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Airfix Classics Launched


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On 5/15/2018 at 4:00 AM, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

I personally never found them hard to locate, I certainly saw the Vostok, Saturn's and Skyvan in regular shops and on-line.

 

Again the SRN-4 was rereleased a bit back, but shortly after release vendors couldn't give it away. However, given what Airfix have already listed I wouldn't be surprised to see it added to the list at some point.

 

Thomo.

Personally, I'd rather see a re-release of the SR.N1. That probably hasn't been available since the '70s. It would be nice to see it come back with modern decals.

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On 5/15/2018 at 11:30 AM, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Dominie, Puma, Gazelle, Basset, SAM2, Eagle Transporter, Pan Am Orion, SA Bulldog, Cherokee, Scout but not much else! (Oh and the 1/48 Bucc maybe..before Tanmodel get theirs out??.) Most others I can think of have been replaced by more modern tools or the base kits are pretty rubbish (ducks) 

 

All of those, unless I'm mistaken (and I frequently am) have no opposition in the marketplace...and the majority are small kits so cheap to produce especially without the tooling costs... of those I think only the Gazelle has been released in a red box....?

 

TT

The Orion spacecraft from 2001 was an Airfix original, but the updated Moebius kit is available and better. The Space 1999 Eagle was always a reissue of the MPC kit and is available now from Polar Lights. Polar Lights is also doing a brand new Hawk spaceship from Space 1999, which was only done as a promotional kit by Airfix.

 

Other kits that might be worthy of re-release include:

HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant

SH-2F Seasprite

Ka-25 Hormone

MBB Bo105

RA-5C Vigilante

F4D-1 Skyray

S-3 Viking

Hs 123

Hs 129

B-1B (it's not a great kit but is impressively large)

HP 42 Heracles

Fokker F.27 Friendship

Ford Trimotor

F2H Banshee

 

 

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5 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Personally, I'd rather see a re-release of the SR.N1. That probably hasn't been available since the '70s. It would be nice to see it come back with modern decals.

Me and a fellow modeler worked hard convincing the Airfix guy at the Lingen show two months ago they should consider the N1. Let‘s see what happens... Indeed it has last seen the injection machine in around 1980, or possibly 1981 as there may have been a Gunze boxing. Wait, Kiko in Brazil produced it in 1987 I think, hope they returned the mould...

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On 5/19/2018 at 7:48 PM, Toe said:

 

You have to remember that 99% of buyers won't have a clue what the kit is like inside but if it is at a good price and it looks appealing in the "cartoony" type artwork then it won't matter...

It may be a bit better in the UK, but in Germany that type of buyer simply doesn’t exist any more, as testified by the ever shrinking number of outlets for kits. In Hamburg, Germany‘s second largest city, the second model shop within a year is to close down in two weeks or so, which is also the final, leaving only very few toy shops with a very limited selection.

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5 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

The Orion spacecraft from 2001 was an Airfix original, but the updated Moebius kit is available and better. The Space 1999 Eagle was always a reissue of the MPC kit and is available now from Polar Lights. Polar Lights is also doing a brand new Hawk spaceship from Space 1999, which was only done as a promotional kit by Airfix.

 

the Airfix  S1999 Hawk was a commercially available kit and like the Eagle was a rebox of the Fundemension kit and unlike the Eagle is a pretty good model. The Airfix Orion like the Eagle is not very good and at the best is a caricature of what appeared on the silver screen.

 

Along with the SR.N1 Airfix could look at a re-issue of Free Enterprise II cross channel ferry.

 

Thomo.

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I'd like another crack at the SR.N1. Me and my mate found one in a newsagent back in 1983. It was high up on a shelf with a bunch of other very dusty Airfix kits, all in type 4 boxes and must have been there since the 70s. Being that I was taller than my mate, I bagged the SR.N1, and I don't think he's ever forgiven me. (we were about 13 years old at the time, and finding rare old kits was a big deal as the Airfix range was in poor shape then with not much at all in the catalogue)

 

I didn't do the kit justice at the time, so having another chance would be great Airfix...if you're reading this.

 

Steve

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On ‎5‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 9:34 AM, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

Airfix also produced a numbered limited edition club members only HP Jetstream repop in 2005 (based on a vote if memory serves) this was going to be the start of a whole slew of limited edition classics for club members. As per the Kitstarter project it was the only kit produced, which all adds fuel to the fire that interest in these classic kits is modest.

 

Thomo.

Interesting points but, a limited edition kit for Airfix Club  members and a failed initiative do not, in my view necessarily add up to conclusive proof that interest in classic kits is "modest".  The Jetstream kit itself represented the early prototype if I recall and, I think this may have limited its appeal. Also, producing only to Airfix Club members limited its availability. I don't think it was a huge seller even when the kit was introduced but, I could be wrong.

I think the Kitstarter programme was doomed from the start - largely due to what was (to me anyway) a very odd selection of kits and, rather high prices for those on offer.

 

The Classics Range is a totally different  venture. These will be widely distributed and widely available at (mostly) quite reasonable prices. I do however question the prices for the sailing ships!! Definitely on the high side. You may of course be right in that interest is modest. But, if modest interest returns a modest profit then I suggest this initial foray will have justified itself. Airfix will have money in the bank to help fund new projects and, we may see an expansion of the Vintage Classics range. I certainly won't complain about that.

 

Allan

Edited by Albeback52
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1 hour ago, Albeback52 said:

Interesting points but, a limited edition kit for Airfix Club  members and a failed initiative do not, in my view necessarily add up to conclusive proof that interest in classic kits is "modest".  The Jetstream kit itself represented the early prototype if I recall and, I think this may have limited its appeal.

Allan

The Airfix Jetstream represented the USAF C-10A version with Garrett TPE-331 engines instead of the Astazous, presumably to increase the US-made content. In the end, the USAF canceled the contract for the aircraft before any were delivered due to excessive delays in the program. As such, there are no operational versions of the Jetstream 31 that you can build with the kit as supplied and the C-10A markings are basically fictional. The stretched Jetstream 41 had a later version of the TPE-331, now produced by Allied-Signal who acquired Garret.

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6 hours ago, fightersweep said:

I'd like another crack at the SR.N1. Me and my mate found one in a newsagent back in 1983. It was high up on a shelf with a bunch of other very dusty Airfix kits, all in type 4 boxes and must have been there since the 70s. 

 

Steve

Striking coincidence there - I bought my first N1 also in 1983, in a tiny toy shop at Thuso. With the Scotland card, you got a couple % bonus... There still was quite a bit of Airfix around in various locations then, there and at Finthorn (?) or another village close to RAF Kinloss. Why oh why did I go for a „new“ French produced NA.39 and Matchbox SHar...

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16 hours ago, Albeback52 said:

Interesting points but, a limited edition kit for Airfix Club  members and a failed initiative do not, in my view necessarily add up to conclusive proof that interest in classic kits is "modest".  The Jetstream kit itself represented the early prototype if I recall and, I think this may have limited its appeal. Also, producing only to Airfix Club members limited its availability. I don't think it was a huge seller even when the kit was introduced but, I could be wrong.

I think the Kitstarter programme was doomed from the start - largely due to what was (to me anyway) a very odd selection of kits and, rather high prices for those on offer.

 

Allan

The Revell classic range sales were extremely sluggish and to be honest the subject matter that Revell range had in their classic range was far more appealing subject matter than Airfix have announced to date. As pointed out by many on this thread the price point of this classic range does not appear to take account of the secondhand market, were the vast majority of kits announced to date can be sourced easily at the same or lower prices. As others have pointed it just seems a quick way of getting military and marine kits into their range.

 

Don't get me wrong I believe there is a demand for these so-called classic kits, but the clear signs are the demand is modest. To me the intial batch of kits could have been chosen a little more carefully and sold as limited editions, that might have enhanced the appeal along with a bit more consideration to the price point.

 

As regards the Airfix Club kits as far as I can make out the vast majority of  club kits  are in the existing range and issued with revised decal options and from where I'm sitting they seem to sell very quickly to members. Furthermore, one assumes it's those that have a real interest in Airfix that become members of the club. If a limited edition members only classic kit was going to sell well one would have thought it would have sold well to club members.

 

Thomo.

 

 

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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I think we're getting a bit carried away here by the definition of "classics" that Airfix is using to define this new range..

Airfix here is not really launching something similar to what Revell did, where they reissued really old kits with mainly a nostalgic or collectable value. I did buy one of the Revell reissues of their classics a few years ago, the Convair Tradewind. It was one of the old Revell box-scale kits, with all the flavour of an old kit (first issued in 1961) and I bought it because I liked the aircraft. However, would I have bought this kit had a 1/144 kit been available back then ? Most likely not ! Same for other older kits that Revell reissued in the same series, interesting for nostalgia or collectors, less so for other modellers.

Airfix on the other hand is not reboxing old collectibles here, at least according to the first list of kits in this series, they are mainly reboxing old kits. I can see very common types among tanks, Panther, Panzer IV and T-34. Many of the kits listed have also been available until very recently in standard Airfix boxes.

Same for the ships, I see Bismark, Hood and Belfast, that are likely to have been best sellers in their days. The figures may be less common but all fit with the 100th Anniversary fo WW1 theme, so have a clear commercial appeal.

Seems to me, and the future may prove me wrong (or not...), that this is mainly a way of differentiating the "new" Airfix from the old one, to avoid associating too much the new issues with older kits that are not up to today's standard. Airfix may issue one or two less common subject in the line once in a while but I wouldn't bet on them realising plenty of obscure subjects. They are using "classics" as synonymous of "older stuff" here, not as synonymous of "collectibles".

 

Regarding the potential market for the rarer types, we have to be very careful when considering all the factors that may lead to a company reissuing these. Sure, there's no cost involved in researching and making the moulds, however even a rebox need money for things like packaging and decals. Then there's the important matter that an older tool has the same manufacturing cost of a newer one, meaning that if a company allocates production resources to an old tool these resources are taken away from producing the newer tooled stuff. If there's a production overcapacity then it's fine, otherwise any allocation of resources must take into account the potential profit from whatever is produced. That in simple words means that any old tool they will reissue will likely be reissued only if can guarantee a certain number of sales. Something that the more obscure subjects may not guarantee

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Thomo and Giorgio;

 

Some very valid points well made there. Perhaps Giorgio has hit the nail on the head, and what defines a classic for us here at Britmodeller differs from what Airfix hope to achieve with the new range.

 

Steve

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1 hour ago, Giorgio N said:

I think we're getting a bit carried away here by the definition of "classics" that Airfix is using to define this new range..

...They are using "classics" as synonymous of "older stuff" here, not as synonymous of "collectibles".

 

Not really carried away - as I recall it, we clearly see that the stuff announced is "classic" only in being old, and hence many of us agreed that Airfix would be well advised to consider this in their pricing when it's easy to obtain those kits cheaper than Airfix's current RRP. OTOH, we/ a considerable number of posters see potential for the idea if Airfix reflect their subjects carefully and return some scarcer stuff, which may enable them to actually price them a bit higher than RRP because that would still be lower than on the collectors' market.  BTW, the "rarity" of the Revell Classic range is in part debatable, there were real delights like the Rotodyne but also a considerable number of Matchbox kits. Speaking of Revell, I think they realised some 20 years ago that e.g. their H-600 kits (or at least, a lot of them) simply are potentially damaging to their reputation, so they finally stopped reissuing them and replaced them with modern tooling. Of course, why they keep re-releasing the Frog Ta 152 is anyone's guess...

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2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Seems to me, and the future may prove me wrong (or not...), that this is mainly a way of differentiating the "new" Airfix from the old one, to avoid associating too much the new issues with older kits that are not up to today's standard. 

 

If that is the case, the pricing and marketing strategies for this range are questionable.

 

Thomo.

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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I think Giorgio's spot on. The "creating a new range" thing is marketing storytelling. What they're doing is dealing with years of brand-damaging (justified) moaning about 30 year old kits appearing in up to the minute boxes and billed as "NEW for 2015" (ie they weren't in the range in 2014...). "New" Airfix has done enough kits to want to secure a reputation as providers of state of the art models of WW2 and Classic British types (Victor, Gnat etc.) The Classic Kits label is a way of selling some subjects that they will never re-tool, because they are outside the core range focus now, without the red box and artwork reflecting badly on the expected contents of a new red box Hunter in 1/48...

 

Makes complete sense to me...

 

best,

M.

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Certainly in regard to the tanks and figures, my guess is that you're unlikely to see many at your LHS (if you have one) mainly - as my local does - as they hold current (old) stock of the same product but also because they are aimed at the nostalgia not hobby market - I can see them being sold at National Trust houses, IWM, military museums etc through the same wholesalers who provide Dads Army mugs and blessed Keep Calm and Carry On tea towels... where granddad and grandma will pick up a set for little Johnny (or little Julie) on a whim, or because they are tugging at their elbow. The ships though are a mystery to me :) 

 

However what we dont know is whether Airfix have ordered 5000 of each or 500 of each or whether they have done research with the non LHS sector to see what sells.... what does seem to be the case is that the new CEO is now following the 'Oxford' model - in that one tool is pumped out in different liveries so instead of 5000 RN Sea Furies there are 2000 of the initial boxing, then 1000 Dutch etc..... really wish someone would do the decals for SR661-  G-CBEL is a regular at our airfield (yes I know its a Baghdad Fury but.....) 

 

TT

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It doesn't really need a decal sheet: it's all straight generic markings, nothing specific needed at all. No squadron codes, just roundels, fin flashes, the 8-inch black serial and the prototype P which can be had from Blackbird and various other vendors

http://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/sitemap.asp

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Just catching up with this thread.  Saw the email announcement but haven't made it back to BM in the meantime (shame on me...and shame on work!).

 

As with many others, I'm not sure whether this idea will work.  I certainly doubt that it will do much, if anything, to cure the company's ills.  That said, for a rose-tinted meander down memory lane, I'm sure there will be quite a few of us who succumb to the inevitable temptation.

 

One of the earlier comments about "can only use tube cement" got me thinking...maybe we need a "special rules" GB for these kits:

  • Kit must be built entirely in a single Saturday afternoon.
  • Paint and markings optional.  Extra marks for the wrong paint or the right paint in all the wrong places.
  • Tube cement is mandatory.
  • Extra marks if you wanted the turret to turn but somehow you inadvertently glued it firmly to the hull.
  • Must provide a video of the model being "blown up" using caps or incinerated with a box-full of Swan Vestas.  Extra marks for artistic flair, especially human-generated sound effects.

I had considered additional criteria at the start, like "The kit must be bought from a newsagent and built the same day" but I think the first half of that task might prove impossible.   

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21 hours ago, cmatthewbacon said:

I think Giorgio's spot on. The "creating a new range" thing is marketing storytelling. What they're doing is dealing with years of brand-damaging (justified) moaning about 30 year old kits appearing in up to the minute boxes and billed as "NEW for 2015" (ie they weren't in the range in 2014...). "New" Airfix has done enough kits to want to secure a reputation as providers of state of the art models of WW2 and Classic British types (Victor, Gnat etc.) The Classic Kits label is a way of selling some subjects that they will never re-tool, because they are outside the core range focus now, without the red box and artwork reflecting badly on the expected contents of a new red box Hunter in 1/48...

 

Makes complete sense to me...

 

best,

M.

Matt has hit the nail on the head. How many times have folks complained that the kit in that bright shiny red box is an old duffer from when they were a kid. Well now you have clearly marked boxes telling you its pre-Hornby. I suspect that most of these aren't aimed at the advanced aircraft modeller. However, there have been lots of complaints about the lack of ships, figures, AFVs and cars and this goes a small way to addressing those omissions from the range. The 1/600 ship prices look pretty good to me - they mainly go for £20 on e-bay, and the HO/00 figures seem reasonable as well. I don't expect any old aircraft to be re-introduced but maybe some of the esoteric subjects like hovercraft, the forts and 54mm figures might find their way back into the range via this route.

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22 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

It doesn't really need a decal sheet: it's all straight generic markings, nothing specific needed at all. No squadron codes, just roundels, fin flashes, the 8-inch black serial and the prototype P which can be had from Blackbird and various other vendors

http://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/sitemap.asp

Thanks for the link WIP - I'd get ordering! :)

 

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Wonder if there is really anything to be read into the Airfix Classics range beyond the finance bods  wanting to maximise the returns from existing assets (molds) which are otherwise doing nothing other than costing storage ?

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Be nice to see a few more of the big sailing ship's released Discovery and Great Western especially and I'm sure WW1 modeller's would like a return

of some aircraft subject's too.

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Just picked up on this thread, first I'd heard of the proposal.  Loads of erudite commenting but they all seem to fall into the bracket that the followers of this forum represent the be-all-and-end-all of the hobby and trade.

 

One of my concerns about the periodic appearance of Airfix in an effort to return to high street outlets is they only ever had a handful of kits.  Sometimes even just the one; "Red Arrows Starter Set" anyone?  Anyone else familiar with these 'Collector Cards' you see around, or these 'Collectable Pocket Monster' toy ranges?  How well would they go if, in any given financial period, there was only the one item available?

 

I hope that Airfix are self-aware and objective about choosing only the re-pops that can actually be used.  I tried one of their old car kits, an MGB Midget, recently in a fit of nostalgia and found it literally unbuildable.  Not a case of "not up to modern standards" but so badly distorted the pieces would and could not be lined up, tapes, pegs and clamps notwithstanding.  (The parts might have been distorted over the years the kit had spent in someone's loft or garage, I really do not know.)  However, if Airfix are striving to recover the "Golden Age" of modelling where a newcomer could pick a subject because they liked the Roy Cross artwork, produce something that looks about right, and goes back next week to look at what else is available then more strength to their arms.

Edited by Dave Batt
gramer & spelin
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On 5/23/2018 at 4:37 AM, mhaselden said:

Just catching up with this thread.  Saw the email announcement but haven't made it back to BM in the meantime (shame on me...and shame on work!).

 

As with many others, I'm not sure whether this idea will work.  I certainly doubt that it will do much, if anything, to cure the company's ills.  That said, for a rose-tinted meander down memory lane, I'm sure there will be quite a few of us who succumb to the inevitable temptation.

 

One of the earlier comments about "can only use tube cement" got me thinking...maybe we need a "special rules" GB for these kits:

  • Kit must be built entirely in a single Saturday afternoon.
  • Paint and markings optional.  Extra marks for the wrong paint or the right paint in all the wrong places.
  • Tube cement is mandatory.
  • Extra marks if you wanted the turret to turn but somehow you inadvertently glued it firmly to the hull.
  • Must provide a video of the model being "blown up" using caps or incinerated with a box-full of Swan Vestas.  Extra marks for artistic flair, especially human-generated sound effects.

I had considered additional criteria at the start, like "The kit must be bought from a newsagent and built the same day" but I think the first half of that task might prove impossible.   

One other thought would be sticking all the decals, if used, in the wrong places. A few of my mates had this annoying habit of sticking the under wing roundels of their Spitfires on top of the elevators. Used to drive me nuts, even as a nine year old.

 

I can also add a video of my Airfix Fw-190 on a strafing run and using a Helix compass to hammer "authentic" bullet holes into anything that got in the way. Also include commentary borrowed from the latest Commando comic or issue of Warlord...."Die Englander pig dog....Zum Teufel....Jawohl Herr Major etc, etc.

 

Edit: Regarding your last point. Maybe we should have a Britmodeller competition to see if there are any remaining old skool newsagents out there that still have a few dusty Matchbox or Airfix kits on their shelves. There must be some out there.

Edited by fightersweep
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  • 2 weeks later...

There is a good article on Airfix's Workbench Blog this week giving a more detailed insight into the range. The following paragraph will, I am sure lead to pages of feverish speculation here!!:lol:

 

"We are hoping that this new range of models which celebrate the heritage of Airfix modelling will be of interest to a great many people and whilst there is an interesting selection in this initial collection, we are pleased to confirm that there will be more classics to come. Everyone will have an Airfix model which has special significance for them, especially as the huge tooling back catalogue includes some releases which were unique to Airfix and as the tooling bank assessment continues, more of these earlier models will be introduced to the ‘Vintage Classics’ range. With many fantastic and unusual aircraft subjects yet to appear, it is planned that some of the introductions will be limited and special editions and whilst some will be available for quite a while, allowing model stores to re-stock the most popular lines, others will be much shorter runs and will only be available for a limited time. It is even planned that a few modelling surprizes will grace the range, giving all modellers an exciting taste of Classic Airfix modelling heritage. As well as keeping an eye out for all the latest new model tooling announcements, the ‘Vintage Classics’ range will also have us keeping one eye on the modelling past as these historic old kits now occupy the same range space as the very latest computer designed future classics. We very much look forward to bringing you more details from the ‘Vintage Classics’ range in forthcoming editions of Workbench, including confirmation of latest kits scheduled to join this growing collection and news of the limited and special release models that will have us all clamouring to reserve our examples. Knowing we will all have our particular favourites, which one will end up being your first ‘Vintage Classic’?"

 

Allan

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