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

[stever219]

22 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

If my refs are right, and looking at photos,  the 500 Squadron aircraft has the smaller intakes, the 74 Squadron one has the larger ones, so hopefully both are in the kit.

 

Can you remind me of the aileron differences?

The earlie ailerons have a single tab which protrudes behind the line of the trailing edge whereas the later ones gave two tabs which follow the line of the trailing edge from the centre-section joint to the tip.

 

You may well find early examples of Meteor Mk. 8 (and 9) fitted with the later canopy, intakes and/or ailerons at various times in their lives so photo references are essential.

[Dennis_C]

On 14/02/2022 at 20:09, wadeocu said:

Let's face it, our hobby is an ever shrinking market.  With fewer and fewer kits sold year after year as customers die off, decide the stash is big enough or decide the cost of buying kits that won't be built is just too high, demand decreases and the manufacturers sell fewer and fewer kits.

 

I wonder if there is any world wide statistics on the market size?

My view: even though overall sales volume might not be growing or may even be actually declining - the market is still large enough to allow entrance of new manufacturers who start mass production of high-quality long-run kits. Examples are Eduard, SH, Arma etc. 

So probably we actually have a market shift from low-end buyers of simple kits for pennies to high-end buyers of quality kits for double-digit numbers? 

If that's the case - Airfix price strategy is right, but they desperately need to change the approach to product quality to follow the high-end market. 

[tony.t]

Yes, and it will be interesting to compare the Airfix with the Special Hobby Meteors. Hopefully they'll sit well together on the display shelf.

 

Tony 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul Thompson]

7 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

 

I wonder if there is any world wide statistics on the market size?

My view: even though overall sales volume might not be growing or may even be actually declining - the market is still large enough to allow entrance of new manufacturers who start mass production of high-quality long-run kits. Examples are Eduard, SH, Arma etc. 

So probably we actually have a market shift from low-end buyers of simple kits for pennies to high-end buyers of quality kits for double-digit numbers? 

If that's the case - Airfix price strategy is right, but they desperately need to change the approach to product quality to follow the high-end market. 

Special Hobby and Eduard don't count in my book, because although they upped their game starting a few years ago, both of them have been around for decades. Their infrastructure was set up in a very different economic world. Special Hobby made neglected subjects but their kits were fairly rough, Eduard made a large chunk of their turnover from detail sets during the expansion period of aftermarket products, and the rest from kits exclusively in the then very poorly served niche market of 1/72nd and 1/48th WW1 aircraft kits.

 

Arma, I'd agree.

 

Paul.

[Thomas V.]

7 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

 

I wonder if there is any world wide statistics on the market size?

My view: even though overall sales volume might not be growing or may even be actually declining - the market is still large enough to allow entrance of new manufacturers who start mass production of high-quality long-run kits. Examples are Eduard, SH, Arma etc. 

So probably we actually have a market shift from low-end buyers of simple kits for pennies to high-end buyers of quality kits for double-digit numbers? 

If that's the case - Airfix price strategy is right, but they desperately need to change the approach to product quality to follow the high-end market. 

People are entering this hobby  for the first time later than ever-from 5-7 year olds before to 25-35 today, and the state of the hobby has never been better, from someone who sold kits for 34 years.

Airfix price strategy( or Hornby one) will do the same to the brand as in 1994-7 when new tools from Buccaneer to Lightning were grossly overpriced and were shelf sitters.

This years price hike will do the same, they need to bring back production to UK or somewhere near as well as upping quality because it is at the rear of both mainstream and short run manufacturers today.

 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Well said- all this 'the hobby is dying' chat is, IMHO, bunkem  - what is the hobby? Are you including wargaming for example? Gundam? all of which are as popular as ever - the  'cause of the death of the industry' - videogames - actually have lead more people to discover modelling through for example World of Tanks. Even Lego, considered a child's toy is now an 'adult' pastime and too leads to more people in to kit assembly. Whilst I think it is probably true that the age of the first time modeller might be older - there is still a healthy groundswell of customers - think of the size of Hannants list in the 70s-80s compared to now.

 

I'd love to know out of interest how many Airfix 1/72 spits they flog in a year!

 

TT

[Giorgio N]

2 hours ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Well said- all this 'the hobby is dying' chat is, IMHO, bunkem  - what is the hobby? Are you including wargaming for example? Gundam? all of which are as popular as ever - the  'cause of the death of the industry' - videogames - actually have lead more people to discover modelling through for example World of Tanks. Even Lego, considered a child's toy is now an 'adult' pastime and too leads to more people in to kit assembly. Whilst I think it is probably true that the age of the first time modeller might be older - there is still a healthy groundswell of customers - think of the size of Hannants list in the 70s-80s compared to now.

 

I'd love to know out of interest how many Airfix 1/72 spits they flog in a year!

 

TT

 

Don't know if Airifx has released any number recently but there were some figures relative to the '60s discussed a while ago that mentioned something like 350,000 Spitfire kits sold each year, with mention that by the early '2000s this figure had reduced to one third of that.

 

Regarding today's numbers, the only company I know that has recently issued any figure is Eduard, that in their editorial at the start of the year discussed sales figures:

 

https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2022/info-eduard-2022-02en-feb.pdf

 

Here they mention that overall they sold over 152,000 kits, that means over 400 kits a day through all outlets and across the whole range.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

9 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

I wonder if there is any world wide statistics on the market size?

 

As far as I know - nope. If you are distributor and you have access to the stats published by separate manufacturers, you may draw your own conclusions.

 

9 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

My view: even though overall sales volume might not be growing or may even be actually declining - the market is still large enough to allow entrance of new manufacturers who start mass production of high-quality long-run kits.

 

The point is that long run means not so much metal moulds (which Eduard or Special Hobby use), but steel moulds. The difference is that moulds made of lighter metals last about 50,000 injections. Steel moulds can withstand hundreds of thousands.

At the same time, steel moulds are the most expensive moulds on the market, which means that it is not profitable to produce niche models in such moulds - prototypes, aircrafts produced in short series. Of course, there is no ban, but the economic calculation is quite simple - long payback time means long cash-freezing time, and that means the need for much larger financial resources and reserves.

 

 

9 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Examples are Eduard, SH

 

Well, it's really hard to call Eduard or Special Hobby new manufacturers, both companies entered the market in 1989, 33 years ago.

 

9 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

So probably we actually have a market shift from low-end buyers of simple kits for pennies to high-end buyers of quality kits for double-digit numbers?

 

I don't know if you can talk about the market as a whole, even in context of Europe only. Here in Poland, we have had compulsory model-building lessons in primary schools for some 25 years (if not longer). Of course, these are generally very simple and as cheap as possible kits, leftovers from the 1970s, produced by MisterCraft or Plastyk. But still, probably about 90% of adults before their 40th birthday have an idea what plastic kits are.

 

Parents bring their children aged 6-8 to the shops to try out model building. Most of them drop out, but some become modellers and for them it's a hobby in the classic sense - they buy something they like, glue it out of the box, paint it or not, put it on the shelf and are happy. After that "early period", most have a break - studies, work, young children. But somewhere around the age of 30-35 you see a return to the hobby. Someone comes into the shop and starts the story "you know, when I was a kid I used to build models and there were such cool things".

You can see by the reaction of such people to new kits, to all the equipment and modelling chemistry available, how much the hobby has changed and how something that used to be available and known only to a narrow group of professionals has descended to the level of 'committed amateurs'.

 

The issue of finance, on the other hand, is completely separate. People with families can't afford some big expenses either. In addition, many such customers simply don't care about things that people are prepared to rip someone's head off for in the forums. If the parts look OK and the price is OK, then the model is OK, even if we know very well that it has the wrong shape, the interior of the cabin is BS and the surface detail does not exist.

 

9 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

If that's the case - Airfix price strategy is right, but they desperately need to change the approach to product quality to follow the high-end market.

 

Airfix's problem is not so much a matter of quality (although sometimes they fail, they showed that in Spitfire XIV in 1/48 - you can see it on Paul Budzik's YouTube), but mostly a matter of understanding how models are designed today.

 

Let's look at how Eduard did the Bf 109F, G and K family in 1/48 - modular design, shown detail differences not only between versions, but also between different factories. Plus camouflage schemes carefully matched to each box. The same will be done for this family in 1/72, the same is done for the Fw 190D family from IBG Models in 1/72.

 

How do the models from Airfix look like? Dozens of missed opportunities, here are just a few:

• 2012 - 1/72 - Avro Lancaster - B.I, B.II and B.III only, no later versions, no Tallboy or Grand Slam versions, no aircraft based on the Lancaster design;
• 2014 - 1/72 - Boulton Paul Defiant - no other version, while an ASR or target tugs are quite interesting topics;
• 2014 - 1/72 - Dornier Do 17Z - only one version, when at the same time ICM released the whole family, showing both more camouflage schemes as well as night fighter versions, and a development to the Dornier Do 215;
• 2015 - 1/72 - Bristol Beaufighter TF.X - no other version, although for so many years the whole family could have been released; now CMK has released a conversion to Beaufighter NF.II, only that the impact on Airfix sales will be small because the conversion is very expensive;
• 2015 - 1/72 - Heinkel He 111H/P - barely started topic, although the whole He 111 family could have been done, from the A version to the Z version.

Airfix is still mentally stuck in the seventies, in the belief that modellers don't need surface detail and drainage ditches are better than thin panel lines, that they don't need different versions, that they don't need interesting camouflage schemes, because "modellers will make their own versions" or "the aftermarket will take care of everything".

 

But why a modeller, who wants to have a Do 17Z-10 night fighter, should make his life difficult and pay more? Why should he buy an Airfix kit, plus some resin conversion and a set of decals, when for half the price he can have a model from ICM, ready to build?

 

Special Hobby announced their late variants Mosquito in 2017 IIRC and it seems they will release nearly ten versions. We will be able to ask exactly the same question - why should someone buy a Mosquito from Airfix, plus conversions and decal sets, when with Special Hobby they will have everything in one box with a specific version?

[Dennis_C]

23 minutes ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Airfix is still mentally stuck in the seventies, in the belief that modellers don't need surface detail and drainage ditches are better than thin panel lines, that they don't need different versions, that they don't need interesting camouflage schemes, because "modellers will make their own versions" or "the aftermarket will take care of everything".

Hi Piotr, 

 

Thank you for the detailed response! All that really makes sense. And the above quotation  I think is the essential Airfix problem. They are stuck with expensive steel molds that they do not like to make customizable to produce varied versions of the same aircraft - thus losing market. 

Plus they do have troubles in producing modernly fine molds so they simplify exterior and adhere to trenchy panel lines. 

 

And then we hear stories of declining market etc. while in reality the market and hobby are flourishing. 

 

P.S. By saying Eduard and MPM/SH are new manufacturers - I mean they are new to the top league with superior quality. Sure they are not at Tamiya or Finemolds level - but at least already ahead of Airfix.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Dennis_C

[John Thompson]

1 hour ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Here in Poland, we have had compulsory model-building lessons in primary schools for some 25 years (if not longer).

 Whaaaat??? Are you serious? I used to joke that the reason there were so many excellent Czech modelbuilders was because they were taught it in kindergarten; now I know why there are so many excellent Polish modelbuilders! 🇵🇱

 

John

[alt-92]

2 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

They are stuck with expensive steel molds that they do not like to make customizable to produce varied versions of the same aircraft - thus losing market. 

Eehh... I dunno. The 1/24 Mk.IX looks to be a departure from that, actually.

[keefr22]

3 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Airfix's problem is not so much a matter of quality

 

I disagree. Short shot parts, awful flaws in transparencies, missing complete sprues, most of an instruction booklet and a complete set of decals missing are just some of the problems I've had in Airfix kits during the last few years - and they are quality control problems. And also related to quality when you compare them to most other manufacturers is the horrible quality of soft plastic they use. Now despite all this I still buy Airfix kits despite every one now feeling like I'm opening a lucky dip when I take the lid off the box and hope to find a complete, buildable kit inside! On that note at least they use decent boxes!

 

Now, whether I continue to buy Airfix kits when their prices are getting close to the leading players like Tamiya or ZM depends on whether they sort out those quality problems, irrespective of whether it's a subject I really want, like a 1/48 Buccaneer.

 

4 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Here in Poland, we have had compulsory model-building lessons in primary schools for some 25 years (if not longer).

 

That's amazing, no wonder modellers from that part of the world kept cleaning up in the Telford Scalemodelworld competition!!

 

Keith

 

 

[Piotr Mikolajski]

6 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

They are stuck with expensive steel molds that they do not like to make customizable to produce varied versions of the same aircraft - thus losing market.

 

Steel moulds are not a bad choice, especially if you have mastered the technology, regular co-operators and general know-how. Yes, they are more expensive, but on the other hand it is an investment that allows you to make money for many years.

 

6 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Plus they do have troubles in producing modernly fine molds so they simplify exterior and adhere to trenchy panel lines.

 

I am afraid it is much worse. They can design nice details and nice interiors, the Supermarine Swift being an example. The conclusion is that the poor interiors, lack of detail and nightmarish panel lines are a conscious decision. It's as if no one in the entire company is capable of buying a few new kits from rival companies to see how models are done by others.

 

6 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

And then we hear stories of declining market etc. while in reality the market and hobby are flourishing.

 

From a certain point of view they may be right - the market for models designed as Airfix designs them is shrinking. This shouldn't be surprising though - if a Messerschmitt Me 262A from Revell costs £5.20 and a Me 262A from Airfix (#03090) costs £13.50, the choice for the buyer is simple.  Especially as Airfix is no better than Revell.

 

6 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

P.S. By saying Eduard and MPM/SH are new manufacturers - I mean they are new to the top league with superior quality. Sure they are not at Tamiya or Finemolds level - but at least already ahead of Airfix.

 

Eduard has been at the forefront of quality at least since the release of the Spitfire IX in 1/72, in 2016. And in terms of level of detail it is certainly well above Tamiya, and since then on a level comparable to Fine Molds.

On the other hand at the moment Airfix is very far from the top, practically behind all companies from Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia or China that produce models from metal moulds. And most short-run ones too. Of course I can understand the sentiment towards the company, especially when Airfix models were the first ones. But the truth is that at the moment it is an average manufacturer. At least if we talk about 1/72.

 

4 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Eehh... I dunno. The 1/24 Mk.IX looks to be a departure from that, actually.

 

But 1/24 scale models are not of the slightest importance here. Nobody is going to make a collection out of them. Meanwhile, I've given a few examples of missed opportunities in 1/72 scale from the last dozen years or so, and I could give more - F-86, Swordfish, Vampire, and above all Hurricane.

 

4 hours ago, keefr22 said:

I disagree.

 

So it is much worse than I expected. And it comes out that I was lucky when buying Airfix, because all the parts were always included and were well injected.

 

7 hours ago, John Thompson said:

 Whaaaat??? Are you serious?

 

4 hours ago, keefr22 said:

That's amazing, no wonder modellers from that part of the world kept cleaning up in the Telford Scalemodelworld competition!!

 

Do not get too excited. These are generally 2-4 lessons of 45 minutes each, not half a year of assembling plastic models 

[alt-92]

6 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Eduard has been at the forefront of quality at least since the release of the Spitfire IX in 1/72, in 2016. And in terms of level of detail it is certainly well above Tamiya, and since then on a level comparable to Fine Molds.

Quality is a very subjective thing when talking about details, however, as is obvious in several threads currently running. Paraphrasing Basil:  don't mention the rivets!

 

I can appreciate the level of detail, while at the same time shake my head in the ways that detail is implemented on that same IX in 72nd (10 part wheel wells, the convoluted way exhausts were implemented and that headscratcher of a top cowling). To me, that makes them great but certainly not perfect. 

 

6 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

But 1/24 scale models are not of the slightest importance here. Nobody is going to make a collection out of them..

It does show that Airfix can take variants and series into account with a base set of moulds.  The recent designs and releases are a departure from those 5-6 years ago with regards to possibilities. Time will tell whether they are going to run with it. 

[Piotr Mikolajski]

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Quality is a very subjective thing when talking about details, however, as is obvious in several threads currently running.

 

 I am sorry, but no. That's why I gave link to Paul Budzik's YouTube playlist about Spitfire XIV in 1/48, to show indisputable examples of the lack of quality. What's more, it's a kit released in 2019, so from those that are supposedly already designed better.

 

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

I can appreciate the level of detail

 

But we are not talking here about your personal feelings and about one kit. Does it really need to be pointed out that Eduard's Spitfire is shown as an example and not as a basis for further discussion? There have been dozens of entire model families released over the last 15 years that are better in every way than what Airfix has released. Perhaps it's worth accepting that, rather than derail the discussion into "what I don't like about Eduard's Spitfire"?

  

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

It does show that Airfix can take variants and series into account with a base set of moulds.

 

In a kit where it completely doesn't matter. I'm afraid this rather shows another area where Airfix is not quite in touch with reality.

  

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

The recent designs and releases are a departure from those 5-6 years ago with regards to possibilities.

 

Here are recent designs, 6 new tool kits in 1/72.

 

2020 - Supermarine Spitfire Vc

Only one version, Vc. At the same time Eduard managed to release the entire Spitfire family from I to V, with different versions and production variants, and not in 1/72 but in 1/48.

 

2021 - Avro Vulcan B.2

It's a big and expensive model with huge wings, so I can understand the reluctance to invest in a second set of them to have the B.1 versions. But will there be a B.2 (MRR) or K.2 version? Perhaps. With correct details? Well, here one can already have a lot of doubts. Last but not least - in a model released in 2021, do the drainage ditches on the wings indicate any change in approach at all?

 

2021 - Bristol Beaufort I

Only one version and no announcements of further variants. Will there be any more? Perhaps a Beaufort Mk.VIII will appear, but I don't think Airfix is planning to release a set of Australian versions or even a British Mk.II.

 

2021 - de Havilland Mosquito B.XVI

Special Hobby already announced in 2017 that it was preparing its project, which had already been in development for two years. Some time later, renders were shown testifying to the design of at least 9 versions. Airfix started its project later, knowing about the coming competition, and yet did not consider changing its approach at all, so they released one version, moreover, with errors. Will there be others? Probably B.35 and that's where it will end.

 

2021 - Hawker Tempest V

Again, only one version, and without differentiation into production variants. No announcement of the other two main versions, no announcement of the target tug. Why? Is this what greater possibilities are supposed to look like?

 

2022 - Gloster Meteor F.8

Here we have an announcement of only one version for now, but the model has not yet been released, so we have no information if there is more on the sprues.

 

We do, however, have a competitive whole Meteor family from MPM/Special Hobby. Will the Airfix be better? We don't know, but as a model released in 2022 it should be far better, because the MPM family premiered in 2006. Will Airfix prepare more than the 14 versions (F.1, F.1 Trent, F.3, F.4, T.7, T.7.5, F.8, F.8 Prone, FR.9, PR.10, NF.11, NF.12, NF.13, NF.14) released by MPM/Special Hobby? Well, I don't think so.

 

5 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Time will tell whether they are going to run with it. 

 

Modular model designs have been on the market for several years, the perfect example for this thread being the aforementioned Meteors from MPM/Special Hobby. This is not a novelty at all, meanwhile Airfix to this day does not design models like this. Even if it starts doing so in a few years, it will be 20 years behind the competition. And probably further, because the competition is also developing.

[TEXANTOMCAT]

OK so Airfix take a different approach but maybe their business model is different? Perhaps they don't feel it worth it to issue multiple variants whereas Hasegawa and Eduard do. Just because they do things differently doesn't mean it's 'wrong'. In your opinion it might be, but they don't have to answer to you - they have to answer to their shareholders. 

 

As long as both companies exist, and make a profit to continue to exist, the winner is the Hobby - the 'them V us' is perchance unhelpful and best left between Eduard and AZ/KP. 

 

Further, some of the kits you mention have only recently been released/announced - we have no idea whether or not they will issue other variants yet!

 

Buy what you prefer - you have the luxury of choice for cost/detail/availability as do we all  -which suits the individual. 

 

 

TT

 

 

 

[Dennis_C]

1 hour ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

We do, however, have a competitive whole Meteor family from MPM/Special Hobby. Will the Airfix be better? We don't know, but as a model released in 2022 it should be far better, because the MPM family premiered in 2006. Will Airfix prepare more than the 14 versions (F.1, F.1 Trent, F.3, F.4, T.7, T.7.5, F.8, F.8 Prone, FR.9, PR.10, NF.11, NF.12, NF.13, NF.14) released by MPM/Special Hobby? Well, I don't think so.

One nuance here. As far as I understand the NF series from SH is an entirely new model not related to the usual Meteor from 2006. And here we get closer to the thread topic I'm wondering if Airfix is actually going to miss an opportunity to release more from the full series...

 

One example of completely lost opportunity in my view - never released metal wing Hurricane mk.I.  Why??? How is that at all possible for the British model company to miss the true BoB Hurricane stopping half step from that?

[Ian Tresting]

2 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

2021 - de Havilland Mosquito B.XVI

Special Hobby already announced in 2017 that it was preparing its project, which had already been in development for two years. Some time later, renders were shown testifying to the design of at least 9 versions. Airfix started its project later, knowing about the coming competition, and yet did not consider changing its approach at all, so they released one version, moreover, with errors. Will there be others? Probably B.35 and that's where it will end.

Good luck making those non-existent KP/Special Hobby Mosquitoes or filling the trenches on the SH Sunderland.

 

🙄

[Graham Boak]

8 minutes ago, Ian Tresting said:

Good luck making those non-existent KP/Special Hobby Mosquitoes or filling the trenches on the SH Sunderland.

 

🙄

Why?  I have plenty of models already that I could be working on and am perfectly prepared to wait for a version I actually want to model (NF. Mk.30 in this case) rather than the one that Airfix want me to buy, and which I have to chop about to make even the one they claim it is.  As for filling trenches, motes and beams.  Have you looked at the Airfix Vampire or Spitfire Mk.I?  

 

There's no such thing as a perfect model from anyone, nor any model subject that can satisfy everyone, but there's plenty around to enjoy.

 

On another point: now we have the metal-wing Hurricane from Arma Hobby thank goodness Airfix has provided us with a fabric-winged one, even if it does need a fair bit of work.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

OK so Airfix take a different approach but maybe their business model is different?

 

And does Airfix operate in a parallel economic reality? I don't know where the constant theme comes from that Airfix has some patent on operating differently to the industry as a whole. Do you have anything to back this up, or are these simply your perceptions? Because I recently encountered such perceptions in the case of IBG Models, where it seemed to many people that the company should produce unprofitable models because they wanted to.

 

At some level business comes down to basics. That is, you need to have a reasonably quick turnaround on a released model, and the model needs to earn money to run the company and for future projects.

 

If you have "a different business model", you either have plenty of money or you don't care if you go bankrupt. We know Airfix doesn't want to go bankrupt, but it doesn't have excess money either, so what "other business model" could it have? Winning the lottery?

  

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Perhaps they don't feel it worth it to issue multiple variants whereas Hasegawa and Eduard do.

 

Well, that is what is being talked about all the time, this is thinking from the 1970s. Over the last half century the world has changed, and so has our hobby.

 

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Just because they do things differently doesn't mean it's 'wrong'. In your opinion it might be, but they don't have to answer to you - they have to answer to their shareholders.

 

Maybe I've missed something, but I get the impression that Airfix don't brag about their incredible financial successes every year. If I hear about anything, it's more about financial problems. So maybe they should think about changing their approach to business and how others in the market are doing it, if they are successful?

 

In the last days of 2020, Eduard's entire stock of over a million sprues (this is a stock for more than a year of sales) burned down and the company had nothing to trade, yet they reported a small loss in model sales for all of 2021, and generally ended the year on an optimistic note. Would Airfix have survived such losses? I have considerable doubts.

  

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

As long as both companies exist, and make a profit to continue to exist, the winner is the Hobby

 

Unfortunately, such thinking is a damaging belief. If a company releases a kit of less popular aircraft and this model is average, no one wins. The customer has the choice between a poor model or no model, because the competition will no longer make this model due to lack of profitability. Here great examples are An-2 or Il-28 from Trumpeter in 1/72. Both are very average, with many mistakes, but they are so cheap that there is no chance to compete with them. I asked several different manufacturers and everyone admitted that it would be cool to make these models, but at the same time everyone rejects it for exactly the same reason. Really, I would be very far from claiming that anyone is winning here.

 

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Further, some of the kits you mention have only recently been released/announced - we have no idea whether or not they will issue other variants yet!

 

I gave examples of new tool kits from 2012-2015 where great opportunities to make a whole family and make money from it were wasted - "no, that's the old approach, things have changed now".

I gave examples of new tool kits from 2020-2022, where the competition has already done something better, while Airfix doesn't even show a desire to match the competing models - "no, these are new models, we don't know anything yet".

Do I really need to list a few more new tool kits from 2016-2019 to end this wishful thinking and for it to finally become obvious that Airfix is wasting business opportunities?

 

39 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

Buy what you prefer - you have the luxury of choice for cost/detail/availability as do we all  -which suits the individual.

 

We are not discussing what I will buy for myself. We are discussing what Airfix's approach is, including in the context of Meteor, which has numerous and good competitors.

 

1 hour ago, Dennis_C said:

One nuance here. As far as I understand the NF series from SH is an entirely new model not related to the usual Meteor from 2006.

 

Yes, they are two separate projects in terms of designing the moulds. But looking from the perspective of preparing the documentation it could have been one larger project. Especially since if someone is preparing such a large project with so many versions, they have a lot of source material. Or at least they should have.

 

1 hour ago, Dennis_C said:

One example of completely lost opportunity in my view - never released metal wing Hurricane mk.I.  Why??? How is that at all possible for the British model company to miss the true BoB Hurricane stopping half step from that?

 

I don't know, I don't understand it at all. A British company has much easier access both to museum copies in the UK, and to company records, and to various other archives.

 

Airfix should make the whole Hurricane family, from the pre-war variants, through those from the BoB period, to the machines from the end of the war, which were more of an assault aircraft than a fighter. And to complete the set, the Sea Hurricane family could be made as well. And, as we can see from the Hurricane family from Arma Hobby, these models would sell very well.

 

A separate issue, which I also can't understand, is giving up profits by not having many boxes with different camouflage schemes. Since there is already a complete set of parts and instructions, the preparation of boxart and decals is the least expensive and easiest part of production. For an aircraft used on every front of World War II and by dozens of countries, it is simply a money-making machine. Which Airfix gave up on. Indeed, a different business model.

 

BTW, here again you can see the absurdity of "the aftermarket will take care of it" thinking. In theory it works great, because for aftermarket decals the model will sell anyway. In practice this approach results in the customer having to spend money on the model and decals, so very often they will give up on the purchase.

[treker_ed]

I thought this thread was about the issuing of a 1/72 model kit by Airfix of a Gloster Aircraft Company Meteor Jet Fighter Mk 8. And not a dissection in the the design decisions of multiple model manufacturing companies round the world. If you want to discuss this (which has been discussed at length in other places) then okay, please do so, but take it else where, and discuss between yourselves away from this thread . Can we please get back to the point of this thread and the point that Airfix have decided (for their own reasons, whatever they maybe) to issue in 2022 a plastic injection moulded model of the F.8 Meteor in 1/72nd scale.

 

I personally, because of eyesight, don't tend to do stuff in 1/72, but from what I have seen of this the detail looks quite reasonable for the scale, and looks reasonably comparable to the 1/48 sclae version that I have sitting on my shelf, and another one (FR.9) sitting in my very modest stash!  

[Lummox]

All very interesting (well no, it's not interesting at all really), but what has all this to do with the 1/72 Meteor F8?

 

If you guys want to work yourselves up to a frenzy rehashing the same old tired arguments might I suggest you do it elsewhere?

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Fair point gents well made. Back to the Meteor😉👍

 

TT

[Black Knight]

This has drifted so far off the main subject that I think its time this thread was shut down - locked

[treker_ed]

3 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

This has drifted so far off the main subject that I think its time this thread was shut down - locked

I agree (sort of) and was seriously considering tagging Hombee in my reply, but then decided against it, and thought that maybe more rational minds (!) might take back control....

(Who am I kidding,? Rational minds on BM? We're all plastic addicts - just not all of us have admitted it yet)