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1/24 scale..... What more can Airfix offer ?


Radpoe Spitfire

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I've put this in WWII as I feel this is more appropriate for the topic.

Now that Airfix have announced their new offering the Typhoon, what more can they do for the modeller in this scale?

No doubt there will lists of which aircraft type modellers would like them to- I can think of many single & twin aircraft I'd love to see, but I got thinking.

Historically, the company was one of, if not the first to introduce aircraft in this scale, by todays standards some a little basic, others very well detailed, however I think we need Airfix to whet our appetites without breaking the bank.

*********Like they have done with the Valiant, who out there would love to see a box of spares that enable a modeller to upgrade an existing kit?

Instead of just having limited types, i.e. Spitfire Ia & Vb, manufacture parts to be able to produce any mark with the basic wing, Merlin or Griffon. How about parts to make a Fw 190D or Ta 152, or an Me 109B,C, D, F, G, or K? Or even a new wing, tail etc to make a Tempest, all using the original kit as a base?******

The capability is there, but how do out there feel about this idea? I'd love to know.

As for new kits, I may as well add my H'penny's worth.

Blenheim, Battle, Firefly, Hampden, Hellcat, Lysander, Meteor, V1, Whirlwind- with the exception of the latter 3, all the above have served with more than one airforce.

Looking forwards to your thoughts, Adrian

Edited by Radpoe Spitfire
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I think a Whirlwind would probably be my number one wild fantasy. With optional flap positions.

1/24 to me is just too big- 1/32 seems generally more reasonable. So I tend to think of it as a sort of focus of devotion (a shrine?) - it's got to be something really special (the subject, not just the kit) for me to want such a centerpiece.

Of course, thinking in a little different direction: Pitts Special, RV-4, Mew Gull, DH-88 Comet...

bob

Edited by gingerbob
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I've never understood the appeal of the Defiant... ugly, and basically useless. There are some truly great-looking aircraft that were just outmoded -- the MB.5, the Republic Rainbow, and the XB-70 -- but the Defiant wasn't one of them. is it just harking back to when we were kids -- the Defiant MUST be cool 'cos it looks like a Hurricane but it's got a turret as well!!!!

I was rather hoping that this thread wasn't going to be another long list of aircraft Airfix should tool next but one, since we now know that what the NEXT one is, but more of a discussion of given how good it looks, how can Airfix gild the lily in their 1/24 offering, in which spirit I'd offer the following:

Include a colour walkaround and details booklet, like the ones Italeri have been doing recently -- they must have taken a bunch of reference photos for the model, so share the love a little.

Offer a range of a few alternatively posed injection pilot figures (early and later war, say), and some generic maintenance figures and extras (like the "Bomber Resupply set but in 1/24 scale, and with no vehicle bigger than a bike).

Do some alternative decal options, available separately, based on the researched schemes that didn't quite make the cut into the box.

Do a prop-motor/sound chip combo like they do for Hornby, to let us build dioramas with the engine running up (a generic Merlin would cover a lot of the Superkits...)

And as Adrian says, research a few options where an additional relatively small sprue would allow different Marks to be built from the kits that exist...

bestest,

M.

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As with all things, it's likely to depend on how the modelling "fraternity" greet each successive offering. Already, the net is awash with "It's too big for me," "Why isn't it 1/32?" etc., etc., and, thankfully, it appears that Hornby have enough nous to allow sales figures to dictate future policy, not the outpourings of the (understandably) self-centred.

Whenever somebody says, "Well, I won't buy one," I try to gently point out that I won't buy a BMW, but my refusal doesn't seem to have spoilt their standing in the automobile world.

Edgar

P.S. To me, a Spitfire IX or XIV seems the logical next step, in WWII importance.

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Some nice calls in there - esp. the Defiant. (edit - don't agree comments re Defiant - it gets a bad press. She was a bit of a one trick pony and outclassed against single seat fighters but she was not expected to fight in that environment. She was a bomber destroyer and when operated as such did really well. Lots of other aircraft had a similar problem e.g. Stuka, Me 110 in WW2 and what chance a Tornado F3 in close dogfight with a Mig 29 or Sukhoi ? - but thats not what its supposed to be for, its for catching unescorted bombers way out in the North Sea though one fears that its never the way life turns out)

I suppose it needs to be a subject that "commercial" and that make the Gladiator and Defiant possibly just a tad marginal for them on that score. More a gamble anyway. Having said that I would buy them so that's 1 sale of each

Trying to be sensible I would think their home British market would lap up a Lightning of any mark especially given the issues with the only other big scale kits from Trumpeter. I would certainly trade off my 2 1/32 birds for a 1/24 one that was accurate. Sadly a pipe dream I fear. Roll on those correction sets then.

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How about a support set and ground crew figures to go with the Typhoon

Agreed, the standing aircrew option in the Mosquito was a nice start.

The level of detail the Typhoon will contain just cries out for a selection of erks to go with it

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I've put this in WWII as I feel this is more appropriate for the topic.

Now that Airfix have announced their new offering the Typhoon, what more can they do for the modeller in this scale?

No doubt there will lists of which aircraft type modellers would like them to- I can think of many single & twin aircraft I'd love to see, but I got thinking.

Historically, the company was one of, if not the first to introduce aircraft in this scale, by todays standards some a little basic, others very well detailed, however I think we need Airfix to whet our appetites without breaking the bank.

*********Like they have done with the Valiant, who out there would love to see a box of spares that enable a modeller to upgrade an existing kit? Instead of just having limited types, i.e. Spitfire Ia & Vb, be able to produce any mark with the basic wing, Merlin or Griffon. How about a Fw 190D or Ta 152, an Me 109B,C, D, F, G, or K? Or even a new wing, tail etc to make a Tempest?******

The capability is there, but how do out there feel about this idea? I'd love to know.

As for new kits, I may as well add my H'penny's worth.

Blenheim, Battle, Firefly, Hampden, Hellcat, Lysander, Meteor, V1, Whirlwind- with the exception of the latter 3, all the above have served with more than one airforce.

Looking forwards to your thoughts, Adrian

Much as I would love to make a Defiant in this scale, I must admit I'd deliberately left out aircraft like it simply to focus on more commercially viable model kits.

However my main point which I have highlighted with stars is how do people find the idea of being able to buy extra parts from Airfix as a separate product to produce a completely different variant?

For aircraft such as the Spitfire or Me 109, to market these as a kit so they can be built as any model, would be a nightmare in financial outlay for both the manufacturer and modeller alike.

Lets say that, if you as a modeller bought the basic Spitfire Mk 1a, then wanted to build a Mk XIV Griffon powered aircraft, it can be done, but the work will need to be scratch built and very expensive. If Airfix produced those parts as a commercial sideline, cost to manufacture will be cheaper than a full kit & modellers get a greater choice overall.

Regards Adrian,

Ps still like to see what your wish lists are.

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