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1/48 - North American P-51D/F-51D & Mustang lV/P-51K by Airfix - released


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We may not have to pay VAT overseas but we do have to pay international postage which can bump up the price for the kit. The current release Airfix kits in the stores here are around the same price as Tamiya for the most part but some are more expensive. I am not a rivet counter and couldn't even be bothered worrying about the wheel well in the Tamiya kit that is so bad (apparently) so the Airfix kit has to have something that wil draw me in to buying it.


I will be buying at least one of them as well as several Walrus kits on release but will it replace the Tamiya kit on my purchasing list, I am not to sure about that.

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41 minutes ago, Harvs73 said:

We may not have to pay VAT overseas but we do have to pay international postage which can bump up the price for the kit. The current release Airfix kits in the stores here are around the same price as Tamiya for the most part but some are more expensive. I am not a rivet counter and couldn't even be bothered worrying about the wheel well in the Tamiya kit that is so bad (apparently) so the Airfix kit has to have something that wil draw me in to buying it.


I will be buying at least one of them as well as several Walrus kits on release but will it replace the Tamiya kit on my purchasing list, I am not to sure about that.

 

Well the wheel well is just wrong as the outer section should run under the wing skin right up to the spar not stop at the door cutout, like all the kits do. I've got the Vector wheel wells to fix this. It doesn't bother some people, but I can see it while it's sitting on the shelf so would rather fix it, though on my 1/72nd scale kit I don't bother.

 

p-51d-wheel-wells-%5B4%5D-468-p.jpg

 

p51d2bg_6a.jpg

 

Edited by Tbolt
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Great, I've got decals for about 9 361st FG aircraft - not to mention 4 78FG, 3 355FG, unless Airfix come up with a silly price that's 16 I'll be having. If they then produce B/C that would be another 5/6 sold!

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4 minutes ago, omererkmen said:
Great, all we needed was another mustang...such a rare object...After all those great mouldings available in the market, do you still believe Airfix Mustang will be a cash cow? 
 
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Omer ERKMEN
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Yes. You could have said that about their Spitfire, but I think they sold quite a few.

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Just now, Tbolt said:

 

Yes. You could have said that about their Spitfire, but I think they sold quite a few.

I am sure their spitfire sales are suffering comparing  with Tamiya or Hasegawa seales, their mouldings are nowhere close to Tami-gawa offerings...

 

Market would have been more happy with a tempest, typhoon or even a hornet...I'd stick with Hasegawa or Tamiya offerings anyway...

 

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20 minutes ago, omererkmen said:

I am sure their spitfire sales are suffering comparing  with Tamiya or Hasegawa seales, their mouldings are nowhere close to Tami-gawa offerings...

 

Market would have been more happy with a tempest, typhoon or even a hornet...I'd stick with Hasegawa or Tamiya offerings anyway...

 

 

What do you mean by nowhere close? To start with the Airfix kit and I'm talking about the new MK.I/V, is a more accurate that the Tamiya kit and hasegawa kit, the molding is pretty much the same and the Airfix kit is more detailed. The Airfix kit is overall a better kit.

Edited by Tbolt
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Looks great,.....I noticed that the early drawings had the British louvres on the nose but the later ones don`t,......I hope that these parts are included in the kit along with a P-51K style propeller without the cuffs. Will it have an optional fin strake too?

 

Would have preferred a Mk.I but still,...well done Airfix,

 

Cheers

           Tony

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40 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

 

What do you mean by nowhere close? To start with the Airfix kit and I'm talking about the new MK.I/V, is a more accurate that the Tamiya kit and hasegawa kit, the molding is pretty much the same and the Airfix kit is more detailed. The Airfix kit is overall a better kit.

 

Here is an illustrated version for what I mean...Please check the moulding and surface quality among them. Airfix detail and moulding quality is far behind. Airfix may be better engineered, more parts  or even better detailed on computers but final product has crude and soft details, deep and wide panel lines, sink marks and fitting problems. Situation is worse with their 1/72 offerings...Please go check Eduard or 35+ year old Fujimi Me-110, and take a look at the Airfix version of it...I wouldn't buy it even if it is 1/3 of a price ...

 

compare_zpsseaheilk.jpg

 

 

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1 hour ago, omererkmen said:

 

Here is an illustrated version for what I mean...Please check the moulding and surface quality among them. Airfix detail and moulding quality is far behind. Airfix may be better engineered, more parts  or even better detailed on computers but final product has crude and soft details, deep and wide panel lines, sink marks and fitting problems. Situation is worse with their 1/72 offerings...Please go check Eduard or 35+ year old Fujimi Me-110, and take a look at the Airfix version of it...I wouldn't buy it even if it is 1/3 of a price ...

 

compare_zpsseaheilk.jpg

 

 

 

That's the Mk.XII Airfix kit which was made quite a few years back and was known for its big panel lines and some other problems. The new Airfix Mk.I/V kit is in a different league the panel lines are just as fine as the Tamiya kit, I've got them both in front of me hear.

 

The Airfix Bf 110 is from the same era as the Mk.XII, nothing what there latest kits are like. As with any manufacturer, you need to judge each kit on it's own and not judge them all by one or a few kits from that company.

 

If your are not buying the latest Airfix kits because of that you are missing out, they have improved a lot over the last few years.

 

There's plenty of reviews around of the Mk.I/V kit like on HyperScale (http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/kits/airfix05125reviewbg_1.htm) that all say it's the best version of the early Spitfire.

 

Airfix Spitfire Mk.V

 

airfixspitfirevb48sb_1.jpg

 

Edited by Tbolt
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9 hours ago, propforward said:

 

Yeah no kidding. Still waiting for those 1:48 Defiants to get back in stock..............grrrrrrr.

 

But I digress.

 

You're clearly holding your tongue wrong. Here in Australia we had the latest tranche of new releases as soon as they had them in the UK and is some cases *earlier*

 

Shane

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3 hours ago, omererkmen said:
Great, all we needed was another mustang...such a rare object...After all those great mouldings available in the market, do you still believe Airfix Mustang will be a cash cow? 
 
Best
 
Omer ERKMEN
Like · Reply · 3 mins

 

Yes. And they don't need to be the biggest seller in the market, just to sell enough to get their share of the pie, and to have a full *range* of subjects in that scale and genre. LOTS of modellers build a kit and (if happy with it) are inclined to try others from that maker. The P-51 has huge recognition in some markets and  provides and excellent thin edge of the marketing wedge to newcomers

 

Shane

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Pragmatically and with a degree of supposition,

I guess if you're in charge of the Marketing department of the model kit division of a large publicly listed toy and model railway distributor who has had a poor trading year with a reported loss of circa GBP 13 million and your share price down by 27p and the bank asking a few questions.  Then playing it 'safe' with a subject and scale thats likely to generate reasonable sales to both modellers and non modellers and a subject that gives you the opportunity to amortise your tooling and R+D costs over several potential boxings of the base kit is not such a silly thing to do.

 

I also wonder given the P51D is such a well documented aircraft with numerous examples still flying if it's actually represents a lower R+D cost as research time is possibly lower. 

 

Personally I quite like Mustangs and depending on what Airfix come up with if its ok I'll probably end up with one.. The new release of late have been pretty good so I guess this will follow on from that. 

 

So while I can understand the 'why do a Mustang' comments from modellers..  I can also personally understand that it probably makes a lot of sense for Airfix in 2017...

 

Cheers

Plasto

 

 

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Well, like with the Walrus, I'm happy again as Airfix has saved me yet more money as their total Mustang sales to me will be a big fat zero! (Wonder if a big fat 1/48 Zero will be their next exciting announcement!)

 

However Airfix - where are the flippin' 1/72 Javelin, Sea Vixen & new Buccaneer? C'mon buck your ideas up...!! :tease:

 

Keith

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One one hand any new 1/48 Airfix kit is welcome but I have to agree with other's the Tempest and Typhoon would have personally made me

happier I,m just going to start Tamiya's D which will despite it's age take some beating but something tells me those two will be coming and I 

suppose the US market is dictating Airfix's choices right now but please Airfix let's have some inspiring schemes for this one personally the

superb 1/48 Defiant had two almost identical options even a nightfighter would have had me buying two.

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16 hours ago, mungo1974 said:

.you can never have enough Mustangs

 

Actually you can have too many of a particular model

 

Max number of models = production number of the real thing x (denominator of the scale)2

 

Therefore for a 1/48 P51D it would be 8102 x 482 = 18,667,008

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For all the chaps asking about, or moaning about why yet another Mustang in 1/48th scale. The answer is easy if you take it logically (Thank you Paul Simon) Tamiya, Hasewaga, Meng Mustangs DON'T make money for Hornby.

 

I hope it sells like hot cakes. I hope it makes millions for Hornby because that will mean Airfix will be able to produce more subjects like Defiants, Valiants, Whitleys, Marlets, Vampires and Tiger Moths.

 

For every Spitfire, Me109 sold by Airfix a little tick goes up on future plans. May they long continue as they are doing now.

 

I'm sorry if this sounds patronising. I don't mean to be.

 

 

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I doubt I will buy this as 1/48 is not my usual territory unless it's a type that's high on my like list. But I hope that it sells by the boatload, I really do, so that Airfix can bring us a new Fairey Battle, some early Beaufighters, or even a Mk V Blenheim, or even as it seems really in demand on here a Tempest or a Fury. They might even produce some more early Jets using the money they make from selling their new Mustang!

 

DC

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I really hope they sell it like hell - I might get one too I guess although I have unbuilt Tamiya and Hasegawa kits - and that it gives them enough money for:

 

1/48 

Hunter single seater & trainer

Vampire single seater & trainer

Venom

Tempest

 

Really hope we get them!

 

Cheers,

Michael

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