VMA131Marine Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 5 minutes ago, Harold55 said: Accurate Minatures/Academy must have sold a million of their 1/48 kits Divide that number by at least 10, probably 20. I doubt that AM's production runs were for more than 20,000-25,000 kits over the 3 basic variants they issued. The days of plastic model kits selling hundreds of thousands of copies apiece are long over. Here's the best selling model ever: A Short (Very Short) History of the F-19 What airplane came in a little box and never flew? image: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/sJqL3GzVClSoSG76ra5tP6kKWFc=/800x600/filters:no_upscale()/https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/f19-631-feb08.jpg (Testors) By Patricia Trenner AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE | SUBSCRIBE JANUARY 2008 78100087 In 1986, as speculation about Lockheed’s Northrop built what it called the YF-17 technology demonstrator to compete with General Dynamics’ YF-16 in the lightweight fighter program. When the F-16 won, the U.S. Navy hired Northrop to base the Navy’s next fighter on the -17, with the result designated F-18.) Testors assumed that in order to deflect radar waves, the F-19 would be sleek and streamlined and would somewhat resemble Lockheed’s other-worldly SR-71. Testors stuck a pair of standard-issue vertical stabilizers on its 1/48-scale model and packaged it up. Some 700,000 sold almost immediately, making it the best-selling model ever, surpassing even AMT’s Star Trek USS Enterprise. Would that art imitated life. When the Air Force unveiled the F-117 Nighthawk in 1990, it was not a pretty sight. Lockheed’s stealth fighter was as angular as the house of seven gables. Aviation sleuths conclude that the F-117 designation came from the numbers—YF-110, YF-113, YF-114—the Air Force gave to captured Soviet aircraft it test-flew in the high-desert base in Nevada nicknamed Groom Lake, which was also the site of the F-117 test flights. And the Testors F-19 model kit? Last seen on eBay for $8 Read more at https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/a-short-very-short-history-of-the-f-19-23036383/#IKgjQ5jbpeH0Kged.99 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold55 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Ok, quite the exaggeration on my part. But still a very popular kit in its day dispite it being rather expensive when it came out. I still think a B-25 would be a good choice for a 1/24 scale twin engine kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 22 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said: 22 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said: That takes me back! I still remember playing F-19 Stealth Fighter from Microprose on my PC....may have even been my Amiga 500. A long time ago anyway! Steve 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 2 hours ago, VMA131Marine said: Testors stuck a pair of standard-issue vertical stabilizers on its 1/48-scale model and packaged it up. What‘s a „vertical stabilizer“ ? Does she mean fin ? It’s diagonal anyway... How did Monogram‘s interpretation compare in sales? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 22 hours ago, JohnT said: I'd never buy a model that was twice as big as me. Anyway just think of all the reinforcement needed for the shelf of doom to take the weight 😁 Thank god it won’t be resin then! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 (edited) 31 minutes ago, tempestfan said: What‘s a „vertical stabilizer“ ? Does she mean fin ? It’s diagonal anyway... How did Monogram‘s interpretation compare in sales? The Monogram did not get near the publicity of the Testors kit so I suspect it did not sell in the same quantities. Still the two models would make for an interesting display along with a model of the actual Stealth Fighter, the F-117A - which gives me an idea if I can find one for a reasonable price (currently there is one on ebay with an asking price of $199) .... Edited October 30, 2018 by VMA131Marine 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlCZ Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 I think not a Airfix released a 1/24 twin engined bomber as B-25. It is unusual scale and very expensive mould. So - and completed Mitchell in car scalec was was a gigantic piece of Plastic... After Typhoon i still hope in car scale Tempest (same engine and few parts from Tail.) Or - Me 262... it is a fighter; twin engined and relative compact... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 9 hours ago, VMA131Marine said: ....which gives me an idea if I can find one for a reasonable price (currently there is one on ebay with an asking price of $199) .... The Monogram one at 199? Ouch, that’s serious money, but then I don’t think it was in the programme for long. Chances are the mould is among the lot bought by Atlantis, so if they consider a reissue, it might have a slightly lower price point... As the Testors kit was tooled by Italeri AFAIK and also boxed by them, it should be nowhere near as expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 16 hours ago, Denford said: But why go all that way: isn't/wasn't there a Catalina at Cosford? There is, but it’s a 6A with the taller fin and a radar housing above the cockpit and the RAF only used a handful of those - come to think of it that 5A is also atypical as most of the RAF ones were pure flying boats. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 1 hour ago, tempestfan said: The Monogram one at 199? Ouch, that’s serious money, but then I don’t think it was in the programme for long. Chances are the mould is among the lot bought by Atlantis, so if they consider a reissue, it might have a slightly lower price point... As the Testors kit was tooled by Italeri AFAIK and also boxed by them, it should be nowhere near as expensive. Though we drift off topic it makes a nice change from me crying out "1:48 Hampden" and the like. AFAIK the 1:48 F-19 was first released by Testors in the US and by Italeri in the EU. I read about it in a politics magazine which made fun of THE US TOP SECTRET project which made it into a highly detailed kits toy that shows every screw of the real deal 😄 Sure enough I walked straight into the modelshop near by to buy it. Italeri later released a 1:72 scale version - not sure if they or Testors did the mold. I cannot check the sprues as I actually build this kit (one of the kits I completed - togeter with an Italeri F-117). Looking at the F-117 the F-19 is in deed quite off the mark, but compared to Have Blue I find the size, the stabilizer angle and general proportion (still with some fantasy) get at least near the ball park. So much that I wonder if Testors had someone with a little knowledge of the Have Blue at least. Main difference is of course the SR-71ish rounded and flat shape opposed to the Have Blue diamond shape (which any insider should have known about). The Monogram one was not easy to find here and not long in the market. I am actually not even sure I ever saw it in any shop here in Germany. I bought mine a few years back on e-bay for well below 20 Euros - but if anyone offers me 200 I might consider 😉 Interetingly the kit has folding wings and (as the Testors kit) a special weapon in the bomb bay. So to get somehow back on topic from these Stealth Fighter - how about a BAE Systems Tempest in 1:24? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 And now something new, maybe it is a 1/48 F27 troopship....😉 stil i bet on that 1/72 C130..and a 1/48 HAMPDEN. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 23 hours ago, Caerbannog said: Me too - in 1:48 scale 😄 After Revell seems to bring back the Hasegawa tooloing next year it would be just another of Murphys laws if Airfix would bring an upscaled Phantom. Is that true? Not that I need anymore Hasegawa British Phantoms but I'd still buy a couple. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denford Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 3 hours ago, Max Headroom said: There is, but it’s a 6A with the taller fin and a radar housing above the cockpit and the RAF only used a handful of those - come to think of it that 5A is also atypical as most of the RAF ones were pure flying boats. Trevor OK, but there are still Catalinas aplenty around the world and in Europe too, so that cannot be the reason for such a long trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) 16 hours ago, fightersweep said: That takes me back! I still remember playing F-19 Stealth Fighter from Microprose on my PC....may have even been my Amiga 500. A long time ago anyway! Steve I remember that! Here you go, this takes me back, look at those graphics! How graphics have changed. Sorry to go OT. Edited October 31, 2018 by Tbolt 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 58 minutes ago, At Sea said: Is that true? Not that I need anymore Hasegawa British Phantoms but I'd still buy a couple. 🙂 It is here in the rumor section. It seems to be release early next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon J Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Maybe the announcement will be that Airfix have acquired the rights from Disney to produce Star Wars kits and 2019 will see them knocking out a load of X-Wings and TIE fighters. Just a thought 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seboo Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Airfix calendat 2019 that arrived today with my copy of AMW has a picture of Concorde ( A05107V) in November. It looks however that V in code means Vintage Classics. Other pictures: Royal Horse Artillery A00731V, Wellington A08019, Golden Hind A09258V + Cutty Sark A09253V, Skyhawk A-4B A03029A, Male Tank A01315V, Mini Cooper S A55310, WWI British Infantry A00727V, Sea Fury FB 11 Export Edition A06106, Bismarck A04204V + Hood A4202V, Blenheim Mk If A09186, Hunter F.6 A09185. Front has Blenheim repeated. No hint here I'm afraid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 4 minutes ago, Seboo said: Airfix calendat 2019 that arrived today with my copy of AMW has a picture of Concorde ( A05107V) in November. It looks however that V in code means Vintage Classics. Other pictures: Royal Horse Artillery A00731V, Wellington A08019, Golden Hind A09258V + Cutty Sark A09253V, Skyhawk A-4B A03029A, Male Tank A01315V, Mini Cooper S A55310, WWI British Infantry A00727V, Sea Fury FB 11 Export Edition A06106, Bismarck A04204V + Hood A4202V, Blenheim Mk If A09186, Hunter F.6 A09185. Front has Blenheim repeated. No hint here I'm afraid. Oh, I dunno, Airfix rereleasing the 1/72 Concorde with their generally nice decals might not be the worst, but I agree it's unlikely to be their centerpiece announcement at Telford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 The code for the Concorde suggests to me that it is the 1/144 kit, but the A-suffix on the Skyhawk would indicate a reissue with new markings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 3 hours ago, Tbolt said: I remember that! Here you go, this takes me back, look at those graphics! How graphics have changed. Sorry to go OT. Cor! Marvelous stuff! That takes me right back. I remember thinking that those graphics were the bee's knees at the time. To be fair, it was very good for it's day and quite a complex simulator. The F-16 and B-17 games were good too. Thanks for posting! Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 30 minutes ago, Procopius said: Oh, I dunno, Airfix rereleasing the 1/72 Concorde with their generally nice decals might not be the worst, but I agree it's unlikely to be their centerpiece announcement at Telford. The 1/72 Concorde was, and is, a Heller mould. Airfix no longer has access to it (which is why the kit has recently been available in a Revell box). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlCZ Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 I play a F-19 in 286 wit b&w monitor a one year after fall of comunism...it is a nice and atmospheric game despite simple graphic. Today flight sims are really sims and not a "game only". In this game you can fly a photo-recon missions only and yes, too after Czechoslovakia... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) Despite having a dream where we might be getting a new 1:48 P38 (but hoping for more FAA stuff..., i have heard a rumour from a couple of places that a company has a B-1B Lancer in the works. That would definitely fit the BIG title Edited October 31, 2018 by gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Belbin Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 2 hours ago, VMA131Marine said: The 1/72 Concorde was, and is, a Heller mould. Airfix no longer has access to it (which is why the kit has recently been available in a Revell box). Perhaps that's it then, new tool 1/72 Concorde. And 1/48. And 1/144. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 If it is going to have 4 Rolls Royce engine and a delta wing... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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