Is Airfix now being Politically Correct ?

[Geoff_B]

Back in the 70's & 80's the Modern aircraft kits always had a selection of GP Bombs and Cluster Bombs to load up your completed models.

The tendency these days is for smart bombs and missiles which is fine, but I find it odd that apart from the Canberra B-8, the rest of the cold war RAF types from Buccaneer to Harrier GR3 have only had SNEB as their conventional load, no new 1000 lb GP bombs, no new BL755 cluster bombs.

Now I know Cluster Bombs are no longer politically acceptable, but it does seem odd that they appear to be avoiding them, along with the traditional 1000 lb'ers.

[Driver66]

They made a pigs ear of the 1000Ib bombs on the Valiant, then the very nice Lancaster was devoid of ordinance .

Maybe it's not political correctness as both the TSR-2 kits and the Valiant contain a nuke.

[Selwyn]

Back in the 70's & 80's the Modern aircraft kits always had a selection of GP Bombs and Cluster Bombs to load up your completed models.

The tendency these days is for smart bombs and missiles which is fine, but I find it odd that apart from the Canberra B-8, the rest of the cold war RAF types from Buccaneer to Harrier GR3 have only had SNEB as their conventional load, no new 1000 lb GP bombs, no new BL755 cluster bombs.

Now I know Cluster Bombs are no longer politically acceptable, but it does seem odd that they appear to be avoiding them, along with the traditional 1000 lb'ers.

I think its more to do with the cost of producing molds, the more weapons provided the more cost in mold production..

Anyway most UK weapons provided in the past were woefully innacurate, just poor representations.

My take is that Airfix have looked at the Hasegawa premise in having the weaponry as a seperate item, not so bad of course as they do provide the basics, I just wonder if they will produce a seperate weapon set (they did do in the past IIRC) or leave it just to the aftermarket ( Flightpath and White ensign are currently filling a gap with acceptable aftermarket replacement bombs) is anyones guess.

Selwyn

Edited September 15, 2014 by Selwyn

[Uncle Dick]

Yes agree - the GR 3 Harrier could have done with BL755 and 1000lb loads, would like to see Airfix come out with a separate armament set with these and variants + some other goodies (new tool) with a touch more detail, BTW noticed their Dam busters Tornado special edition still has the old set of 8 x BL755

[Dave Fleming]

The Harrier has SNEBS as those are the most common store seen on Harrier GR1s and GR3s in the 70s and 80s, the GR3 had Sidewinders for the Falklands option. The additional weapons on the Buccaneer were for the Gulf war, so you had AIM-9 and LGB, (I think the SNEBs were to provide an accurate load for the South African option.)

Other than that I can't think of a new Airfix kit of an RAF strike aircraft in that time scale.

[Mike]

It's probably more of an economic decision to plough that money for research & modelling into tooling the main airframe, rather than optional bits. I wouldn't read anything into it myself

[Edgar]

As others have said, it's more likely to be space (or lack of it.) In the new Spitfire Vb, Hornby didn't include a tropical radiator (which would have been about .5mm deeper,) because other essential items had filled the sprue trees.

[Grizzly]

As others have said, it's more likely to be space (or lack of it.) In the new Spitfire Vb, Hornby didn't include a tropical radiator (which would have been about .5mm deeper,) because other essential items had filled the sprue trees.

Airfix did a nice weapon set but it has never been rereleased

[Dave Fleming]

The last issue of the old GR7 harrier also had an extra modern weapons set, albeit a bit heavy.

[Selwyn]

I think the most common store seen on GR1/ GR3 Harriers was the CBLS!

The least common store was the AIM9.

Selwyn

[Julien]

I know they don't put swastikas in their German kits these days.

[pivokrevnik]

Talking about separate ordnance, I would LOVE to get complete ordnance for my FAA subjects - depth charges, smoke floats, marine markers, aircraft mines, some tiny bombs, rockets with blast plates etc.

[alex]

I know they don't put swastikas in their German kits these days.

Germany is their second largest market, and there, it's forbidden. It's just a matter of logistics. Of course they could do two version of every german kit, but it would drive the price up. I don't think that a large public kit producer has a thing as "political correctnes" in mind when designing their kits.

Alex

Edit: speaking of PC, why would they include "Lucy" in the Herrick Harrier kit?

Edited September 16, 2014 by alex

[Black Knight]

I know they don't put swastikas in their German kits these days.

Haven't for nearly 35 years

[Denford]

Germany is their second largest market, and there, it's forbidden.

In fact it's not! In a well known court case some years ago, the judge ruled that swastikas could be applied to model aircraft in a historically accurate context.

More likely manufacturers have concluded that it is poor marketing and those who really want them added can easily do so.

[pivokrevnik]

now for something completely different, speaking of political correctness - is Suez crisis a particular sore spot for the Brits?

I mean, it is a coincidence that British producers seem to avoid it like a plague? For instance, look at Xtradecal Sea Hawk or Freightdog Brits at Sea sheets.. given how attractive those black-yellow stripes are, it is hard to believe they are ommited just by mistake..

Just curious

[Black Knight]

Just one of those forgotten operations/minor wars. Its only recently the battle for Malta and Operation Torch have been covered.

[Denford]

Just one of those forgotten operations/minor wars. Its only recently the battle for Malta and Operation Torch have been covered.

The insurgency in Malaya was UK's longest conflict since Napoleonic times. Even now 'Firedog' the RAF (and others) contribution has hardly been recognised at all. I know, I was there: where are the Hornets, Brigands, Pioneers, Whirlwinds, Sycamores, Venoms etc etc that all took part? Edited September 16, 2014 by Denford

[Fernando]

Hi, all,

There was actually a quite good Airfix weapons set, with a quite useful selection of RAF & European late Cold War stores.

FErnando

[Dave Fleming]

now for something completely different, speaking of political correctness - is Suez crisis a particular sore spot for the Brits?

I mean, it is a coincidence that British producers seem to avoid it like a plague? For instance, look at Xtradecal Sea Hawk or Freightdog Brits at Sea sheets.. given how attractive those black-yellow stripes are, it is hard to believe they are ommited just by mistake..

Just curious

A few of the old Frog kits had Suez markings. Off the top of my head I can't think of an Airfix kit that did.

[pivokrevnik]

it's weird, because the Sea Hawk Xtradecal sheet actually has a few options of machines which probably served during the operation, but they are always depicted a bit too early (even 1956, just a few months before) or a bit too late.

Same with the Freightdog sheet and others.

Elephant in the room, really...

Not that it bothers me much, after all, there is the DP Casper sheet dedicated to Suez.

[Truro Model Builder]

Looking at some of the Airfix box art I don't think political correctness enters it either.

As regards swastikas the way some companies attempt it, with two-part decals or as a cut-off section on the corner, seem to work. But in the end, are we afraid of a symbol? A symbol representing the worst of mankind, yes, but just a symbol nonetheless.

[Richard M]

Swastika's are puzzling as Airfix , part of the Hornby Group, say they won't include them. Yet Corgi - also part of the Hornby Group and with a subsidiary in Germany, provide all their WW2 diecast German aircraft complete with swastikas where appropriate...

http://www.corgi.co.uk/aviation-archive/world-war-ii/messerschmitt-bf109g-2-yellow-1-oberleutnant-hermann-graf-staffelkapitan-9-jg-52-pitomnik-september-1942.html

[Dave Fleming]

Swastika's are puzzling as Airfix , part of the Hornby Group, say they won't include them. Yet Corgi - also part of the Hornby Group and with a subsidiary in Germany, provide all their WW2 diecast German aircraft complete with swastikas where appropriate...

http://www.corgi.co.uk/aviation-archive/world-war-ii/messerschmitt-bf109g-2-yellow-1-oberleutnant-hermann-graf-staffelkapitan-9-jg-52-pitomnik-september-1942.html

Diecasts - adult collectors items

Model kits - toys

[andym]

Diecasts - adult collectors items

Model kits - toys

Funny, I've always thought of it the other way round.

Andy