New Airfix Hawker Hurricane? Hurricane Unsung Hero in Airfix Event at Duxford - January 2023

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Hi All

 

Just noticed this event on the IWM Page - https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/hurricane-unsung-hero-in-airfix

 

Now bearing in mind the mighty A used the similar Spitfire event earlier this year to unveil their new tool 1/24 Mk IX - might we see a new tool Hurricane or have they just got the lads in red down to support the event....

 

Perhaps a later variant 1/72 version but the 1/48 scale kit seems to have several bases covered, so might there be a new tool 1/24 Hurricane, perhaps a IIb?

 

Might be a bit offbeam but this is the rumourmonger and you can see my logic!

 

 

TT

[TheKinksFan]

I actually do believe that it could mean a new 1/24 Hurricane. For me even 1/48 is big, but a Hurricane as detailed as the Spitfire Mk IXc, that would be tempting.

[Tbolt]

I wouldn't of thought it would be another 1/24th scale kit so soon, Airfix usually have a bit of a gap between releases, but you never know.

[IT_Man]

1 hour ago, Tbolt said:

I wouldn't of thought it would be another 1/24th scale kit so soon, Airfix usually have a bit of a gap between releases, but you never know.

That was my thought, but given the hype around the Spit (and sizeable tally of pre-orders from the various retailers I've spoken to) maybe they see it being lucrative?

[Tbolt]

10 minutes ago, IT_Man said:

That was my thought, but given the hype around the Spit (and sizeable tally of pre-orders from the various retailers I've spoken to) maybe they see it being lucrative?

 

Though their 1/24th scale kits must take a lot of planning and hugh amount of time to design and produce, so when they decide to produce one I would have thought you would be looking at least three years before the kit gets released.

[RussellE]

2 hours ago, Tbolt said:

Though their 1/24th scale kits must take a lot of planning and hugh amount of time to design and produce, so when they decide to produce one I would have thought you would be looking at least three years before the kit gets released.

weeeell.... That all depends on how much enthusiasm and effort a kit manufacturer puts into it. If Airfix are getting good ROI's on their 1/24 spit presales this may encourage them to go ahead with other new 1/24 kits sooner than planned...

 

FWIW, back in the day, Airfix released most of their 1/24 kits within a fairly short time frame:

 

1970 - Spitfire Mk1

1973 - Hurricane

1973 - Bf109

1974 - Harrier

1975 - Stuka

 

As you can see these are all grouped fairly close together and then all went quiet for decades after, until the more recent tools came along with much longer breaks between:

 

2010 - Mosquito

2014 - Typhoon

2019 - Hellcat

2022 - Spitfire MkIX

 

Looking at the gap between the Hellcat and the Spitfire, it seems those release dates are tightening up again...

 

And if a new tool 1/24 Hurricane came along, it might just stop me switching to Kotare's 1/32 range... Well, depending on what they announce at Telford... 🤫

 

[trickydicky210]

Hope a 1/24 new Hurricane is true

 

Would not expect a 1/72 or 1/48 kit to have the fanfare of such an event. 

 

Looks like Airfix have now got a new M/O for their main release to coincide with the range announcement 

 

As it’s the 15th January, will be interesting to see if this is before or after the full range announcement.

[trickydicky210]

3 hours ago, Tbolt said:

 

Though their 1/24th scale kits must take a lot of planning and hugh amount of time to design and produce, so when they decide to produce one I would have thought you would be looking at least three years before the kit gets released.

They would have all the research data already as they have produced these kits in other scales, but for all we know they have probably been working on these kits for a couple of years already. 

 

10 minutes ago, RussellE said:

FWIW, back in the day, Airfix released most of their 1/24 kits within a fairly short time frame:

 

1970 - Spitfire Mk1

1973 - Hurricane

1973 - Bf109

1974 - Harrier

1975 - Stuka

Wonder if they are going to retool all of these? They certainly have the research as they have all been released as new tools in 1/72 and some on 1/48?

[jackroadkill]

I've never built a 1/24 kit; a newly-tooled Airfix Hurricane in this scale might just push me to take the leap.

[Ngantek]

This seems very speculative to be honest; the time frame from the ix is very short and the only 'link' is that, (seemingly) entirely independently, Duxford hosted a Spitfire collection this year and now have decided to do a Hurricane one next year. This is of course just my opinion, it just seems very tenuous.

 

Edit: My apologies, I didn't click the link, assuming it was the same link posted earlier on the 'Telford rumours' thread, announcing Duxford's 'unsung hero Hurricane exhibition', not the Airfix specific event. I agree that's less tenuous!

[JohnT]

Thinking about it wouldn’t Airfix doing a new mould 1/24 Hurricane be an odd choice?  They have one already which has some shape issues but it’s a better BoB model than their early Spitfire 1. 
 

Then again with their MkIX on the way I can’t imagine a new tool Mk 1 being on the cards anytime soon. 
 

Having said that a new tool 1/24 Hurricane to 2022 standard as per their Typhoon  and Hellcat would be something to behold

[RussellE]

3 hours ago, trickydicky210 said:

They would have all the research data already as they have produced these kits in other scales, but for all we know they have probably been working on these kits for a couple of years already. 

 

Wonder if they are going to retool all of these? They certainly have the research as they have all been released as new tools in 1/72 and some on 1/48?

Lead times would be consistent for most 1/24 super kits, so one can safely assume if a new 1/24 Hurricane is to be announced they will have been working on it for some time.

 

I doubt they will retool all of them, as that brass instrument player manufacturer has some of those topics covered (even if not accurately) and it all comes down to whether Airfix believe they can make money off them.

 

2 hours ago, JohnT said:

Thinking about it wouldn’t Airfix doing a new mould 1/24 Hurricane be an odd choice?  They have one already which has some shape issues but it’s a better BoB model than their early Spitfire 1. 
 

Then again with their MkIX on the way I can’t imagine a new tool Mk 1 being on the cards anytime soon. 
 

Having said that a new tool 1/24 Hurricane to 2022 standard as per their Typhoon  and Hellcat would be something to behold

Why is a new tool 1/24 Hurricane an odd choice? Given it's importance in the BoB, I'd say its a winning ticket for them. The one they already have in the range is from tooling that is now around 50 years old. New tooling of the Hurricane together with the new tooled Spitfire will be important catalogue pieces for them and flagship items.

 

With the MkIX Spit on the way it often pays off to follow on closely with a similar product to cash in on the market awareness...

 

A Bf109 could also be on the cards...?

[bradleygolding]

Well, in the last Sprue Talk, there was an oblique reference to a new 1/24 kit. Mentioned in the context of the designer having to place a significant number of domed rivets. I initially thought it would be an American plane like a Harvard, but a Hurricane would fit I guess?

 

Steve.

[VMA131Marine]

If, … if it’s a new 1/24 Hurricane that’s announced then my bet would be on the Mk.IIc. Airfix has had a 1/72 Mk.IV in its range that dates to the 1950s; a 1/72 kit boxed as a Mk.I/II which is closest to a Mk.I; and their Hornby era 1/72 Mk.IIb/c/d which seems to have been based on the Corgi model and is not very accurate. They have never done a 1/48 Mk.II and they did announce a 1/24 Mk.II some years ago pre-Hornby that was presumably based on the Mk.I but never appeared. I presume they discovered that they would have had to tool basically a complete new kit and there would have been very little of the Mk.I kit that could be used.

Keeping all that in mind, I think it’s too soon for another 1/24 kit so a new 1/48 Mk.IIc is the most likely subject in my mind. Assuming they announce anything new at all.

[VMA131Marine]

32 minutes ago, bradleygolding said:

Well, in the last Sprue Talk, there was an oblique reference to a new 1/24 kit. Mentioned in the context of the designer having to place a significant number of domed rivets. I initially thought it would be an American plane like a Harvard, but a Hurricane would fit I guess?

 

Steve.

Halifax?

Stirling?

Manchester?

1/48 Lancaster?

 

I think all those have domed rivets.

[bradleygolding]

2 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

Halifax?

Stirling?

Manchester?

1/48 Lancaster?

 

I think all those have domed rivets.

The comment is from the designer of the 1/24 Spitfire, and it is about the next 1/24 scale plane. He has been working on it for some time and they were very careful not to name it! In 1/24 it will not be any of the four you mentioned.

 

Steve.

Edited November 8, 2022 by bradleygolding

[sniperUK]

2 hours ago, bradleygolding said:

The comment is from the designer of the 1/24 Spitfire, and it is about the next 1/24 scale plane. He has been working on it for some time and they were very careful not to name it! In 1/24 it will not be any of the four you mentioned.

 

Steve.

The one he is working on has a lot of domed rivets but it's not 1/24th scale. 

[Robert]

Going on by the last remark, something from the Ulster Aviation Society museum which was scanned ?

 

Regards

Robert

[sniperUK]

1 hour ago, Robert said:

Going on by the last remark, something from the Ulster Aviation Society museum which was scanned ?

 

Regards

Robert

Nope

[JohnT]

9 hours ago, RussellE said:

Lead times would be consistent for most 1/24 super kits, so one can safely assume if a new 1/24 Hurricane is to be announced they will have been working on it for some time.

 

I doubt they will retool all of them, as that brass instrument player manufacturer has some of those topics covered (even if not accurately) and it all comes down to whether Airfix believe they can make money off them.

 

Why is a new tool 1/24 Hurricane an odd choice? Given it's importance in the BoB, I'd say its a winning ticket for them. The one they already have in the range is from tooling that is now around 50 years old. New tooling of the Hurricane together with the new tooled Spitfire will be important catalogue pieces for them and flagship items.

 

With the MkIX Spit on the way it often pays off to follow on closely with a similar product to cash in on the market awareness...

 

A Bf109 could also be on the cards...?

 

 

Perhaps I didn't explain my thinking fully.  I thought the Hurricane would be an odd choice to re-tool because they already have one in their 1/24 range and apart from some shape issues its not a bad kit.  That said their Spitfire 1 and Me109E are both somewhat very basic.  Good in their day but long since surpassed.  Much more so than their Hurricane and perhaps they would be better choices for retirement and replacement with a new state of the art moulding.  So its not that I would not welcome a new mould Hurri.  Far from it.  Its just if I was Airfix and drafting a program of mould replacements I'd look at what I have in 1/24 and retire the Spit and the 109 first before doing the Hurri, which I would still do but just a little later down the line.

 

Also purely commercially despite the fact the Hurricane was the hero of the BoB it was overshadowed by the promotion of the Spitfire as the glamour boy by both sides at the time.  The Spitfire has retained that position in the eyes of the public and model sales tell you that Spitfires and 109's sell better than Hurricanes.  Personally I have a very soft spot for the Hurricane and it remains one of my favourite aircraft.

 

Now if Airfix had a brain storm and just announced all 3 older kits were going to become moulded up to Typhoon standard  - but its not Christmas or 1 April yet so......

 

On the aside of Trumpeters 1/24 Hurricane I have heard that it was put out seemingly by their A team and remains a very decent kit.  I don't hear that one getting many knocks in review unlike some if their other efforts.

 

 

[fightersweep]

3 minutes ago, JohnT said:

On the aside of Trumpeters 1/24 Hurricane I have heard that it was put out seemingly by their A team and remains a very decent kit.  I don't hear that one getting many knocks in review unlike some if their other efforts.

 

The Trumpeter Hurricanes are very decent kits that probably get overlooked because, well, Trumpeter. I've had the Mk I and IId, and although I moved them on because of lack of space, they looked excellent in the box. @Troy Smith will have the lowdown on accuracy, but I'm sure he's praised the kit here before. 

 

Must admit I'm not sure if we're going to see a new Hurricane from Airfix just yet. If we do, I can't help thinking it will be another mark other than the BoB version. Similarly, the same with the Spitfire Mk I having not even seen the Mk IX yet, although I would love to see the 109E and Spit Mk Ia re-visited by Airfix.

 

What I'd love to see is a P-51B. Can't help thinking that would print them money on both sides of the pond.

[wellsprop]

20 hours ago, Tbolt said:

I wouldn't of thought it would be another 1/24th scale kit so soon, Airfix usually have a bit of a gap between releases, but you never know.

 

That would be my first thought, however, I didn't expect to see a new tool Anson and Buccaneer in 48th scale this year....

 

Even so, a 24th Hurricane to sit alongside their 24th Spitfire would be fantastic! With a new engine and wing, the 24th Spitfire IX kit could be made into a V or I, I wonder fi this is on the cards eventually?

[Tbolt]

3 hours ago, wellsprop said:

 

That would be my first thought, however, I didn't expect to see a new tool Anson and Buccaneer in 48th scale this year....

 

Even so, a 24th Hurricane to sit alongside their 24th Spitfire would be fantastic! With a new engine and wing, the 24th Spitfire IX kit could be made into a V or I, I wonder fi this is on the cards eventually?

 

But the work that goes into their 1/24th scale kits is a lot more, though like you say the Buc and Anson do seem to have a fair bit of work gone into them.

[IanC]

19 hours ago, jackroadkill said:

I've never built a 1/24 kit; a newly-tooled Airfix Hurricane in this scale might just push me to take the leap.

 

The Airfix 1/24 Hurricane is the only one I've ever made, and that's only because I got it as a leaving present when I left a job many moons ago. A colleague thought it would be good as he knew I liked aeroplanes, but I didn't half feel silly unwrapping it in front of the others, especially the women. My credibility shot to pieces... 😄

[woody37]

16 minutes ago, IanC said:

 

The Airfix 1/24 Hurricane is the only one I've ever made, and that's only because I got it as a leaving present when I left a job many moons ago. A colleague thought it would be good as he knew I liked aeroplanes, but I didn't half feel silly unwrapping it in front of the others, especially the women. My credibility shot to pieces... 😄

Boxes of plastic have proved to be an effective contraception in our house 🤣