Jump to content

For your agenda - Monday 10th January - 4.PM - Airfix 2022 range launch


Homebee

Recommended Posts

More than happy, in " my ideal" Airfix catalogue/portfolio aside from announced Mk.IX.c, there should always be Mk.I.a, Mk.V.b and Mk.V.c in 24th scale, as a kid stocking model shop shelves in mid-late '80 remember quite vividly both talk and sales indicating that 24th kits and few oddballs like B-1 and AH-64 were biggest earners for Airfix and retailers alike....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given the overall state of Hornby Hobbies finances, this seems like a fairly safe bet. I built the 1/24th Spitfire 1 in about 1972, even added some detail like boxing in the wheel wells and although a well detailed kit at the time, it is probably a bit past it. I am sure that there are lots of other nice aeroplanes around Airfix could have done, but they are there to make money and a Spitfire is going to be the easiest way of doing that in very difficult market conditions. 

I am unlikely to buy one, but best of luck to those that do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Ratch said:

Airfix still reckon we vintage modellers only make 15-20% of their market.

15-20% of customers is a lot different to 15-20% of value. The lifetime value of a customer who is the type who frequents forums like this is going to be a lot higher than someone who bought a Spitfire once for his nephew to build. 

This statistic isn't particularly useful without making that distinction

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Scooby said:


Yeah, weird, it had nice links and comments. Strange it would just be deleted and not merged. Or why merge at all? Especially since this was a general thread wondering what was being released and that was a specific thread on one of the products announced.

there were two spit threads why would it merge into this one

23 minutes ago, Simon Cornes said:

Is £94.99 the rrp or a preorder price? What I’m trying to clarify is if that price will increase when the kit is actually in the shops? I haven’t ordered directly from Airfix for a kit that isn’t actually available yet.

Airfix pre order prices tend to be the same as RRP afaik. It will increase with the regularly scheduled price hikes though. I tend to pre order through Hannants anyway if I pre order anything because they give a 10% discount on pre orders

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Simon Cornes said:

Is £94.99 the rrp or a preorder price? What I’m trying to clarify is if that price will increase when the kit is actually in the shops? I haven’t ordered directly from Airfix for a kit that isn’t actually available yet.

In my experience with Airfix rrp and preorder prices are usually the same.

Edited by avro683
Extra text
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Airfix! Hope you sell a shedload! Looks like my TR.9 might have to wait til another year as I doubt they’d release two Spits in one year or if they did they might have mentioned it at Duxford😆

 

ref the modelling demographic- I think these biggies have wider appeal than first appears- after all wasn’t the Tiffie a best seller? 
 

The way I square this circle is that there are many buyers who want something really impressive to show off- the 1/24 Spit ticks that box in the same way as those really, really expensive part work models from everything from a large scale Mustang car to a Titanic and Thunderbird 2 they release for an initial £1.99 then £9.99 a go for the rest of your actual lifetime. They seem to sell well enough to justify tv advertising after all-  

 

I think for the chap with disposable income with a passing hobby interest who doesn’t build plastic kits regularly mag well find the same attraction with one of these- after all someone bought all those typhoons!

 

TT

Edited by TEXANTOMCAT
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pre ordered, Can't wait, roll on summer, hopefully Airfix's delivery date is accurate.....

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

I'm only waiting for the early B-17G variants they have already promised me in the most recent Bf 109 G-6 boxart 😇

https://uk.airfix.com/products/messerschmitt-bf109g-6-a02029b?modal=-zoom

Trust me, they are coming. V-P

 


Maybe they'll modify that G-6 tool to do a G-2. That would solve the unibrow issue and hey, the Ilmavoimat operated G-2's 😉

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scooby said:


Yeah, weird, it had nice links and comments. Strange it would just be deleted and not merged. Or why merge at all? Especially since this was a general thread wondering what was being released and that was a specific thread on one of the products announced.

 

I echo your comments - there was mention of the Buchon Scale Models 'E' wing conversion for one. 

 

4 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

Yes does that mean all the Airfix new releases have to go in this one thread now?

 

Best person to ask is 

@Homebee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

15-20% of customers is a lot different to 15-20% of value. The lifetime value of a customer who is the type who frequents forums like this is going to be a lot higher than someone who bought a Spitfire once for his nephew to build. 

This statistic isn't particularly useful without making that distinction

I can only quote what Darrell Burge told me. How they arrive at that figure I don't know. The point is/was that we are just a small proportion of the market - not one to be ignored, but others make up the majority.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, WV908 said:

Best person to ask is 

@Homebee

 

Frankly no idea, I've just requested the Admin to merge the two dedicated threads about the new Airfix 1/24th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc.

And now they've disappeared. That's it.

 

V.P. 

 

Edited by Homebee
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Dave Swindell said:

...Whilst I'd tend to agree with you on the changing demographics of model builders and buyers, I'd say the hobby is no more expensive now than it was 50 years ago, there were cheap pocket money kits, more expensive kits you saved up your birthday money for, and kits that you knew you were never going to afford or receive as a present.

In short, modellers have never had it so good, it doesn't have to be an expensive hobby, there's choice out there to suit every budget.

 

 

Spot on. I'm the same age as you. The Airfix 1/24 'superkits' were too expensive for me then, and they're not that much more affordable now. The big difference these days is that I have much greater choice, and many more ways to inadvertently blow my money. A few aftermarket items added to an affordable kit and I've already exceeded my budget. So in many ways I'm just as happy and better off with a starter kit. It's all good fun though... 😀     

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Julien said:

Glass is half empty chap are you? cant understand pre doom and gloom at all, lets just wait an see eh? and maybe be happy for what we do get.

No, I’m a full or empty man. The news of the MK 9 Spit is actually very welcome to me. As I can put a modern 1/24 with its 1/72 Classic predecessor. And I’ve pre-ordered two. I wrote this post before I knew about the Spit, because other than WW2 planes, other subjects, as noted by others, have tended to be ignored. And I can’t get excited about the Cold War Tin triangles and the like. Sorry, but that’s just me. I’d have liked some kind of Loco release myself, or some kind of new Ship. I’m not slagging Airfix off however, far from it. But folks like yourself need to accept  different opinions like mine. Just accepting ‘anything you’re given’ just doesn’t float any more. 

Edited by Fea
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Homebee said:

 

Frankly no idea, I've just requested the Admin to merge the two dedicated threads about the new Airfix 1/24th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc.

And now they've disappeared. That's it.

 

V.P. 

 

 

Ah that is odd that they weren't merged - thanks for the reply anyway :)

 

27 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

 

Sorry it wasn't a direct question to you rather an open question in response to your point.

 

No worries, I figured it was an open question anyway :)

 

Cheers,

 WV908

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Fea said:

Ayup all... 

 

Any idea if the new MK IX Spit has a pilot ? It seems daft for it not to if it doesn’t. 

 

Not sure, but I bet there'll be some cracking resin options released soon afterwards....along with a very, very expensive Eduard Big Ed set!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, fightersweep said:

 

Not sure, but I bet there'll be some cracking resin options released soon afterwards....along with a very, very expensive Eduard Big Ed set!

No doubt.  I hope one can motorise the Engjne too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I expect there is no pilot as they said that with the Typhoon that it was prohibitively expensive to design and tool given that most modellers who will build the kit will not use the pilot. Aftermarket will provide.

Edited by JamesP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ratch said:

I can only quote what Darrell Burge told me. How they arrive at that figure I don't know. The point is/was that we are just a small proportion of the market - not one to be ignored, but others make up the majority.

Even the head of IPMS said that the estimate was that only a third of all kits are/were ever built. We are indeed ‘the niche’. However, I don’t like that term, it’s terribly condescending as we’re the people who drive the hobby. Little Johnny generally can’t be bothered nowadays about bits of plastic as we do. And I think we’re as important as him. 

Edited by Fea
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well 1/24th isn't really my thing, but I'm nearly swayed by this one (especially with my club discount), what a fantastic announcement!

 

What I do wonder is what this means for the 1/48 release. I now struggle to see Airfix releasing something as large as a new tool Bucanneer or (even better) Fairey Gannet.

 

I wouldn't be surprised by a 1/48 Fairey Battle or Hawker Fury (biplane). Not wishlisting, merely based on their recent 48th releases of early War aircraft and the Hawker Fury is a classic and well overdue a retool.

 

This is more exciting than Christmas eve! 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, wellsprop said:

 

 

What I do wonder is what this means for the 1/48 release. I now struggle to see Airfix releasing something as large as a new tool Bucanneer or (even better) Fairey Gannet.

 

Fully agree.  Was Ark Royal a red herring ?

 

Hope not............................... we'll know this time tomorrow.

 

Dick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...