Airfix 2020

[Eric B.]

Well for Airfix 2020!

 

1/72nd RAF Buccaneer S2B/D

1/72nd Sea Vixen FAW2

1/72nd Javelin FAW7/9

1/72nd Fairey Firefly mk.4/5

 

Well any two of these in 2020, rest in 2021 in anticipation of Airfix 2021 next year... 😉

 

Eric B.

 

[Denford]

1 hour ago, Wez said:

Sorry Moggy, the Airfix panel line maker is not a trench digger, that honour belongs to whoever did the panel lines for some of the Matchbox kits, the Airfix panel lines are not even close to being a ditch compared to the Matchbox ones!

 

Is it unreasonable to ask for a 1/72nd scale:

 

Long canopied Harvard

Spitfire Vc

Canberra B.2/6

Lightning F.1/3

Hunter T.7

Vought Corsair

Grumman Hellcat

 

Having just produced a 1/24th kit I guess we'll have to wait a little while for another one, I for one would love to se a DeHavilland Vampire in that scale, it's about the right size and comes in a plethora of colour schemes.

 

Excepting that 2020 releases are already well advanced, it's not reasonable to ask but not necessarily to expect....

Harvard: One of many subjects that could be re-tooled

Spitfire Vc: The Vb seems to have been retired so could be expected and even form the basis later of Seafires or even Xll

Canberra: About to re-issued in 1/48, so don't expect anything in 1/72

Lightning: They have already issued later variants, and as they don't issue series-es in the way Eduard do, don't expect anything.

Hunter T7: Airfix like variety, and with the recent 1/48 Hunter issues, unlikely

Corsair:  Tamiya issues are good, if lacking folding wings, which Airfix would certainly include.  For a budget version there's Revell, so unlikely.  They seem to feel that there's still 'mileage' in their 70's tooling, now with clipped wings.  Doubly unlikely.

Hellcat: They've just issued the 1/24 version, so very unlikely.  Eduard is state-of-art, if a little over-engineered.  Folding wings available from Wolfpack.

[Meatbox8]

A P-47 variant wouldn't surprise me. I would have thought Airfix are quite keen to have a range of all the most popular WW2 warbirds. They are very much perennials. An RAF SEAC release would float my boat.

[Greenshirt]

Looking at recent-ish history for 1/24 releases:

2010 Mosquito

2014 Typhoon late

2016 Typhoon car door

2019 Hellcat F6F-5/II

 

i would expect the next 1/24 release to be a Hellcat I/-3 in ~2021. Then possibly a completely new kit in 2023. 

 

I’d like to be wrong though and we get a profitable Hornby releasing a new 1/24th kit every other year. I’m confident the research is progressing, or possibly done, on kits originally planned for each even year but financial issues got the Hellcat delayed by a year. A Hellcat I could be a safe bet for lean years whilst a Hunter or Sabre would be a good choice when money is flowing. 

 

 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Or maybe a bomber variant Mossie?

 

TT

[Scimitar F1]

2 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

A P-47 variant wouldn't surprise me. I would have thought Airfix are quite keen to have a range of all the most popular WW2 warbirds. They are very much perennials. An RAF SEAC release would float my boat.

Now this would make a lot of sense.

 

Will

[Ratch]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a 1/72 Mosquito with options for variants designed into the tooling.

[VMA131Marine]

7 hours ago, Greenshirt said:

i would expect the next 1/24 release to be a Hellcat I/-3 in ~2021.

Airfix has said they aren't planning to release an F6F-3/Hellcat I. The problem with putting all that interior detail in is changes will be required in it to make an accurate early version. The -3 has a different cowling and all had the rear quarter panel windows. The instrument panel has differences and the engine was different as it did not have water injection.

 

It's more likely, though by no means certain, that Airfix could get an F6F-5N nightfighter and an F6F-5P photo recon version out of the current kit without too much fuss. I'd expect the aftermarket to cater to these options if Airfix doesn't.

[VMA131Marine]

7 hours ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Or maybe a bomber variant Mossie?

If Airfix has not already tooled up the parts for the bomber version, I think it's an unlikely release. Airfix has said they aren't going to be adding new parts to older kits. 

 

I also believe that if Airfix had tooled up the bomber version parts, we would have seen it released already.

[Aeronut]

As Airfix have finally accepted that 1:35 is a scale there is a market for can I reissue a previous suggestion but change the scale?  Go Airfix you know that a 1:35 Tetrarch or M22 Locust with a Hamilcar to keep them in makes sense............. to my warped

mind anyway. 🤪

[Andre B]

As Arma Hobby and Eduard didn't take up the task with an new 1/72 scale P-51B/C Mustang the road is open for Airfix to come up with an new and accurate kit.

 

But of course I also want an 1/72 Scimitar and why not an 1/72 Hawker Sea Fury?

 

Cheers / André

[Rabbit Leader]

For what it's worth (which is not much) here's my wish list. 

British & Commonwealth market - Hawker Hart family, Bristol Beaufort, de Havilland Venom 

International market - Lockheed Hercules, North American Harvard

 

Now I don't expect any of these, however at least one of the above would be nice. 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning

  My 2 cents in 1/72 :

Aircraft

- Spitfire Mk Vc

- Spitfire Mk XIV High and Low Back

- Tempest Mk II/V/VI

- Fairey Battle

- DH Mosquito

 

- P 38 Lightning early

- P 51 B/C Mustang

- P 47 C/D Thunderbolt

- F6F Hellcat

- F8F Bearcat

- Douglas Dauntless

 

- F 80 C Shooting Star

- F84F Thunderjet

-

 

 - I also would like Airfix to retool their old 1/76 Vehicles serie : 

- Raf Refuelling set

- Raf Emergency set

etc ...

Patrice

Edited September 5, 2019 by TEMPESTMK5

[Andre B]

2 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

For what it's worth (which is not much) here's my wish list. 

British & Commonwealth market - Hawker Hart family, Bristol Beaufort, de Havilland Venom 

International market - Lockheed Hercules, North American Harvard

 

Now I don't expect any of these, however at least one of the above would be nice. 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

 

With Venom and NA Harward it also make it possible for Airfix to follow the tradition with Swedish markings...

 

Cheers / André

[Torbjorn]

47 minutes ago, Andre B said:

With Venom and NA Harward it also make it possible for Airfix to follow the tradition with Swedish markings...

 

Cheers / André

I wonder if Sweden is a market anymore. 20-30 years ago Airfix kits were everywhere, in toy shops, hobby shops, handicraft shops. Nowadays you may be able to find them in one or two shops in the 2-3 main cities. And none of my kids’ friends seems to even know what a ’model’ is...

Edited September 5, 2019 by Torbjorn

[Andre B]

Just now, Torbjorn said:

I wonder if Sweden is a market anymore. 20-30 years ago Airfix kits were everywhere, in toy shops, hobby shops, handicraft shops. Nowadays you may be able to find them in one or two shops in the 2-3 main cities. And none of my kids’ friends seems to even know what a ’model’ is...

Shhh...

Don't tell Hornby and Airfix.

 

But it's not an situation only in Sweden. The same things also goes for UK, Germany...

 

And they are selling Airfix and Revell kits in Ullared in Sweden!

 

Cheers / André

[Torbjorn]

6 minutes ago, Andre B said:

Shhh...

Don't tell Hornby and Airfix.

 

But it's not an situation only in Sweden. The same things also goes for UK, Germany...

 

And they are selling Airfix and Revell kits in Ullared in Sweden!

 

Cheers / André

I wouldn’t go to Ullared* even for Airfix

 

 

* I can offer an American analogue: imagine a giant Walmart which attracts all Walmart-goers in the country for an annual month-long Walmart-shopping-spree in the best of summer.

[Gordon J]

At the Airfix stand at the 2018 ScaleModelWorld I put the following suggestions into their new kits suggestion box;

 

1/48 Bristol Beaufort

1/48 Lockheed Hudson

1/48 P-40F/L (long tailed variant)

 

If any of these appear anytime soon then I am taking the credit.

 

Cheers

[Patrick Martin]

Has Airfix said anywhere that there would be a new listing announcement at Telford?

Or did I just rain on somebody’s parade?

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Apart from the new editions of current base kits... ie RAF Bucc, 

 

1/72 Battle must be in with a shout (was going to say Lysander but maybe the Dora one has put the kibosh on that)

New tool 1/72 or 1/48 Chipmunk (surely!)

And after a 1/24 release this year and a polite pause from new tool V bombers surely the Vulcan this year? 

 

A 1/72 or 1/48 Beaufort is a great shout

 

TT

 

 

 

[Aeronut]

3 minutes ago, Patrick Martin said:

Has Airfix said anywhere that there would be a new listing announcement at Telford?

Or did I just rain on somebody’s parade?

In the past couple of years they have made a thing about announcing one of the following year’s new releases whilst keeping the rest of the new release list until Christmas/New year as they consider ‘their’ customers to be the trade not the modellers. As such all (OK most) of the new releases are announced at the Trade Fairs.

 

 

[Denford]

1 hour ago, Gordon J said:

At the Airfix stand at the 2018 ScaleModelWorld I put the following suggestions into their new kits suggestion box;

 

1/48 Bristol Beaufort

1/48 Lockheed Hudson

1/48 P-40F/L (long tailed variant)

 

If any of these appear anytime soon then I am taking the credit.

 

Cheers

Not sure what you mean by 'any time soon' as unless they are already working on them, a kit that size would require some 3 years to produce from scratch

[Paul Bradley]

18 hours ago, Aeronut said:

As Airfix have finally accepted that 1:35 is a scale there is a market for can I reissue a previous suggestion but change the scale?  Go Airfix you know that a 1:35 Tetrarch or M22 Locust with a Hamilcar to keep them in makes sense............. to my warped

mind anyway. 🤪

More likely they fill in the gaps in their Tiger I range - early mid-production Tiger I, the late mid-production Tiger I, the late early-production Tiger I, the early early-production Tiger I, the early late-production Tiger I, the mid late-production Tiger I and the late late-production Tiger I. You can't have too many Tigers! 😜

[Denford]

This topic seems to be 50% wish listing.  There is in fact a little used ‘Members’ Wish Lists ’ under General Discussions!  The Moderator may well correct me, but sure ly this should be what is likely from Airfix for 2020.

 

To return to the Theme Title, don’t expect too much of them.  Although back on track after the ‘management shakeup’ it will still take some time before new subjects reach the Retailers’ Shelves.  There’s a limit as to what can be released in any one year.  Some members have made lists well into double figures!

 

Secondly to see what they might have (already) chosen, look at their seeming criteria for past choices:

- No downscaling from 1/48 to 1/72

- No series-es unlike say Eduard: so forget about (1/72) P-51 A, B or C, P-40, EE Lightning etc.  New subjects rather than more and more variants of the same is how they work.

- There has to be a ‘spread’ of subjects and sizes: some postings call for 10+ lists of WWll single-seat fighters!

- Airfix don’t often go head-to-head with readily available subjects: there are still ‘calls for’ P-47, Corsair , F-84 (readily available from Tamiya), Hellcat (Eduard) and several others. 

- Any group sets eg D-Day, Pearl Harbour are on very small ‘scale’.  So no Ju-88A (just to complete the Battle of Britain line up) nor Vulcan ‘ditto’ for the V Bomber trio.

- There has to be some sort of a ‘follow on’ generally from a small extra sprue (too many types to name).  Exceptionally, different colour schemes and markings (ideally multinational) eg Sea Fury and surely the soon –to- come Tiger Moth.  This is where many subjects such as Scimitar, Battle fall.

- Most unlikely to see the same type eg Hunter, Hellcat in two scales.  Perhaps this is the reason for not downscaling.

- Lack of data, anniversary, iconic, no line up would be complete.., ‘I know it would sell’ etc seem now to be understood by most!

- It has to make money.  Helicopters don’t sell, nor seemingly does WWl.

So where does this leave us?  Even with these criteria, still a huge choice.  Those inaccurate, hard to find, expensive (hello Hasegawa), not available in Mainstream etc are too many to name.  Cries of ‘why no Venom, Beafort or Hampden?’ must be answered that they could only be at the expense of something else.  I’m surprised that the Boston\Havoc series (surpassing all criteria) has yet to be announced.  Meanwhile I’m still hoping for an Avenger with folding wings: at Telford they agreed it was a ‘credible choice’.

[Patrick Martin]

That is about it.  No announced Airfix announcement set at this point - lots of wish lists - like Christmas.  One year there was all sorts of talk, but when I asked the Airfix rep he told me "we never said anything was going to named here", now if you want a wish list......