Thomas V.

Mk.IX is to build on Mk.II, they are going to use Mk.II fuselage adding new wing, unfortunately Mk.II has wrong fuselage cross section , so not a good starting point for accurate Mk.IX. Evidence, if you are retailing Revell, just ask your sales rep or contact them online

We should see another new aircraft tooling being announced in Nurnberg, as for 2017 releases, not bad compared to 2016, but again pricing will be the main problem in the EU because Hobbico still thinks they can charge 30% more for certain kits in Europe, sales show they cannot, lets hope sanity will prevail and more normal prices to be restored...because 45€ MRSP for Me 262B-1/U1 and/or 50€ for DC-4 does not pass...and its Hobbico that is to blame for those 15€ that make all the difference. Mustang and Spitfire are no brainers, but are they going to be accurate remains big question because current track record of recent releases is poor to say at least, we can write off Mk.IX as its based on Mk.II tooling, and hope for Mustang. He 219A-0...makes me sad to think how relatively cheap He 219 in 1/32 we could have had, A-7 probably being most inaccurate 1/32 kit they released since 2000.

Unlike Sea Vixen...Firefly makes much more sense, Special Hobby kit is everything but easy kit to build, and given both short run nature and resin parts many were waiting for full mainstream model. On the other hand....will it resemble Firefly

One can say that for Eduard's kit too..just depends on forum you quote...I am all for outmost accuracy...and as such one can say that Zvezda's kit too "skinny"... And I am not saying this for sake of argument

Having both kits and carefully monitoring all of the hypes, firstly regarding Zvezda's F-2, Eduard' debacle etc... can only say-no way... can understand them trying to undermine Eduard's retooled kit..they have every right to do so...but Zvezda's kit is hardly champion of proportions to serve as basis for objective comparison. Eduard F/G family is by far most accurate kit on the market today.

In between Hasegawa, Academy and entry level Revell kit that is easily obtainable, not to mention forthcoming AZ/KP kit...cannot see logic behind this release, more so due to price hikes both Series 2 and 3 become seriously overpriced compared to all the mentioned brands. Most importantly....two of the most prominent features of Me 262 never found in 1/72 kit- positionable flaps and slats are again excluded from this kit....

It does not cost more to produce accurate model, more detailed yes-accurate no., so the reason why poducts like this Spitfire appear is only due to a.) poor CAD ( once upon a time RoG outsourced model planning to a a certain Company, certain employee botched at least five toolings before being sacked ) and afterwards continued with poor preparation in kits like Bf 109G-6 B-17G etc...why? b.) no will, tooling costs today are fraction of costs even decade ago, if one has in house capabilities,for a few thousand Euros you can produce kits like B-17, no tens, no hundreds of thousand Euros...thus production costs can be very easily covered, and profit be made as easily.

It is slated for next year, that is for sure.

2018 and 2019 will definitely be less expansive , but given the amount of new toolings released in the last five years there is plenty to reissue, from my point of view one thing that definitely needs to change in the future, unfortunately more uncertain times is that there should be far more "new" boxings of current kits, meaning new decal options and complementary new boxarts. In my opinion two kits that should be reissued asap are Spitfire Mk.22/24 ( with many years ago promised retooled canopy ) and Sea Vixen FAW.2 in 1/48 As for tooling alterations and or / decal change...plenty of options Beaufighter Mk.Ic Tiger Moth Floatplane Hurricat with catapult Tomahawk Meteor F.8 RAAF Meteor F.8 No.245 Sqn w/ refuelling probe etc...etc...

I'll be more blunt-dumb choice, best kit Revell released in 1/48 scale and one of the best 1/48 multi engine WW2 kits ever was/is their Ju 52....it sold/sells extremely poor considering both subject and quality-price ratio....secondly HKM can make whatever they want but with current prices they simply priced themselves out of the market....

Brace yourselves for more dissapointments, and all this while RoG is still has some outstanding toolings that havent seen the light of day for ages, but no He 177A-5, F-86D Late, Do 217A-5, Rafale B, Hunter F.6/FGA.9, Junkers F.13, Junkers G.38, Fw 200/Bv 222/, Ju 290 i both old and new versions, SB2C-4 etc...host of subtypes that could be made using current toolings not to mention reboxing of Hasegawa kits that should have been continued.....

I can only confirm regarding "shape issue" of the radome that compared to all available plans+pictures its in fact spot on...if possible would like to see what is wrong....

Hi Simon, facts are current kits and track record of before mentioned companies, Airfix may prove to be accurate but there is no chance ( and that I do know ) that it will be comparable both in number and quality of detail to Eduard and Meng...I would definitely force Airfix to up their game, unfortunately its not up to me or them, if they were to be properly fin.backed we would see far better kits quality-wont happen until they change their master. Regards Tom

Would not be so sure about Airfix future Mustang sales, most of their "iconic" subjects are not so good sellers as one may think, in fact kits like Spitfire PR.XIX, Defiant, Whitley etc..are being sold in 4 to 1.compared to Lancasters, mainstream Spitfires, Bf 109s etc..., taking current prices into account Airfix Mustang will be more expensive than future Weekend Edition from Eduard and app.25% less than MENG....both Eduard and MENG kits will be far superior to Airfix offering....but again given how cheaply Airfix ( and others ) can produce new toolings these days, have no doubt they will recoup their investement in the first run....afterwards not so sure. As for comparison with 1/72 kit sales, they cannot be compared, today in EU there are only two good P-51D kits represented in 1/72- Airfix and Tamiya, price and availibility are in favor of Airfix...for now.

There is difference if a company is simply raising prices following inflatory movements or price hikes that are pure business decisions based on numerous reasons, but latter has never brought anything good for both companies and buyers alike. Biggest hikes were in 2008 by Hasegawa and Dragon ( up to 70%! )...compare their market positions now and in period before mentioned hikes, in Europe Hasegawa has become almost extinct ( although there are other reasons, price was most influental ), Dragon is following closely behind, As a former distributor of both before mentioned brands can say without any hesitation that hikes were exclusively due to companies changed management deciding that due to from up to then great sales they can suck out extra-extra profit. Hobbico.... boosted Revell prices in Europe, slashed number of projected kits all to finance expensive franchises they bought(sales flopped ), also due to " new age management", and now Hornby, first with " new sale rules" thinking that everybody will start buying directly from Airfix website and hikes...as much as I love Airfix, and I am following the brand since 1985...this and future projected rise will damage both Hornby and us.

Airfix prices have risen twice in the last two years, firstly in early 2015, than in early 2016, and as I was bitching about RoG prices, now I have to about Airfix. Everything has gone up 20-25% percent, well before current devaluation, and I expect further price hike to about 30-35% compared to prices in late 2014. This has huge impact especially on Series 1-6, making them way overpriced, more than few distributors/retailers slashed their orders in the last six months......not a good way of trying to get out of fin.difficulties

Aside from canopy issue, there is nothing inherently wrong with Trumpeter kit, in fact judging from the pics it will remain far better detailed representation of "B", one thing that will undoubtely secure many sales for Revell is 30-40% price hike on all TRU/HB kits in this year, as well as ( fortunately) RoG price reduction,

This will be the most expensive kit they released, retail price around 120€

I always wonder if any manufacturer of so called LUFT 46 kits ever read a single book about the subject. There were plenty of projects that were at forefront of aviation technology in May 1945 and they truely continued "to live" in both western / eastern aircraft , and would present far more objective LUFT 46 subjects than majority of kitted projects that were dumped far before 8.5.1945 My most important list Horten excluded, that should be prime subjects to be kitted in styrene. Junkers EF.128 Focke Wulf Ta 183 TL III Messerschmitt P.1112 Henschel P.135 Blohm & Voss BV P.215 Heinkel He P.1079B/II Heinkel Lerche II Weserflug P.1003/I

Sword did majority of CA toolings, while investment in CA toolings was quite reasonable even few yeras ago, today aside from maybe four-five toolings everything else is getting close to obsolete.

No brainer list, Eduard has created new generation of 1/48 kits with their Spitfire, now they just have to implement their current and future technology to replace what was/is golden standard and that is/was Hasegawa and Tamiya range of 1/48 kits. If I were Mr.Sulc I would add following to " my" list, Fw 190D-9 Bf 110 Family Mosquito Family F-86A-F Ju 87B-G Hawker Fury

Current Emil is plagued with numerous omissions pantographed from 1/32 kit, and new tooled Emil compared to latest Gustav would be fantastic. They should also revisit Fw 190A-5 to D-11 and Bf 110 family.

Although I cannot agree with everything AICZ mentioned, he did raise some good points If one is not UK centric in thinking about the brand. Firstly app.45% if not more of Airfix goes to other European countries, EU being No.2 market after UK, so more than a few of his comments are on the mark

Somehow in between current Hornby problems ( that are far from concluded ) and Brexit, I am not so convinced will see many new toolings in...2018. As far as I Know in 2017 we should have app.same number of new toolings/releases as in 2016 ( dont know the subjects ) , but would not be surprised too see planned 2017 releases streched into late 2018. None the less now in 2016 Airfix can produce (with minimal alterations and expenditure) numerous "new" kits or boxings to weather out uncertainties in the next two years.

It does for me, I cannot understand rivets in 1/72 scale kits, but in 1/48 scale should be present. Of course if they are done right like Eduard, not like Trumpeter/HB