Airfix for 2019

[Dave Fleming]

That Mitchell box art look really fam8iliar, but i can't think from where!

[Albeback52]

2 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

I remember buying Airfix kits (the old bag and header kits) purely on the basis of the 'stickers' which were included.  I distinctly remember being in a real quandary over which markings to apply to the Airacobra.  Russian red stars or US white.  I don't think the fit of the kit ever really bothered me in those days (or paint for that matter).  Just so long as I could get it dogfighting as soon as possible. 

Likewise! My first kit was the Folland Gnat. Built in 1966 at the tender age of 8!. I still remember cutting out the transfers ( none of this decal nonsense...!!) and, gluing them, backing paper and all on to the model!. I never bothered about silly things like reading instructions properly!!

 

 

Allan

[Albeback52]

3 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

I'd certainly take the second and third ones! The Bassett, not so sure as they did say it wasn't being done again when they did Kitstarter (and I bought 4! :-)) but if it led to some alternative decals....

Ah yes! I forgot about Kitstarter. A good idea I thought but, poorly executed - especially in the rather strange choice of subjects! . In fairness, the Bassett is quite a nice little kit but, given that it hasn't surfaced since 1980, I guess it was never a good seller to begin with. I just remembered the big SRN 4 Hovercraft. Be nice to see that again as a Vintage Classic along with the Saturn 1B and, Soviet Vostok (at sensible prices - I think £44 for the Saturn V is ludicrous!)

 

Allan

[Paul821]

4 hours ago, AntPhillips said:

This has already happened, Academy market the Airfix 1/48 Naval Lynx kit with S Korean markings

If this link up is developing there is one interesting thing. The UK distributor for Academy is Pocketbond which has become part of the Bachmann Group - Hornby's main UK competitor.

[Dave Fleming]

12 minutes ago, Albeback52 said:

 I think £44 for the Saturn V is ludicrous!

 

Allan

 

I found my receipt from when the discounted it in 2014 - I paid £12.99 for it, but that had a 67.52% discount from £39.99, so the list price has only gone up £5 in 5 years

[Denford]

7 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

I wonder what Academy's P-51B/C is like.  That and their Tempest would fit Airfix's profile pretty well, I would have thought.  Having said that I'd prefer a new tool Tempest.   

So would I (prefer a new tool Tempest) tooled to allow a follow-on Tempest ll and Vl

[Denford]

20 hours ago, Jazzie said:

Sorry bud, when i tried to imagine the box artwork, i think the Hudson circling over its U-boat prey is defeated by an 8 guns blazing P-61 Black Widow ripping some bombers a new one!

It may or may not be 'defeated': beauty is in the eye of the beholder so to speak.

But how many Hudson would be sold in UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (all of whom operated it) and how many Black Widows (none of whom used it)?

[Eric Mc]

9 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

I found my receipt from when the discounted it in 2014 - I paid £12.99 for it, but that had a 67.52% discount from £39.99, so the list price has only gone up £5 in 5 years

It was generally around the £30 mark when on sale in 2014.

[Giorgio N]

12 hours ago, Denford said:

It may or may not be 'defeated': beauty is in the eye of the beholder so to speak.

But how many Hudson would be sold in UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (all of whom operated it) and how many Black Widows (none of whom used it)?

 

But how many "casual" modellers even in those markets would choose an elegant but bland patrol type compared to an aggressive looking fighter bristling with machine guns ?

Don't want to bash the Hudson, that was a very important type in the overall history of WW2 (and the whole Lockheed twins family has a lot of other merits), but generally fighters seem to do much better than other types when it comes to the public. With a few exceptions of course, like anything flown by the Red Arrows.

Not saying that the P-61 would necessarily be a good subject, simply that I'd expect Airfix to look at other fighters and bombers before considering a Hudson.

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

Airfix as a Brand name in the UK is very powerful, and stuck in the minds of the general public, whom often refer to any kit as a Airfix kit, just has folks refer to vans as Transits, and Vacum cleaners as Hovers.

 

I have been at Model shows and had Italeri Spitfire MK IX and Eduards, on my stall, only to have folks buy the older Airfix Mk IX during its last issue.

 

As a importer and distributor of kits, this used to get you down a little, with the cry we only stock Airfix, but you just accept it, and try to target the specialist model shops and ignore the general toy and hobby stores.

 

Airfix have generally in the past never really had a problem of selling kits under its brand name, no matter what the age of the product, it is often the parent company that is in trouble, or outside influences like the Heller problem last time it went bust.

 

All Airfix is doing is using its vast tool bank, to feed products into an almost captured market, and make money from these tools (some not released in ages), but every pound helps in the bigger picture.

 

We are proud to import our ranges and some are doing very well, but we still retail Airfix simply due to the fact it sells, come to think about it a Monkey could sell Airfix in the UK.

 

Airfix is often the glue that binds together the hobby in the UK, and in a way helps the rest of us make a living.   Often some one in the UK the first kit they buy is an Airfix kit as it is the one they or their family know, after that they may look at other brands, so Airfix is the open door to the hobby.

 

It is kind of well known that Tiger Hobbies diecast import brand Hobby Master give the Corgi brand a good run for their money, but we have always had a soft spot for Airfix and will continue to sell their products and look forward to some of the old kits coming back.

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED

[Denford]

2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

But how many "casual" modellers even in those markets would choose an elegant but bland patrol type compared to an aggressive looking fighter bristling with machine guns ?

Don't want to bash the Hudson, that was a very important type in the overall history of WW2 (and the whole Lockheed twins family has a lot of other merits), but generally fighters seem to do much better than other types when it comes to the public. With a few exceptions of course, like anything flown by the Red Arrows.

Not saying that the P-61 would necessarily be a good subject, simply that I'd expect Airfix to look at other fighters and bombers before considering a Hudson.

Agree in part with what you say (especially the last sentence), but a 'new' Shackleton was in such demand that both Airfix and Revell tooled it !

What a fascinating business modelling is.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Denford
afterthought

[Albeback52]

1 hour ago, Denford said:

Agree in part with what you say (especially the last sentence), but a 'new' Shackleton was in such demand that both Airfix and Revell tooled it !

What a fascinating business modelling is.

The Walrus wasn't exactly renowned as a fighter or bomber either and yet..................!!

 

Allan

[Greenshirt]

On 1/14/2019 at 6:46 PM, Jazzie said:

I do wonder if US sales of the 48th P-51D had any bearing on the Hellcat getting its place in the catalogue?

 

I think the Hellcat was already on the drawing boards when the Mustang was released. It takes a few years to go from idea to market. 

 

Im sure the US desire for big models, and a few sales of the Typhoons here, likely showed a market for a big subject that would have broad(er) appeal. The Hellcat certainly has that. 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Might there be a parallel regarding the Revell Ventura in regard to the popularity of the Hudson. Their 1/48 offering was one that was binned out super cheap initially in The Works for a tenner then a later RAF boxing in Home Bargains for the same price...usually indicative of remainder stock?

 

TT

[tempestfan]

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 2:56 AM, The Tomohawk Kid said:

Nope. it was the second 'Shell' boxing that had that option.

 

It's a pig of a kit to get it anything like accurate.

 

Tommo.

I'm pretty sure the original Jersey Air Lines kit had a second option too - wasn't this the same as the later T3 issue, with JAL swapped for Shell ?

[Ratch]

With the 03019 1/72 Mosquito out of the catalogue for the first time since 1989, we must surely be getting a new one next year.

[Paul821]

20 minutes ago, Ratch said:

With the 03019 1/72 Mosquito out of the catalogue for the first time since 1989, we must surely be getting a new one next year.

Or a return as an Airfix Classic 🤣 hope that is in jest, as new mould would be welcome.

[tempestfan]

13 hours ago, Ratch said:

With the 03019 1/72 Mosquito out of the catalogue for the first time since 1989, we must surely be getting a new one next year.

Do you have a recent production version by chance ? How do the moulds look ? After an almost continuous production of 45 years, they may indeed be somewhat worn. Not yet quite up to the production/catalogue lifes of the original Typhoon and Gnat, but approaching it.

[Ratch]

Should Airfix only make new moulds for totally worn out ones? Surely a 2019 tooling would be infinitely superior to a 45yo one with the opportunity to offer different variants. Or maybe its been dropped from the catalogue because its not selling too well nowadays.

[Denford]

5 hours ago, tempestfan said:

Do you have a recent production version by chance ? How do the moulds look ? After an almost continuous production of 45 years, they may indeed be somewhat worn. Not yet quite up to the production/catalogue lifes of the original Typhoon and Gnat, but approaching it.

To be boringly pedantic, not in continuous production.  Continuously in the Catalogue, with demands being supplied by repeated batch runs.

[tempestfan]

10 minutes ago, Denford said:

To be boringly pedantic, ...

I agree... 😜😉  I should have added the "catalogue life" already to the preceding sentence; however, in contrast to other kits in the catalogue but not actually in production (like the 1974 et subs. SR.53, P.1127, DH.9, 1976 Walrus with new artwork), in the case of 03019 the kit was almost continuously available, with a possible break in 1983 and from 1985 to 1988, in catalogue Terms.

[Dave Fleming]

5 hours ago, Ratch said:

Should Airfix only make new moulds for totally worn out ones? Surely a 2019 tooling would be infinitely superior to a 45yo one with the opportunity to offer different variants. Or maybe its been dropped from the catalogue because its not selling too well nowadays.

 

 

Not even that, they have replaced toolings which were still in production and not worn (Harrier GR5/7 for example) if they think there is a return on a better product. The logic being if the old tooling continually sells well over the years, then the extra boost a new product gets makes it viable

[Plasto]

Does the proposed box art for the 1/35 Stuart / Honey look like a Tooby?

 

 

Edited January 17, 2019 by Plasto

[Rabbit Leader]

22 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Does the proposed box art for the 1/35 Stuart / Honey look like a Tooby

Not to my 'artistic' eye, however I may be wrong. 

The overall image does not seem to be crisp enough for a Tooby, having a kind of soft approach. Likewise I don't think the latest RAF Mitchell Mk.II Boxart is his either. Where did you find this image, and are there any others lying about? 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

 

 

 

[PhantomBigStu]

On 1/15/2019 at 1:23 PM, Dave Fleming said:

That Mitchell box art look really fam8iliar, but i can't think from where!

 

not just me then, reminds me of something but just can't put my finger on where the image was