. The colours are vibrant, and the sheet includes servicing stencils along with national and squadron markings. With this in mind, excellent results should be achieved straight out of the box.
Final Judgement?
As a whole, this boxing of the Jaguar by Airfix is probably their best yet the builds I’ve seen already look as if this builds up brilliantly. Airfix have really raised their game with this, and I can’t wait to start mine.
Written by Nigel Wells - My Modelling World