Will Airfix do any of these in 1/72 ( new Tool)?

[AnonymousAA72]

My point is there more to the Cold War than just the RAF/RN, although that seems to be forgotten.

Where's the numerous USband Soviet types?

Not forgetting numerous Eastern Europe, Japanese, Indian Spanish, and even Argentine designs that saw service 45-90.

Yes I know it's BRITmodeller and Hornby/Airfix are British but it didn't stop then in the golden era from moulding designs from outside the UK, so hopefully they won't limit their sights now either.

Ultimately Airfix will issue kits that their market research suggests will sell. Not just for the benefit of a few dozen on here, but to the kit buying community generally, whoever they are! The post war subjects issued since Hornby's take over have indeed been largely UK based, apart from a Mig15 and An F86 (also issued an a Canadair sabre MkIV of course). That would suggest to me where Airfix are heading......not to Eastern Europe, Japanese or Indian subjects etc., This will follow the release of their Harriers, the Swift, the Vampire T11, Gnat , Lightnings , JP3', Shackleton in 1/72 and Sea Vixen, Javelin and Meteor in 1/48th. I fully expect Airfix to follow this theme.....and why not?

Maybe with a few more "up to date" subjects such as the Tornado and Typhoon, or indeed the Bucaneer and Phantom.

We have seen Airfix replace old worn out tooling particularly for some of their WW2 stuff, and some superb new inclusions. Modellers have been crying out for a replacement 1/72 Defiant for decades......and Airfix have delivered. New Spitfires and Hurricanes too in both scales. All well known and loved British subjects. I expect more of the same here too..I.e. predominantly UK based subjects, with a few relevant oversea subjects added. These will have to be known to the general UK market though.

But...what do I know? just my thoughts, my speculation...oh, and other manufactures do exist. Some of them rather good too.......

Edited October 12, 2015 by Bill Clark

[Knight_Flyer]

Can't help thinking a MiG-17 would have been a better one to do than the 15, presumably it was to go with the Sabre. US, Soviet and other foreign types could be in consideration if Airfix are doing well with overseas sales.

[dpm1did1]

Of course Airfix won't produce a plethora of Japanese types to out mould FujiGawa, but on the other hand it appears many people wont be happy until Airfix run through the A-Z of British types to the exclusion of all other nations, particularlybin larger, more expensive scales.

I just like playing with their heads...

We don't need a Scimitar, or F-4K/M. What we need is a Fuji T-1 and Saeta Ha-200 :)

Edited October 12, 2015 by dpm1did1

[AlCZ]

1/48 New tool Boeing B-17 & Consolidated B-24 family....

Hawker Hart

Hawker Fury

Bristol Bulldog

Handley Page Halifax Family

Handley Page Hampden

Avro Lancaster family

1/24 Hawker Tempest and Hawker Typhoon Car door

1/72

Handley Page Hampden

Handley Page Halifax

[Mike]

I just like playing with their heads...

If you're talking about winding members up on here, please don't. Elsewhere isn't our concern however

[dpm1did1]

If you're talking about winding members up on here, please don't. Elsewhere isn't our concern however

It's not about winding up the members, it's about trying to get people to think outside the box of Airfix=RAF/RN, unfortunately few do.

If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy, and a few other people very redundant not too long after.

I hope Airfix do release a new/updated Venom, Buc etc. But I also how for other UK subjects too (and not just foreign types)

Edited October 13, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Mike]

Just checking because we dislike trolls intensely here...

But you can't make people like what you like no matter how much you wish they did. It's a known fact that people of a particular nation seem to gravitate to their own hardware for the most part. Look at American forums - wall to wall F-XX, and I'm sure the same is true of other forii around the world. We like what we like, and before everyone starts with the "But I like...." I'm generalising massively here, and I know we're all at least subtly different in our likes and dislikes in terms of subject matter (and everything else for that matter).

Airfix are a business too. They can't afford to pander to requests for kits that might not sell well very often, or they'd go bust. If this means that they do predominantly British subjects, then I'm ok with that. You can get a hell of a lot more variety in kits in this connected world of ours these days anyway, just maybe not at the pocket-money prices Airfix 1:72 single engined prop kits are available in the UK, which I suspect is possibly what's bugging you and your wallet. The Golden Age we all talk of still doesn't seem enough for some folks though - much wants more, I suppose

[Selwyn]

It's not about winding up the members, it's about trying to get people to think outside the box of Airfix=RAF/RN, unfortunately few do.

If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy, and a few other people very redundant not too long after.

I hope Airfix do release a new/updated Venom, Buc etc. But I also how for other UK subjects too (and not just foreign types)

"If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy"

Hmmm.........................! I wonder why this website is called BRITMODELLER?

Selwyn

[dpm1did1]

You can get a hell of a lot more variety in kits in this connected world of ours these days anyway, just maybe not at the pocket-money prices Airfix 1:72 single engined prop kits are available in the UK, which I suspect is possibly what's bugging you and your wallet.

I havent mentioned anything about a preference for budget priced single seat props, nor stated any hatred against the moulding or sale of large UK-only subjects (not my bag but that's a very different thing to hating and campaigning against them, particularly on cost grounds)

Small kits take up less space I'm both stash, workbench and display. Simple.

I would spend £20/30/40+ if I so desired a kit it became a 'must have', but this is rare as I can often buy 'last year's' for less and that means more kits for the same outlay.

I do hope Airfix release a Venom as it's a forgotten type, although I do hope they release a single seat Vampire first.

I've built the 72nd Buc...decent but not great wrt detail and fit (at times a pita). Definitely needs a 21c remould.

[dpm1did1]

"If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy"

Hmmm.........................! I wonder why this website is called BRITMODELLER?

Selwyn

Nor is it AirfixModeller, RAFmodeller, RNmodeller.

BRIT surely because it's UK majority members, not because it's UK only subjects.

Imo the name doesn't restrict the subjects allowed to be discussed and I see no reason not to raise the possibilty of Airfix producing further non-UK types along side a UK majority.

[tempestfan]

Venom FB.4!!!!!!

AMEN. It's about time after ca. 60 years the Frog kit finally gets a long-run successor. And as apparently all single-seat Vampires have more or less serious deviations from reality shape- and dimensionswise, that may be something they could (and probably did already) look into, too. Bonus: Both Venom and Vampire are fully suited to having one basic design suit 1/72 and 1/48.

[Geoff_B]

It's not about winding up the members, it's about trying to get people to think outside the box of Airfix=RAF/RN, unfortunately few do.

If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy, and a few other people very redundant not too long after.

I hope Airfix do release a new/updated Venom, Buc etc. But I also how for other UK subjects too (and not just foreign types)

Making RAF/RN models sell enough to justify the development and production, after that its types that we would likely have encountered as foes or as Allies. Esoteric subjects are now the realm of the Limited Run/Resin manufacturers these days, where the production costs are less and thus odd subjects can still be commercially viable.

Airfix know what their market is, who and where people buy their kits and select their choices accordingly, they will never please everybody all of the time but so far they are doing a pretty good job.

[tempestfan]

I saw it said that Airfix altered their JP3 moulds to make the Strikemaster, but having had both in the past I reckon they destroyed the old JP3 moulds as a public service, not much of that seemed to make it into the JP5/Strikey kit after all

I hope it doesn't sound rude, but that's rubbish - the JP3 was in production LONG after the JP5 kit was introduced, last seen in a Gunze boxing in 1980/81. Mr Ward has claimed that in one of his books but obviously neither bothered to look into some catalogs as a first basic "research" (which would have told him a lot) or to - hey - have a look at the actual kit parts. The latter would have told him that this conversion was just about physically impossible - at least I do not see how it could be done, from the parts breakdown of both kits.

BTW, I still consider Fujimi's Spey tooms as one of the best 1/72 kits released ever. I'd hate to see Airfix attempting a new tool and getting a result not on a par with Fujimi.

Edited October 13, 2015 by tempestfan

[Graham Boak]

AMEN. It's about time after ca. 60 years the Frog kit finally gets a long-run successor. And as apparently all single-seat Vampires have more or less serious deviations from reality shape- and dimensionswise, that may be something they could (and probably did already) look into, too. Bonus: Both Venom and Vampire are fully suited to having one basic design suit 1/72 and 1/48.

Yes to a Venom, but I think you are misled about the Vampire. There are no significant problems shape or dimension-wise with the Heller/Revell/Airfix one.

[Knight_Flyer]

It's not about winding up the members, it's about trying to get people to think outside the box of Airfix=RAF/RN, unfortunately few do.

If all Airfix released were UK-only subjects then it would make a few people very happy, and a few other people very redundant not too long after.

I hope Airfix do release a new/updated Venom, Buc etc. But I also how for other UK subjects too (and not just foreign types)

At the end of the day it is about releasing kits that will sell for Airfix. Understandable given their presence in the UK, British planes are likely to be good sellers. Of course there are exceptions such as the Phantom even though it is primarily an American aircraft, it has two things going in its favour. Was operated by the RAF and RN, and quite widely used/well known across the world. It becomes more of an unknown if Airfix say considers an F/A-18 and as I've alluded to earlier, perhaps worth the risk if Airfix feels they are doing quite well with overseas sales.

[tempestfan]

Yes to a Venom, but I think you are misled about the Vampire. There are no significant problems shape or dimension-wise with the Heller/Revell/Airfix one.

I think KRK4m came to a slightly differing result in his analysis, but then of course if any discrepancies bother anyone is their personal thing. In any event, I'm ignorant about the status of the Heller mould(s) for the Vampire (in other words if they kept one mould when selling the other to Lodela 25 years ago), but it seems that Revell bought (all) the ex-Heller tools off Lodela a couple of years ago, which may mean that Airfix can no longer get supplies of the ex-Heller kit. And that mould is also now 35 or 36 years old, and I'd say could be improved upon in a lot of respects (which is not to say the Heller kit is not still a very nice one).

[Giorgio N]

Has anybody kept a count of how many 'What Airfix - should - could - are etc etc etc' threads there have been in the last six months ?

Would it be worth the mods making this subject a Sticky ?

Impossible to keep a count, there are too many !

It's also interesting that some of the types mentioned in these threads are already covered by decent kits. Ok, some may come from far away and others be short run in nature, but there's really a lot of kits around that are perfectly valid and for which there's no really any urgent need for a replacement.

[Mike]

There's little to no point in making it a sticky, because it's just folks airing their own personal wishlists, and as Giorgio have said, they just keep popping up regardless of how many others, or how prominent they are. There are also threads about XXXX release that turn into more disgruntled versions of the wishlists about "what they should have done in this scale, or that scale, bah humbug, no I can't just be happy for those that are looking forward to this release", just because the scale or subject matter doesn't suit their wants.

If Airfix took the time to plough through them on this and other forums, noting down every wish and collating them, they'd be both confused, dismayed, and bankrupt within months due to time spent and the sheer variety of what everyone wants. I've heard many a story of kits that have been campaigned for, come to fruition, and then hundreds or thousands of unsold boxes have languished in warehouses because the demand has suddenly evaporated. It must be so hard to pick a subject, scale and commit thousands to creating the moulds only for the moaning to commence even before it reaches the shelves. Remember the Nimrod? There are more, but that's the one that comes to mind right now.

[perdu]

I hope it doesn't sound rude, but that's rubbish - the JP3 was in production LONG after the JP5 kit was introduced, last seen in a Gunze boxing in 1980/81. Mr Ward has claimed that in one of his books but obviously neither bothered to look into some catalogs as a first basic "research" (which would have told him a lot) or to - hey - have a look at the actual kit parts. The latter would have told him that this conversion was just about physically impossible - at least I do not see how it could be done, from the parts breakdown of both kits.

BTW, I still consider Fujimi's Spey tooms as one of the best 1/72 kits released ever. I'd hate to see Airfix attempting a new tool and getting a result not on a par with Fujimi.

I know this isnt a donkey kicking contest and wouldnt play if it were but this on another forum IS definitively from Matt the designer at Airfix (so he says!) I doubt the claim about the moulds, not that he is the designer, myself but

I quote

"

lufbramatt

x,xxx posts

xx months

09.03

Probably not much of the actual kit part insert was used, but more the runner/mould base/ejection system of the mould, as the parts would have been a similar shape. There's a lot more to an injection mould than just the cavities that form the parts."

This was in reply to me making this comment over there yesterday, that the moulds wouldnt have been altered because...

In response, I cant do a parts compare because I dont have either kit in my miniscule stash

Edited October 13, 2015 by perdu

[Meatbox8]

No I seem to remember that the kit included a few indistinct blobs of plastic purporting to be Scimitars, thankfully the abilities of the Airfix designers has improved dramatically in the intervening years.

Weren't they low-wing instead of mid-wing? If I recall correctly the box art portrayed Vicky with Buccaneers.

[dpm1did1]

Weren't they low-wing instead of mid-wing? If I recall correctly the box art portrayed Vicky with Buccaneers.

Right...and wrong...

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/181099-airfix-04201-3-hms-victorious

59 - bow shot with Buc* launch

62/67/73- Bucs & Helos

78 - Scimitar, skyraider (didnt and still doesnt look like a gannet!)

83 - Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Skyraider

08 - back to Bucs & helos

But note although each is labelled as a box change and their are 4 distinct patterns the aircraft displayed are different. I certainly built mine pre-83 and it definitely wasn't just Bucs and Helos (Twin boomers and the Scimitar were definitely included).

*All aircraft shapes approximate their id only. I take no responsabikity for accuracy.

Edited October 13, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Meatbox8]

My guess is that Airfix will continue to do what they have been doing i.e a mix of new moulds to replace old kits, some UK Cold War hardware and significant (subjective, I know) overseas types, particularly from WW2, plus the odd re-release of their better back catalogue items.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a new Buccaneer in 1/72. It would be very popular judging by this forum and not least by me. I thought that, as they recently re-released their old S2 moulding, that probably wasn't on the cards but their pretty ancient Heinkel He111-H20 got a recent outing only for them to release a brand new He111. I wouldn't be surprised if we never see the old moulding again.

Indeed their recent announcements seem to continue this trend with the JP3, B17, Be2 and Fokker EIII. Some of the more esoteric types mentioned on this thread look extremely unlikely to me. Personally I'd love a Hastings in 1/72 but I really don't think Airfix would take such a risk. The Shackleton, however, was an inspired choice as it filled a large gap in the market and is a highly sought after type.

The other interesting new trend by Airfix is to release kits with a parts breakdown that makes future different versions a possibility. The Kate and Beaufighter spring to mind. This is a new and interesting departure for them.

[Meatbox8]

Right...and wrong...

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/181099-airfix-04201-3-hms-victorious

59 - bow shot with Buc* launch

62/67/73- Bucs & Helos

78 - Scimitar, skyraider (didnt and still doesnt look like a gannet!)

83 - Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Skyraider

08 - back to Bucs & helos

But note although each is labelled as a box change and their are 4 distinct patterns the aircraft displayed are different. I certainly built mine pre-83 and it definitely wasn't just Bucs and Helos (Twin boomers and the Scimitar were definitely included).

*All aircraft shapes approximate their id only. I take no responsabikity for accuracy.

That's a Scimitar on the '59 bow shot, surely? Did the actual content of the box ever change? All the ones I seen built up have Scimitars, Vixens and Skyraiders.

[dpm1did1]

That's a Scimitar on the '59 bow shot, surely? Did the actual content of the box ever change? All the ones I seen built up have Scimitars, Vixens and Skyraiders.

Well caught, twas a Scimitar, I just had Bucs on the mind from the next 2 box tops.

Nothing about changes in tooling or new sprues. Maybe it's been lost in time or even that the Box Art didn't represent the sprues inside (which would explain my odd pre-83 build not matching - I don't recall helos or Bucs...)

...missing rerelease where the A/c sprue was added/changed?

Edited October 13, 2015 by dpm1did1

[Sten Ekedahl]

I saw it said that Airfix altered their JP3 moulds to make the Strikemaster, but having had both in the past I reckon they destroyed the old JP3 moulds as a public service, not much of that seemed to make it into the JP5/Strikey kit after all

I hope there's a bit of RAF effort made for 2018 too

Then we can go continental, even intercontinental

It's a great world for aviators

Somewhere deep in my stash I have an Asian no-name kit of the JP3 (bought some 25-30 years ago) that is either a direct (pirate) copy of the old Airfix kit, or made from the Airfix moulds.