JBOHMSS

Yes I agree about the Beau...It hasn't been done properly since the beautiful Tamiya 1/48. The old Revell 1/32 is somewhat primitive now. The Beau would be a wonderful companion to the Mossie. But I still want a 1/48 Vulcan!

As for sneaking the stuff past SWMBO...do like I did...marry a very understanding wife who likes your models and your credit card and likes handbags and shoes...she also likes my Harley!

Just dropping in on this thread....she has the horses right? You want a motorcycle...the Royal Enfield is all right....but I think because she has horse you'd be better off getting a Harley Davidson - as she will feel happy on the back. The Enfield is a little small and twitchy - the Harley is big and comfortable and impressive. Also the Harley is a lot more recognised as mans mid life crisis icon...you'd easily get away with it - it's an iron horse after all! Just my two penneth worth.

Personally I feel a 1/48 Vulcan would be very much in demand. I saw a couple of Vac Form Vulcan presented at Telford....it is roughly the same size as a Herculese (wingspan), so would certainly sit on shelves in 1/48 collections. Yes to a Victor as well (wishful thinking that one) But a 1/48 Halifax would not go a miss or 1/48 Blenhiem. And a 1/24 Beaufighter, F4U Corsair!!! Seriously the Vulcan is crying out to be done in 1/48.

I am an eclectic modeller and keep an eye on various model websites. The best one for news about new armour is Perth Military Modelling Site - excellent heads up for new kits. Is there a similar site for aviation that anyone can recommend? Cheers

Personally I feel a plane with two or more wing surfaces above each other is a pain in the backside to make! All that rigging!

Our local Smiths in Croydon has set aside space, from what I gather Airfix, Revell and Tamiya are the main kits to be stocked. As for kids with model fit issue - I think it is a matter for the child...I held a model club at my sons primary school Fridays for an hour for a term...every one of the 20 children all got to make a kit...boys and girls...some were bored within ten minutes and couldn't care less about the kit...others really got into it and I believe I started them on their downward spiral into model hell...oh the power in me! Some of the kids did complain about the fit of these archaic models and they were 9 and 10 year olds. As I say I think it comes down to the individual.

The Tiffie had problems - the pilot was on oxygen immediately because there were problems with the exhaust and fuel fumes coming into the cockpit - the Typhoon was a good gun/cannon platform however it had it's problems...the Tempest superseded it with all the problems sorted out. That is one of the reasons that virtually all (one at Hendon) of the Typhoons were scrapped.

Jerry I heartily agree, I just hope Airfix will keep on a tight path for releases...the Mossie seems an age ago now and like most I am looking forward to the Tiffie. It would be nice to have a bit of a regular release program - one every two years maybe? Or is that asking too much?

I think it will be interesting six months down the line when reviewing this thread about the WHS Modelzone...I wonder how positive or negative we will be by then after having had access to the WHS MZ.

Here here. I have long advocated such an idea. Both Airfix and Revell still rely on their back catalogue yet these primitive kits have no claim to be in the same space as the newer better made kits. We all have a nostalgic memory of those old kits in plastic bags and exciting boxes but really would any of us go out and buy the Me 110 and Spitfire dogfight double as a serious project? I doubt it. Personally if I were in the Airfix camp I would have these old kits - if Airfix must rely on them - in boxes labeling them as Vintage or Nostalgic series. These days the very least we expect is recessed panel lines. I am certain that WHS will be guided by how much for the how little cost and will stock the Revell - Airfix back catalogue which will not do them any favours.

Yep and we all bought Airfix kits cheap from Model Zone because of the bulk buying power Model Zone had. The point is that at £90 we have to take in the import duties now as well as the production costs. And 20% VAT...back in 1976 we weren't even paying 15% VAT...I can remember buying a Tamiya 1/6 Harley Davidson for £20- now how much is it? In Japan it's a lot less...£90 for the Tiffie is actually quite cheap for such a kit and I know as well as most of who read this know...it will sell big time...if there are half as many buyers for the Tiffie as there were for the Mossie it's an instant profit for Airfix. I bought a Sea Harrier 1/24 a few years back for £35 - how much does that equate to when the first Harrier 1/24 was released? A model for £1.95 in 1979 did not have the VAT that we have now, nor did Airfix have to import the model. We start to get into the subject of politics now as it is definite that we can point the finger of HM Gov taking their extra pound of flesh and that includes the price of shipping - petrol is astronomical now compared to those good old days of £1.00 for a gallon...so add in that factor...and on and on...So I go back to my original point...the Spit Mk 1a didn't have the shipping costs, VAT, import duties and stealth taxes that are put upon models of today. So I would argue that if you were earning a regular wage the Spit would be similar to the Typhoon over these generations past. I was getting 50p a week so that would have taken me about eight weeks to save up for the Spit...my son gets ten pound allowance per week...the ratio seems about right.

Croydon have actually announced a Model Zone being set up in WHS...still no news.

Excellent point....but between January and June this year 1400 kits were released...this takes in single figures as well as re releases. Models might not be that popular with youngsters today but the models are still being released. The Spit Mk1 when it was released was not a youngsters kit, and I was around back then, I couldn't afford it on my pocket money, I did get a Christmas present of it one time, but even then it did not go together well. I remember a friend getting the Hurricane which was a much better kit. However, technology and cheap labor make these kits cheaper than they were 40 years ago - taking inflation into consideration. I know we can all go on about how much change you could get out of a fiver and still get the bus home after buying such a kit but that fiver is equivalent to the £90 these days. If say HPH or one of the other small manufacturers were making the 1/24 Tiffie it would be a lot more - we all know that. The fact that the moulds are cheaper and the casting is cheaper is a bonus for us all...that Tiffie is within reach.

No sign of the Croydon Zone either last week.

Jumping in again here...from what I gather the first 1500 units of the Mossie put them into profit but they were caught off guard as the Mossie proved to be overly popular and sold a lot more and a lot quicker than they expected...maybe there were a few old guard who wanted the kit when it was first mentioned 30 odd years ago! And yes the moulds are expensive and hand finishing etc. however again from what I gather and have been told the moulds these days are a lot less expensive than those back in the day which I assume makes the kits a little more accessible these days and as I mentioned labour is a lot cheaper in India than the days of Garret Lane, Tooting South London. Also the moulds and the way they are made enable Airfix to keep to a release date...I expect some of you eading can remember Airfix announcing a model for Summer and in the end we would ask "But which Summer?", a June 6th release date is perhaps ambitious but not impossible. As for 1/48th armour I am pleased to see a following, but I would argue that the Airfix 1/48 Modern Brit stuff is not popular judging by the left overs when Model Zone finished. In fact the stock is still available from the company that bought the remaining stock from Model Zone - basement of old Allders in Croydon. In my opinion the best kit they released in 1/48 Herrick Series was the Lynx, the Merlin turned out to be overly expensive and suffered from Airfix itis - that syndrome that means the model needs extra work and filler. The armor was disappointing in the lack of detail and the figures were bland. Personally I feel 1/48 armour is better served by the likes of Tamiya. By the by...much as I liked the Revell Lynx...I would really have liked to have seen Airfix produce 1/35 Army version of the Lynx. That would have sold a lot better than the 1/48 version (yes that too was left on the shelf at Model Zone).

My gob has been smacked!

Ahhhh Truro..lovely part of the world.....well my parents used to live in Boscastle alas no more, we used to visit Cornwall twice a year, but I can't see that happening for a while. Maybe next year when I am down for the surf. The model shop in Launceston has gone.

Well, I think the Shack is due especially with the Valiant and the Cold War aircraft. In fact I'd be surprised if the Shack didn't appear in the 1/72 lineup soon.

Yeah baby!!! I couldn't upload my photo's but that Tiffie looks the business. As for units sold...it has been explained to me that these days the mold process is a lot cheaper than the early days. CAD graphics etc, then the stainless steel mold as opposed to the old days, these days it is computer cut and ready to go. Also the labour in China and now India is an awful lot cheaper to when Airfix were on Garrat Lane in Tooting. So from what I was told 1500 Mossies took care of cost etc. A further 1500 in rapid response to want that sold out again then a further 1000 or so made Airfix very happy. If that many Mossies sold half that amount for the Tiffie will make Airfix happy. As for 1/48 Armour...very interesting remarks...when you look at what was left at Model Zone the bulk from Airfix were the Operation Herrick items...and many of the old tool 1/72....and the Merlin. This is surprising when I read that many like 1/48 armour...personally I feel the 1/48 armour is not as popular as 1/35th but I am prepared to be proven wrong.

Where is your shop...I must visit. Very refreshing points T7....and from someone with experience. Croydon have announced a WHS MZ.

I would welcome a 1/48 Blenhiem...I don't think 1/24 would be a good marketing move...but 1/48 would be perfect and I agree it is much under served - I'd be up there for a first release. I also feel 1/48 Sunderland, Halifax and Vulcan would be well served.

It is interesting to see how this thread is running along...personally I think the comment about a luxury kit is correct...Airfix should play to their strengths. They have avoided 1/35 Armour - probably best as so many have tackled this subject - however there is no doubt room for more subjects. Airfix are concentrating on 1/48 Armour of modern era's - personally I think that is a mistake. 1/48 is not really taking off with armor modellers...it has it's place but it is not big on the agenda. Airfix are known primarily for aircraft and they have nailed the 1/24th market in recent years with the Mossie. Looking at the Typhoon they have underlined that with what appears to be an up the ante kit...for the price bracket this Typhoon is quite acceptable with the other 1/24th kits out there. We can all remember the Spit, Me109, Mustang et al...The Stuka has to be one of the best kits in this size out there...yes it is over 30 years old yet it is stil rolled out and out of the box while not state of the art it is very acceptable. The big disappointment was the FW190 it was rushed by all the evidence and therefore was the worst kit from Airfix in this scale. I would also add the Sea Harrier was poor with all the rivets from the GR 1 and GR 3 releases. However now that the pheonix has arisen the 1/24th market is very much in the Airfix bailiwick...I think that this is where the biggest strength of Airfix lies. Molding is a lot cheaper these days with CAD designs and Steel molds - the technology is more precise and cheaper to manufacture as opposed to those olden days molds that cost fortunes. I feel Airfix should play to this and I feel that they could only go from strength to strength - the Mossie required 1500 units to be sold to make it a success - 3000 were sold first release, with a further 1500 soon after. I'd say that was a success. I am not a fan of 1/72 - it does have it's place and a Shackleton will do well I have no doubt, but I feel Airfix have their feet firmly planted on the ground with a 1/24th and 1/48 program. It would be nice to see Airfix dipping their toe by asking on forums like this what subjects they should be considering. At Telford I saw a couple of 1/48 Vulcan's - no bigger than 1/48 Hercules. I know there is a market for a 1/24 Kittyhawk/Warhawk, Beaufighter, Glass Nosed Mossie, F4U Corsair....and what about retooling or even starting again on the FW190? - in fact a 1/24 Mk IX Spit would be welcome...Well we all have our wish list.... I would like to see Airfix give a little thought to scrapping a lot of their saga models - all those old 1/72 kits that are now 40-50 years old and pale to insignificance compared to today's technology. But it will be the likes of us model crazed nutcases that can only keep Airfix going by buying their wares...The Typhoon is going to go a long way to do that.

Hey I am happy to be looking forward to a 1/24 Tiffie and I'll drill the cannons out.

Airfix are doing a good job...seems they might be back on track after the Hornby fiasco with the Olympics. I am not sure 1/24 Blenhiem would be such a good move...I'd have one surely but I am not sure it is as commercially viable as a Beaufighter would be - Blenheim remained mainly Brit - the Beau did get used by the Americans as well as Canadians and Austrailians. But I would love a 1/48 Blenhiem.