Airfix 2020

[Adam Poultney]

44 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Italeri has a kit already. Ive got one sitting in the to do pile. My Brother in law gave me a collector's edition limited boxing for Christmas last year. Its earmarked for the small wars group build and a SCW scheme. 

An ancient one from 1973....

[Paul J]

On 03/11/2019 at 10:02, 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

Maybe its because the Tucano is going to make way for the new Texan II so Airfix may well follow suit and do the new type in kit form to 1.72nd ... of course...!.. Actually they're bound to because I am working on an Aeroclub PC-9 and modding it to represent the new Texan so that will be me wasting my time in doing this because one will be out in 2020... Oh, I know about the Isradecal 1/72 all resin kit due but at nearly £45.00 its not going to enter my stash/collection  ... Unless I come in to some fortune.

[stever219]

2 hours ago, Meatbox8 said:

Wasn't there a plan to hang Gnats under the wings as escort fighters?

Gnats were used to simulate stand-off weapons (cruise missiles) during at least one set of air exercises in the late ‘seventies, in which they flew in close formation with Vulcans as part of “Red Air”.  There was a proposal to a “Gnat Mk 5” which would have had provision to carry a nuclear weapon and a supersonic capability.  How the pilots of those “super Gnats” would have fared after delivering their buckets of instant sunshine probably doesn’t bear thinking about.

[Graham Boak]

1 hour ago, Adam Poultney said:

An ancient one from 1973....

It doesn't matter how old a kit is, but how good.  It's a good one: Airfix have made a lot worse kits nearer today than then.  Not that they were all good then...

 

52 minutes ago, stever219 said:

 How the pilots of those “super Gnats” would have fared after delivering their buckets of instant sunshine probably doesn’t bear thinking about.

About the same as the pilots of Harriers, Buccaneers, etc.

[Col.]

2 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

An ancient one from 1973....

Here you, 1973 vintage isn't ancient!  Well, okay, a bit maybe 

2 hours ago, stever219 said:

Gnats were used to simulate stand-off weapons (cruise missiles) during at least one set of air exercises in the late ‘seventies, in which they flew in close formation with Vulcans as part of “Red Air”.  There was a proposal to a “Gnat Mk 5” which would have had provision to carry a nuclear weapon and a supersonic capability.  How the pilots of those “super Gnats” would have fared after delivering their buckets of instant sunshine probably doesn’t bear thinking about.

No better than any of the rest of us by the time things had got so bad I suspect.

[Procopius]

2 hours ago, stever219 said:

There was a proposal to a “Gnat Mk 5” which would have had provision to carry a nuclear weapon and a supersonic capability.  How the pilots of those “super Gnats” would have fared after delivering their buckets of instant sunshine probably doesn’t bear thinking about.

Are we sure it was intended that the weapon separate before detonation?

[Plastic Bonsai]

 

You could fit two Buccaneers under a Vulcan . A Vulcan was spotted and 

"shot down" at low level on a Red Flag mission. The pilot accepted the kill and elected to continue the mission for training purposes but didn't declare the 2 Buccs hiding under his wing. Some where there is a photo of them taken through the bomb aimer's periscope. 

 

So new Vulcan and Buccaner S2B this year? Expecting a P47D, hoping for a QE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Albeback52]

14 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

An ancient one from 1973....

There are more recent toolings of the Ju 86 from RS and, Kora Models. However, despite their age which, I think is immaterial, the Italeri Ju-86 D And E kits are both very good models.

The RS and Kora Models are not however the D and E variants

 

 

Allan

Edited November 5, 2019 by Albeback52

[Albeback52]

6 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Italeri has a kit already. Ive got one sitting in the to do pile. My Brother in law gave me a collector's edition limited boxing for Christmas last year. Its earmarked for the small wars group build and a SCW scheme. 

I was delighted to see it reissued recently and, in some very attractive  colour options.

I know it's old but it's still a very nice model.

 

Allan

[Rabbit Leader]

You only need to take a small peak at the Classic kit GB galleries on here to see that old kits can still scrub up well with a bit of TLC. I think we tend to forget that some of these kits are still better shape wise then a few newbies that have tried (unsuccessfully) to replace them. Now I’m all for new tools, however not all kits issued 30+ years ago are dogs.. most modellers might be pleasantly surprised what’s actually out there. 

 

Cheers. Dave 

[The Tomohawk Kid]

5 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

An ancient one from 1973....

Italeri, between '72 and '78ish were at their peak in my opinion. They produced some very nice and interesting kits during that period, some of which still hold there own today.

 

Tommo.

Edited November 5, 2019 by The Tomohawk Kid

[VMA131Marine]

2 hours ago, Albeback52 said:

There are more recent toolings of the Ju 86 from RS and, Kora Models. However, despite their age which, I think is immaterial, the Italeri Ju-86 D And E kits are both very good models.

 

 

Allan

The RS Models kits are of the high altitude Ju 86P and R variants. They are very different from the versions kitted by Italeri. To my knowledge neither subjects have been duplicated by other manufacturers. 

Kora does conversion and detail sets for the Italeri kit but do not make a full Ju 86 kit of their own.

[Acky190]

You don't suppose this "BIG" announcement due at Telford could be the Poseidon MRA.1 "Pride of Moray" do you, coinciding with the delivery of the first UK airframe and also having markings/extra bits for the RCAF/RAAF/RNZAF/USN??? What an absolute money maker would that be for Airfix? 

[Adam Poultney]

A Poseidon wouldn't sell. Not in 1/72 at least, it's a glorified 737 to most people. Not to mention the model would be quite big and probably expensive.

[Acky190]

Maybe they learnt their lesson from producing that single operator 1/72nd glorified Comet that was quite big and at the time no more expensive than some of their other more recent offerings (Valiant/Victor etc)? 

[Albeback52]

7 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

The RS Models kits are of the high altitude Ju 86P and R variants. They are very different from the versions kitted by Italeri. To my knowledge neither subjects have been duplicated by other manufacturers. 

Kora does conversion and detail sets for the Italeri kit but do not make a full Ju 86 kit of their own.

I realise that. I have a couple myself. However, I omitted to mention that these more recent items were not of the 86D/86E issued by Italeri.My bad

Thanks for reminding me. 😊

 

Allan

[Adam Poultney]

1 minute ago, Acky190 said:

Maybe they learnt their lesson from producing that single operator 1/72nd glorified Comet that was quite big and at the time no more expensive than some of their other more recent offerings (Valiant/Victor etc)? 

Yes I think they did... Wonder how it would do with a rerelease good decals. Although I do appreciate the glorified comet's existence, it's got a bit more history and is a more interesting design that the Poseidon. Oh and it's not boring-grey. 

Probably in a minority here but I would buy one on rerelease.

[stever219]

11 hours ago, Procopius said:

Are we sure it was intended that the weapon separate before detonation?

As far as I know the kamikaze mentality never officially took root in the bowels of the Air Ministry and the intention was that Super Gnat and weapon would separate sufficiently before the latter’s detonation to allow the former some potential for escape.  However with the number of similar weapons likely to be going off in and around the target areas and the Gnat’s limited range I think it’s very unlikely that the Gnats could get very far away.

 

As an aside I was told several years ago by a member of the ROC that documents had been found in the former Eastern Bloc indicating  that my former home town of Dover was earmarked for two megaton-range air-burst weapons and a kiloton-range ground-burst weapon (I dread to think what Manston further up the Kent coast from us was scheduled for: at least we wouldn’t have known much about it had it all kicked off).  I can’t believe that NATO/SACEUR wouldn’t have allocated only a single weapon to each WarPac target of significance so my surmise is that the Super Gnat pilots would, despite any assurances to the contrary by their commanders and politicians, have been on one-way missions simply because of the likelihood of becoming a “friendly fire” statistic.

[Rabbit Leader]

I would tend to agree that a pure Poseidon may not be a great money making idea, however providing optional parts to make the kit a civilian 737 would open it up to a much larger market. I’m leaning towards a pure military type however, the Nimrod didn’t quite stir the market ten or so years ago, a Poseidon in an all grey scheme is probably not going to make us open our wallets either. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Dave Fleming]

2 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

I would tend to agree that a pure Poseidon may not be a great money making idea, however providing optional parts to make the kit a civilian 737 would open it up to a much larger market. I’m leaning towards a pure military type however, the Nimrod didn’t quite stir the market ten or so years ago, a Poseidon in an all grey scheme is probably not going to make us open our wallets either. 

 

The problem with the Nimrod was a lot of retailers were expecting TSR2 levels of interest (with it being a limited run) and over ordered

[Paul Bradley]

Another vote for the 1/350 HMS QE/PoW. It would be big........

 

Expensive, yes, but topical and the real thing will be in service for many, many years. They could then release  1/72 F-35B and Merlin (with Crowsnest parts) kits to complement it. And they could also update and re-release the Type 45 kit as an escort. 

[st george]

I'm still holding out for the 1/24 Bae Hawk. So many schemes and users. But I'll settle for a newer C130.

[Adam Poultney]

2 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

The problem with the Nimrod was a lot of retailers were expecting TSR2 levels of interest (with it being a limited run) and over ordered

A new TSR2 would be a good model to do. I'd like a few.

Just that tinted canopy might put some people off. Guess they could mould it in the right colour...

[Wez]

10 minutes ago, Paul Bradley said:

Another vote for the 1/350 HMS QE/PoW. It would be big........

 

Expensive, yes, but topical and the real thing will be in service for many, many years. They could then release  1/72 F-35B and Merlin (with Crowsnest parts) kits to complement it. And they could also update and re-release the Type 45 kit as an escort. 

 

Personally I seriously hope not!  Sorry floaty, boaty fans but I think it would be a great white elephant resulting in lots of unsold kits and at the very least for Airfix, egg on their face, at worst it could jepordise the safety of the company.  I beleive it's too much of a risk.

 

Also don't expect Airfix to get anywhere near an F-35 with a LIDAR machine, there's a reason why all of the previous F-35 kits have had inaccuracies, they've been made to published data with all of the errors and omissions that brings.  The way ITAR is applied I would expect it would make MoD officials and any serving officer think more than twice before authorising a LIDAR machine anywhere near an F-35.

 

Still, I could be completely wrong, we'll know in a few days.

 

Personally, I'm hoping they'll announce a 1/48th Bucc'

[Adam Poultney]

14 minutes ago, Wez said:

 

 

Also don't expect Airfix to get anywhere near an F-35 with a LIDAR machine, there's a reason why all of the previous F-35 kits have had inaccuracies, they've been made to published data with all of the errors and omissions that brings.  The way ITAR is applied I would expect it would make MoD officials and any serving officer think more than twice before authorising a LIDAR machine anywhere near an F-35.

 

Still, I could be completely wrong, we'll know in a few days.

Perhaps someone with all the right clearances and stuff could operate the LIDAR equipment and not let Airfix near the data until anything sensitive was removed.

And aren't there accurately shaped mockups in existence that could be LIDARed? 

17 minutes ago, Wez said:

Personally, I'm hoping they'll announce a 1/48th Bucc'

Doubt they'll do that but I wouldn't mind seeing it. I think I'd pass on that kit as I prefer 1/72 (unless it's a 109), but I will build the occasional thing in 1/48. 

25 minutes ago, st george said:

I'm still holding out for the 1/24 Bae Hawk. So many schemes and users.

That could be successful. They'd have to release it as something other than a trainer or red arrow to tempt me though, and even then 1/24 is just too big for me right now. Isn't the 1/48 one pretty old?