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Airfix 2018


old thumper

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Nice choice - a bit big for my shelf but I hope it sells by the container load.

 

Interesting to note that they have acknowledged the Blenheim/Bolingbroke differences that manifested in the engine nacelle fairing being ‘not quite right’ on the 1/72 Model.

 

And yes, a Hunter please!

 

Trevor

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I'd like to suggest the 1/72 Miles Master and Martinet - three different engines, two wingspans and two fuselages make 5 various aircraft with many (sometimes exotic) painting schemes to fit.

This "more serious" (as opposed to Magister) Miles trainer is the only British WW2 mainstream (>3000 built) aircraft absent from the 1/72 market since the demise of Frog.

Cheers

Michael 

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4 hours ago, KRK4m said:

I'd like to suggest the 1/72 Miles Master and Martinet - three different engines, two wingspans and two fuselages make 5 various aircraft with many (sometimes exotic) painting schemes to fit.

This "more serious" (as opposed to Magister) Miles trainer is the only British WW2 mainstream (>3000 built) aircraft absent from the 1/72 market since the demise of Frog.

Cheers

Michael 

Don't forget the shortened rudder for the glider tug version

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No, it was a totally different wing. The Master wing is in inverted gull-wing configuration and complicated structurally to accommodate the retractable undercarriage, the M20 is straight dihedral, fixed gear so no wheel wells. Also stuffed full of guns and ammo of course.

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My bet for 1/72 will be a new Hunter also well overdue a Mosquito re-tool.

 

I'd like to see a Spitfire XIVe (low back) - as I have said many times before!

A 1/72 Hawker Tempest V and Seafury would be very nice too...

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I'm not sure about the Hunter. Lovely aircraft though they are, the Hunter is still a bit of a toxic subject in the UK. Many of the public have known what a Hunter is for the past couple of years now and for all the wrong reasons.

 

I think a Hunter frightens (corporate) people as a topic of discussion generally.

 

You can just visualise the Daily Mail headline finding outrage in such a model kit announcement from a UK company based not too far from ...

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I don't agree about the Hunter being a toxic subject; plus we are talking about modellers buying them and they still like the Hunter.  Incidentally, Mark1 Models are about to release four Hunter kits in 1:144 scale; two will be single seat versions and two will be two-seat trainers.  The single-seat variants are the original Revell 1:144 sprues being re-released with two kits per box.  More important, and exciting perhaps, are two kits of the two-seat trainer variants although only one kit will be supplied per box.  They are being advertised on Hannants future releases.

 

Mike

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The Hunter is an interesting one, aesthetically an interesting aircraft with a range of colour schemes and operators, yet the Revell ones are reputed to have been relatively poor sellers in spite of being pretty good kits overall. However, if anyone can market one, Airfix should be able to, as it surely has more appeal than a Javelin or Swift. Personally, I'd like an early mk in 1/72. 

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I would love Airfix to  do the Hunter in 1:48 scale. Even better if it was multi variant so that you model everything from an F4 to the FR10, including the trainers.

 

Come on Airfix - you know you want to!

 

John

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1 hour ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

I'm not sure about the Hunter. Lovely aircraft though they are, the Hunter is still a bit of a toxic subject in the UK. Many of the public have known what a Hunter is for the past couple of years now and for all the wrong reasons.

 

I think a Hunter frightens (corporate) people as a topic of discussion generally.

 

You can just visualise the Daily Mail headline finding outrage in such a model kit announcement from a UK company based not too far from ...

 

I am not sure if even the low life plankton at the Daily Mail would stoop that low, although second thoughts you are right they probably would. 

You are right about that terrible air disaster bringing back horrible memories, but then other aircraft have also been involved in nightmare accidents. 

 

As a World War Two builder it would be unlikely for me to buy a Hunter kit. Having said that I would have thought the Hunter to be an absolute must for Jet lovers, and absolutely so for those who go for post war British jets of which there must be quite a few in Airfix's sales catchment area.

 

There are very very few jets which might tempt me, but I could be tempted by a Black Arrows Hunter like in the old Airfix kit.

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I don't think we will see another 48th Hunter while the Academy/Italeri kit is so prevailant.

It has issues, but many buyers won't be bothered and those that care cab buy aftermarket to correct it. 

It still has great surface detail and builds up nicely.

 

Personally I would love to see a new kit of it, and with careful planning of the kit breakdown it could even cover early and late marks.

 

 

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1 hour ago, jaw said:

I would love Airfix to  do the Hunter in 1:48 scale. Even better if it was multi variant so that you model everything from an F4 to the FR10, including the trainers.

 

Come on Airfix - you know you want to!

 

John

That's what I want, a 1/48th kit to current standards and a twin seater from the same mold would be easy with a sprue change...

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1 hour ago, 71chally said:

I don't think we will see another 48th Hunter while the Academy/Italeri kit is so prevailant.

 

 

 

 

To be honest I don't think Airfix would see that as a challenge, it's in a slightly different market from them, it doesn't have huge distribution, nor the marketing target audience that an Airfix kit would have. Possibly the reason the are ell kits weren't great sellers was a lack of marketing - the Squadron markings, whilst interesting to enthusiasts, didn't have the casual attraction of say a Black Arrows or Blue Diamonds scheme

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On ‎13‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 4:12 PM, GordonM said:

There’s always Telford for an announcement 

I’m sure Airfix will announce something at Telford (they usually do) but as what?

Can’t be too small: a retooled 1/72 Chipmunk would look silly.

After their recent ‘problems’, which may still be ongoing, I doubt it will be anything large.

There seems to be an increasing emphasis on 1/48, and also offbeat subjects.  Though most modellers would probably ‘know about’ the Seagull, who would ever have guessed Airfix would tool it?  And it even has folding wings!

So something else in 1/48, not too large, well enough known though not truly 'front line', several users and good choice of markings…

I’ll be interested in other BM viewers comments on my logic and if in accord, what might be chosen?

I’d say a Fieseler Storch.

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9 minutes ago, Denford said:

There seems to be an increasing emphasis on 1/48, and also offbeat subjects.  Though most modellers would probably ‘know about’ the Seagull, who would ever have guessed Airfix would tool it?  And it even has folding wings!

So something else in 1/48, not too large, well enough known though not truly 'front line', several users and good choice of markings…

I've wondered about that as well, and whether or not it's not in some way linked to Brexit...there's always the possibility that access to American markets (where that hateful scale is most popular) will be considerably easier than European ones in the years to come. 

 

I hope not, though. 

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1 hour ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

To be honest I don't think Airfix would see that as a challenge, it's in a slightly different market from them, it doesn't have huge distribution, nor the marketing target audience that an Airfix kit would have. Possibly the reason the are ell kits weren't great sellers was a lack of marketing - the Squadron markings, whilst interesting to enthusiasts, didn't have the casual attraction of say a Black Arrows or Blue Diamonds scheme

Not sure about that, or the concept of differing markets anymore.

Many people buy online now, either specialist Hobby outfits or the mass markets of Amazon & Ebay.  The only two model shops in my area stock Italeri. 

And, the Italeri kit can be bought in a display teams box featuring the Black Arrows and Blue Diamonds.

I don't see the sense of marketing a product so close to something existing that is acceptable, even if it were to be superior.

1 hour ago, Denford said:

So something else in 1/48, not too large, well enough known though not truly 'front line', several users and good choice of markings…

 

I’ll be interested in other BM viewers comments on my logic and if in accord, what might be chosen?

At last, a 48th Whirlwind helicopter!

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On 13/10/2017 at 1:57 PM, VMA131Marine said:

That 'thud' you just heard was the sound of Classic Airframes Blenheims being dumped on ebay...

I'll keep hold of my MkV, I doubt Airfix would ever tool that.

 

Well done Airfix though!

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On 11/09/2017 at 12:38 AM, RussellE said:

Although it seems we're reaching a point where most, if not all the mainstream topics are now covered in 1/72, so what does that leave?

 

Javelin and Sea Vixen to name but two, depending on the definition of 'mainstream'. Airfix obviously felt they were mainstream enough to do a lovely fumble thumbs scale kit of each - but I've just about given up on them doing the decent thing & giving us equally nice ones in The One True Scale....:(

 

Oh, & it's about time they gave us a new 72nd Buccaneer too!

 

Keith

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On 10/09/2017 at 10:10 AM, Albeback52 said:

Remember the Nimrod? Airfix kind of got their fingers burnt on that one. It was apparently a kit that "modellers were screaming out for". Unfortunately, the screams became somewhat muted when the shiny new boxes appeared and retailers found their stock gathering dust!

 

The problem with the Nimblob, as I see it, was that Airfix tried to be greedy & it backfired on them. When they originally announced it, it was to be a 'pre-orders only' kit, & they made it appear that it would be just that run & that would be that. As the jet was always one of my favourites, I ordered two at the then hefty asking price. As far as I know the pre-order run sold out. So they apparenty tried to cash in & released it again. But I guess the 'modellers that had been screaming out for it' were largely those that had pre-ordered after the initial announcement & didn't really want any more! Hence the piles of £12 Nimrods flogged off at model shows....

 

Keith

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10 hours ago, bootneck said:

Incidentally, Mark1 Models are about to release four Hunter kits in 1:144 scale; two will be single seat versions and two will be two-seat trainers.

 

That's good news, means I can use more of my Xtradecal & Modelart Hunter sheets up (after I finally get round to building my two Revell examples!)

 

Keith

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