Its probably been suggested before..... but

[Radpoe Spitfire]

I've a feeling this has been a topic before, but I'm pretty impressed with the re release of the Lancaster BII. But given the popularity of a number of kit being upscaled from 1/72 to 1/48, I think a 1/48 Lancaster BI/BIII would be a best seller for Airfix.

At present we have the ageing Tamiya kit & talk of a HKM Lancaster in 1/48, but I'd love to see a "home grown" release in this scale.

Any thoughts?

[RJP]

Sounds OK in principle and I'm sure there are many who would applaud it.  But how many of us would actually part with coin of the realm?  How many of that smaller number would build it?  Speaking for me, there are enough UnFinished Objects (UFOs as the knitters call them) to keep me occupied just about forever.  And for my executor to have to dispose of.

 

One has to suppose Airfix have it somewhere on a wish list, together with a graph showing how many examples they'd have to sell to generate a break even position.  The usual slurs on the bean counters may be injected here but it sounds like too high a risk to me.  I'd like them to stay alive longer than me!

[fishplanebeer]

Personally I think it rather unlikely that Airfix would be inclined to up scale the Lanc as how many takers would there have to be to make it cost effective, for them, especially given that the Tamiya offering is still pretty good even after all these years?

 

In general, based upon experience to date, I do think Airfix are more likely to upscale rather than down scale subjects, hence no Spitfire XII or Seafire in 72nd scale, but a Lanc would be a hefty investment and quite high risk in terms of return so a smaller  equally popular subject would be far more likely I think.

 

But as it's now 2021 we can all live in hope.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Admiral Puff]

I have three Tamiya Lancs in my stash. For that reason alone I wouldn't be interested in another one, unless it was super-good. I suspect I'm not the only one in that boat ...

[fishplanebeer]

There in lies another problem/issue for Airfix to consider, the sheer number of Tamiya Lancs already in circulation awaiting bench time. So theirs would have to have all the whistle and bells and yet still be priced similarly to Tamiya for any takers. The market potential for such a kit is already rapidly diminishing!

 

Regards

Colin.

[Greg B]

9 hours ago, fishplanebeer said:

There in lies another problem/issue for Airfix to consider, the sheer number of Tamiya Lancs already in circulation awaiting bench time. So theirs would have to have all the whistle and bells and yet still be priced similarly to Tamiya for any takers. The market potential for such a kit is already rapidly diminishing!

 

Regards

Colin.

I don’t know. The point in cases were the last Tamiya releases of the Tomcat and the P-38. Both announced and the amount of hasegawa/hobbyboss tomcats and hasegawa/academy lightnings that appeared on the for sale tables at my local club meetings was frightening. Never underestimate the power of the latest and greatest kit to remove kits from a stash

[Work In Progress]

I'm be astonished if a 1/48 Lancaster were in Airfix's top 20 new-tool aircraft priorities

[chillaton]

I would buy one instantly, but I don't think Airfix have the capability to create one, remember their boast that the Blenheim was their first multi-prop kit in 1/48. They made that sound like a big achievement!

[Work In Progress]

4 hours ago, chillaton said:

remember their boast that the Blenheim was their first multi-prop kit in 1/48.

 

I don't remember them saying that, and it would be a surprise if they had, given their well-known Mosquito family originating in 1977 

 

[Crimea River]

I would rather they do a 1/48 Halifax.

[Stuart Wilson]

36 minutes ago, Crimea River said:

I would rather they do a 1/48 Halifax.

I'd rather they did a 1/72 Halifax. I think a 1/48 Lancaster would be a risk given the issues already mentioned. Personally I wouldn't build anything larger than a Mosquito in 1/48 and I think a lot of modelers have similar space issues, especially in the UK where Airfix have the home advantage so to speak.

 

Now I realise a lot of people would like to see one but I wonder if enough sales would result The last thing I'd want to see is Airfix spending a fortune on a mold and not getting a return on their investment. Especially given that Airfix even at their best , produce good but not top flight kits, there's a danger someone else would come out with a better kit before Airfix had broke even. Not many people are going to stock up on 1/48 Lancs for the stash. A 1/48 Typhoon series would be a better idea. The Hasegawa kit is old and expensive and a new one would be nice and there's more of a chance of multiple purchases by modelers.

 

A 1/48 Halifax would  be a big risk. I'd love a new 1/72 one, especially a Mk II as the Revell is frankly poor. 

 

Perhaps I'm being over cautious and just because I wouldn't buy one doesn't mean I don't want them to make it. As long as they're making a profit. 

 

Stuart

[brewerjerry]

Hi  

   A nice 1:72 manchester might be a better option for airfix to sell and make money

   cheers

      jerry

[Stuart Wilson]

5 hours ago, brewerjerry said:

Hi  

   A nice 1:72 manchester might be a better option for airfix to sell and make money

   cheers

      jerry

I wonder is Airfix could modify their 1980 Lancaster mold to produce a Manchester? The don't need it anymore.

[Tail-Dragon]

6 hours ago, Crimea River said:

I would rather they do a 1/48 Halifax.

I enthusiastically second that!  I live in fear of the time I foolishly start my FM Halifax (shudder).  The new 1/48 Lanc I would most like to see is the Lancaster II.

[alt-92]

7 minutes ago, Stuart Wilson said:

I wonder if Airfix could modify their 1980 Lancaster mold to produce a Manchester? 

That would mean designing at least a new fuselage and wings (shorter span & engine nacelles).

Basically, a complete new kit. 

 

[Spit Fan]

As much as I’d love to see a state of the art 1/48 Lancaster, I have two Tamiya Lancaster’s sitting under my work bench, I can’t see Airfix doing one. I’d rather see them showing Revell how a 1/72nd Halifax MK.II should be done along with a new tool Sterling! As for 1/48th still waiting on the Blenheim MK.IV and most definitely wouldn’t say no to a line of Beaufighters, starting with the MK.I, in 1/48th.  Since this is a wish list let’s add a 1/48th Gladiator and more airfield support vehicles. One can only hope. 

[brewerjerry]

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

That would mean designing at least a new fuselage and wings (shorter span & engine nacelles).

Basically, a complete new kit. 

 

Hi 

     sorry for thread drift,

 

 i thought the manchester 1A fuselage was basically the same as a lancaster fuselage except for the turrets & bomb aimers glass 

   any info on the fuselage differences would be appreciated as i have a future conversion project in the pipeline 

   cheers

      jerry 

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

It'll never happen. It's too big for most and they're all the same colour. At best they'd sell one or two to a very small number of people in the market for something that size anyways. You're on to plums here - sorry folks. A 1/48 Halifax or Stirling (named after the city in Scotland, not the Bank of England's currency) is even less likely to happen. If you want the latter enough, get better and learn to build vacuum formed models.

 

Even Beaufighters is folly as Tamiya and Revell have Beaufighter markets saturated. You've a better chance of convincing Airfix to redesign their new Beaufort for a larger scale and a Mk.IV fuselage for their Blenheim. In honesty I'm surprised they didn't go for a Blenheim IV in the first place - far more options for camouflage and markings diversity for generating repeat sales.

[Work In Progress]

9 hours ago, Spit Fan said:

Since this is a wish list let’s add a 1/48th Gladiator

Why? Why on earth would you want them to squander resources on something so readily available already? 1/24 maybe, but that's the only commercial niche left for Gladiators.

 

Blenheim IV / Bolingbroke, absolutely worth doing in 1/48 though, and that's one which would not surprise me at all.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Work In Progress

[chillaton]

19 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

 

I don't remember them saying that, and it would be a surprise if they had, given their well-known Mosquito family originating in 1977 

 

Sorry, I think the quote in Workbench said the first multi prop in !/48 using the latest CAD technology.

[Denford]

11 hours ago, Stuart Wilson said:

I wonder is Airfix could modify their 1980 Lancaster mold to produce a Manchester? The don't need it anymore.

Elsewhere the subject of modifying molds was discussed, with the conclusion that it would be easier to make a new one.

[Work In Progress]

I don't think they do any of the old analogue pattern-making and mould-making any more. Modifying a '70s tooling would be that kind of project. It's the sort of thing they used to do in the Palitoy era when they butchered some of the nice 1/32 car kits.

 

If they were to do a Manchester they'd surely start with the CAD work for the current Lancaster rather than drag someone out of retirement. But I don't think it's particularly likely while there are so many lower-hanging fruit to pluck.

[Denford]

Anyone wanting to model a Manchester should check their Bank Balance then visit the Hannants website

[Graham Boak]

About what you'd expect for a resin kit of that size.  Check Anigrand and other producers.

[Work In Progress]

or buy a copy of Classic Aircraft, Their History and How to Model Them: Lancaster No. 6, by Gerald Scarborough and Neville Franklin, pub. Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1979

and follow the relatively straightforward instructions within. There is a fair bit to do but take it one step at a time and you'll get there.

 

The Revell Lancaster is quite a good starting point as you will be sawing up the wing in any case.  A pair of three-blade Typhoon props will come in handy too.