1/72 - Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 by Airfix - released - new F.Mk.8/FR. Mk.9 boxing in July 2024

[Matt W]

On the subject of price, I still would argue for the amount of time you spend building a model, this is a fairly cheap hobby. If the Airfix kit is that good that you don’t need to add after market products & an extra decal sheet it looks good. Also when you look at what’s in the box & factor in the number of man hours in research, development, production, printing & shipping costs plus staff wages & the fact that we all need Airfix as a company to make a profit otherwise their reason for existing ceases to be, I (& I accept this is a personal choice) think £24 is pretty reasonable.

[AWFK10]

I wouldn't disagree that £24 may be what Airfix need to charge for this kit to make it viable for them to produce it. Of course you're absolutely right that the decision whether or not to lay out that amount of money comes down to personal choice. Speaking purely for myself, it doesn't offer me anything I want that I wouldn't get from the Xtrakit ones which I already have, so if the mood takes me to build another Meteor F8 I have the choice between paying £24 or £0. No contest. Even if I didn't have the kits in the stash, they're still available for little more than half the price of the Airfix Meteor. I don't have an FR9 laid down but if I really feel the need to build one I'll either try and source an MPM one for an acceptable price or modify an Xtrakit F8 rather than buying a potential Airfix release which would inevitably cost significantly more than £24 if and when it eventually appears.

 

Not so very long ago, when a kit such as this from Airfix would have been around the £15 mark (and I was still earning a salary) I might well have bought one, or several, on impulse: why else do I have four Harrier GR7s? Regrettably, those days are gone and I aim to lay out money only when I don't already have an adequate kit in stock which will allow me to model a subject that I really want to build at some point in the not too distant future. That leaves me more cash to pay for modelling consumables (paint, brushes, glue, etc., etc.) which of course are also increasing in price.

 

I do agree with your observation that "we all need Airfix as a company to make a profit otherwise their reason for existing ceases to be", though for 'Airfix' read 'model companies in general'. If there are no model companies, then sooner or later there'll be no suppliers of consumables either and what good will a stash be then? 

[sroubos]

@Matt W: I second that. It's easy to complain that kits have gotten more expensive over the years (like everything else), but if you put the hours of fun you get out of a kit against the cost, it really doesn't matter all that much. I've never timed how much time it takes to build a kit but I would guess it is about 20 hours for a kit like this. At a bit over a pound an hour, building model kits is a pretty cheap hobby, regardless of how much you pay for a kit. 

Edited September 6, 2022 by sroubos

[Modelraynz]

For me its not solely the price, but the price vs risk of molding issues. (picked up a hawk 81 with a munted carburetor intake just yesterday for example - luckily had spares (from another previously dead specimin, series 1 kits are a real (un) lucky dip!) 

 

Its hugely frustrating, as I want their success, got a couple of the tempests thay seem a-ok...its fully possible they have resolved the molding problems - I it would go a long way if they addressed it to rebuild brand confidence, else a "wait and see" seems prudent - though it looks VERY nice 😎

 

[Cammer625]

Value for money is a personal choice - it cost me than this to get my first couple of MPM Meteors. The last few cost about half of this. But, I will still get some of these.  Cause I’m hoping they are more ‘buildable’ than the MPM’s. And they look real good. And they have some parts not included in the MPM’’s. And they don’t have PE. And I still have disposable income.  But just because you can’t afford it doesn’t make it  overpriced or not worth getting. And I do feel for all of you who are struggling at the moment with the significant rise in cost of living. My grocery bill has increased by around 50% since last year. I can accommodate this but I’m sure many can’t or makes things like hobbies less affordable.  This will be a $60ish AUD kit at my LHS (same as the current Airfix Mosquito). But I will a get a couple - if you don’t support your local businesses, then you can’t complain when they shut down.

To me, looks worth every cent - all 6000 of them.

But, hey, I wish they were 15 pounds still as well. But me thinks those days are long gone.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Cammer625
Added last line

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

If I may add as an American living on a very limited income (disability). I am unable to order from overseas anymore due to the serious increase in postage and customs fee’s. So something like an MPM kit which Im sure is decent is sadly out of my options and abilities to acquire. That being said Airfix do sell quite a bit in the states and seem to be increasing their presence. So I plan on buying a couple of these when I can as I know I can actually get them. 

[Paul821]

Rather than the absolute price does the Meteor earn a place as a series four kit? The original Meteor Iii was series two. I would argue that the increased R&D, even excluding savings through the use of computers etc.., the parts count/detail and the decal sheet, probably do lead to the conclusion that series four is justified when looking at earlier models and others in the range.

[Hook]

1 hour ago, Paul821 said:

Rather than the absolute price does the Meteor earn a place as a series four kit?

I'd wager it's an old vs. new tool 1/72nd Buccaneer situation detail- and part numberwise.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Ngantek]

1 hour ago, Hook said:

I'd wager it's an old vs. new tool 1/72nd Buccaneer situation detail- and part numberwise.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

Looking at parts count alone, series 4 seems appropriate when compared to other airfix kits. The new meteor has 111 parts, which is slightly on the lower end when compared to other Airfix kits at the price, but rather more than most Series 3 kits (usually around 75ish). Series 2 more like 50. The last airfix meteor, roughly counting through the instructions, had about 37. Of course part count alone isn't the only measure of value, but it does illustrate the increased detail and complexity of this kit when compared to cheaper ones in the scale. There's also decals for a third scheme, which is uncommon. Again, value will be down to the consumer. Personally if you compare to, say, their beaufighter or 262 nightfighter, it doesn't seem wholly unreasonable once you take into account the improvements they appear to have made with this kit and the current economic situation.

[RichG]

On 9/4/2022 at 2:08 PM, AWFK10 said:

Those panel lines on the test build, as opposed to the real thing....... 

 

Just sayin'....  

 

 

Rich

 

[Wulfman]

On 06/09/2022 at 10:52, AWFK10 said:

I wouldn't disagree that £24 may be what Airfix need to charge for this kit to make it viable for them to produce it. Of course you're absolutely right that the decision whether or not to lay out that amount of money comes down to personal choice. Speaking purely for myself, it doesn't offer me anything I want that I wouldn't get from the Xtrakit ones which I already have, so if the mood takes me to build another Meteor F8 I have the choice between paying £24 or £0. No contest. Even if I didn't have the kits in the stash, they're still available for little more than half the price of the Airfix Meteor. I don't have an FR9 laid down but if I really feel the need to build one I'll either try and source an MPM one for an acceptable price or modify an Xtrakit F8 rather than buying a potential Airfix release which would inevitably cost significantly more than £24 if and when it eventually appears.

 

Not so very long ago, when a kit such as this from Airfix would have been around the £15 mark (and I was still earning a salary) I might well have bought one, or several, on impulse: why else do I have four Harrier GR7s? Regrettably, those days are gone and I aim to lay out money only when I don't already have an adequate kit in stock which will allow me to model a subject that I really want to build at some point in the not too distant future. That leaves me more cash to pay for modelling consumables (paint, brushes, glue, etc., etc.) which of course are also increasing in price.

 

I do agree with your observation that "we all need Airfix as a company to make a profit otherwise their reason for existing ceases to be", though for 'Airfix' read 'model companies in general'. If there are no model companies, then sooner or later there'll be no suppliers of consumables either and what good will a stash be then? 

A good point, so start building a stock of consumables for the stash now.

Wulfman

[Julien]

5 hours ago, RichG said:

 

Just sayin'....  

 

 

Rich

 

Those panels on the top are the fuel tank lids so might be due to fuel attracting dirt etc, but it does show what can happen. Interesting also that it looks like the leading edge of the nacelle has been changed as the paint appears fresh and if has not been faired into the nacelle.

[Enzo the Magnificent]

7 hours ago, RichG said:

 

Just sayin'....  

 

 

Rich

 

 

Was it a requirement in the 1950s for RAF personnel to wear silly hats?

[NAVY870]

24 quid is about 40 bucks here

Fairly standard for what we get extorted down here.

Dont see what all the whinings about.

[lasermonkey]

Ah, right. We’re back to “people who don’t agree with me=whining.” Great. So much for divergent thought. 

[MrB17]

I’ve never built a Meteor, and hadn’t really considered one until now. I recently purchased a copy of Beware! Beware! a history of 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force. They flew the Meteor including the F.8 and had some very nice markings, however I can only find 611 Squadron decals for the T.7. I suppose I could use those for the fuselage flash, or just purchase a T.7. If there are any Meteor experts out there, which T.7 kit is best in 1/72?

 

Cheers

Jeff

[Hook]

33 minutes ago, MrB17 said:

which T.7 kit is best in 1/72?

MPM.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Bedders]

On 9/9/2022 at 7:28 PM, Enzo Matrix said:

 

Was it a requirement in the 1950s for RAF personnel to wear silly hats?

Haven't they been doing that since 1918?

[Space Ranger]

On 9/4/2022 at 9:55 AM, stever219 said:

If they really offend you that much a little filler or a thickish coat of primer should tone 'em down a bit.

Or, mix up some black Aves Apoxy, roll it into skinny “worms,” press them into the kit’s panel lines, and sand them flush with the surface when they have cured, thereby filling them and “preshading” them at one fell swoop!

Alternatively, fill them with stretched black sprue. Then spray with your favorite High Speed Silver.

[ththtttu7]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:14 PM, Julien said:

Those panels on the top are the fuel tank lids so might be due to fuel attracting dirt etc, but it does show what can happen. Interesting also that it looks like the leading edge of the nacelle has been changed as the paint appears fresh and if has not been faired into the nacelle.

 

Hi Julien,

 

The leading edge of each Meteor nacelle is formed from machined laminated segments of a hard wood. (Approx. 3" deep if memory serves me correctly) This wooden ring is wrapped in a single layer of doped Irish linen.

 

The bulk of the nacelle is made from aluminium though. The aircraft pictured may have had its nacelle leading edge replaced.

[Julien]

2 hours ago, David A Collins said:

 

Hi Julien,

 

The leading edge of each Meteor nacelle is formed from machined laminated segments of a hard wood. (Approx. 3" deep if memory serves me correctly) This wooden ring is wrapped in a single layer of doped Irish linen.

 

The bulk of the nacelle is made from aluminium though. The aircraft pictured may have had its nacelle leading edge replaced.

Yes as Im helping to restore a Meteor Im well aware of this. Hence why this one looks different as its not been covered by the linen and then puttied into the Nacelle. 

 

 

[ththtttu7]

6 hours ago, Julien said:

Yes as Im helping to restore a Meteor Im well aware of this. Hence why this one looks different as its not been covered by the linen and then puttied into the Nacelle. 

 

 

 

Hi Julien,

It's amazing to see where where wood and doped linen still creep into a jet design!

[Hook]

1 hour ago, David A Collins said:

 

Hi Julien,

It's amazing to see where where wood and doped linen still creep into a jet design!

The nacelle lips are wooden as well, I believe the small to large intake conversion could be executed with a saw.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Enzo the Magnificent]

Come on Airfix...  get this into the shops!   The Meteor STGB starts in two weeks!   

[Richard Humm]

According to the chat sidebar on today's Airfix Sprue Talk video, it should be out next week.