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Any Chance Airfix would do a 1/48 Scimitar???


Corvi

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With the recent rash of great releases by Airfix I was wondering if they would tackle the Supermarine Scimitar in 1/48////  [or at least in 1/72] 

 

A gap in my Early Jet FAA collection.

 

It may be a stretch since the airframe was a short service type and only employed by the RN......BUT so was the Sea Vixen and that 1/48 kit is rather nice and even done by another company in1/48?!?!     BUT it would be nice  Maybe they would consider it in 1/72 to go along with their awesome 1/72 Bucc!!!

 

 


Thoughts Ladies & Gentlemen???

 


Steve, 

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A few years ago I thought it possible, as they seemed to be following the excellent and much missed Dynavector vacform kit range and turning out injection moulded alternatives of kits like the TSR.2 and then the Sea Vixen, Trumpeter stepped up and did the Wyvern followed on by Airfix with their Javelin, and then Trumpy with the DH Hornet, most recently ClearProp have done a SkyShark, so that only leaves the Scimitar and Gannet from the Dynavector range.

 

Personally I would love to see one, but although us FAA modellers think its a no brainer, as you point out it is a little bit niche especially for companies that need to sell thousands of kits to make a return on their investment.

 

I live in hope, especially as the Dynavector kit is now as difficult to find as the proverbial rocking horse poo (I'm excluding he Classic Airframes Gannet as thats equally as difficult to find).

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Sorry, everyone. It’s probably my fault Airfix hasn’t released a Scimitar, yet. I haven’t gotten around to building my Dynavector kit, and if my past history is any indication, Airfix will probably release their own about the time I get about halfway through mine. 😉

 

Ben

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3 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

...........Airfix will probably release their own about the time I get about halfway through mine. 😉

probably not half way Ben, but just as you overcome the more difficult parts!  :rage:

 

Mike

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4 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

Sorry, everyone. It’s probably my fault Airfix hasn’t released a Scimitar, yet. I haven’t gotten around to building my Dynavector kit, and if my past history is any indication, Airfix will probably release their own about the time I get about halfway through mine. 😉

 

Ben

I'd suggest then you sacrifice your modelling time for all those Scimitar fans. An't be that hard, no? Sure you also want an injection molded one! :devil:

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4 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

Airfix will probably release their own about the time I get about halfway through mine.

 

Been waiting for this for a few years now...

Here's my Dynavector Scimitar from 2010

 

scimitar 027

 

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On 10/13/2021 at 1:33 PM, Corvi said:

With the recent rash of great releases by Airfix I was wondering if they would tackle the Supermarine Scimitar in 1/48////  [or at least in 1/72] 

 

A gap in my Early Jet FAA collection.

 

It may be a stretch since the airframe was a short service type and only employed by the RN......BUT so was the Sea Vixen and that 1/48 kit is rather nice and even done by another company in1/48?!?!     BUT it would be nice  Maybe they would consider it in 1/72 to go along with their awesome 1/72 Bucc!!!

 

 


Thoughts Ladies & Gentlemen???

 


Steve, 

This was discussed some years back, the call being that it was 'iconic' or 'no line up was complete without it' and so should be tooled.

But Airfix's business is to make money: nothing else.  Like everyone else their budget is limited, and must be directed to where it give the best return.

They did indeed tool contemporaries eg a Sea Vixen, which was one of the very first from the 'New Airfix' under Hornby Hobbies ownership.  Clearly they will have learned a lot since them, and rumours have it that neither the contemporary Javelin or Swift sold that well.  At least these two saw rather limited action, had different colour schemes etc.  The Scimitar however will mostly be remembered for the high accident rate and, in service, had only a single colour scheme.

Don't get me wrong: despite having an unfinished 'Skybirds' kit, I'd still love to see a mainstream kit.  But then there are many others too (we've only just had a 2 stage Mosquito) that are surely more 'deserving'.  A WW2 Avenger anybody?  Let's see what 2012 brings.

P.S For some reason it is always Airfix who are 'called on' to tool a Scimitar: witness the title of this thread.  If Cyber-Hobby can tool a Sea Vixen (now being sold by Revell) why could a Scimitar not be tooled by anybody else.?

Edited by Denford
Why only Airfix?
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Scratchaeronautics also did a full resin Scimitar in 1/48th which is rarer still than the Dynavector kit.

 

I'd be surprised of Airfix produced a Scimitar as it's just a bit too obscure in my opinion.  Although, knowing my luck, having just built the Scratchaeronautics kit, Airfix will probably make one now! 

 

I still feel that we'd be more likely to see a 1/48 Sea Venom from Airfix, rather than a Scimitar.

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14 hours ago, Denford said:

This was discussed some years back, the call being that it was 'iconic' or 'no line up was complete without it' and so should be tooled.

But Airfix's business is to make money: nothing else.  Like everyone else their budget is limited, and must be directed to where it give the best return.

They did indeed tool contemporaries eg a Sea Vixen, which was one of the very first from the 'New Airfix' under Hornby Hobbies ownership.  Clearly they will have learned a lot since them, and rumours have it that neither the contemporary Javelin or Swift sold that well.  At least these two saw rather limited action, had different colour schemes etc.  The Scimitar however will mostly be remembered for the high accident rate and, in service, had only a single colour scheme.

Don't get me wrong: despite having an unfinished 'Skybirds' kit, I'd still love to see a mainstream kit.  But then there are many others too (we've only just had a 2 stage Mosquito) that are surely more 'deserving'.  A WW2 Avenger anybody?  Let's see what 2012 brings.

 

Oh I remember those discussions, that sure showed how there's a strong affection towards the type. Nothing bad with it, I would personally love a proper modern kit of the Scimitar, even if this would likely be a modern short run since I can't see any mainstream manufacturer doing one today in the same way as I was not expecting this to happen 4 years ago or 7 years ago or whenever we had these discussions.

Of course the fact that I'd like a kit of the Scimitar does not necessarily mean I believe that the Scimitar deserves a kit more than other types for any particular reason. Actually I feel the HAL Marut was a more significant aircraft than the Scimitar and yet nobody here asks for a kit of this aircraft

Of course I would personally also love to have a kit of the Marut... although I don't believe this will ever happen from any mainstream manufacturer either... and now I wonder how many will have to look on the web to find out what a Marut is... 😂

 

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5 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

Actually I feel the HAL Marut was a more significant aircraft than the Scimitar and yet nobody here asks for a kit of this aircraft

 

We're all too obsessed with classic British aircraft here 🤣

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10 minutes ago, Denford said:

To revert to the original topic, why does the Scimitar have to be from Airfix?

Well, while the chances of Airfix doing it are slim, the chances of a Tamiya, Kinetic or Hasegawa Scimitar have to be VANISHINGLY small!🤣

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47 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Well, while the chances of Airfix doing it are slim, the chances of a Tamiya, Kinetic or Hasegawa Scimitar have to be VANISHINGLY small!🤣

 

Tamiya and Hasegawa would be impossible, but other manufacturers may actually be more likely. Afterall Trumpeter offers more 1/48 FAA types from the era than Airfix. Yes, I know, the trumpeter name sends shiver down the spine of those enthusiasts who also want accuracy as not all their products fare well in this department...

Other Chinese brands have also issued kits of less common subjects, so who knows, they may do a Scimitar before Airfix.

In 1/72 scale on the other hand I would bet on the various Czech companies to offer one more than on Airfix, and considering the quality most of these companies have achieved it wouldn't really be a bad thing.

Edited by Giorgio N
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7 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Of course I would personally also love to have a kit of the Marut... although I don't believe this will ever happen from any mainstream manufacturer either... and now I wonder how many will have to look on the web to find out what a Marut is... 😂

 


A Marut in any scale would be very cool

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1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Well, while the chances of Airfix doing it are slim, the chances of a Tamiya, Kinetic or Hasegawa Scimitar have to be VANISHINGLY small!🤣

True, but why just eliminate them because the chances are small ?  Does it matter who tools it?

Cyber-Hobby tooled a Sea Vixen and I think a Sea Venom, so chances of a Scimitar from them would, well, greater than from Airfix.

What are we looking for?  A Scimitar from Airfix or a Scimitar from anybody who chooses to tool it?

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Hmmm... whenever I come across suggestions that certain kits did/do not sell  I'm intrigued at how people know this. Such rumours never seem to be substantiated with any facts or details. Surely Airfix would  never release figures of production vs sales? What is a poor seller anyway - Airfix left with a warehouse of unsold kits after a production run? Or maybe retailers like Hannants left with stock on their hands/egg on their face? Or is it based on someone seeing a dusty copy on the shelves of their LMS? Ebay prices perhaps? Take the Airfix 1/48 Javelin, cited earlier, I recall the Javelin was well received by reviewers on its initial release in 2013. It filled many a wish list (here in the UK anyway); many absolutely superb builds of it continue to appear regularly on BM and elsewhere. I don't recall ever seeing the kit being heavily discounted in shops or online. And guess what - Airfix have recently reissued it! What's more they have continued to release kits in British service from this same era (Sea Fury, Meteor, Sabre, Hunter, Vampire, Gnat, Sea Vixen etc). As has often been said Airfix are in the business of making money and presumably know their market pretty well - surely if they had got their fingers burned they would steer well clear?

 

I do wonder if the perception of Airfix's range and what sells well is viewed from an international perspective?  Whereas the reality is Airfix are a UK kit maker and primarily catering for a UK market. And the UK has put some... ahem... unique types into service over the years. Airfix seem to be steadily working their way through post-war types in British service in 1/48 scale, and later cold-war (70s/80s) types in 1/72, both of which seem fertile territory for them (I fully expect to see a Sepecat Jaguar GR1 released next).  So I am pretty confident that as they work their way through the list of operational types from this era, they will turn their hand to the Supermarine Scimitar in due course and it will be in 1/48.    

 

Just my thoughts of course, others will doubtless have a different view...:poo:

 

Rich

  

Edited by RichG
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22 minutes ago, RichG said:

What's more they have continued to release kits in British service from this same era (Sea Fury, Meteor, Sabre, Hunter, Vampire, Gnat, Sea Vixen etc). As has often been said Airfix are in the business of making money and presumably know their market pretty well - surely if they had got their fingers burned they would steer well clear?

Sea Fury, Meteor, Hunter, Vampire and Gnat have export clients and in the case of the first three wider appeal on mainland Europe. 

More market potential means more turnover. 

 

If you apparently wish to suggest Airfix retreat only to the UK market, I would question your reasoning somewhat.

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16 minutes ago, alt-92 said:

f you apparently wish to suggest Airfix retreat only to the UK market, I would question your reasoning somewhat.

Hmm interesting... actually I said "pimarily" not "only". 

 

Sure these types may have been exported and may have served in other countries but that was not my point. My contention was Airfix were working their way through types in British service in the post war era. If they can sell a rebox in different markings - bonus!  Mind you I would have liked to have seen a Gloster Javelin in KLu markings or a Marineflieger Sea Vixen :rofl:

 

As I said just my view

 

Rich

Edited by RichG
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This is turning into an interesting discussion.

Heller really only did French subjects. Monogram USA. Hasegawa and Tamiya really push USA and German products so we look to Airfix to do the British thing. While I'm happy for Airfix to make British models I am also happy to build Dynavector kits of the same if Airfix, Frog and Matchbox missed the opportunity. Only 45 years from the first flight of the Canberra, Airfix released a 1/48 kit. Likewise the Bae Hawk a mere 30 years after its first flight or the Gnat first flight in 1959, retired in 1979 kit issued in 2009! Meanwhile where is our Puma, recently retired after a mere 53 years of service  ( 1968  until 2021) or the  Fairey Delta 2 in 1/48? The latter raised the world speed record by the highest margin ever. Both Prototypes still exist but a kit in 1/48. Not yet!

Why?

Whether its from Airfix, Dynavector or Tamiya is of no interest but where do these companies get their inspiration if not from us?

 

I really appreciate what Airfix have done recently with the Blenheim or the kits listed in the posts above even if it detracts from my vacform builds of British planes from the 1950's but great to see the variety. I have never built an F15, F16, F17, or F18, they are too mainstream.

 

Colin

 

 

 

 

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