OMG have you seen the price of the Airfix Merlin

[dambuster]

Hornby inherited a mass of goodwill from (especially British) modellers when they saved the Airfix brand. And from my point of view that goodwill has been eroding with new kits that, while welcomed (subject-wise at least), have suffered from heavy panel lines, innacuracies, dodgy fit, poor decals, high(ish) prices etc.

Funny, as a youngster I suspect that nearly all of the Airfix kits I built fell into the category of: heavy panel lines, innacuracies, dodgy fit, poor decals, high(ish) prices (and at that time two shillings was about a month's pocket money!) TBH it didn't matter a jot.

But that was the basis on which Airfix built up a reputation and earned the goodwill that has been maintained by Hornby.

One of my nephews (16 years old) gets £60 a month pocket money so for a kit of that scale and quality I think he is doing well. And he won't think twice about spending £35-£40 for the latest computer game which probably won't have quite the same lasting value.

I think it reasonable seeing the size of the model - my problem is that I will want to paint it bright yellow and put Maple Leaf Roundels on the sides!

And just how DO Revell do it?

Peter

[Giorgio N]

And just how DO Revell do it?

Don't know how, but they do it. And they do it consistently, as they have issued a good number of large kits at very reasonable prices.

Maybe they have a market large enough to spread the fixed costs over a large number of kits, maybe they have a good business model, no idea. But I'm glad they do it !!!

[Mike M]

For me £55 represents a single peak hour day return to London; or filling the car up at the petrol station; or two/three trips to the pub after work.

Darius

I wish I could fill my car up for £55!

When I found out how much some friends had paid to join a golf club in order to hit a little white ball all over a field I decided that making models is a cheap hobby!

Mike

[zero]

Basically kit cost (Minus) Hours spent building it. is always a good one to justify buying any model kit,

ie £50 - 50 hours work? (or so) not costing in paint and glue, which most have to hand) and thats a pound an hour approx,

What can you do for a £1.00 now days, and do it right, the value will actually increase, not that most would sell, there work!

Dave

[thx6667]

Well, at the risk of being burnt at the stake as well ...

Hornby inherited a mass of goodwill from (especially British) modellers when they saved the Airfix brand. And from my point of view that goodwill has been eroding with new kits that, while welcomed (subject-wise at least), have suffered from heavy panel lines, innacuracies, dodgy fit, poor decals, high(ish) prices etc.

Er... they switched to Cartograf about 18 months ago, the more recent stuff (Sabre, P-40, Zero, Swordfish, Valiant, Harrier GR9, Gnat, 1/48 Sea Vixen, 109, Spit, Seafire) have been getting positive reviews, almost every new release has been pretty much selling out as folk here keep reporting, the reissues frequently top the Hannant's chart, I think Hornby's own financial statement mentioned growth with the brand - so define "eroding". Sure not everything has been perfect, but barring the odd "me and my mates don't buy them", is there some poll that happened, or a group elected to speak on behalf-of-every-modeller.

If they now want to charge premium prices for their kits they have to be premium quality for me to buy them. Will the Merlin (as a kit in general) be as good in detail and sharpness as its competition? If so then fine, but I have my doubts.

Now let's put into perspective and context - its not all the kits, and the ones that have been pushing the higher price ranges have been the larger subjects. High(ish) prices? What £12.99 for a new tool 1/48 fighter? £5.99 for a new tool Series 1 kit? The 2012 range has a high number of new tool kits coming into the entry level range, of the new stuff yet to appear its only the Lynx and Merlin that are in the higher series brackets.

And price is always relative. I've been wondering whether to get the Airfix 48th Lynx or the Revell 32 Lynx when they arrive, it'll probably be the latter as I'd guess it will be better value and better detail/quality.

Well we've had a glimpse of the Airfix Lynx as test shots were at SMW and the level of detail suggested these are not pocket money kits, so it will be interesting to see if the (as yet unseen) Revell 1/32 kit is as detailed and - as you've highlighted accuracy as an issue - if they've have sorted out the structural differences between the Mk.88 and the HAS.2 versions which Airfix have - which is why they've not done a HAS.2/3 because it would have meant a whole new fuselage tool for starters.

Of course Airfix are entitled to charge what they want. I would love to support British companies, (I've been a long time poster/supporter on the Hyperscale AGB) but with Airfix kit prices as they are (£17+ for an old dogfight double) I'll only buy Airfix if that's the only option I've got, for me the kit prices are too high for what they are. And that saddens me.

If you think Airfix's prices are high, steer clear of Italeri, Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Dragon...

Edited January 23, 2012 by Jonathan Mock

[Dave Fleming]

Jonathan beat me to it to a certain extent, but Airfix have certainly upped their game in the last year as the new design team find their feet.

The Spitfire I and the Harrier GR9 jumped to the top of the pile as far as 1/72 kits of those subjects are concerned, albeit with a little too heavy panel lines. The P-40B raised their game even further by refining the panel lines, again, best kit in the scale, then they blew a lot of us away with their Swordfish kit that is quite possibly the best Airfix 1/72 kit EVER.

Keep this up with the Bf109E, Skyhawk, Spitfire 22 and P-51D and they are looking like being the kitmaker of choice for the 1/72 modeller.

[Giorgio N]

The Spitfire I and the Harrier GR9 jumped to the top of the pile as far as 1/72 kits of those subjects are concerned, albeit with a little too heavy panel lines.

Haven't seen the Harrier (of which I've heard good things) but the spitfire I is one of those kits that "could have been great if only".... in this case if only airfix had noticed that the wing-fuselage fairing is a tridimensional structure protruding from the fuselage and not a simple panel line flat with the fuselage. And adding it is a pain !

In airfix defence, this is a feature that several other kits forgot. Against airfix is however the fact that in the recent Mk.IX from the same company this feature was present.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I think Hornby's own financial statement mentioned growth with the brand - so define "eroding".

More to the point, define growth. 0.01% increase in gross profit can be regarded as growth. A bigger range of products can be defined as growth. And let's face it Hornby started from a low baseline so it's not that difficult to get growth.

Barring the odd "me and my mates don't buy them", is there some poll that happened, or a group elected to speak on behalf-of-every-modeller.

I've spoken to many other modellers (and I've read on various forums) who share the same views. And there are people who are 'unhappy' with Airfix's pricing (check the start of this thread), maybe we don't inhabit the same circles. And at no point did I say I was speaking on behalf-of-every-modeller. Are you part of a group that speaks on behalf of every modeller?

Now let's put into perspective and context - its not all the kits, and the ones that have been pushing the higher price ranges have been the larger subjects.

You're right, it's not about all the kits, for £9 you can get the new QL kit, which is great value. The new Gnat will be £6, again great value. And yet they're charging £19 for the 262/mosquito dogfight double. £9 for the old Fairy Battle, moulds that have covered their costs years ago, maybe even decades ago.

High(ish) prices? What £12.99 for a new tool 1/48 fighter?

Well AFAICT all the new tool Airfix 48th fighters are £15.99 according to Hannants

If you think Airfix's prices are high, steer clear of Italeri, Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Dragon...

And I do, or if I do buy them I get them second hand. Or did you just 'assume' I had a beef on Airfix and no-one else?

[avro683]

Its all well and good, all of this moaning and defending prices....biggest problem will be......What shade of green do we paint it!?

Envy? Lol.

Tony

[avro683]

IIRC, even Hannant's have sold a few recently released Airfix kits below RRP, which is the point. It's a recommended price.

Tony

[thx6667]

I think Hornby's own financial statement mentioned growth with the brand - so define "eroding".

More to the point, define growth. 0.01% increase in gross profit can be regarded as growth. A bigger range of products can be defined as growth. And let's face it Hornby started from a low baseline so it's not that difficult to get growth.

Hornby's 2011 half yearly report:

"Sales of Airfix continue to grow as we extend our distribution of this product range both in the UK and overseas. The all-in-one gift sets continue to be a major driver of growth."

Which coupled with similar reports in the media in the last four or five years ago would clearly indicate that goodwill is not "eroding" in fact its the opposite, and in the face of a global economic downturn.

Barring the odd "me and my mates don't buy them", is there some poll that happened, or a group elected to speak on behalf-of-every-modeller.

I've spoken to many other modellers (and I've read on various forums) who share the same views.

I don't doubt that, nor would doubt the sincerity of their views but you're kinda falling into the old trap of thinking that the membership of modelling forums represent the market as a whole. They don't, and that's not to downplay their commitment to the hobby, but you're talking about a highly critical and selective fraction of the overall market. Ultimately the real arbiters are sales and retail demand - I know of kits that "no serious modeller would ever touch" which somehow manage to sell in their thousands every year for decades.

Modelling forums are great, but they are rock pools to a wider ocean.

And there are people who are 'unhappy' with Airfix's pricing (check the start of this thread), maybe we don't inhabit the same circles.

Sure, someone is always going to be unhappy, price is subjective. But we're talking about one kit of a large and complex subject being in the upper price bracket, not all the kits.

Larger subjects, by default, will usually cost more. Extra detail will cost more. Having quality decals printed will cost more. Sure, reduce the price to make it more attractive, bang out the older kits at a cut price rate, do what Guys On Forums suggest and bin all the old tooling.

Quite where the cashflow then comes from to fund new tooling...

And at no point did I say I was speaking on behalf-of-every-modeller. Are you part of a group that speaks on behalf of every modeller?

Er I'm not the one making sweeping statements, dude.

Now let's put into perspective and context - its not all the kits, and the ones that have been pushing the higher price ranges have been the larger subjects.

You're right, it's not about all the kits, for £9 you can get the new QL kit, which is great value. The new Gnat will be £6, again great value. And yet they're charging £19 for the 262/mosquito dogfight double. £9 for the old Fairy Battle, moulds that have covered their costs years ago, maybe even decades ago.

This is what's becoming known as the Star Wars Defence - George Lucas should be knocking out Star Wars DVDs at £1 a pop because the Star Wars movie covered their costs years ago, ditto paramount have made their money back on Star Trek, Warner Brother's Harry Potter etc... So because a kit may have paid for itself ages ago, it should be released at a lower price as a service to modellers rather than a business where the profits can be reinvested into new product?

High(ish) prices? What £12.99 for a new tool 1/48 fighter?

Well AFAICT all the new tool Airfix 48th fighters are £15.99 according to Hannants

And if you shop around... but even if you don't, £15.99 for a new 1/48 fighter. Hardly price gouging is it?

If you think Airfix's prices are high, steer clear of Italeri, Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Dragon...

And I do, or if I do buy them I get them second hand. Or did you just 'assume' I had a beef on Airfix and no-one else?

I assumed nothing, just trying to throw light on a few facts.

No one is being forced to pay more than they think is reasonable , no one's human rights are being violated because they can't afford something they want.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Jonathan Mock

[vandy1]

At the end of then process, you will have a wonderful object to show off to your friends. How much would you pay to buy a ready-made 1/48 Merlin that contained the same detail as the new Airfix kit? £150? £200? Just check out how much and O Gauge, ready to run locos costs. Wanna buy a diesel loco? That’ll be £500 please…

Just to add to Spence's comment above (we did the class 26 project in a model mag between us) my latest locomotive before being built cost this much as listed below....

Loco kit: £525

Wheels: £130

Motor/Gearbox £100

ancilliary items like transfers, paints, loco crew, fire irons, tools, extra details, pick-ups etc etc £150

£905

£55 for a Copter is cheap!!!

Cheers

DSJ

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Interesting thread chaps.

I think that one man's "bargain" will always be another's "absolute rip off".

I recently forked out about £80 for the tarangus Lansen ( though that included ppostage from Sweden, but it was still £67 without), and as I stated in my review I think it is a bit high; but did it stop me buying it? No. Why - because I love the Lansen, so price was not an issue.

I'm not a big helo model maker - so £55 for the Merlin seems a lot to me - but then again I fancy a Lynx so if its £40 I'll get one. Having seen them in the flesh at telford - they all look to be superb kits too.

Modelling is about choices gents - lets let fellow modellers make their own choice on whether the price is right or not.

Cheers

Jonners

[Shar2]

Prices on everything are going up. Sometimes I think us modellers have rose tinted specticles on and remember the good old days when you could buy an Airfix kit for 6d. The old Airfix catered for the lower end of the market, thus the detail and quality was based at that level. Later they started releasing some kits aimed more at the mid level of sophistication, 1/48 Seafire/Spitfire and Lightning etc. With the Hornby era has come some major investment and a leap in the quality their releases, (certainly in my scale). I've bought the Sea Vixen, (4 off), Valiant, (2 off) and intend to buy the lynx, Landys, Merlin and Daring. Yes they are more expensive than we are used to from Airfix, but they are worlds away from what we used to get. For those complaing about the price, don't start building ships, you'd have a heart attack. All IMHO.

[Harrierpilot]

I'll have a word with Westlands - it might be cheaper

[Shar2]

I'll have a word with Westlands - it might be cheaper

I wouldn't, the experience I've had with their products is that the Airfix ones have a better fit.

[Shaun]

At least at that price you should get a large box!

Shaun

[Foghorn Leghorn]

The all-in-one gift sets continue to be a major driver of growth.

I must admit, I was probably being a bit too subtle by referring to 'growth', I was actually trying to make an analogy of defining eroding with defining growth. So in the context of my post, eroding, a growing sense of disappointment. Or maybe I should have said 'losing its lustre'

But yep, Airfix as a brand has grown and that can only be a good thing for modelling.

Modelling forums are great, but they are rock pools to a wider ocean.

It is indeed true that modelling forums are not necessarily the majority view, but they can be a pointer for trends. Of course we have to be careful with anything read online, there is usually a sizeable (sometimes majority) silent voice who choose not to express their views.

Sure, someone is always going to be unhappy, price is subjective.

Absolutely, as I said, price is relative. Spence mentions how much modelling you can get out of a kit (and he's right) but price is relative and you can find hobbies that are cheaper than modelling. Modelling is not my only hobby, if it is for someone else then maybe it's more accceptable to pay £55 for a model.

It takes me back to a conversation I had with a modeller when the Dragon Scud launcher was released. It was £20 (expensive at the time) but I said to him "If a resin company produced a kit of that quality and fit and at that price you'd bite their hands off". You could put forward the same argument with the Merlin, if the kit turns out to be as good as people expect then maybe it's a good value kit but a £55 price tag just doesn't sit well with me on the 'Airfix brand'.

This is what's becoming known as the Star Wars Defence

What worries me is if, for instance, little Johnny bought a Spitfire for £6 and loved building it, I should imagine he's be a tad disappointed in shelling out £9 for a Fairy Battle and subsquently discovering the quality of it (accuracy is irrelevant in this situation). If it costs £6 to get a Spitfire into the shops then the same price for Battle is not unreasonable. Of course there is the 'series' argument, the Spit and the Battle being in different ones but you can move kits into different series' or even create a 'Vintage' series like Revell does.

Er I'm not the one making sweeping statements, dude.

And nor was I, used the word 'my' in, "from my point of view that goodwill has been eroding". Maybe one man's sweeping statement is another man's point of view.

Although I've not been accused of it by anyone (so I'm not having a pop ), I've not slagged off any of the new Hornby/Airfix kits (apart from having a moan at the Nimrod decals, but I wasn't alone on that one), in fact quite the opposite. The decal sheet in the Angel interceptor is magnificent and I'll always bang on about the value of the new QL kit (with great decals as well). Some have complained about the 'limited' choice of releases this year but I think that's unfair, if it means Airfix can survive then I'm all for a 'slow down' in new releases. Also the Airfix customer service dept is excellent, probably the best in the world.

And I admire Airfix for their bold choice of subjects, who else would attempt a Merlin or Lynx in 48th? And their 48th armour? Again a bold choice but I'm not so sure about that one (time will tell), though I can understand why they've gone down that road.

£15.99 for a new 1/48 fighter. Hardly price gouging is it?

However, if Airfix are charging £13-16 for a new tool 48th WWII fighter then you run into the likes of ICM and Eduard's weekend range. I'd argue the latter are better kits and in that situation if I wanted a WWII fighter I wouldn't buy Airfix unless I was after a specific mark of aircraft (like the XII). That IS a personal point of view but I know others share the same view.

But following this thread has given me an idea for a posting regarding kit prices, a view you might find surprising.

[John]

<snip>

What worries me is if, for instance, little Johnny bought a Spitfire for £6 and loved building it, I should imagine he's be a tad disappointed in shelling out £9 for a Fairy Battle and subsquently discovering the quality of it (accuracy is irrelevant in this situation). If it costs £6 to get a Spitfire into the shops then the same price for Battle is not unreasonable. Of course there is the 'series' argument, the Spit and the Battle being in different ones but you can move kits into different series' or even create a 'Vintage' series like Revell does.

<snip>

Kids in my school model club have built 5 Airfix Battles from the large RAF gift sets over the last 3 years, and my son has one from the Air VCs set. None have expressed a negative view about the quality. The size of the finished model, the bombs and the rear machine gun are the main points of interest. I've actually thought about buying the "Project Airfix" Spitfires, but I suspect they may be just a bit too fiddly for most kids to really enjoy.

One of the favourites is the venerable Airfix Mirage III, because it's "cool".

John

[pigsty]

I've actually thought about buying the "Project Airfix" Spitfires, but I suspect they may be just a bit too fiddly for most kids to really enjoy.

Go for it! In my experience it's no problem at all. Test-fit the cockpit parts and, if they can't be made to fit with a little, er, help from the adult supervisor, ignore 'em. The kids won't mind. The rest goes together brilliantly.

[pigsty]

You're right, it's not about all the kits, for £9 you can get the new QL kit, which is great value. The new Gnat will be £6, again great value. And yet they're charging £19 for the 262/mosquito dogfight double. £9 for the old Fairy Battle, moulds that have covered their costs years ago, maybe even decades ago.

Can we please agree a complete moratorium on this argument? It's economic illiteracy. Any company's moulds are its assets and the only correct price for any asset is what the market will bear. We can argue extensively over whether the price of a kit is right, but the controlling factors for that are quality, accuracy, fit and finish, and buildability. The amount the owner has made off the mould over the years is completely irrelevant. The company is in business to make money - it's not a charity that exists to give old modellers something to do with their time.

[thx6667]

The all-in-one gift sets continue to be a major driver of growth.

I must admit, I was probably being a bit too subtle by referring to 'growth', I was actually trying to make an analogy of defining eroding with defining growth. So in the context of my post, eroding, a growing sense of disappointment. Or maybe I should have said 'losing its lustre'

But yep, Airfix as a brand has grown and that can only be a good thing for modelling.

So in other words the "erosion of goodwill" but a growth as well - does that make sense?

Modelling forums are great, but they are rock pools to a wider ocean.

It is indeed true that modelling forums are not necessarily the majority view, but they can be a pointer for trends. Of course we have to be careful with anything read online, there is usually a sizeable (sometimes majority) silent voice who choose not to express their views.

Except that they don't point to a wider trend in starter sets which has been one of Airfix's major growth areas. And the "silent majority" is one of those hoary old cliches pulled out as a means to back up any flailing argument without ever actually being quantifiable or proved, it simply exists although in this instance, one could suggest the "silent majority" is those who go out and guy the kits, make up the sales, don't bother with forums, magazines, or SMW, for them it is simply a hobby - rather than a timid breed of enthusiasts who agree with everything one person says but seemingly don't have the will or wherewithal to articulate it?

Sure, someone is always going to be unhappy, price is subjective.

Absolutely, as I said, price is relative. Spence mentions how much modelling you can get out of a kit (and he's right) but price is relative and you can find hobbies that are cheaper than modelling. Modelling is not my only hobby, if it is for someone else then maybe it's more accceptable to pay £55 for a model.

And you can find other hobbies that are more expensive, so I'm not quite sure what the point is you're trying to make now. Cycling is expensive, or its cheap, depending on what you're prepared to pay, modelling is no different.

It takes me back to a conversation I had with a modeller when the Dragon Scud launcher was released. It was £20 (expensive at the time) but I said to him "If a resin company produced a kit of that quality and fit and at that price you'd bite their hands off". You could put forward the same argument with the Merlin, if the kit turns out to be as good as people expect then maybe it's a good value kit but a £55 price tag just doesn't sit well with me on the 'Airfix brand'.

Except that 40 years ago they launched the "Superkits" range which was priced leagues above the entry level stuff. we've had kits like the huge Bentley and the sky didn't fall in. I seem to remember some murmuring about the Lightning's pushing the £20 mark 15 years back. There has always been entry level stuff and upper level kits. And its worth reiterating, we're talking about one kit, in a larger scale of a very large aircraft, by default its not going to be cheap. Balance that with a slew of new, affordable, entry level kits for 2012.

Of course the flip side is that Airfix don't bother with anything that might poke its head above the £20 mark for fear of upsetting the "silent majority".

This is what's becoming known as the Star Wars Defence

What worries me is if, for instance, little Johnny bought a Spitfire for £6 and loved building it, I should imagine he's be a tad disappointed in shelling out £9 for a Fairy Battle and subsquently discovering the quality of it (accuracy is irrelevant in this situation). If it costs £6 to get a Spitfire into the shops then the same price for Battle is not unreasonable. Of course there is the 'series' argument, the Spit and the Battle being in different ones but you can move kits into different series' or even create a 'Vintage' series like Revell does.

Except kids don't build kits with the sensibilities of middle-aged modellers. Again, this is quantified by events like the Make and Takes where kids put together kits like the old P-40 or Skyhawk with no problem or complaint.

Er I'm not the one making sweeping statements, dude.

And nor was I, used the word 'my' in, "from my point of view that goodwill has been eroding". Maybe one man's sweeping statement is another man's point of view.

Sure, that goodwill has been eroded as pertains to yourself, I (from my point of view) think you seem to be lagging a bit behind the recent releases and improvements and are picking a few select examples of "high pricing" out of context.

Although I've not been accused of it by anyone (so I'm not having a pop ), I've not slagged off any of the new Hornby/Airfix kits (apart from having a moan at the Nimrod decals, but I wasn't alone on that one), in fact quite the opposite. The decal sheet in the Angel interceptor is magnificent and I'll always bang on about the value of the new QL kit (with great decals as well). Some have complained about the 'limited' choice of releases this year but I think that's unfair, if it means Airfix can survive then I'm all for a 'slow down' in new releases. Also the Airfix customer service dept is excellent, probably the best in the world.

On that we agree.

And I admire Airfix for their bold choice of subjects, who else would attempt a Merlin or Lynx in 48th? And their 48th armour? Again a bold choice but I'm not so sure about that one (time will tell), though I can understand why they've gone down that road.

Time will tell, but its one kit and not like Airfix is abandoning its entry level markets - in fact I do wonder if its not appreciated just how big the Merlin is 1/48, it dwarfs the Lynx by some margin, you're looking at (OTTOMH) around 18 inches length, and 16 rotor span. And I think there was some talk at SMW about the interior being 60 parts alone.

£15.99 for a new 1/48 fighter. Hardly price gouging is it?

However, if Airfix are charging £13-16 for a new tool 48th WWII fighter then you run into the likes of ICM and Eduard's weekend range. I'd argue the latter are better kits and in that situation if I wanted a WWII fighter I wouldn't buy Airfix unless I was after a specific mark of aircraft (like the XII). That IS a personal point of view but I know others share the same view.

That's your prerogative, but at £13-16 they're hardly "highly priced".

But following this thread has given me an idea for a posting regarding kit prices, a view you might find surprising.

Look forward to it. I'm working on an article on just how cheap this hobby actually is, you might also be equally surprised.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Jonathan Mock

[marty_hopkirk]

£55!!!

ive just seen the airfix web site to check after i saw it on Hannants

i know its a long awaited kit but, thats a lot

Precisely, what I said over on the Valiant 'extra' set would happen..

Marty...

[lufbramatt]

Basically if you can't/don't want to afford £55 for a new helicopter kit, then don't. Simples.

I want a BMW M5 but can't afford one, therefore I havn't got one. But I'm not writing threads on car forums complaining that BMW have priced themselves out of the market because it's up to them how much they charge for their product. They don't go around giving away cars for free because some poor little motorist on a car forum has had a rant about how cars used to be much cheaper "back in the day".

[AWFK10]

What worries me is if, for instance, little Johnny bought a Spitfire for £6 and loved building it, I should imagine he's be a tad disappointed in shelling out £9 for a Fairy Battle and subsquently discovering the quality of it (accuracy is irrelevant in this situation). If it costs £6 to get a Spitfire into the shops then the same price for Battle is not unreasonable. Of course there is the 'series' argument, the Spit and the Battle being in different ones but you can move kits into different series' or even create a 'Vintage' series like Revell does.

Kids in my school model club have built 5 Airfix Battles from the large RAF gift sets over the last 3 years, and my son has one from the Air VCs set. None have expressed a negative view about the quality. The size of the finished model, the bombs and the rear machine gun are the main points of interest. I've actually thought about buying the "Project Airfix" Spitfires, but I suspect they may be just a bit too fiddly for most kids to really enjoy.

One of the favourites is the venerable Airfix Mirage III, because it's "cool".

John

Airfix have already moved the Battle into a different series - way back in the late'70s, when it was reissued after the mould had been 'rested' for a while. With no obvious justification, the kit - which had been in Series 2 since it was first released in 1968 - was bumped up, unchanged, into Series 3, where it's remained ever since. But I agree that, leaving aside the accuracy issues, it's of pretty good quality. Recently, after taking a look at the MPM Battle in my stash, I decided it would be more fun to rework an Airfix one I built decades ago. I was pleased with the result, and have another one I'll build some day. The Mirage IIIC, on the other hand..... I thought it was pretty cool, too, and I remembered building one as a kid, so I picked up the starter set last year. Sorry, but the quality is abysmal. Leaving aside the fact that my box contained no decals (which didn't bother me but would probably aggravate a young purchaser), the fit is truly awful and the amount of work involved in getting a decent model out of the kit was such that I wouldn't make another. I can fully understand that a lot of youngsters like relatively simple models and that they're not that concerned with accuracy: I was the same. But I think that if you're pitching models at that audience, you at least owe them something that's decently engineered. Otherwise, surely you risk putting them off.