Matchbox PK-25 Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA British Fighter — 1/72 Scale Plastic model kit

Manufacturer: Matchbox / Lesney

Kit number: PK-25

Later catalogue number: 40025

UPC/EAN: 035995402539 / 0035995402539

Aircraft: Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA

Scale: 1/72

Subject period: Inter-war RAF

Original tooling: 1974

Production status: Out of production

Decal options: Two RAF schemes are documented

Kit character: Classic Matchbox vintage tooling

The kit was originally tooled in 1974 and remained in the Matchbox catalogue through several box-art variations, with its final documented Matchbox release in 1992.
Matchbox and the kit's history

The kit is a good example of what made Matchbox's 1970s aircraft range distinctive. Rather than concentrating exclusively on famous WWII and modern aircraft, Matchbox produced models of less commonly represented subjects, including aircraft from the inter-war period.

The Siskin was an excellent choice for that philosophy. It was an important RAF fighter of the 1920s but is now considerably less familiar than the Spitfire, Hurricane or Gladiator.

The original Matchbox tooling appeared in 1974, and the kit was issued with variations of the colourful Matchbox packaging through the late 1970s. It was eventually released for the last time by Matchbox in 1992.

The kit has subsequently become a vintage Matchbox collectible because the tooling has not received the same continual reissue treatment as many of the company's more mainstream aircraft.

A modern modeller therefore has relatively few opportunities to buy this particular Siskin without going into the vintage-kit market.
Kit contents

The PK-25 is a relatively straightforward 1/72 biplane kit.

The moulding represents the distinctive:

single-seat fuselage;

large upper wing and smaller lower wing;

interplane and cabane struts;

Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine;

distinctive undercarriage;

propeller;

cockpit;

tail assembly;

twin forward machine guns.

The original kit was supplied in two plastic colours, a characteristic Matchbox feature of the period. Contemporary examination of the kit records two decal options, both representing RAF aircraft.

As with many Matchbox kits from this period, the engineering is relatively simple compared with modern 1/72 tooling. The kit is nevertheless regarded by vintage-kit modellers as a particularly attractive old Matchbox subject.

A contemporary review notes the kit's straightforward construction and its distinctive inter-war subject, while describing the Siskin as a single-seat sesquiplane with two .303-inch machine guns.
The real aircraft — Armstrong Whitworth Siskin

The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was one of the most important British fighter aircraft of the years immediately following the First World War.

It was developed during a period when military aviation was transitioning from the aircraft of WWI to the much more advanced all-metal fighters that would dominate the 1930s.

The Siskin was particularly significant because the Siskin IIIA became the first all-metal fighter procured in quantity by the RAF.

The aircraft's development began as the Siddeley-Deasy S.R.2 Siskin, first flying in May 1919.

The aircraft went through several major changes before becoming the production Siskin IIIA, including changes of engine and a transition from a composite wood/metal structure to an all-metal airframe.
Development

The original Siskin was designed by F. M. Green.

Early development was complicated by the performance of the ABC Dragonfly radial engine. The aircraft was substantially improved when the much more successful Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine became available.

The first Siskin III flew in 1923, and production aircraft subsequently entered RAF service.

The Siskin IIIA was the major production version.

It used a supercharged Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA engine, which provided better high-altitude performance than the earlier versions.
The Siskin IIIA

The IIIA was a single-seat, single-engine sesquiplane fighter.

"Sesquiplane" means that the lower wing is substantially smaller than the upper wing.

This gives the Siskin its distinctive appearance and is one of the reasons the Matchbox model is immediately recognisable.

The aircraft had an all-metal airframe, although fabric covering was still used on parts of the structure and control surfaces.

Its main armament was:

2 × .303-inch Vickers machine guns

The Siskin could also carry small bombs on underwing racks in suitable configurations.
Performance

The Siskin IIIA was a respectable fighter by the standards of the mid-1920s.

Representative figures for the type include:

Engine: Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV-series radial

Power: approximately 420–450 hp

Maximum speed: around 156 mph / 251 km/h at sea level

Service ceiling: approximately 27,000 ft / 8,230 m

Crew: 1

Wingspan: approximately 33 ft 2 in / 10.11 m

Length: approximately 25 ft 4 in / 7.72 m

Empty weight: approximately 2,061 lb / 935 kg

Loaded weight: approximately 3,012 lb / 1,366 kg

At 1/72 scale, the full-size dimensions correspond to roughly 140 mm long and 140 mm wingspan, making this a relatively compact model despite the visually prominent upper wing.
RAF service

The first Siskin IIIs were delivered to No. 41 Squadron at RAF Northolt in 1924.

The type subsequently equipped eleven RAF squadrons.

Pilots generally regarded the Siskin as highly manoeuvrable, although its engine performance limited it compared with some of the newer fighters that followed.

The improved IIIA entered service from 1926, initially with No. 111 Squadron.

The aircraft remained an important RAF fighter through much of the second half of the 1920s.

By the beginning of the 1930s, however, it was clearly becoming obsolete.

The final RAF Siskins were withdrawn in October 1932, being replaced by the considerably more modern Bristol Bulldog.
Aerobatic and display work

One of the most interesting aspects of the Siskin's history was its use for RAF public flying displays.

The aircraft was highly manoeuvrable and consequently became a popular type for formation flying and aerobatic demonstrations.

The Royal Canadian Air Force also used Siskins for one of Canada's earliest military flying-display teams.

The Canadian government describes the Siskin as perhaps the most important RCAF aircraft of the inter-war years and notes that the RCAF formed a three-aircraft aerobatic team at Camp Borden in 1929. The team toured Canada performing formation and solo displays until 1932.

This is an important part of the aircraft's legacy: although it was designed as a fighter, it also became a highly visible symbol of military aviation during the inter-war period.
Royal Canadian Air Force service

Canada was one of the Siskin's most important overseas users.

The RCAF acquired 12 Siskin IIIAs after evaluating Siskin II aircraft in Canadian conditions.

They remained in Canadian service into the late 1930s, by which time the type had been superseded by modern fighters.

The Canadian government records the Siskin as the RCAF's front-line fighter from 1926 until approximately 1938, after which it was replaced by aircraft including the Hawker Hurricane.

Interestingly, Canadian Siskins continued to be useful for training and demonstration purposes even after they were no longer competitive as front-line fighters.
Production

Approximately 485 Siskins of all variants were built.

The Siskin IIIA was by far the principal production version, with more than 300 aircraft produced.

Production was not confined to Armstrong Whitworth. Because of the demands on Armstrong Whitworth's factories, Siskin IIIA construction was also subcontracted to companies including:

Blackburn;

Bristol;

Gloster;

Vickers.

This makes the Siskin an interesting example of how Britain's aircraft industry was organised during the inter-war period.
International interest

Armstrong Whitworth attempted to secure export customers for the Siskin.

Romania placed an order for 65 aircraft, but the order was subsequently cancelled after a fatal accident involving a Romanian pilot during acceptance testing in 1925. Political factors may also have influenced the cancellation.

Other Siskins were evaluated or operated by countries including Sweden and Canada.

The type consequently had a wider international history than its relatively small production run might suggest.
Full-size aircraft price

There is unusually good historical price information for the Siskin because the Canadian government has published detailed RCAF procurement information.

For the Canadian Siskin IIIA, the documented cost was:

C$11,758.66 per airframe

C$6,800 per engine

That gives a combined aircraft-and-engine figure of approximately C$18,558.66 at the time, although the source presents the airframe and engine separately.

This is a historical procurement cost, not a modern equivalent price.

There is no meaningful normal current market price for an original Siskin IIIA because surviving examples are museum/heritage aircraft rather than routinely traded aircraft.

For your catalogue I would therefore record:

Historical full-size price: approximately C$11,759 for the airframe + C$6,800 engine
Current full-size price: No reliable normal market price; surviving examples are heritage assets.