Jump to content

Airfix 2020


jenko

Recommended Posts

52 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

I'd say it is big enough for two kits, the popularity of the very old kit, and not just with V bomber fans, shows that. 

And for certain it now is. 

The Victor has made the Matchbox one obsolete and completely outsells it, but Revell still produce the old one. In 1/144, there are now two Vulcan kits (GWH and the upcoming Trumpeter one) and two Victor kits (GWH and Mikromir). 

 

And yet no other manufacturer ever ventured in doing another 1/72 Vulcan.. wonder if it was because they believe that the market is not big enough for two kits ?

Not that the Vulcan is alone in this, as it's a problem for all large aircraft types. How many 1/72 B-52s have we seen hit the market ? Monogram did one in the late '60s, then AMT did another one some 25 years later and finally Modelcollect issued one last year, another 25 years after the previous one. 3 kits for a type that in terms of worldwide recognition surpasses all other postwar bombers.

How many B-47s ? Just the one from Hasegawa (51 year ago). B-36 ? Just the one from Monogram (1980, very young in comparison). B-1 ? A couple. One Tu-16, a couple of Tu-22 and Tu-22M.. Even a much smaller bomber like the Canberra, that wore plenty of interesting markings and camo schemes has seen limited success as a kit ! And the comparable Il-28 even less.

The problem is that kits of large types take room and are expensive (apart from the Matchbox/Revell Victor..), so everybody says they want a few but when the kits hit the market many of those same modellers see the price tag, wonder if they'll ever build it and pass. Others will buy one and only very few will buy more than one.

Just look at the WIP section in this same forum, how many 1/72 postwar bombers can you see ? Not many. And this is a forum where 1/72 kits are very well represented, in others you can see 50 1/48 Tomcats and Phantoms per every 1/72 large bomber... at that point if I were to decide what to issue to make money I'd go with one of these rather than a Vulcan/B-52/Tu-16, at least I know that there's room on the market for another 1/48 Tomcat of any kind.

  • Like 10
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Giorgio N said:

 

And yet no other manufacturer ever ventured in doing another 1/72 Vulcan.. wonder if it was because they believe that the market is not big enough for two kits ?

Not that the Vulcan is alone in this, as it's a problem for all large aircraft types. How many 1/72 B-52s have we seen hit the market ? Monogram did one in the late '60s, then AMT did another one some 25 years later and finally Modelcollect issued one last year, another 25 years after the previous one. 3 kits for a type that in terms of worldwide recognition surpasses all other postwar bombers.

How many B-47s ? Just the one from Hasegawa (51 year ago). B-36 ? Just the one from Monogram (1980, very young in comparison). B-1 ? A couple. One Tu-16, a couple of Tu-22 and Tu-22M.. Even a much smaller bomber like the Canberra, that wore plenty of interesting markings and camo schemes has seen limited success as a kit ! And the comparable Il-28 even less.

The problem is that kits of large types take room and are expensive (apart from the Matchbox/Revell Victor..), so everybody says they want a few but when the kits hit the market many of those same modellers see the price tag, wonder if they'll ever build it and pass. Others will buy one and only very few will buy more than one.

Just look at the WIP section in this same forum, how many 1/72 postwar bombers can you see ? Not many. And this is a forum where 1/72 kits are very well represented, in others you can see 50 1/48 Tomcats and Phantoms per every 1/72 large bomber... at that point if I were to decide what to issue to make money I'd go with one of these rather than a Vulcan/B-52/Tu-16, at least I know that there's room on the market for another 1/48 Tomcat of any kind.

I think the reason no one else has done 1/72 is the market for smaller scales is just so much larger, the 1/200 and 1/144 kits seem to do quite well, aside from Mikromir's, but that's not so much to do with subject choice. 

The Valiant is far less adored by the public, and this is also true of the Victor to a lesser extent. The B52, well that's just huge even compared to V Bombers, as is the B1. I think V Bombers are about as big as you can go before the size becomes just too big for most people to even be able to display.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Giorgio N said:

 

And yet no other manufacturer ever ventured in doing another 1/72 Vulcan.. wonder if it was because they believe that the market is not big enough for two kits ?

Not that the Vulcan is alone in this, as it's a problem for all large aircraft types. How many 1/72 B-52s have we seen hit the market ? Monogram did one in the late '60s, then AMT did another one some 25 years later and finally Modelcollect issued one last year, another 25 years after the previous one. 3 kits for a type that in terms of worldwide recognition surpasses all other postwar bombers.

How many B-47s ? Just the one from Hasegawa (51 year ago). B-36 ? Just the one from Monogram (1980, very young in comparison). B-1 ? A couple. One Tu-16, a couple of Tu-22 and Tu-22M.. Even a much smaller bomber like the Canberra, that wore plenty of interesting markings and camo schemes has seen limited success as a kit ! And the comparable Il-28 even less.

The problem is that kits of large types take room and are expensive (apart from the Matchbox/Revell Victor..), so everybody says they want a few but when the kits hit the market many of those same modellers see the price tag, wonder if they'll ever build it and pass. Others will buy one and only very few will buy more than one.

Just look at the WIP section in this same forum, how many 1/72 postwar bombers can you see ? Not many. And this is a forum where 1/72 kits are very well represented, in others you can see 50 1/48 Tomcats and Phantoms per every 1/72 large bomber... at that point if I were to decide what to issue to make money I'd go with one of these rather than a Vulcan/B-52/Tu-16, at least I know that there's room on the market for another 1/48 Tomcat of any kind.

I've got the Monogram B-52 but I have no place for it. It still stands on wheels lacking the wings. I think even the YB-49 needs less room than the B-52 or B-36...

 

Cheers / André

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The airfix club is due to be relaunched.   There always used to be a special kit for club members.    So if you want to get take up for membership of your club you obviously need a nice kit to tempt people to sign up and join to get as the carrot or reward for joining .... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

In 1/144, there are now two Vulcan kits (GWH and the upcoming Trumpeter one) and two Victor kits (GWH and Mikromir). 

The two Vulcan kits are of the same basic variant; Trumpeter has a habit of releasing new kits of subjects that another manufacturer has also recently done; ask Academy if they think Trumpter doing the Graf Spee, HMS Queen Elizabeth and Warspite, and USS Indianapolis hot on the heels of their own releases of those subjects was a coincidence.

 

OTOH the GWH Victor is a B.2 and the MicroMir is a B.1 so they shouldn’t directly compete.

Edited by VMA131Marine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Andre B said:

Even a much smaller bomber like the Canberra, that wore plenty of interesting markings and camo schemes has seen limited success as a kit !

The Canberra has been kitted several times in 1/72:

FROG - PR.7 and B(I).8

Revell - B.2 and B-57B (these were actually 1:81 scale)

Airfix - B(I).6, B(I).8/12, PR.9, B-57B

Matchbox - PR.9

Italeri - B-57B/G

High Planes - B.2/20, B-57A, B.6, B(I).8/12, T.17 and RB-57D

S&M Models - B.2 and T.4

MikroMir/Amp - T.11 and T.17

Mach2 - WB-57F

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

The Canberra has been kitted several times in 1/72:

FROG - PR.7 and B(I).8

Revell - B.2 and B-57B (these were actually 1:81 scale)

Airfix - B(I).6, B(I).8/12, PR.9, B-57B

Matchbox - PR.9

Italeri - B-57B/G

High Planes - B.2/20, B-57A, B.6, B(I).8/12, T.17 and RB-57D

S&M Models - B.2 and T.4

MikroMir/Amp - T.11 and T.17

Mach2 - WB-57F

... and you’ll be hard pressed to find any of these kits easy to build or more importantly accurate straight OOB. I still think there’s plenty of room for a nice  1/72 fishbowl canopy Canberra to the tooling standards of Airfix’s latest Buccaneer. The list of foreign operators and their colour schemes is longer than my arm... and my knuckles scrape the ground when I walk!! 
 

Cheers.. Dave

  • Like 7
  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Giorgio N said:


 

 

 

The problem is that kits of large types take room and are expensive (apart from the Matchbox/Revell Victor..), so everybody says they want a few but when the kits hit the market many of those same modellers see the price tag, wonder if they'll ever build it and pass. Others will buy one and only very few will buy more than one.

Just look at the WIP section in this same forum, how many 1/72 postwar bombers can you see ? Not many. And this is a forum where 1/72 kits are very well represented, in others you can see 50 1/48 Tomcats and Phantoms per every 1/72 large bomber... at that point if I were to decide what to issue to make money I'd go with one of these rather than a Vulcan/B-52/Tu-16, at least I know that there's room on the market for another 1/48 Tomcat of any kind.

I think you might actually have nailed it there Giorgio.

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Albeback52 said:

I think you might actually have nailed it there Giorgio.

 

Allan

Totally agree. The 1/24 Hellcat is a fantastic kit. I would love one BUT where to stick it when finished??? (SWMBO has her ideas but that involves pain and an ability to not sit down :analintruder:)

 

Hate to say this guys but size does matter. :thumbsup:

 

 

Question.....  do I need planning permission for a T2 hanger in the back garden ??? :hmmm:

 

Dick

Edited by jenko
  • Like 1
  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Supermarine Scimitar 1/48

 

It fits with the Sea Vixen & Buccaneer releases. 
Not currently kitted in plastic.

 

Would sell well.

 

Fits Airfix’s live of all things EDSG!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Ratch said:

Matchbox were all but finished in 1979 when Lesney took them over. The Airfix Vulcan first came out in 1983. Why didn't Matchbox do a Valiant either.

Lesney were the original owners of Matchbox but went into receivership in 1982, shortly after the Victor was issued. Universal Toys, the subsequent owners, only issued a limited number of kits after that, with the largest aircraft being the Chinook, before selling the moulds and a limited licence of the brand to Revell around 1990.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Richard, I knew I should've checked and not relied on my memory :whistle:

It still illustrates that Matchbox could have been first with all the V-Bombers, but only made the Victor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, KevinK said:

Actually, Frog was first with all the V-bombers!

Frog issued their 1/96 Vulcan, Victor, and Valiant in 1958. In 1959, Lindberg issued Vulcan and Victor kits in the same scale. These are not the same as the Frog kits and they have also been reissued by Revell.

 

I believe the Lincoln International 1/148 Victor and Valiant pre-date the Frog kits (they did not do the Vulcan as far as I know).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Frog issued their 1/96 Vulcan, Victor, and Valiant in 1958. In 1959, 

Strewth…… I remember making these as a nipper in the front seat of my dads Ford Anglia (not the105 version the one before) while watching the "V" bombers at a RAF Finningley  .

 

 

How to feel really old

 

 

Dick

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had one of those Anglias, it was second hand, three speed box and pneumatic windscreen wipers. 

Less than a week before the big reveal, which is obviously not going to be a 1/72nd Venom. Might be a new Liberator, a B24 as Liberator GRV and followed next year by a B24D or a big kit of Queen Elizabeth (the carrier not the monarch, although you could a kit with a powered waving hand and sounds 'and what do you do in this office/factory/choice of place of employment' 👸👋

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems the Tucano is getting plenty attention in their 'Aerodrome' updates so could that be a portent? If so I'll guess at a 48th scale Tucano :shrug:

  • Like 4
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Col. said:

Seems the Tucano is getting plenty attention in their 'Aerodrome' updates so could that be a portent? If so I'll guess at a 48th scale Tucano :shrug:

Good call.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

1/96 is a longstanding true engineering scale 😉

 

...and size wise probably ideal for the V Bombers.

 

Tommo.

 

 

I built the Lindberg Victor and, although it is not very accurate, it is a definitely a good scale for an aircraft of its size.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...