Airfix 2018

[Gerrardandrews]

With new bloke in charge, nice 1/32 60s cars please and trucks, Aircraft in 1/24, should be a nice Hawk😊 more 1/48 and 1/72 airfield equipment 😋 Red Dwarf ship😏 Nice big 1/12 E-Type😜 Airfix back to being Airfix 😉

[Dave Fleming]

7 hours ago, Agent K said:

What was the alleged agreement? to allow Revell to put their AEW out before Airfix? if so that would be a fundamental and gross error by Airfix and one I can't believe? and with whatever the alleged agreement was, what did Airfix negotiate to their benefit? intrigued......

 

I'd say any talk of an agreement is nonsense. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Airfix brought forward their Shackleton when they got wind of the Revell one

 

[Dave Fleming]

3 hours ago, PhoenixII said:

I

May have been because (and this is merely supposition) that as Airfix scanned the MR2 / AEW2 / MR2!  WR963 at Coventry,

meaning, even with the in-service 'tinkering' the Airfix kit is the most accurate MR2 / AEW2 / MR2 out there, NB I DIDN'T say easiest!

 

From what has been said by one of the team bringing her back to ground running state, (sadly now, with a temporary hiatus) 

Revell ASSUMED that they could too, err, NO, 'cos you didn't ask! and I believe Airfix "put their money where their mouth is".

      

 

 

Nothing was scanned, Airfix examined the airframe and has access to the engineering drawings.

[Scott_]

16 hours ago, Denford said:

In the past Airfix have 'always' offered

1) A Jet Aircraft

2) A Luftwaffe subject

1+2 = Ar234?  Hope so but I feel a Me 410 is more likely

3) US type: yes, you list a Hudson

4) Something from the Cold War

For my part I confidently predict a P-51 / Me 262 Dogfight Double.

Nothing in 1/24

 When the 262 was announced Airfix mentioned in one of their publicity blurbs that the old Me262 + Mosquito dogfight double was one of their most popular. Given that we now have the 262, I'm predicting a 1/72 Mosquito to replace the current outdated item, with a reborn 262/Mossie dogfight double to follow later on

[old thumper]

39 minutes ago, Scott_ said:

 When the 262 was announced Airfix mentioned in one of their publicity blurbs that the old Me262 + Mosquito dogfight double was one of their most popular. Given that we now have the 262, I'm predicting a 1/72 Mosquito to replace the current outdated item, with a reborn 262/Mossie dogfight double to follow later on

 

The Mosquito in the dogfight double wasn't the one still in production (first released about 1974) but the earlier kit from about 1958. 

The current Airfix Mosquito dating from the early seventies is actually a nice kit, but even so it is looking a bit dated now. While the old kit still sells and looks ok I don't see how Airfix could go wrong with a new kit.  

 

 

[Neil Lambess]

Based on the free Airfix calender I will say 1/24th Camel (or was it a pup ) and new tool jet Typhoon

[Max Headroom]

Would the Camel be more likely in 1/72 or 1/48?

 

Trevor

[invidia]

12 hours ago, Gerrardandrews said:

With new bloke in charge, nice 1/32 60s cars please and trucks, Aircraft in 1/24, should be a nice Hawk😊 more 1/48 and 1/72 airfield equipment 😋 Red Dwarf ship😏 Nice big 1/12 E-Type😜 Airfix back to being Airfix 😉

Red dwarf..... yes please and starbug, they did do some dr who thing's a few years ago so why not.  And a 1/24 fury/bulldog/siskin, fairy battle, just no more spitfires!!!! 

[fightersweep]

32 minutes ago, invidia said:

 And a 1/24 fury/bulldog/siskin, fairy battle, just no more spitfires!!!! 

As much as I love the Siskin, I couldn't see Airfix chancing a 1/24 version! However, the Gladiator could be a hope as they did nearly develop one way back, but the Fw-190 won the toss.

 

No more Spitfires? How many 1/24 Spitfires have Airfix done? The Mk I and the essentially same Mk Vb are very nearly 50 years old. As much as I love the old kit and am happy to scratch build the heck out of it to bring it up to date, they need replacing. A new 1/24 Spitfire from Airfix would be a very sensible choice, probably a Mk IX, but even a new Mk Ia would be fantastic. If they did a Mk XIV, I'd have their babies!

 

I love 1/24 (hence the reason I'm all over the new Trumpeter Ju-87A....who'd have thought!) I would take any of the following if Airfix went to 1/24 town with these...

 

Hawker Fury

Gloster Gladiator

Bristol Blenheim

Me 262

Hawker Sea Fury / Tempest

F4U-1D Corsair

Spitfire Mk XIV

Gloster Meteor

P-51B Mustang

Bristol Fighter

Tiger Moth

P40E

 

Replacements of existing tools to new standards..

 

Bf 109E

Spitfire Ia

 

Looney tunes, "you're avin a larf" never going to happen subjects I'd love to see in 1/24..

 

Heinkel 51

AW Siskin

Piston Provost

Macchi 200

EE Lightning

Fiat Cr 42

Fairey Firefly

Dh Chipmunk

Supermarine S6B

Harvard II

Seafire 47

Boulton Paul Defiant

 

Don't know where I would put them all though!

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by fightersweep

[TonyW]

If you feel the need to shake up your company, and get the whole world talking about you, a blockbuster of a kit would do the job.

 

A 1.24 Lightning should fit the bill just fine.

 

It would have the same kind of impact the first 1.24 scale Spitfire had, back in the day. 

 

We can but dream.

 

Tony.

[invidia]

29 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

No more Spitfires?

in any scale!!!  ok maybe a nice 1/48 early mk 1.  i think the only way i will get a 1/24 siskin is make my own!!!!

[fightersweep]

I gathered all the plans for a 1/24 Siskin....If you ever need a set just shout!

 

I would still love a new 1/24 Spit Mk I. Imagine if it was up to the standard of the Typhoon? I know you'd buy one! 

 

Agreed on the EE Lightning!

[snowen250]

37 minutes ago, invidia said:

in any scale!!!  ok maybe a nice 1/48 early mk 1.  i think the only way i will get a 1/24 siskin is make my own!!!!

They already do a 1:48 early MkI spitfire.... and it is very nice!

[bradleygolding]

Add a 1/24 Stearman to the list please!

 

Steve

[Denford]

On ‎06‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 10:20 AM, TEXANTOMCAT said:

 

Airfix sell shed loads of Spitfires and Lancasters. Both have been in the catalogue for many years. Having covered all the major marks of Spitfire and several marks of Lancaster it seems to me that with a rejuvenated interest in 1/48 by Airfix that a big bomber as a ‘big ticket item’ might be a good seller.

 

That a subject has been in the catalogue for many years doesn't necessarily mean that it's selling! 

It could still be listed because there's a pile of unsold/slow moving stock.  Were it removed from the catalogue there'd be no chance at all of selling any because nobody would know it was there!  There could be audit problems too.

I wonder how well the 'new' Zero sold?  It seems always to be the subject for the 'Build and Paint' (or whatever) on the tables for younger modellers.....  A useful way to dispose of 'dead' stock?

Reading between the lines, part of Hornby's problems were high levels of slow moving stock.  How does one value 1000 Wonderplanes selling at 100 per year?  From what I know of accounting (a little only) the same as if they were selling at 5000 per year!  Others may know better.

Recently the Chairman, Chief Executive and Finance Director have all 'departed' the Hornby Board.  Let's hope Phoenix Asset Management can put Hornby 'back on the rails'.  Ouch.

 

[Aeronut]

Recent policy changes at Hornby have seen all Hornby products (Hornby, Airfix, Scalextrix) disappear from high street toy / model shops. IMHO a very short sighted decision.

[bhouse]

7 minutes ago, Aeronut said:

IMHO a very short sighted decision.

Playing devil's advocate: could this actually be a very long sighted decision? The decline in number and variety of high street others is well-established, as is the rise in internet shopping. It is possible that Hornby has decided that supporting bricks and mortar outlets is too expensive when they promise nothing but defining returns.

[Chimpion]

8 minutes ago, Aeronut said:

Recent policy changes at Hornby have seen all Hornby products (Hornby, Airfix, Scalextrix) disappear from high street toy / model shops. IMHO a very short sighted decision.

Agreed. Just taking Airfix, I think they have four types of potential customers :

1. Existing modellers who already build Airfix kits. These customers will not be lost by withdrawing from the high street - they'll still find and buy Airfix online or at shows.

2. Existing modellers who rarely or never build Airfix. Here good exposure in model shops (online and B&M) is important, as well as a good presence at shows.

3. Children. This includes relatives buying presents for children. Here high street exposure is critical, as are online toy and department stores, Amazon, etc.

4. Adults not active in the hobby (especially the gift market). Here the key would seem to be iconic subjects, good quality, right price range (£30-£100), and exposure in gift shops and department stores (Debenhams, John Lewis and the like).

I suspect group 4 is the least price sensitive and potentially the most profitable, with the possibility of establishing new customers for the future. Withdrawing from such stores would seem to me to be a dangerous strategy, but I have to assume Hornby know what they are doing.

 

[keefr22]

On 06/11/2017 at 10:20 AM, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Having covered all the major marks of Spitfire

 

Not quite. They haven't done either a high or low back XIV in 1/48th. And apart from Academy's cartoon effort neither has anyone else. Big gap in the market there Airfix...!!

[Julien]

32 minutes ago, Chimpion said:

Agreed. Just taking Airfix, I think they have four types of potential customers :. Here good exposure in model shops (online and B&M) is important, as well as a good presence at shows

 

I don't think Airfix care about online exposure. They withdrew all support in the form of review samples etc a couple of years ago now and only seem to support their own magazine. I see very little marketing at all from them theses days.

[IanC]

19 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Quite right, they did,  but I'm not sure any of them would still have had the un-armoured windscreen by that time.

 

Indeed. The Science Museum Hurricane is a fabric winged BoB veteran, with an armoured windscreen. Airfix copied the markings for their starter set, of course.

 

I still can't believe they'll leave it at that for the Hurri, as it's hardly representative of the aircraft's service. 

 

It would be great to have some later marks - maybe even a Mk IV with rockets as a homage to Airfix's very first model of it!  

 

 

[Aeronut]

40 minutes ago, Chimpion said:

Agreed. Just taking Airfix, I think they have four types of potential customers :

1. Existing modellers who already build Airfix kits. These customers will not be lost by withdrawing from the high street - they'll still find and buy Airfix online or at shows.

2. Existing modellers who rarely or never build Airfix. Here good exposure in model shops (online and B&M) is important, as well as a good presence at shows.

3. Children. This includes relatives buying presents for children. Here high street exposure is critical, as are online toy and department stores, Amazon, etc.

4. Adults not active in the hobby (especially the gift market). Here the key would seem to be iconic subjects, good quality, right price range (£30-£100), and exposure in gift shops and department stores (Debenhams, John Lewis and the like).

I suspect group 4 is the least price sensitive and potentially the most profitable, with the possibility of establishing new customers for the future. Withdrawing from such stores would seem to me to be a dangerous strategy, but I have to assume Hornby know what they are doing.

 

And of course Group 3 is where the future sales are.

For a long time I've described myself as a modelling Junkie and model shops as Drug dealers.

To survive, Hornby have to entice the young to buy their products and if that means selling their wares at the school gates alongside the other (real) drug dealers so be it.

My local toy shop used to be a Hornby  concession and had a wall of Hornby products, I was a regular visitor and it was a shock to find the whole stock removed  and replaced by Lego apart from the train layout which the man  with a van Hornby had sent to collect the stock couldn't lift on his own, and the shop staff, who were disgusted at Hornby, wouldn't help him with it. 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

2 hours ago, Denford said:

That a subject has been in the catalogue for many years doesn't necessarily mean that it's selling! 

It could still be listed because there's a pile of unsold/slow moving stock.  Were it removed from the catalogue there'd be no chance at all of selling any because nobody would know it was there!  There could be audit problems too.

I wonder how well the 'new' Zero sold?  It seems always to be the subject for the 'Build and Paint' (or whatever) on the tables for younger modellers.....  A useful way to dispose of 'dead' stock?

Reading between the lines, part of Hornby's problems were high levels of slow moving stock.  How does one value 1000 Wonderplanes selling at 100 per year?  From what I know of accounting (a little only) the same as if they were selling at 5000 per year!  Others may know better.

Recently the Chairman, Chief Executive and Finance Director have all 'departed' the Hornby Board.  Let's hope Phoenix Asset Management can put Hornby 'back on the rails'.  Ouch.

 

Well the last list of Airfix top sellers of all time : 

1 - Spitfire Mk 1

2 - Hurricane Mk 1

3 - Lancaster

4 - Messerschmitt BF-109G

5 - Mosquito

6 - Sea King

7 - Landing Craft LCM3 & Sherman Tank joint kit

8 - Heinkel 111 Bomber

9 - 1911 Rolls-Royce

10 - Golden Hind, Classic Ships Range

 

Source - here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7131047.stm  which is from 10 years ago but puts it top 3.

 

IIRC Airfix have tooled the Lancaster 3 times - once in the 60s, once in the early 80s? then produced the MKII, BIII and the Dambusters Lanc in the new tool series. The MKII has come out of the catalogue, the BII and Dambusters havent. I doubt they would have retooled unless they were good sellers!

 

Of the new tools, some indeed seem to have vanished from the catalogue when Hornby announced they would slim down the range to, presumably, best sellers only.

 

Whilst I only have the above to go on, I would be amazed if their top sellers werent 'Spitfire' and 'Lancaster' because to the lay public they are more recognisable than 'Zero'! Further, I imagine the cost of a simple single seater mould is much less than a larger four engined bomber - and even with that they have enabled the base tool to be used in three different ways. 

 

In fact having popped out for lunch to my LHS- I spoke to the owner, who does as might be expected, a large portion of his trade at this time of year leading up to Christmas. He confirms, best 'Airfix Sellers' are Spitfire (especially the starter set), Lancaster, Mosquito, Sherman tank and the Quickbuild series. 

 

The 'strong links' with Oxford due to board changes are very interesting. IMHO some of the Oxford models are absolutely lovely - they certainly - again IMHO knock the spots off Corgi - they are cheaper too and Oxford is a profitable business. 

 

The Revell business model is interesting- they release a new model, presumably in numbers sufficient to make a profit and fundamentally to pay for the tool. Then it disappears from the catalogue, stock is dumped (Modelzone was a favourite IIRC - 1/32 Hunters for £8.99!) and they wait for demand to build up again before re-releasing it. Their tool bank, both legacy and from other manufacturers (ie Matchbox) must be huge AND they repop other current toolings - ICM, Eduard - at a price premium to the originals presumably because they have better distribution and market reach?

 

I do agree that they must have a lot of dead stock - all the M&T's I have seen recently are Zeros - or weirdly Albatros biplanes!

 

LHS chappie said that his biggest recent Airfix orders have been for the Defiant, Mustang, Sea Fury, Walrus and especially - the Phantom -

 

From what I've read Airfix are actually profitable-  its not the largest part of Hornby though- 6m turnover of a 47m turnover for HH ( their last set of accounts give a 9m loss) 

 

http://www.hornby.plc.uk/annual-reports/

 

This makes for interesting reading.....

 

Again referring to LHS chappie - his main line is railways-  and the amount people spend on their layouts is a bit of an eye opener eg as I popped in for a couple of tinlets, a chap I vaguely knew was walking out with some rolling stock and other sundries having paid £150 'I only came in for some grassmat' says he....

 

I tip my hat to the gent who correctly picked me up for referring to the whole 'Spitfire' series. AZ kit to one side, with two seater flights now permitted and very buoyant (fact - we have two such operators from my local airfield!) a twintub could sell well- just saying....

 

Whatever happens am sure we all agree that we just want Airfix to survive and bring us new products we want to build, I cant quite say I get as excited about new tools from Revell or Eduard as I do about the red topped email letting me know what new wundermodelbau is revealed on Workbench.

 

But, come Saturday, we'll know what the big announcement actually is and I, for one, can't wait! 

 

TT

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Procopius]

7 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

Would the Camel be more likely in 1/72 or 1/48?

 

Trevor

 

Since the Quirk (BE2C, he added, parenthetically and pedantically) was 1/72, as was the Eindekker, I'd say 1/72. 

[Procopius]

1 hour ago, Julien said:

I don't think Airfix care about online exposure. They withdrew all support in the form of review samples etc a couple of years ago now and only seem to support their own magazine. I see very little marketing at all from them theses days.

I believe they have a staff of six or so. Speaking as a social media manager, it's very hard to do outreach when your team is one person strong. (As is mine. Hire me, Airfix. Hire me.)