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Airfix 2019


jenko

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I had a shufti though what I assume is Airfix's 2018 catalogue in WH Smiths today. Other than the aircraft, it includes about three tanks, some figures and some wargamer type buildings. That's it. Nothing naval, no slow re-pop of cars or any the other stuff that Airfix has in their vaults and that we haven't seen for decades. I feel slightly troubled that their range is now so limited. Would I rush to buy (say) the Skeleton or Show Jumping Princess-alike? No. Guideline SAM Missile? Yes. Piper Cherokee? Yes. We all have our favourites waiting for a re-release. I'm sure Airfix could clear maybe a 5000 production run quickly using of a lot of their existing moulds cheaply. If they don't, they risk a new TamyTrumpyGawa bringing out the same subject but to modern standards. Hopefully Airfix will continue sneak out such stuff without needing a great fanfare, if only to upset the collectors (of which I'm a reluctant one)    

Talking of which, Lindberg have released some two-in-a-box kits recently. F-100, A-4, F-4B etc. Would I want to buy these 3rd rate 1/72 examples? Not at £35 a pair! However, the 1/48 Flycatcher and Fury combination is one of them. Get it or regret it!

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I got my 2018 Airfix catalogue today in my local village newsagent!!!!!! It was next to latest Airfix mag and other aeroplane titles. Saved me a trip in to town and postage too!! Great stuff.  haven't had a good look at it yet but noice there is less in the way of kits.

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Very interesting stuff chaps!

 

I'm now left wondering about airfix & whether they have a company "direction" apart from attempting to sell specific genre kits. Do they have a "once every two years we will bring out something to educate the public" approach? I'm currently thinking that they could have released (right now) a figure of Churchill with cigar and fingers in the V for Victory pose. The whiney-ars*d leftists and PC brigade would instantly come along and "be offended" at it, resulting in free advertising and figures selling like hot-cakes.

Certainly picking a subject that educates the masses might be a bit beyond airfix though.

 

On 1/13/2018 at 2:07 AM, Wez said:

Sadly not many I think.

 

I still remember the roar the testing of the engines made from my childhood on the IoW.  The test house was in the cliffs, the engines exhausted out to sea.

 

The fact that we never continued with our own launch programme means it rapidly faded from the public consciousness.  I know about it only from the engine tests, my wife who's two years younger than me only knows about it through what I've told her.

 

As a subject for a model company whose parent company is in a bit of a dodgy state financially it's too niche and would be a non-starter. But the point of these threads is an opportunity for us to express our hopes and dreams so people should continue to make such suggestions regardless of their viability.

Ahh! Another Corkhead then? I walked the engine test site in 2016 and found it quite interesting indeed.

On 1/13/2018 at 3:59 AM, The Tomohawk Kid said:

Prospero is still in orbit.

 

C.N. Hills book "A Vertical Empire" is the last word on the British space programme.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vertical-Empire-History-Programme-1950-1971/dp/1860942687

Thomo.

Thanks for that! Didn't know books on the topic existed and also found this one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Arrow-Rocket-History-Satellite/dp/1900747413/ref=pd_cp_14_2/258-8108246-8736065?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HJDHPFZRNHF1JJ76CGFG

 

I foresee some reading time coming up!

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12 hours ago, hairystick said:

I'm currently thinking that they could have released (right now) a figure of Churchill with cigar and fingers in the V for Victory pose. The whiney-ars*d leftists and PC brigade would instantly come along and "be offended" at it, resulting in free advertising and figures selling like hot-cakes.
 

I'm one of those whiney-ars8d leftist you speak of, I have no objection what-so-ever over a Churchill figure kit. Conversely, I would not buy it either, nor would many others and given the parlous state of health Hornby are in, it would not be a wise move.

 

Thomo.

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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21 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

...given the parlous state of health Hornby are in it would not be a wise move.

It begs the question, is hornby tying a noose around it's own neck, business-wise?

We have seen companies being left behind in a new age (music manufacture and distribution, movies, books, etc) and shops no longer stocking their range of products / closing franchises would be an indication of the traditional business model being less than ideal in today's environment.

I see a few opportunities being missed, and new methods being possible. Perhaps the Spitfire kit with a newspaper approach will pay dividends in the future by getting new blood into the hobby? Good on them if so!

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11 hours ago, hairystick said:

Very interesting stuff chaps!

 

I'm now left wondering about airfix & whether they have a company "direction" apart from attempting to sell specific genre kits. Do they have a "once every two years we will bring out something to educate the public" approach? 

About 18-24 months ago Hornby found themselves massively overstocked and admitted that something like  20% of the stock lines generated 90% of the sales. So sensibly they went on a stock line culling mission which is why the Airfix range looks like it does.

 

They range what sells in volume. Which is why things like historical figures, the much vaunted bird kits, and the Boy Scout are not in the range. 

 

What we should all do if we want to  see older aircraft tools given a new lease of life is buy the B-26 when it’s released.. Decent sales of that may spur them on to release some other older tool kits of Aircraft.

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16 hours ago, mhaselden said:

 

That's a great book and certainly is the last word on Britain's organic space launch aspirations, but it's far from being the last word on the space programme which is alive and well, indeed flourishing, at present with a focus on launching small satellites. 

 Agreed.

 

It was only this week that the UK manufactured Earth-i range of satellites was announced.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42654281

 

I don't think for half a nano second that Airfix will consider producing any new real space kits, let alone UK subject matter. Its just an interesting subject.

 

Thomo

 

 

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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If Airfix are to continue making new tool of their older kits, I think that they should produce an iron chicken! They had originally done one of these parrafin pigeons way back when, and with their tendency to go for RN stuff, a Westland Whirlwind helicopter should fit the bill! They could also do one for the RAF too, to even the score...

 

Probably more chance than a Moggy Thou

 

Ray 

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18 minutes ago, Ray S said:

If Airfix are to continue making new tool of their older kits, I think that they should produce an iron chicken! They had originally done one of these parrafin pigeons way back when, and with their tendency to go for RN stuff, a Westland Whirlwind helicopter should fit the bill! They could also do one for the RAF too, to even the score...

And, if they could avoid their favourite current pitfall of making it in that scale which is not mentioned in refined company, so much the better.  Ie I would buy a few.

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Totally agree ref the Marauder- it’s not a kit I’ve actually built before so given rave reviews on here will deffo shell out for one. The one thing I am surprised by is that they haven’t gone for some form of distinctive branding for an old tool- I guess they figure that someone who buys something so niche will know it’s not a newbie.

 

However some may not so an ‘Airfix Classic’ market might have been a good idea.

 

That said presumably they have examined the tool and deemed it acceptable for today’s market- I wonder if they may have ‘tweeked’ It or added new parts- will be interesting to see what Workbench has to say about it. Indeed is ‘tweeking’ an old tool even possible.

 

one things for sure I won’t miss the old silver streaky plastic!

 

TT

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2 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

an ‘Airfix Classic’ market might have been a good idea

 

This has been discussed many times, I'd agree that managing peoples expectations is a good thing by letting them know the vintage of the box contents, it may put some people off but that should force Airfix to be more careful about what they do re-issue.  Damaging the brand image is not what is needed with Airfix's parent company's financial state.

 

Somebody mentioned a 1/72nd B-25J, without having seen the sprue layout for the forthcoming B-25C/D would that just require a new sprue for the new fuselage?

 

I'm not as precious about scale as some people however, I can't help but think we as a community are being slowly pushed to 1/48th as being the norm, personally it cuts down the number of kits I'm likely to buy.  If the 1/48th Spitfire XIV comes to fruition I'd probably only buy one for completeness, however, if it came out in 1/72nd I'd buy several to cover some of the colour options I'd like to do.

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14 hours ago, hairystick said:

I'm currently thinking that they could have released (right now) a figure of Churchill with cigar and fingers in the V for Victory pose. The whiney-ars*d leftists and PC brigade would instantly come along and "be offended" at it, resulting in free advertising and figures selling like hot-cakes.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9835-setting-the-standards/

 

"Don't....Post political stuff. It's God-awful boring as well as a good way to start an argument."

 

A good call, I feel.

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PLEASE ....... I started this thread for what we might get from Airfix next year as a bit of FUN.

 

NOT  a political rant or a dissection of Hornby's marketing / management strategy.

 

Can we keep on topic please.

 

Thanks

 

Dick

Edited by jenko
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Well i know what i`d like to see from Airfix in 2019

 

1:72 Javelin

1:72 Meteor

1:72 Tornado GR & F (new tools please)

1:72 Chinook (new tool)

1:72 Puma (new tool)

1:72 Jaguar GR & T (obviously new tool again)

1:72 Eurofighter Typhoon (please the current tooling isn`t even a DA jet let alone production standard!!)

 

But sadly i think it`ll be another reboxing/marking and what i call tying up loose ends year like this year where by work already done is capitalised upon ie the Toom FGR2 work would of all be done same time as the FG1 it was just a case of when they decided to release the kit.

Edited by Armadillos
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4 minutes ago, Plasto said:

 So just stick to baseless guesses and general hopefulness and the odd wish... Sort of like a Middle Aged mans Santa list??

Oh, Oh, Oh, well if you put like that, and if you insist :- :wicked:

 

1/72nd

Vickers VC-10

Airspeed Ambassador

Bristol Brabazon

De Havilland DH 91 Albatros

SaRo Princess

 

1/24th

BAe Hawk T. Mk.1

Folland Gnat

Hawker Tempest Mk.II

Hunting Piston Provost

Hunting 'Constant thrust, variable noise' Mk.3 (JP3 or a 4!)

Hunting (BAC) JP Mk.5 / Strikemaster

Martin - Baker MB Mk.V

Bristol Beau........................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fighter!

Sorry guys :evil_laugh:

 

Blame to be awarded to Plasto the scope wizard!!!!!

 

Paul

 

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22 hours ago, Ossington said:

I know. BUT. Is it true? We were told the P1127 mould was lost but it survives. To be honest, I think it will be a shorter wait to get Trumpeter to pantograph down their 1/35 kit. (To 1/72 please, not 1/76th!)

The SAM moulds were missing from 1999. The P.1127 remain in existence and was last in the range in 2003.

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Personally I hope they do a range of Starwars ships not the main ones the more obscure types only fleetingly seen in the odd moment. 

 

They would have to be in the right scale though.

 

I also think the time is ripe for them to explore a range of 1/32 armoured vehicles with associated figure sets. As as they are sure to be popular.

 

 While we’re on the subject of 1/32 2019 is surely time to admit defeat in the 1/24 Aircraft arena To Trumpeter and move their efforts to 1/32 where they could follow Revells lead with nicely done aircraft models that are highly detailed but lower cost than proper ones from Tamiya.  I know Revell do this sort of thing already but Revells kits make no money for Airfix. That will work as long as it’s not too expensive.

 

Finally I think a range of  boat subjects in a unique scale To Airfix is a winner this will lock the buyer into the range starting off with a HMS Belfast, Mary Rose and a Medieval ‘Cog’ would seem to be a good start...

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1 hour ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

The SA-2 Guideline moulds still exist and are in the Airfix inventory, but they are damaged beyond use.

 

Thomo.

Quite interesting. And I thought they were at the bottom of the sea somewhere...

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I'll do my little annual hint, once now and once on the little "suggest a subject" cards at Telford. 1/72nd please. Yes, I know it won't sell. But still: please. Both I and the makers of Bare Metal Foil will love you forever.

De_Havilland_Comet_CMk.2.jpg

Edited by Vulcanicity
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13 hours ago, jenko said:

PLEASE ....... I started this thread for what we might get from Airfix next year as a bit of FUN.

 

 

Well, we MIGHT get a new mould 1/72 Buccaneer, but I've pretty much given up hope 55 years after building my first Airfix Buccaneer.

 

And we might get a new 1/72 Hampden or Halifax, but I can't see where they fit into the Airfix marketing world in these straightened times, so they'd be almost as unlikely.

 

If I was to guess what they *will* release, perhaps a 1/72 Sea Fury or the tin wing Hurricane will finally see the light.

 

Shane

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