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Airfix 2019


jenko

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9 hours ago, sniperUK said:

Airfix is in the business to make money, with the development costs of say the QE in 1/350th they would need first run sales of at least 10,000 at least £100 to make it worthwhile , would you be willing to invest what is needed on that  or on 3-4 smaller models that would be guaranteed sellers ? 

There are plenty of manufacturers out there (Tamiya, Trumpeter, Hasegawa, Revell) who are able to release naval subjects for well over 100GBP and they sell!. Most if not all new releases of 1/350 are over the 100 quid mark, and many over the 200quid. The fact that more and more kits are coming out in these scales is proof that there is a market as they continue to sell!

 

So why can't Airfix get in on the act? Why should they confine themselves to less expensive a/c kits? If the other manufacturers can do it, so can Airfix.

 

Lord knows I've bought plenty of 1/350  ships for over a 100GBP and i'd be willing to pay that for a QE class CV and plenty of others would too.

 

And let's not forget the 1/200 ranges that go for over 200GBP and even things like Trumpeter's 1/48 type VIIc u-boat that goes for nearly 250GBP.

 

Let's not talk about quality as an excuse either-Trumpeter's is as hit and miss as they come, yet they succeed: good choice of topic and correct scale matters. No odd ball scales, just mainstream. 1/700 for bread and butter sales, 1/350 and 1/200.

 

So, like I said earlier, if other manufacturers can release naval subjects and make a profit, why not Airfix?

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8 minutes ago, Sea said:

What has happened to the Airfix Spitfire Mk1? I can't seem to get it anymore. Why would they stop making it. 

Is that the 1/48 or 1/72 kit? If it’s the 1/48 kit then perhaps they are going to re-release it with new decals early in 2019, however it does seem quite early to stop production I would have thought? 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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9 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Is that the 1/48 or 1/72 kit? If it’s the 1/48 kit then perhaps they are going to re-release it with new decals early in 2019, however it does seem quite early to stop production I would have thought? 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

I don't think it's a case of 'stopping production' as underestimating demand.  Production is in batches not continuous.

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10 hours ago, RussellE said:

There are plenty of manufacturers out there (Tamiya, Trumpeter, Hasegawa, Revell) who are able to release naval subjects for well over 100GBP and they sell!. Most if not all new releases of 1/350 are over the 100 quid mark, and many over the 200quid. The fact that more and more kits are coming out in these scales is proof that there is a market as they continue to sell!

 

So why can't Airfix get in on the act? Why should they confine themselves to less expensive a/c kits? If the other manufacturers can do it, so can Airfix.

 

Lord knows I've bought plenty of 1/350  ships for over a 100GBP and i'd be willing to pay that for a QE class CV and plenty of others would too.

 

And let's not forget the 1/200 ranges that go for over 200GBP and even things like Trumpeter's 1/48 type VIIc u-boat that goes for nearly 250GBP.

 

Let's not talk about quality as an excuse either-Trumpeter's is as hit and miss as they come, yet they succeed: good choice of topic and correct scale matters. No odd ball scales, just mainstream. 1/700 for bread and butter sales, 1/350 and 1/200.

 

So, like I said earlier, if other manufacturers can release naval subjects and make a profit, why not Airfix?

Just because other manufacturers produce ships, it doesn't follow that Airfix should.  The same might, be said for Spacecraft, Gundam, Vehicles,  Buildings, Figures, or for that matter anything else that can be produced in plastic.

 

Their expertise is in WWll and early Cold War aircraft.  No use for ships, Napoleonic era figures, modern cars etc.  This expertise lies not only in data (accumulated and of proven sources), but sales forecasting, cash flow, profitability and the like.  And before anyone says 'but they used to produce cars, so why not again now ?' that Airfix went bankrupt, as did the following one!

 

Remember too that very existence of Hornby Hobby is dependant on their Bank continuing to extend them credit.  This can only be against positive (past) data not 'pie in the sky' ideas such as 'well Trumpeter sells such and such so maybe we should try and get in on the act too'.  Sales, profitability and the like of, say, their B-25 are of no use whatever in the same projections for say, modern warships.

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12 hours ago, RussellE said:

So why can't Airfix get in on the act? Why should they confine themselves to less expensive a/c kits? If the other manufacturers can do it, so can Airfix.

Airfix are on a financial knife-edge. I'm not aware of the accounts of Tamiya, Trumpeter, Hasegawa, but I assume they are more comfortable than Airfix at the moment. An expensive to produce kit could kill the entire company if it doesn't sell well. @Plasto mentioned earlier that Airfix have produce kits from almost every genre and if they are focusing on aircraft now, that means that's the best route for the companies survival. I should imagine that it is significantly more expensive to produce the moulds for a ship kit rather than a small to medium sized aircraft. The vast majority of modellers build aircraft. So, expensive to produce – small market, or less expensive to produce – large market. As the Americans say, “It's a no brainer”.

Airfix has vastly more experience in what sells, and what is too risky than you, or me, or anyone one on this forum. If Airfix returns to plentiful profits, they may do more maritime subjects, but I for one wouldn't blame them if they opt to stay with 'safe'.

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On 26 July 2018 at 8:36 AM, Sea said:

What has happened to the Airfix Spitfire Mk1? I can't seem to get it anymore. Why would they stop making it. 

Things come and go from the Airfix catalogue.

The 1/72 scale one is still available but the 1/48 & 1/24 ones appear to be out of production.

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On 26/07/2018 at 08:36, Sea said:

What has happened to the Airfix Spitfire Mk1? I can't seem to get it anymore. Why would they stop making it. 

I suspect this is that they are now doing a Hasegawa, where you do limited runs of a boxing.

This makes sense, as when printing you need a certain run to get an economic price, so you do X amount to fill boxes and decals, sell out, and wait for demand to do another run, and doing a different boxing will get repeat sales.

Also avoids the costs of storage and capital tied up, and the need to stock dump, which was mentioned as being damaging to the brand.

 

Seems to be their new model, and notable in that I'm not seeing discounted new kits a few months later, in fact we are getting posts like @Sea, saying I can't find them.

The Sea Fury, despite all the furore over shot shots seems unavailable, the Meteor F.8 sold out etc.

Have you tried some of the Far East online suppliers Sea?  

I can't remember what the deal with mail order imports is in NZ though.

 

HTH

T

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Steering back to the Thread Topic, Airfix 2019, I do not think that we will see anything other than Aircraft (support vehicles just about squeeze in) next year or for a very long time thereafter: or ever!

 

Without admitting as much, accuracy is the most important factor in Airfix's choice of subject.  For a start, there must be either an extant example or engineering drawings: so called 'plans' are worthless.  Variants, marking, colour schemes etc must be authenticated too, and all appropriate to the subject variant, user, date etc.  To do this they have a full time Researcher.  If there's a mistake, somebody will spot it.  For example, I think there were postings on why the FAA Sea Fury was using US bombs....  Indeed my first ever posting was on a box art error that I don't think would be repeated now that they have a Researcher. 

 

Were they, say, to decide to tool AVF's they would surely likewise require another Researcher.  He/she would need sufficient work ie subject output to keep them fully employed.  Since there is surely no 'overmanning' in Airfix or indeed Hornby Hobby, a team roughly equivalent to the present size of Airfix would need to be recruited.  Not just that, but there would have to be 2-3 years funding until the first sales began to bring in revenue.  I just don't see that happening.

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6 hours ago, Denford said:

To do this they have a full time Researcher.  If there's a mistake, somebody will spot it.

Not always! I was the one that made a huge fuss on Airfix's forum about the CAD for the 1/72 Martlet having an incorrect cowling and getting them to fix it. Another, more subtle error is that the stencil markings provided for the 1/48 Hurricane Mk.I kit are based on a modern warbird and are not at all correct for a WWII era aircraft.

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Like I said, it there's a mistake, somebody (in this case yourself) will spot it.  This could be before or after release: I think there was a similar 'issue' with the Whitley's front glazing.

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5 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Not always! I was the one that made a huge fuss on Airfixes forum about the CAD for the 1/72 Martlet having an incorrect cowling and getting them to fix it.

Do you think this resulted in greater sales for the Martlet kit??

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2 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Do you think this resulted in greater sales for the Martlet kit??

Well there's the two I bought, which I would not have done without the cowling fix. Otherwise, I don't know. I think it's fairly well established that greater accuracy does not necessarily translate into sales unless the problem is extreme (original Trumpeter 1/32 F4F Wildcat). I also saw a YouTube review of the Trumpeter 1/48 Defiant giving a favourable rating over the Airfix kit because of superior surface detail even though its shape is poor. I see the Trumpeter Vampire usually sells at a deep discount, which I attribute to it being horribly inaccurate. But that's just speculation.

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2 hours ago, Denford said:

Like I said, it there's a mistake, somebody (in this case yourself) will spot it.  This could be before or after release: I think there was a similar 'issue' with the Whitley's front glazing.

Ah, I assumed you meant "somebody at Airfix."

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3 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said:

 I think it's fairly well established that greater accuracy does not necessarily translate into sales unless the problem is extreme

So the cost in terms of design time and tooling Airfix spent to correct the issue may have been a waste of time from the perspective of garnering greater sales. Interesting....

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..... and now thanks to Arma Hobby I think we can all strike out a 1/72 Tin Wing Hurricane.

That's one of the guaranteed 'cash cows' that has been taken up by another manufacturer and if priced correctly is more potential revenue slipping away from Hornby's 2019/20 P&L statements. 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

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1 minute ago, Rabbit Leader said:

..... and now thanks to Arma Hobby I think we can all strike out a 1/72 Tin Wing Hurricane.

That's one of the guaranteed 'cash cows' that has been taken up by another manufacturer and if priced correctly is more potential revenue slipping away from Hornby's 2019/20 P&L statements. 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

The Arma Hobby Hurricane is welcome, and I will buy a few, but I don't think it will affect Airfix's sales if they choose to release one. The Arma Hobby kit will not see the production numbers or widespread distribution that Airfix will achieve and I'm sure an Airfix version would be cheaper.

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Just now, VMA131Marine said:

The Arma Hobby Hurricane is welcome, and I will buy a few, but I don't think it will affect Airfix's sales if they choose to release one. The Arma Hobby kit will not see the production numbers or widespread distribution that Airfix will achieve and I'm sure an Airfix version would be cheaper.

That is true VMA however looking at Arma prices for some of there other kits, an approx 9-10 Euro for their Junior kits with limited PE would not be far off what Airfix would sell theirs for. I agree about the distribution channels as adding postage to every non mainstream manufactures kit always makes me think twice. Sitting on a shelf at my LHS in a nice Red box always tends to burn a hole in my pocket and the wallet can't come out quick enough!! 

 

Let's see how Airfix responds, however you'd have to agree that whatever size the pie once was has now been nibbled at a fair kit. 

 

Cheers.. Dave

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2 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Maybe maybe not... I increasingly think deciding want a ‘cash cow’ is based on modelling forum posts is fraught with inaccuracy. 

In some cases most likely. From my perspective what is often offered isn't important to me at all. Highly detailed areas of 1/72 aircraft that will be unseen once the fuselage halves are closed up for example. I also gave the Airfix HE-111 a miss due to it not coming with bombs which I thought was an amazingly bad decision on Airfix's part. 

 

So listening to the AMS type modellers probably isn't always the way to go. Not to mention when they make silly mistakes the BF-110 having the engine cowlings crossing over the flaps! 

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10 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Maybe maybe not... I increasingly think deciding want a ‘cash cow’ is based on modelling forum posts is fraught with inaccuracy. 

Well if 'we' don't know - who does? Let's give ourselves a bit of credit.

I look at Airfix's reissued Mk.1 Spitfire and think that this qualifies as a 'Cash Cow'. Popular subject, easy to build, many schemes (kinda) - Anyway, I see the Hurricane in the same light. Whats that saying "Build it and they will come" 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

 

 

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I just wished Airfix would provide the details that can be seen on the outside (vents on the intakes and exhaust areas of their 1/72 Phantom).

 

Personally I would like to see some fast cold war jets in 1/72 for next year that has been researched correctly but l doubt it.

 

Robert

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10 hours ago, Beard said:

The 1/72 scale one is still available but the 1/48 & 1/24 ones appear to be out of production.

Im noticing lately that a larger and larger number of Airfix kits are listed as sold out at my usual online hobby shops. Im looking for the 1/72 P-51 for the single-type group build coming up in August. So far not much luck ? The bulk of the 1/24th and 1/48th Airfix kits are also listed as sold out. I suspected just a standard run of the mill sell out until I read this thread. Now im wondering ? 

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19 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Im noticing lately that a larger and larger number of Airfix kits are listed as sold out at my usual online hobby shops. Im looking for the 1/72 P-51 for the single-type group build coming up in August. So far not much luck ? The bulk of the 1/24th and 1/48th Airfix kits are also listed as sold out. I suspected just a standard run of the mill sell out until I read this thread. Now im wondering ? 

Not having product to sell when it is in demand is a surefire way to lose lots of money. Airfix still seems to be having trouble sorting out their supply chain. When a new kit sells out faster than expected (i.e. Walrus) the long lead times from the moulding company in India means that they cannot quickly restock to satisfy excess demand.

Edited by VMA131Marine
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