The way ahead for Airfix

[Geoff_B]

If I had my 'druthers' a new-tool Anson would be in the top ten, along with the Fairey Battle, the Hampden... in fact any of the pre- or early-war RAF stuff from the back catalogue. I'd also like an additional sprue done for the Hurricane so we can have a tin-wing Mk.I to the same standard as the rag-wing edition - the new sprues for the Heinkel 111P to make a He111H (and a similar sprue addition to another kit, but I can't remember what that was) gives me some hope this might happen eventually...

I appreciate Airfix isn't run purely for my entertainment, but the new tools for the last few years do seem to indicate RAF types to be popular choices for Airfix, even the more obscure ones.

Cheers,

Stew

You mean the Kate with the alternate engine pasts to do the earlier version ?

The Wildcat will probably have a new Martlet boxing with a different cowling and engine sprue going off the layout of the initial kit.

So from 2015 kits we already have a few 2016 possible versions, the already announced He-111H, the Kate B1, I suspect the Wildcat/Martlet, the Whitley has pre-drilled holes for the Radar equipped option and we have already seen the Shackleton AEW parts on the Test shot; add to that the kit breakdown of the Beaufighter indicates a possible later version or even an earlier one !. Sadly the Sea king Commando could possibly lead to an RAF HAR3 SAR version, but it would probably take a much revised tooling to do a long awaited decent Royal Navy ASW version.

With all these alternatives already lined up, it does make you wonder what other new tooling's can we expect in the coming year (hoping for some FAA jets in 72nd)

[Admiral Puff]

...

1. It meets Airfix's necessary confirmable accuracy reference policy requirement. ...

2. High profile prominence for a solid sales profile. ...

3. No segment competition. ...

I suspect the Canberra meets those criteria without any problem at all! There are still plenty around, and in reasonable shape, in both the UK and Australia; it is the iconic post-war jet bomber, the various V-bombers notwithstanding; and I wouldn't really regard the High Planes offering as serious competition. As well, Airfix's previous attempt in 1:72 was less than stellar.

[VMA131Marine]

...

1. It meets Airfix's necessary confirmable accuracy reference policy requirement. ...

2. High profile prominence for a solid sales profile. ...

3. No segment competition. ...

I suspect the Canberra meets those criteria without any problem at all! There are still plenty around, and in reasonable shape, in both the UK and Australia; it is the iconic post-war jet bomber, the various V-bombers notwithstanding; and I wouldn't really regard the High Planes offering as serious competition. As well, Airfix's previous attempt in 1:72 was less than stellar.

Well the Whitley and Kate probably violate Number 2

[Bigglesof266]

So apart from a B-24 then, what else would we like?

My personal predilection would be, 1. for more 1/48, but I think 1/72 is Airfix's bread and butter; 2. more interwar subjects, which again I think unlikely as a business sense driven proposal due to principal target demographic disinterest. Hornby already know for instance that a certain period is the most popular with the OO gauge model railway audience, and modern image is next with the emerging generation naturally enough. Fortunately we still get 'Grouping' era kit from them, but British outline model railway facilitates that because of the prolonged by austerity timeline in service of locos, wagons and carriages requiring only different liveries and modest detail alteration if at all. Just not as much focus on the Grouping era. Conversly interwar aviation period suffers from being so short and subsequently eclipsed in popular imagination and glamour by the types of WWII, if that's what we can call it although I'm not sure that's really a word I want to associate with war.

Types I'd love to see in 1/48 as mainstream state of the art IM kits by Airfix which I also think would be a sales success. Note how most are British offering max potential for subject interest to their sales success into Airfix's primary market.

• Supermarine S.6B (still exists, state of assembly unknown)
• DH.88 Comet ("Grosvenor House" still exists)
• Hawker Fury (example still exists)
• Bristol Bulldog (example exists)
• Arado AR96B (two survivors exist) NB. Aware of SH's short run A/B kits' availability.
• DH.89/A Rapide (several still exist for scanning) or DH.84 Dragon (example still exists, Museum of Flight)

Others I would like, but with less chance of achieving sufficient sales volume are;

• HP.42 (chance of market success probably holds greater assurance in 1/72 even if subject screams out for 1/48) - unsure of suitable ref source for Airfix though.
• Airspeed Oxford, none available for ref source, unsure if original drawings survive, and because of SH short run kits, probably less likely than an Anson
• Miles Magister M.14 (several exist)

Unlikely to see another state of the art Heyford for obvious reasons of interest/sales volume, and if so, almost certainly in 1/72. Short S.23 Empire flying boats are definitely for short run kits and in 1/72, much as I'd like to see one even if I'm runnning out of time to make use of it. There are a few more, but you get the gist. Just a dreaming list.

[dpm1did1]

As no ones mentioned it for a while:

Hawker Sea Hawk.

The old mould is basic.

They could undercut the competition on price, and beat on availability.

Simple, small and therefore cheap enabling the pocket money market (or by the 'bucketfull' brigade) - especially if made extra attractive with bombs & rockets in the box art (kids love it)

Simple colour scheme but multiple operators, squadron markings, even the odd stripe or special...

Edited October 2, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Knight_Flyer]

So apart from a B-24 then, what else would we like?

I've already mentioned the Anson and Oxford, but would imagine that something like a Firefly could be a possibility. Not too big, colourful marking options and an 'interesting shape' it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Personally, a Mk.1 is more appealing than a Mk.6.

Trevor

I quite like the idea of Airfix releasing a Firefly and maybe Fulmar. A Beaufort would be nice too.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Knight_Flyer

[Bigglesof266]

Sea Hawk. An aesthetically beautiful aircraft to me.

Inspired by Roy Cross's unparalleled artwork on the header, I can remember lusting after the original Airifx kit back in the 1960s. Like most of its generation, gutless though the engines of the era were, it still holds great aesthetic and nostalgic appeal for me. Wonder if kids today would be as inspired by it, or they'd be all about a BAE Hawk, Super Hornet, Eurofighter etc instead?

[Fizzy]

Wonder if kids today would be as inspired by it, or they'd be all about a BAE Hawk, Super Hornet, Eurofighter etc instead?

I wonder what percentage of people buying model kits are kids these days. I'd say it's a lot less than it used to be, but I'd love to see some stats out of curiosity

[dpm1did1]

Wonder if kids today would be as inspired by it, or they'd be all about a BAE Hawk, Super Hornet, Eurofighter etc instead?

I think with the much improved box art the younger buyers are far more likely to buy an Airfix vs say a Revell kit (Red v Blue), or Sea Hawk vs Hawk than at some times in the past.

People often criticise the 'sanitised' era but I certainly prefered those to the 'plastic lump on the plans'...some of which never seemed to portray a pro-built model so hardly a bonus for pulling in casual sales.

But not all the new boxes are painted perfection -the Il-2 just doesnt scream'flying tank' and is from the least recognisable angle possible, plus the lack of offensive bite on show doesnt help.

Edited October 2, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Knight_Flyer]

I wonder what percentage of people buying model kits are kids these days. I'd say it's a lot less than it used to be, but I'd love to see some stats out of curiosity

It's an interesting question. My assumption would be the same as yours - a lot less than it used to be. That said, Airfix has launched a Quick Build range which appears to be aimed at kids and I guess they have done their market research to confirm it is a potential seller. Might be another question whether those kids move on to the kind of kits we at BM build.

[dpm1did1]

Not just the quick builds aimed at the kids but also the starter sets aimed at the 'buy for kids' (its how I think of them).

The peak demand may be gone but with the starter kits on the whole being simpler to assemble (better glues for one thing, and fewer plastic lumps) and with detail far suppasing the barely acceptable (by today's standards) of old they even look like scale models as opposed to mere kits.

I do question having starter kits of Heavies etc but for the series 1 & 2 kits at under a tenner it makes very good sense imo.

Edited October 2, 2015 by dpm1did1

[PLC1966]

On the B-24:

I do not live in a cave but the Academy kit, like the B-17, is very decent and accurate and available at half the price or less. I've recently build it and I was quite pleased with it.

I think a B-24 would be a bad choice for Airfix. People complain about the pricing of the Hasegawa kit, but looking at what Airfix charge for the new Shack, I wonder how much cheaper their B-24 would be. I shipped Hasegawa's kit for just over 30gbp from HK earlier this year.

Also, despite Airfix great improvements, I doubt they can make a better kit than Hasegawa, whose B-24 is arguably the best four engined kit ever made in 1/72. So while it might sell well in the UK, I doubt it will be a hit internationally.

But when little Johnnys parents see the Airfix B-24 it in the shops @ 15Dec2016 they may buy, they certainly won't be buying one from Hong Kong.

I do think that Airfix have had a couple of years sorting out a lot of their WW2 basics, they have started on some WW1, I really hope we have a couple of years of Airfix continuing to update their British jets in 1/72, Meteor, Hunter, Tornado, Buccanear, Sea Hawk, Jaguar, Canberra, Sea Harrier & Javelin. Would give a good coverage along with the recent Gnat, Vampire, Lightnings, Harriers. Oh yeah, I want a British Phantom.

[VMA131Marine]

Sea Hawk. An aesthetically beautiful aircraft to me.

Inspired by Roy Cross's unparalleled artwork on the header, I can remember lusting after the original Airifx kit back in the 1960s. Like most of its generation, gutless though the engines of the era were, it still holds great aesthetic and nostalgic appeal for me. Wonder if kids today would be as inspired by it, or they'd be all about a BAE Hawk, Super Hornet, Eurofighter etc instead?

The Hobby Boss 1/72 Hawker Seahawk is a beautiful little kit and quite accurate from what I can tell. It's also not very expensive and definitely worth getting if you don't have one. It comes in two boxings, one with RN markings and one for the export variant with the tall tail and decals for German and Indian operated aircraft. It looks to be scaled down from the Trumpeter 1/48th kit, which is also very good and easier to build than the limited run Classic Airframes kit.

[VMA131Marine]

I quite like the idea of Airfix releasing a Firefly and maybe Fulmar. A Beaufort would be nice too.

Continuing with the theme of Fairey aircraft, what about the Battle, Barracuda, and Albacore (BTW, does anyone know if there is a kit of the Spearfish)?

[Bigglesof266]

I suspect a dampener on kids' enthusiasm these days is expectation vs actuality.

Without skill and patience that just aren't included in any box, along with all the tools the adult modeller can afford and generally has at hand today, the pieces of assembled plastic are never going to anwhere near resemble that promised by its box art. As kids of our time, I think we understood that when we saw the contents within that clear plastic bag knowing that we had to make do as best we could with a tin or two of Humbrol and a hairy stick bought with next week's pocket money. The weathering was applied in the back yard and and final finish with our imagination.

I do think the single engine starter kits and choice of subjects chosen for them are a good idea. As for twins and heavies starter kits, I'd also suggest them either presents or occasional purchases saved up for by the older boy, or perhaps girl. But maybe I'm out of touch and kids have a lot more money these days to be able to afford an £30 kit without blinking an eyelid if the fancy takes them?

[Bigglesof266]

percentage of people buying model kits are kids these days. I'd say it's a lot less than it used to be

And your suspicion would be borne out. Hornby have already identified already their core buying demographic today is adult, and divided into two segments. Collectors and and adult enthusiasts with a layout who actually take the locos out of the box and run them. Other than Thomas sets for infants, children and youth make a modest percentile of Hornby's market

Airfix's demographics would be the similar, albeit with possibly a higher but still inconsequential percentile of kids because of cost, accessibility, relative complexity and lack of committment required just to buy a single model vs train set let alone expand that to a layout without it being a father and son thing. But their core market today is still the adult which is why they have had to up their tooling to meet adult expectations of contemporary model fidelity to stay in the game.

[VMA131Marine]

And your suspicion would be borne out. Hornby have already identified already their core buying demographic today is adult, and divided into two segments. Collectors and and adult enthusiasts with a layout who actually take the locos out of the box and run them. Other than Thomas sets for infants, children and youth make a modest percentile of Hornby's market

Airfix's demographics would be the similar, albeit with possibly a higher but still inconsequential percentile of kids because of cost, accessibility, relative complexity and lack of committment required just to buy a single model vs train set let alone expand that to a layout without it being a father and son thing. But their core market today is still the adult which is why they have had to up their tooling to meet adult expectations of contemporary model fidelity to stay in the game.

If the primary demographic for models was still kids, I suspect there wouldn't be nearly as much variety in kit subjects nor the attention to accuracy and detail that we see today.

[Truro Model Builder]

Children are a small section of the kit buying public for sure, but I have been pleasantly surprised since I began trading at how many still do buy and make them. Hornby is aware of this and have certainly aimed a lot of their products at that market. And don't forget their Project Airfix scheme, which must do well. At my club show we had a make and take area and bought a couple of Project Airfix packs, and it was good to see that the area was reasonably busy throughout the day.

[Procopius]

however at about £25 a pop and a box too large to discreetly sneak into the house, I'm not sure how many impulse buys of the Whitley there will be.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

[dpm1did1]

...BTW, does anyone know if there is a kit of the Spearfish)?

From ye olden days when the Cottage Industry was sometimes run from actual Cottages!

If your a glutton for punishment there's a Contrail 72nd vacuform on Fleabay for £30 right now...!

...

I could have save a few minutes if I had simply BM'd it

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234930796-fairey-spearfish-172/

Edited October 2, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Truro Model Builder]

I think Airfix's strategy is too influenced by vociferous enthusiasts, to make money they should make quality kits of pppular subjects and leave left field to limited run companies.

I entirely disagree with that statement, Paul.

Airfix have produced new moulds of the Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Harrier, Tiger Moth, Mustang, Hawk, Lightning, Dakota and Swordfish since the takeover, some of them in multiple boxings and variations. All popular subjects and all known to a certain extent outside the enthusiasts' sphere. In addition they have done ranges around Operation Herrick, the Red Arrows, the Battle of Britain, the Royal Navy and several others. You simply cannot say that they do not make quality kits of popular subjects, and they sell well enough to allow the company to invest in the lesser known aircraft. We all looked bemused when they announced a P-51, but it is a popular, well known subject and a smashing little kit to boot, and will sell in high enough numbers that I expect to see it in the catalogue for many years to come.

If they were merely influenced by vociferous enthusiasts, as you suggest, we would have our 1/72 VC10 and 1/48 Vulcan but not much else, as Airfix would have failed long ago. Hornby is run by business people who do not make decisions out of altruism and the first question they ask is, "is it worth the investment?" We have all been asking for a new Beaufighter for a long time, but if the suits did not feel that it would sell, it would not have appeared. As it happens, it has sold very well, and the decision has paid off for them, probably enough for a different variant to appear at a later date.

Remember the Nimrod. How many of us were crying out for it? How many of us actually went and bought it? Not that many, as it happened. Hornby will never allow that to happen again.

Edited October 2, 2015 by T7 Models

[Max Headroom]

Oh yeah, I want a British Phantom.

No call for it. Otherwise others on this forum would have mentioned it in passing..........

Trevor

[Bigglesof266]

If the primary demographic for models was still kids, I suspect there wouldn't be nearly as much variety in kit subjects nor the attention to accuracy and detail that we see today.

IMV the variety would still be there. It was expanding constantly in the 60's hitting a zenith in the late 60's very early 70's, but that was more a function of growing with their market demographic and exploiting business opportunity at that time. We all know what happened when boomers became of a certain age.

As to the fidelity, yes, I agree that's a function of Airfix's core demographic of today being adults expecting more, but willing and able to afford more too as the sucess of Eduard has revealed in particular.

Heck when I was a kid, I could never have afforded even a single engine 1/48th scale model! There weren't many, and in any case were dearer than whatever series the 1/72 B17-G kit was. When I did manage to save that amount of money or was gifted a rare present, naturally enough the choice would be such a twin or or multi in 1/72. It wasn't until I was 12 or 13 with income from an after school paper run that I finally managed to buy and build a few kits above the series supplied in header carded plastic bag.

I know from my time in model railway that Hornby, and so Airfix too, are worried about this in another way, tomorrow's market. They are taking steps to do what they can to enourage this generation of kids and the next to participate. But that's another subject entire and a difficult one with no clear answers as could be gleaned by anyone who has watched James May's presentations and participatory build sessions. I don't see model making as an expanding interest market in the future other than by means of natural population growth. Sustaining current participation rates is all I think can be realistically hoped for at best. In the same way kids don't play with pressed painted tinplate soldiers or wind up tinplate racing cars with clockwork mechanisms on pressed and painted tinplate track any more, or political correctness forbid, toy guns, there's only so much you can do with a plastic model to make it fascinating or interactive. Other than it being a creative pursuit at many levels as perceived by us, static plastics modelling has to compete with the internet and so many other lower commitment competing forms of leisure pursuit, most of which are much easier. It's quite possible that whilst not passing into total extinction as an activity, plastic modelling has had its indian summer heyday even within our demographic as we too grow old and pass on the baton. So it may eventually decline to the same quaint collectable status as the pressed tinplate toy has today, or evolve into something else? It's not what I would wish for, but we lived a different time, for which I feel privileged. (edited for misspelling)

Edited October 2, 2015 by Bigglesof266

[AnonymousLL45]

From ye olden days when the Cottage Industry was sometimes run from actual Cottages!

If your a glutton for punishment there's a Contrail 72nd vacuform on Fleabay for £30 right now...!

...

I could have save a few minutes if I had simply BM'd it

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234930796-fairey-spearfish-172/

cottage or cave?

[VMA131Marine]

Remember the Nimrod. How many of us were crying out for it? How many of us actually went and bought it? Not that many, as it happened. Hornby will never allow that to happen again.

I bought the Nimrod. Well, five of them actually! Wasn't it intended to be a limited edition kit from the beginning? I seem to recall that being the case. Probably it would have been a subject more suited for a company like AModel. It would have been four to five times the price of the Airfix kit and I would have bought one instead of five, but they seem to be surviving doing esoteric subjects like the Brabazon at $350 a kit.