The way ahead for Airfix

[viscount806x]

The way ahead for Airfix......ditch the references to Humbrol paint in the instructions?

It is a tradition unfortunately. Way back in the bronze age we had references to Airfix paints in their kits. These were in glass jars and as a small boy I found them terrible. Then I discovered the Humber Oil Company's paints called 'Humbrol', you may have heard of them. Still using 40+ year old tins of it actually. Shame they let it all go isn't it?

Airfix kit - included tubs of acrylic do come in handy for little out of the way jobs like up jet pipes etc.

[Bigglesof266]

Shame they let it all go isn't it?

Yes.

I'll bet their shareholders think so too. Fortunately, as modellers, today we have sufficient alternatives that it's a bigger problem for them than it presents to us.

[Truro Model Builder]

The Humbrol paint range has evolved and expanded over many years, with the absorption of the Authentic Colours into the main range being the only radical change. A major revamp of the range would present a particular problem for retailers. For example, there was much praise and hallelujahs earlier this year when it was announced that they would be tweaking 157 Azure Blue to a better representation of the colour it is supposed to be.

Now I have just checked my stock of 157, and I have eleven tinlets of it, and all of them are in the older style packaging design, which means that I have had them for probably two years. Not, I'm sure you would agree, the best of sellers. There is no way I am going to ditch them and buy in a new stock of improved 157, as I'm not likely to sell them any quicker. If Humbrol did this on a big scale there would be a lot of unhappy retailers left with stock nobody wants to buy. The other problem is that there are still a lot of kits out there that tell you, for example, to use Humbrol 30 on your Spitfire etc. If you get rid of no.30 a lot of newer modellers will be scratching their heads and guessing.

I have heard rumours that they may be ditching some colours next year, and that this is partly why they have not printed any new paint charts. How true this is I don't know, but I would agree that there are some colours that are less useful (yes, 222 Metallic Moonlight Blue, I am looking at you) and some that need to be reissued. RAF blue-grey, anyone?

On the subject of referencing particular paint ranges in instructions, I don't have an issue with it, at least not with Airfix and Humbrol. There are plenty of resources available on the web that will tell you the equivalent of paint x in range y. I have more to complain about Revell with their 20%+45%+35% mixtures, to be honest.

[kev67]

1/72 JU-88 coming to a model shop near you, followed by the Buccaneer and Mosquito, then the Avro Vulcan

[dpm1did1]

With the revival of the Starter & Gift sets it would be nice if Humbrol tackled these paint colours first.

For example I suspect the majority of sales are accounted for by just a handful of sets, eg Spitfire, Hurricane, Me109 & Zero.

How many different paints do these use (normally 3+generics) and how many are considered 'wrong' by the more discerning builders, such as the too often fall back to 29+30 when needing a Brown/Green scheme?

I believe if the BOB & Pearl Harbour paints can be corrected then that will be the first hurdle and the rest can follow on slowly behind (such as basic post war Grey's and greens, and at some point a less orange orange, but not quite yellow for the Japanese Trainers please))

Who knows it some cases it may simply be swapping numbers around, eg 29 (generic brown sold as 'RAF brown') and X ('RAF brown' sold as generic dark brown), swap the labels and 2 wrong paints become 2 right paints. (The kids won't notice but the oldies will!)

Never that easy I know, but how often do you see 'Hx is a perfect match for Colour Y' around BM contrary to what is being recommended in kit instructions and named as such on the shop shelves.

....

And please get them back in my local Anitics in Acrylic flavours too.

Edited October 12, 2015 by dpm1did1