Airfix 2020

[Ratch]

38 minutes ago, trickydicky210 said:

Come on guys - lets keep this on track

This is a fantasy thread - nothing is on track

[Truro Model Builder]

6 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

I would not bet on this.. the so called "casual" modellers are a large part of the revenue stream for all big manufacturers. If the more "experienced" modellers were the vast majority of the market, then kits like the Airfix or Italeri 1/72 Spitfire IX would have been deleted from the catalogues a long ago, afterall why should a well informed modeller buy any of these kits when an Eduard weekend edition kit is going to be much better in any aspect and cost almost the same?  And yet every year they appear in the catalogue of their respective manufacturers and every year companies like Revell reissue stuff that was already rated obsolete in modelling magazines 20 years ago...

Absolutely.

 

Airfix has run full page adverts in the likes of the BBC History Magazine and even the Radio Times at various times. They aim themselves as much at the casual buyer as the likes of us, hence I have seen their starter sets in Waterstones and Tesco among others. Why else do they produce starter sets and gift sets?

[VMA131Marine]

5 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

Airfix had been growing and diversifying in a shrinking market and that combined with the unforavourable economic conditions of the late '70s, lead to the enevitible in the early '80s for Airfix.

In the end, it was losses by Airfix's Meccano division that was the trigger for the 1980 collapse. By then, Airfix was a major toy manufacturer, not just a kit manufacturer and they were not able to effectively control their costs. 

[Whofan]

5 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

They bought the Modelzone brand and their stock. In their Chester store at least, it was pushed into the basement and died a fairly quick, unnoticed death! Whether Modelzone survives in other stores, I don’t know.

 

Trevor

Certainly not in the WH Smith in Birmingham. I think the middle one business has long gone from all of them.

[AWFK10]

5 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

I think Airfix would do well to get more of a high Street presence... Perhaps shops like WHSmiths would be a good sales outlet... Even if it's just starter kits, it's exposure for the brand and an easy way into the hobby for people.

Airfix did try that. A few years ago, Fenwicks department store in Newcastle was selling a range of their kits. IIRC, it was Airfix that pulled the plug on the arrangement for reasons that now escape me, so they can't have considered it  a success. The remaining stock was sold off at a discount. The shop does still have a small selection of kits, including Airfix: I was in on Saturday and noticed that they're selling some of the Classics, including 1/76 military vehicles, Ark Royal and Hood. The other manufacturers' products are a bizarre selection, bearing in mind that this is the store's toy department, including expensive 1/350 scale Trumpeter kits of modern Chinese warships (surely a niche interest, to put it mildly) and a Takom 1/35 scale Mark IV Tank that retails for £50. "The tracks alone account for over 1000 parts", according to an online review, so not really a kit pitched at the casual buyer.  Or indeed at me, though I do like WW1 armour. Not sure what the shop's strategy is here. 

[Ratch]

58 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said:

In the end, it was losses by Airfix's Meccano division that was the trigger for the 1980 collapse. By then, Airfix was a major toy manufacturer, not just a kit manufacturer and they were not able to effectively control their costs. 

Not just toys (remember Flight Deck), but Mainline Railways were in direct competition with Hornby, MRRC with Scalextric. Airfix was a major player in the Toy Trade.

[Meatbox8]

1 hour ago, AWFK10 said:

Airfix did try that. A few years ago, Fenwicks department store in Newcastle was selling a range of their kits. IIRC, it was Airfix that pulled the plug on the arrangement for reasons that now escape me, so they can't have considered it  a success. The remaining stock was sold off at a discount. The shop does still have a small selection of kits, including Airfix: I was in on Saturday and noticed that they're selling some of the Classics, including 1/76 military vehicles, Ark Royal and Hood. The other manufacturers' products are a bizarre selection, bearing in mind that this is the store's toy department, including expensive 1/350 scale Trumpeter kits of modern Chinese warships (surely a niche interest, to put it mildly) and a Takom 1/35 scale Mark IV Tank that retails for £50. "The tracks alone account for over 1000 parts", according to an online review, so not really a kit pitched at the casual buyer.  Or indeed at me, though I do like WW1 armour. Not sure what the shop's strategy is here. 

I have two shops on the high street of my nearest town which stock Airfix.  One is Toymaster, with a pretty healthy selection as well as kits by Italeri, Revell and Zvesda.  The other is an art supplies shop, of all things, with a small selection.  The art shop has boxes on display in the window.  They both stock Humbrol products as well. 

[Meatbox8]

1 hour ago, Ratch said:

Not just toys (remember Flight Deck), but Mainline Railways were in direct competition with Hornby, MRRC with Scalextric. Airfix was a major player in the Toy Trade.

Ahh.  Flight Deck.  I had that AND Super Flight Deck.  It was pretty much impossible to land that Phantom on the wire.  Curiously the Super Flight Deck Phantom was yellow.  The catapult mechanism didn't last long before it broke, irreparably. 

[Paul821]

1 hour ago, AWFK10 said:

The other manufacturers' products are a bizarre selection

Although this thread is getting further and further OT, part of the answer to this is that both Takom and Trumpeter are distributed by Bachmann in the UK and as such Fenwicks stocking them was probably through a deal with the Bachmann sales team, such as bigger discount on X if you also buy Y & Z.

[Meatbox8]

21 hours ago, RussellE said:

And if we work on the concept that the rumour mill has it that it's big and British and we want it to be something other than an aircraft then could that mean a 1/350 kit of HMS Queen Elizabeth/Prince of Wales??? 😜

Yes, yes, yes, although I'd prefer 1/700 just so I could put it somewhere.

[RussellE]

1 hour ago, Meatbox8 said:

Yes, yes, yes, although I'd prefer 1/700 just so I could put it somewhere.

Why not both scales? 1/350 as flagship & 1/700 for sales! 😃

[The Tomohawk Kid]

10 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

In the end, it was losses by Airfix's Meccano division that was the trigger for the 1980 collapse. By then, Airfix was a major toy manufacturer, not just a kit manufacturer and they were not able to effectively control their costs. 

 

I'm no Airfix expert, but I was always under the impression that the Meccano tie-in came from when Palitoy bought the 'original' Airfix post bankruptcy? Yes, part of the issue was Airfix wanted to be a large toy manufacturer, but never quite established themselves as one.

 

However, the point I was making was in response to why don't Airfix expand into a broad church of kit subject matter again?  At the time 40 odd years ago they had that but, it turned out to be unsustainably broad, large and perhaps too eclectic, in a diminishing market. Therefore it is highly unlikely they or any other kit manufacturer will venture down that route again to the same extent.

 

Tommo.

 

 

[VMA131Marine]

3 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

I'm no Airfix expert, but I was always under the impression that the Meccano tie-in came from when Palitoy bought the 'original' Airfix post bankruptcy?

The Meccano tie-in definitely came pre-bankruptcy and takeover by Palitoy. This is well documented in the Arthur Ward 50 years of Airfix book.

[Denford]

Hopefully back on track! 

 

As we all know, Airfix have been progressively re-tooling older subjects, too many here to name.

 

One of the ‘senior’ subjects, dating from 1969 is the Hawker Sea Hawk and surely a prime re-tooling candidate.  4 users, lots of colour schemes, many underwing stores possible, extant example(s) data etc: all that seems required of any Airfix kit choice.

 

True there are Special Hobby and Hobby Boss of which Hannants only list the latter.  OK and it could be enhanced with Wolfpack folding wings and other extras.  How much better to have everything in the same box under the Airfx label.

 

Just speculation.

[cmatthewbacon]

2 hours ago, Denford said:

One of the ‘senior’ subjects, dating from 1969 is the Hawker Sea Hawk and surely a prime re-tooling candidate.  4 users, lots of colour schemes, many underwing stores possible, extant example(s) data etc: all that seems required of any Airfix kit choice.

Nice new Airfix Sea Hawk in 1/48 to sit alongside the Hunter? Now you’re talking,

best,

M.

[Denford]

I'd really meant a 1/72 Sea Hawk as that is what the original was.

Alternatively (and in my opinion better) set it alongside the new 1/48 Sea Fury

[Dave Fleming]

29 minutes ago, Denford said:

I'd really meant a 1/72 Sea Hawk as that is what the original was.

 

 

Probably certain as I just bought a Hobbyboss one!

[VMA131Marine]

1 hour ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Nice new Airfix Sea Hawk in 1/48 to sit alongside the Hunter? Now you’re talking,

best,

M.

Surprisingly, the Trumpeter Sea Hawk in 1/48 is quite good, as is the Hobby Boss kit in 1/72. I have a feeling that Monochrome assisted with the design as they did with the Wyverns.

[Mr T]

I think the Sea Hawk was from 1959 rather than 1969. Not a real clue as to what Airfix might be doing, but would put money on an RAF Buccaneer and possibly a Wellington II, although considering how late in the year the VIII is coming out, it might be 2021. I still think a 1/72nd Venom would be nice. 

[cmatthewbacon]

2 hours ago, Denford said:

Alternatively (and in my opinion better) set it alongside the new 1/48 Sea Fury

The ideal solution is clearly IN BETWEEN a 1/48 Sea Fury and Hunter! 😜

best,

M.

[Tentacles]

A Hawker Sea Hunter? Nice whif! 😛

 

[Dave Fleming]

4 hours ago, cmatthewbacon said:

The ideal solution is clearly IN BETWEEN a 1/48 Sea Fury and Hunter! 😜

best,

M.

 

Hakwer P1035 !!

[The Tomohawk Kid]

I'll bite.

 

I would be well tempted to buy my first Airfix kit in a long time if they decided to produce a 1/48 fully licensed limited edition of Thunderbird 6. If the license was reasonable, it would be cheap to produce ala the Motorhead He 111, with just a new box and decals required.

 

Just wishful thinking on my part though, as in recent times Anderson kits have not done well for Airfix. 

 

Tommo

Edited October 23, 2019 by The Tomohawk Kid

[RussellE]

On 10/22/2019 at 2:30 AM, VMA131Marine said:

Flyhawk's 1/700 scale ships are exquisite and they are going to be expanding their range to 1/350.

Pray tell, on what information do you base this? & What 1/350 kits will they be releasing? 

[tony.t]

The Sea Hawk was very likely 1959, as I recall building one — well, watching my Dad build it for me — back around 1964. I wanted the Bundesmarine scheme with the funky crosses and he persuaded me to opt for the FAA or Dutch options. 

Really, the Sea Hawk needs to be 1/32, which tragically Airfix refuses to engage in (apart from repopping some cars and the esoteric stuff that went with their polythene figures). 

 

Mostly interested in seeing more jets from Airfix. 

 

Would like a Scimitar and Sea Vixen in 1/72, along with — yeah, I know — a new tool Vulcan B.2 

I think only the middle subject might make it in 2020-2021.

 

Repopping the 1/48 Javelin FAW.9 and Lightning F.6 might be handy.

 

Tony