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Airfix’s new Spitfire


phildagreek

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1 hour ago, Giorgio N said:

True but the current kit is still quite decent, I can see how they are trying to get more mileage from it before issuing a replacement. Guess that the lack of any competition is also a factor that makes this kit still viable for Airfix

The same likely applies to the Mosquito, the 1972 tool is sure not to the level of more recent offerings but is still considered by many a sound kit. Guess that this is another case of Airfix trying to sell more copies of this until a replacement is ready (and I'm convinced it will happen at some point).

Other subjects that were redone earlier in the Hormby era were IMHO in much more need of a revamp compared to these two

 

Were I in their position the question I would be asking is:

 

"Would retooling Subject X result in an improved bottom line result after making Investment Y and resultant sales within nYears of investment compared to not making Investment Y and continuing with sales of the existing kit we already have?"

 

 

Lots of people would like a new Vulcan, sure, and most of them would probably buy one including me. How many of them would buy two though? Perhaps me - one white and one camouflaged, but maybe I'd be content after one. Compare that to Airfix's new Spitfire XIV and I can think of 3 subjects off the top of my head I feel like I want to do with that one kit - and I'm not a prolific modeller.

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Well, they did a Victor and a Valiant against my expectations so I am sure it will come around eventually. But yes, anything that size is a bit specialised and hefty for multiple sales in 1/72. I think it's no coincidence that we've seen new tool Vulcans in 1/144 and 1/200 recently rather than anything larger. Most people can find space for a few of those.

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29 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

 

Were I in their position the question I would be asking is:

 

"Would retooling Subject X result in an improved bottom line result after making Investment Y and resultant sales within nYears of investment compared to not making Investment T and continuing with sales of the existing kit we already have?

 

 

That is the same I'd ask myself and while I don't personally know how the Airfix management work, I wouldn't be surprised if they think along similar lines.

Personally I would bet on a new Vulcan at some point, where that point would be the moment when they feel that the existing tool is not viable anymore. The Vulcan seems to have been a popular kit, Airfix will likely keep one in their catalogue.

A thing I wonder about a potential new Vulcan would be price: the current catalogue has a gift set for £ 38.99, not a bad price for such a large kit with paints and glue.

The similarly sized new tool Victor however is a whoppin £21 more expensive in a standard box ! Granted, it's a newer and way more detailed tool, so the price to me is justified. The matter is how a new Vulcan would be priced and if a new tool at that price point would still be as popular. I don't have an answer of course..

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It would have to be comparable to the Victor in terms of detailing or it would get a massive kicking on every internet forum in the world. Of coruse there will be people who complain about the price, but they always do.

The current kit is really not great at all. It was quite a tough thing to build when it was new and the tooling has not aged at all well.  I haven't seen a single build on here or the other main fora which has not experienced quite significant fit problems. And there's the perennial problem of the intakes and tailpipes. 

Even on Airfix's own forum it's rather a litany of woe:

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/forum/post/view/topic_id/14778/

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4 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

That is the same I'd ask myself and while I don't personally know how the Airfix management work, I wouldn't be surprised if they think along similar lines.

Personally I would bet on a new Vulcan at some point, where that point would be the moment when they feel that the existing tool is not viable anymore. The Vulcan seems to have been a popular kit, Airfix will likely keep one in their catalogue.

A thing I wonder about a potential new Vulcan would be price: the current catalogue has a gift set for £ 38.99, not a bad price for such a large kit with paints and glue.

The similarly sized new tool Victor however is a whoppin £21 more expensive in a standard box ! Granted, it's a newer and way more detailed tool, so the price to me is justified. The matter is how a new Vulcan would be priced and if a new tool at that price point would still be as popular. I don't have an answer of course..

 

Indeed. I can't imagine a new tool Vulcan would reach the shelves at less that £69.99 RRP but it could be more. With Hornby under some installed management from their investors I expect all decision making with respect to tooling investments to be based on a business case rather than modellers' desperate needs.

 

Perhaps 2022 would be a good year to release such a kit (if they are going to) to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Black Buck raids?

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The current vulcan kit is.... Lacking I'd say...

Difficult to put together, innacurate, raised panel lines, it would have you completely redo the tail and nose for some aircraft, the intakes are horrible, the 301 jetpipes are questionable at best.... but it's still fun. That's my impression of the kit from my current WIP.

 

It looks like Airfix are in the process of making a new one though, which I will gladly buy a few of when released.

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10 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

True but the current kit is still quite decent, I can see how they are trying to get more mileage from it before issuing a replacement. Guess that the lack of any competition is also a factor that makes this kit still viable for Airfix

The same likely applies to the Mosquito, the 1972 tool is sure not to the level of more recent offerings but is still considered by many a sound kit. Guess that this is another case of Airfix trying to sell more copies of this until a replacement is ready (and I'm convinced it will happen at some point).

Other subjects that were redone earlier in the Hormby era were IMHO in much more need of a revamp compared to these two

Reply above is to this, didn't see there was a whole page if replies I hadn't read yet

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You cannot just say 'Not another Spitfire'. You could say: Not another Spitfire Mk I or Mk IX and have a point. The Mk XIV is under represented. It's not just another Spitfire. The market isn't exactly overrun with that mark. There are very few aircraft that evolved to the extent the Spitfire did. The Mark 1 and Mark 24 only have the name in common. They're quite different as is the Mk XIV. 

So all of them are legitimate subjects in their own right. 

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My view for what it's worth - you can never have too many Spitfires. Seem to have built little else (ok three Hurricanes) since I came back to the hobby last summer and there are still some in the queue. John

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I think most of us have particular types that we buy a lot of kits of, and that's clearly a market any manufacturer needs to be aware of because it's the big sales . The largest offenders for me in terms of different versions and scales in the stash are Spitfires, Hurricanes, Meteors, Mustangs, 109s, 190s, Thunderbolts, Corsairs, and for some reason I have five Fw.200 kits. And Wildcats, lots of those. Also Gladiators and Hart variants. 

(Yes, I have an irrational situation here)

 

Edited by Work In Progress
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4 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

I think most of us have particular types that we buy a lot of kits of... The largest offenders for me in terms of different versions and scales in the stash are:

Spitfires - well, it almost goes without saying! (limited 72nd- I've tried VERY hard to be "limited".  Excessive 48th and, umm, reasonable (?) 32nd.)  In 48th, from Type 224 to Attacker, and everything in between.

Hurricanes - check (one or two 72, too many 48th, no larger at present, though one of these days...)

Meteors - check (1 32nd in addition to the 48th ones

Mustangs - check (3? 32nd (haven't tracked down the new Revell D yet), the whole range in 48th, with multiples)

109s - Well, I'm not sure how, but they're a bit like coathangers, or bunnies, or something like that.  2 32nd? a fair number in 48th, though not by "normal" standards, probably.

190s - I seem to specialize in A-3s, though I have a D-9, but I think only 48th, shockingly.

Thunderbolts - Hmm, started Tamiya razorback and bagged Tamiya bubbletop, but also P-35, P-43 (only 48th)

Corsairs - Yeah, baby!

and for some reason I have five Fw.200 kits - OK, you got me there! 

And Wildcats, lots of those - Not to mention the rest of the Grummans, though at least I've maintained focus on scale.

Also Gladiators - 72, 48 (multiple), 32nd.  If Airfix do 24th I'll get that, too.  Heck, I might even get the 1/144th one!

and Hart variants. - No, but there's that new 48th kit...

 

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