AIRFIX 2022 rumours/thoughts/chat thread...

[Graham Boak]

I've just watched the programme, and saw what appeared to be an F-35 at two stages, one rather large dark grey one and one smaller sitting next to him as he was at his computer.

 

I was looking forward to comments about the Spitfire Mk.Vc, but was astonished to find it totally devoted to the simpler kit, without even a single mention of the earlier standard release.  Despite it using the main sprue of this.  There was actually very little said that was particularly interesting or enlightening.  Disappointing really.

[Bobby No Mac]

13 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

There was actually very little said that was particularly interesting or enlightening.  Disappointing really.

 

That's pretty much most modern TV documentaries in a nutshell. Information and detail is often shunned for fear of losing viewers. Instead, a narrative with fabricated tension is preferred. And once you've whittled down the endless previewing and recapping you're left with barely 30 minutes of actual content.

 

That said, overall I've found the series interesting and it's nice to see some famous brands undergoing a revival. Though I do think the F35 is quite clearly a red herring, Hornby will have had control over what could be seen. I'm pretty sure that in some of the other episodes there have been objects and sensitive information blurred out around people's workspaces.

[Aeronut]

Quote

there have been objects and sensitive information blurred out around people's workspaces

One instance of that which surprised me was the blurring of the Humbrol brand name on a pot of paint. Are Hornby that embarrassed about the quality of the paints they sell? 

[trickydicky210]

 

Looks like a 3D printed or Test model with the solid glazing. It could be for the Quick build, but looks a little large for that. The solid glazing confirms it’s not someone else’s kit. It could be a red herring of course.

[Dan_RAFBC]

Does anybody know if Airfix are attending Scale ModelWorld and, if so, will there be any product announcements?

[stever219]

1 minute ago, WhitleyZ6743 said:

Does anybody know if Airfix are attending Scale ModelWorld and, if so, there will be any product announcements?

Apparently they're not, so new product announcement(s) will probably be around the end of the first week in January.

[Mr T]

No, neither Airfix or Revell are attending this year. 

The Hornby Railway range is due to be announced on 10th January 2022 and  Airfix is usually the day after in a vain attempt to stop the website crashing. 

[stever219]

7 hours ago, trickydicky210 said:

 

Looks like a 3D printed or Test model with the solid glazing. It could be for the Quick build, but looks a little large for that. The solid glazing confirms it’s not someone else’s kit. It could be a red herring of course.

The "demo" model for the 1/72th TSR.2 was in 1/48th; shame they didn't copy that directly for the 1/48th kit, it was more accurate!

[Bobby No Mac]

22 hours ago, Aeronut said:

One instance of that which surprised me was the blurring of the Humbrol brand name on a pot of paint. Are Hornby that embarrassed about the quality of the paints they sell? 

 

Ha, I missed that one. Bizarre.

 

Love the JCB idea BTW 

[RichG]

On 11/11/2021 at 3:57 PM, Denford said:

As for 'seeing them in the shops', there aren't that many shops where they would be 'appropriate' and the number of model, toy shops or even shops themselves are in decline.

Sadly, very true.

 

If I think back to what sparked my interest in building kits / modelling it wasn't any particular interest in aircraft or other kit subjects as such, at least initially. As a 6 year old I recall I was mad about farming, animals, tractors & ploughs etc and so Britains was my brand of choice. On reflection, it seems to have been quite a complex mix of factors: the ready availability of kits in local shops (local newsagents, Woolies, toy shops, department stores... on every high street in those days); the dramatic box art which inspired my imagination; the fact that you could actually build something; the range of different subjects; and most importantly the affordability. I think an Airfix Series 1 kit was 2/- (10p) or maybe 2/6 (12 ½p), which coincidently was my weekly pocket money at the time 🙂. Dramatic colour catalogues, with all the latest kits showing what the full range was so you could dream about getting those bigger kits which seemed impossibly complicated, for Birthdays & Christmas (Series 5 Lanc 7/6 - 37½p).

 

Also many of the model subjects woulds also feature in the comics (and annuals) I was reading at the time... The Victor, Tiger, Valiant etc not to mention later the dedicated "war mags" like Commando, Battle etc (not too PC..). Sort of reinforcing everything and you were hooked... at least until girls were discovered 😉

 

A heady mix of factors that I doubt we will ever see again - at least for children at an impressionable age.

 

Rich

 

 

Edited November 13, 2021 by RichG

[Bobby No Mac]

41 minutes ago, Beermonster1958 said:

Actually, one of Airfix earliest kits WAS a JCB mounted on a 14 ton BR Lowmac wagon!

I still have one, along with an original Airfix 15 ton diesel crane!

 

John

 

Ahh yes, the one Dapol still make?

[davecov]

 

Airfix sold the Lowmac and JCB together whereas Dapol sells them as separate kits. Lowmac (C44) and JCB (C45).

 

Dave

[hadzi]

My annual wish list from Airfix consists of the following:

1/72 new tool

Halifax B MK.I/II with Merlins

Halifax MK.III with Hercules

Battle

Hampden

Beaufighter NF MK.II

DHC-2 Beaver

 

 

[Max Headroom]

@hadzi I think the Beaver would stand a chance being re issued in their Classic range?

 

Trevor

[lasermonkey]

2 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

@hadzi I think the Beaver would stand a chance being re issued in their Classic range?

 

Trevor

As per their latest Workbench, I emailed Airfix and suggested the Beaver as one to be released, along with the Cessna O-2.

[Max Headroom]

1 minute ago, lasermonkey said:

As per their latest Workbench, I emailed Airfix and suggested the Beaver as one to be released, along with the Cessna O-2.

and the Bird Dog?

 

Trevor

[Paul H]

Whilst 1:32 was in the past Airfix's scale of choice for cars, it has long since been superseeded as the primary car scale by 1:24.  It would be nice to see Airfix move into this area of the market (they have previously reboxed other companies kits in this scale, e.g. Heller & Aoshima), but the obvious choices of vehicles that would fit have already been tooled recently by other companies (e.g. Revell's Jag E Type & Mini).   Unless they can get the licensing rights for something like an Aston Martin DB5 (as the only 1:24 kits currently available are old and not great and with the Bond tie in, would be a clear good seller), I doubt it will happen any time soon...

 

As already mentioned, either of the RN's new carriers in 1:350 seems to be a likely future release.  However an Ark Royal IV in the same scale would be fab though, to go with their 1:72 Buccaneer & Phantom.

 

The 1:35 Austin Katy due soon is an intriguing release, and begs the question of what other UK-centric 1:35 WW2 vehicle(s) are planned for the future.  Perhaps a Sherman Firefly, as from what I can make out, whilst there are plenty of other Shermans available in the Airfix price range (including their own rebox of Academy's one), there isn't a Firefly, and it would enable them to have a 1:35 pairing to go with their 1:72 Tiger and Firefly.

 

In terms of 1:72 planes, the Avro 504 is long overdue a decent new tooling, and provides scope for plenty of variants, whether the regular K trainer, or an early bomber version such as those which raided Friedrichshafen in November 1914.  They have recently released a few other new tools of WW1 planes, so this would fit in nicely along side.

[Bobby No Mac]

9 hours ago, Paul H said:

Whilst 1:32 was in the past Airfix's scale of choice for cars, it has long since been superseeded as the primary car scale by 1:24.  It would be nice to see Airfix move into this area of the market (they have previously reboxed other companies kits in this scale, e.g. Heller & Aoshima), but the obvious choices of vehicles that would fit have already been tooled recently by other companies (e.g. Revell's Jag E Type & Mini).   Unless they can get the licensing rights for something like an Aston Martin DB5 (as the only 1:24 kits currently available are old and not great and with the Bond tie in, would be a clear good seller), I doubt it will happen any time soon...

 

I totally agree. I look at what stablemates Corgi are producing and wish that Airfix could share some of the development and licensing costs to produce a new range of 1:24 cars (ok, I appreciate there's a huge difference between the relative scales). I know car kits don't traditionally sell well in the UK, but 1:24 models of iconic British subjects (Aston, Jag, Bentley, Rolls, Land Rover, Mini, London taxi, JCB) would have a broader international appeal. Imagine Airfix producing the range of Bond cars that Corgi have or Beatles branded (a licence that can't have been easy to get) London taxis? And then maybe there would be potential to release some more UK-centric kits - Sierra, Escort, Capri, Cavalier, Triumphs etc. *sigh* 

Sadly, as you say, many of the iconic British subjects have already been cherry-picked by other kit manufacturers. 

 

[Adam Poultney]

1 minute ago, Beermonster1958 said:

I confidently predict that the biggest talking point about the announcement of the Airfix 2022 range will be that the website has crashed and, imploded!

 

John

You're not supposed to post known factual information here, this is for wild baseless speculation and wishlisting!

 

 

But seriously though, Airfix just need to post their range reveal on their social media pages as well and the problem is immediately reduced

Edited November 14, 2021 by Adam Poultney

[VMA131Marine]

13 hours ago, Paul H said:

Perhaps a Sherman Firefly, as from what I can make out, whilst there are plenty of other Shermans available in the Airfix price range

Quite a few Sherman Fireflies in 1/35 actually.

 

 

 

Oops! Forgot one!

 

[Paul H]

1 hour ago, VMA131Marine said:

Quite a few Sherman Fireflies in 1/35 actually.

 

 

 

Oops! Forgot one!

 

14 hours ago, Paul H said:

The 1:35 Austin Katy due soon is an intriguing release, and begs the question of what other UK-centric 1:35 WW2 vehicle(s) are planned for the future.  Perhaps a Sherman Firefly, as from what I can make out, whilst there are plenty of other Shermans available in the Airfix price range (including their own rebox of Academy's one), there isn't a Firefly, and it would enable them to have a 1:35 pairing to go with their 1:72 Tiger and Firefly.

 

Agree, plenty of Fireflies, but my key point above is in bold - all those 1:35 ones are in a higher price bracket than Airfix's armour kits (at least in the UK anyway).

[mackem01]

I'm happy to wait and see what turns up but I can't understand why Airfix (and most others) ignore the interwar period.

[Adam Poultney]

50 minutes ago, mackem01 said:

I'm happy to wait and see what turns up but I can't understand why Airfix (and most others) ignore the interwar period.

Not a hot seller really. Although some interwar stuff that lasted into ww2 gets nice kits

[Teuchter]

Time for a new tool Sopwith Camel and an SE5 to rekindle interest in WWI subjects? Although 1/48 would be better given the sizes.

Waiting for a new tool Halifax, with decent crew members.

Others would be Hawker Hart family, Fairey Battle, DH Venom, obvious omissions.

F35 - should have a model of our latest equipment.

I’ll start saving now…

 

 

 

[Graham Boak]

In 2014, Airfix offered two new WW1 subjects as part of a planned significant modelling programme on the subject of WW1.  The military figures never appeared, and there has been no further WW1 subjects since.  This suggests unimpressive sales.  I don't see any reason why this would change now.