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Airfix old and new tooling list?


Rick Brown

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The Mk 1 was the first with the Vb coming along from the same tooling.

Errr... no. The Vb was first released in 1975; the Mk1 saw the light of day in 1979.

At Telford looking at the second hand kit sellers what was mostly there? Airfix back catalogue.

That's pretty subjective. I saw a LOT of non-Airfix stuff. But even if so, so what? That's like saying that if you go to a second hand car sales lot and you see a lot of Fords or Vauxhalls, and not many Lotuses or Lancias, that must mean that people didn't buy Fords new. You'd kinda expect the relative quantities of different kit brands on second-hand sellers' shelves to reflect the relative quantities of different brands available in years past, and their estimate of the likelihood of selling them now... There were a LOT of Airfix kits around in the 70s and 80s, and not so many Lindberg, Arii, or Union...

bestest,

M.

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The Mk 1 was the first with the Vb coming along from the same tooling.

The point is that the Airfix back catalogue does not sell - witness all the left over stock in Model Zone. And the experienced modellers leave the Airfix back catalogue alone. The new modellers and kids do not buy again if their first experience is not good.

It's possible that people were simply buying up kits that are tradionally breath-takingly expensive when they were put on sale during the liquidation. I know I would have :D. Airfix, however, are not as pricey in general, and are reliably available.

Just a thought :).

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Err No...the original Mk 1 was waaaaaayyyyyy back in the late 1960's early 1970's...A truly nostalgic kit and beautiful box art.

No it isn't subjective it is fact that the Airfix back catalogue doesn't sell. It doesn't sell for a reason. Because they are extremely dated.

Talk to the owners of model shops and the ex managers of Model Zone.

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No it isn't subjective it is fact that the Airfix back catalogue doesn't sell. It doesn't sell for a reason. Because they are extremely dated.

Talk to the owners of model shops and the ex managers of Model Zone.

These presumably are the same owners who keep ordering stock from Airfix featuring the Airfix back catalogue.

Airfix are a business, if the back catalogue didn't sell then they wouldn't waste time and money producing them and selling them.

The starter sets and gift sets featuring new and old tools are major money spinners for Airfix/Hornby as stated in their financial reports. "Experienced" modellers in your opinion might not be buying them, but the other 85% of "modellers" seem to do so in such numbers that Airfix are putting a lot of resources into producing them. There are a lot more places to buy Airfix than bricks and mortar model shops.

Airfix aren't some huge conglomerate, the R&D team is about 5 people, there is a limit to what they can do each year to produce new tools and replace the back catalogue. Until they work their way through the back catalogue is what keeps the company afloat and in a position to produce new kits.

2014 is going to be a bumper year for new kits, an indication that Airifx is committed to modellers.

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Well, when I look at Model shops - not chains that have deals with Airfix and Revell and I see a lack of Airfix/Revell on the shelves that tells me that no modellers are not buying. Look at your Model Shop...not Model Zone, not WHS, Not Toybarn but your Model Shop.

My local is Mick Charles (mainly Radio Control) very little airfix on the shelves...why? because it doesn't sell. New kits are fine back catalogue doesn't.

Look at Dorking Model shop - new release Airfix Revell only no back catalogue. Look at Hannants shop...very small amount of airfix...no back catalogue at all. Why? It doesn't sell. In fact if you want old Airfix back catalogue Hannants send customers to the RAF Museum down the road.

At my model club all the aircraft modellers will buy the new...NEW Airfix kits but they avoid the back catalogue.

And 85% of modellers buying Airfix? Mmm I would argue that point.

Airfix can afford to sell the old nostalgic kits in big deals with now WHS - they used to do huge deals with Model Zone - buy these new Canberras at this price and we'll do 1000 units of old stuff really cheap - the idiots at Model Zone took this as a good deal but it wasn't...the container of Airfix leftovers from Model Zone says it all.

The R&D at Airfix are doing a sterling job but the back Catalogue is not the foundation they rely on...new modellers are not buying old cave man models after an initial experience of having that badly fitting kit. The 1/72 Mk I Spit was the kit that saved Airfix with the James May TV program...The Mossie in 1/24 laid initial foundation for the Airfix return but it was that little Spit that did the job.

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The 1/72 Hercules was an amazing model when released, but would any experienced modeler buy that kit against the later Italeri kits? Not unless it was as a collectors kit to stay in the box.

Interestingly enough the Airfix Herk is still the only kit with the right fuselage shape forward of the wing - the cargo floor kink and a generally better nose shape. Neither Italeri nor ERTL have managed to get that right. :winkgrin:

Shapewise the only real correction the Airfix kit needs is the engine pods... Flightpath did a correction set specially for the Airfix kit. The props are iffy too. Aeroclub did a set of Herk props. I have both correction kits! :analintruder:

The kit has been modified to represent a Gunship (urk) - and it fits where it touches (double urk). Panelling needed - but then so does the Italeri kit! :)

I would gladly buy an original Airfix Herk to build it! So if somebody reading this has a (pre-gunship) Airfix Herk for sale for a reasonable price please e-mail me about it... :thanks:

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The 1/72 Hercules was an amazing model when released, but would any experienced modeler buy that kit against the later Italeri kits? Not unless it was as a collectors kit to stay in the box.

I'm sorry to differ, but the old Airfix Hercules is much easier to correct than the "old" Italeri one. The "new" Italeri with "recessed panel lines" - ex AMT mould - I don't know.

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Hey we are all allowed to differ. The thing I will add here is that the chat is excellent and polite. The banter is great too. Another blog I was on once is full of adults with 7 year old mentalities.

It's nice here - a quote from a very old TV advert.

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Another old Airfix mould that sustains well the arrival of newer releases: their Sunderland. After having the chance to see the new Italeri kit with its great trenches I finally get an Airfix kit that I wanted since childhood. Some great builds here in BM helped a lot!

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I think you'll have to enlighten me, Graham -- I thought that the Mk 1 came from the same masters. I've got both in the stash, and as far as I can see, the fuselages are identical, and the Mk1 wing upper surface sits perfectly happily on the Vb lower surface. What are the shape problems with the Vb that were corrected in the Mk 1?

bestest,

M.

The Mk.V wing has too much swept back, as you may see here against the newer Mk.IX. If you compare the lower surfaces of the old Mk.I and Mk.V you'll see the difference.

SpitfireWings.jpg

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