wadeocu Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 This news was posted today in the Kitstarter forum by the administrator: " 1/48 Buccaneer: Inherent quality problem with the fuselage mouldings." "I have heard back from our Development team and, unfortunately, it will not be possible to add this tooling to KitStarter. This is because there is an inherent quality problem with the fuselage mouldings." I am very disappointed with this news as I had hoped for a re-release with an up to snuff decal sheet like they did with the 1/48 Lightning. I suppose the silver lining could possibly be that they need to do a new tooled kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 This news was posted today in the Kitstarter forum by the administrator: " 1/48 Buccaneer: Inherent quality problem with the fuselage mouldings." "I have heard back from our Development team and, unfortunately, it will not be possible to add this tooling to KitStarter. This is because there is an inherent quality problem with the fuselage mouldings." I am very disappointed with this news as I had hoped for a re-release with an up to snuff decal sheet like they did with the 1/48 Lightning. I suppose the silver lining could possibly be that they need to do a new tooled kit! I cannot say that I am too surprised by this. The main fuselage mouldings, as you probably know, were hugely complex parts that were often subject to significant warpage, as a result of which they needed a fair amount of coaxing to come together in any meaningful way. I clearly remember one reviewer tackling the issue by utilizing a large number of tabs, crafted from plasticard, and glueing the fuselage together in carefully orchestrated stages from front to rear over a number of hours/days !. I also suspect that the current type of plastic that Airfix use will have contributed to their concern over the quality of these large mouldings. Whilst the plastic used back in the 1990s, when this kit was first issued, was by no means of the hard variety, I do not recall it being as soft as that currently in use. As you say, this should not put us off 'encouraging' Airfix (through a massive vote) to think about a new mould, in order to give the type a new lease of life in their catalogue in much the same way as they have done with both the Spitfire MK I and the Hurricane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Mine is on ebay now - buy it while you can 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I suppose the silver lining could possibly be that they need to do a new tooled kit! well as the 1/72 kit is much older I vote if they do anything they do that first. and what happened to all the double kit boxings of this, are people putting up the spare kit? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Look at it another way - Kitstarter is a crowd funding program - they will run off as many kits as people pay for (with no doubt a couple spare) - with the known problems with the Buccaneer fuselage, they might get quite a few returned, which would make the whole idea of having it in Kitstarter redundant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) I suppose the silver lining could possibly be that they need to do a new tooled kit! well as the 1/72 kit is much older I vote if they do anything they do that first. and what happened to all the double kit boxings of this, are people putting up the spare kit? How nice would a new tool 1/72 Buc look next to the Lightning? I'm sure they will do a new one soon - announcement at Telford hopefully this year Edited June 5, 2015 by Tbolt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieNZ Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Well maybe it's lucky I've got one in the stash. Or two I suppose, since I've got the boxing that had two kits in it. Would like a new tool 1/72 kit though, as I actually seem to manage to finish most 1/72 kits I start, unlike the larger scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xvtonker Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Glad that I've got two in my kits to be built stash....:-) XVTonker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Well maybe it's lucky I've got one in the stash. Or two I suppose, since I've got the boxing that had two kits in it. Glad that I've got two in my kits to be built stash....:-) XVTonker Well now, you two are just being greedy. Now be good boys and share those toys with the rest of us. I'll PM my address details............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_modeller Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Time for a retool then !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Now that Airfix has announced that the moulds are shot hopefully they will release all new tooling for 1/72 and 1/48 next year before anyone gets in before them. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I see a 1/48 Buccaneer on Ebay already cashing in at £99 plus £12 postage................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I see a 1/48 Buccaneer on Ebay already cashing in at £99 plus £12 postage................ This one? It has two http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151696551578 This one (only one in the box) is £25 & p/p http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/291480156886 Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 This one? It has two http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151696551578 Trevor This seller has form for expensive kits. Look at his other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 The Airfix 1/48 Buccaneer is dead, long live the new 1/48 Airfix Buccaneer! Well we can live in hope can't we? John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepster Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Can't Airfix just retool the fuselage and thus fix the problem on the cheap? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I hope Airfix remember that April 30th 2018 is the 60th anniversary of the first flight of XK486 and that we assemblers of plastic kits need something appropriate with which to celebrate the occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Can't Airfix just retool the fuselage and thus fix the problem on the cheap? Would it be worth it though, what it would cost in time and money, for the amount the would actually sell? Yes a new tool (48 or 72) would cost a lot of money but the return would be big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Or they could push the boat (or Bucc as you will) out and skip the wee scales and do it in a sensible 1/24. Ok that's not sensible but when was sensible a modellers virtue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 In these techie days it should be straightforward to scan a 1:1 scale airframe and then plan releases in 1/72, 1/48, 1/24 or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John the Yank Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I have 2 unbuilt, & built one a couple years ago. Yes, it is a complicated kit but if you have a few kits under your belt it will be no problem. I hope we see a new tool of it but if does not happen I will build another Sky Pirate as I have 2 Model Alliance Granby sheets less Sea Witch Debbie on one. I have taken this build to a few shows and get many nods of approval on it. Not too many Bricks on the Display tables in Middle 'Merica. Nothing special to the build but careful gluing, great info on BM on the best way to do it. JTY 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Looks like a job for Hobby Blob! Seriously folks, you can pretty much bet that HB or Trumpeter will come out with one starting at 100.00 with a porcine fuselage. Just a prediction, but if you got an Airfix 1/48 buccaneer consider yourself lucky. The real thing was probably the best low altitude platform of the 1960's and into the 1970's. I have been in love with this airplane since my dad brought me back a 1/72 version from GB back in 1972. As I remember it he also brought me a Faiery Gannet too, but I'm not sure who the manufacturer was. Cheers 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I never had had that much problem with the one I built, and I was pretty inexperienced back then. As such I've always thought the warping issue was exaggerated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I think they were very variable. I has one which was OK and one which was grim. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) As I remember it he also brought me a Faiery Gannet too, but I'm not sure who the manufacturer was. Cheers It would have to have been the FROG kit. The only other injection molded Gannets are the Trumpeter and Revell kits, which both came out within the last 10 years, and the very recent Sword AEW version. Edited June 7, 2015 by VMA131Marine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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