Revell Hawker Hunters

[Col.]

Had a look through the Revell site this morning for the Hawker Hunter kits and can't see any in either of the three scales. Have they dropped them completely or are they due for re-release with different decals or in new marks? Heard stories about them being slow sellers but I for one would be disappointed if they were no more.

[chadders]

The 72nd ones were all sold off cheap at the beginning of the year at Modelzone. Hannants also bought up shed loads of the stock as well but they still knock em out at full price

[dylan the rabbit]

Hannants also bought up shed loads of the stock as well but they still knock em out at full price

Very nice business sense my boy....

[AnonymousFO98]

Surprised they were considered slow sellers

They have had favourable reviews and been very poular

[TheModeller]

From all accounts the FGA.9, released first, didn't move that quickly and wasn't popular overseas, possibly because the mud-mover version wasn't as sexy as the pure fighter.

When Modelzone were punting the F.6 out at a tenner each in thier sale a couple of years back the local manager told me they'd got a cheap deal on them because they'd bought up all the available remaining stock. I bought 4 in total!

I do find it nearly impossible to believe the kits will never be re-released, no company goes to all the time, trouble and expense of having that kind of tooling made and then never uses it again.

Edited September 22, 2010 by TheModeller

[mrcooljules]

i never bought any as it didnt really float my boat, but wish i had now at least one in my stash

[Julien]

As Chadders said the Big H still have 20+ at £10.99 each.

Even at full retail its a nice kit.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV4186

Julien

[mrcooljules]

As Chadders said the Big H still have 20+ at £10.99 each.

Even at full retail its a nice kit.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV4186

Julien

my LMS still has em, plus i get 10% off :-)

Surprised they were considered slow sellers

They have had favourable reviews and been very poular

i remember the great reviews they got but the revell rep i know said they never did that well..

[Col.]

Was initially looking for a few of the 144th scale ones and not seeing them in the usual places prompted me to look at Revell's site. Only hope all three scales get reissued some time in the near future. Perhaps a change of decals or even marks will gain a little more life and money from the existing moulds for Revell.

[Jennings Heilig]

Surprised they were considered slow sellers

They have had favourable reviews and been very poular

Proving that what appears to be popular through our very distorted lenses isn't always (or even usually) the case. I'm sure Revell didn't "consider" them slow sellers. They apparently *were* slow sellers based on the number of units produced and the number of Euros that came in as a result.

J

[TheModeller]

Perhaps a change of decals or even marks will gain a little more life and money from the existing moulds for Revell.

The design of the kit seems to indicate that other marks were planned and my even see the light of day, as I recall is was some years between the FGA.9 and the F.6, and when the F.6 hit the shelves I think the 9 was already out of production, not positive on that though.

The straight-wing F.4 and F.5 are possibilities as is a T.7 but a cheaper approach might be to re-pop the F.6 with new decals for maybe 74 Sqn and the Blue Diamonds and Black Arrows teams.

[StephenMG]

I've no idea what the actual numbers are but given that Airfix have been churning out their (flawed and aged) FGA.9 for donkey's years (thereby proving there's a market), and how often a decent 1/72 Hunter seemed to appear on folk's wishlist on fora such as this one, and how many build threads and related questions also appear on fora such as this one, I find it almost impossible to believe that it wasn't popular and won't make a reappearance in the Revell range in due course.

[Col.]

Perhaps the fact we are Britmodeller colours our judgment a bit on the number of Hunter kits bought and built. A look on the likes of ARC could show a different story.

The F.6 did appear after the FGA.9 had disappeared from the catalogue so perhaps we'll be treated to a new release next year. The breakdown of both 72nd and 32nd kits would allow pretty much any mark to be covered. Perhaps I need to dig out the four 32nd and 5 72nd scale kits I've laid down in the stash and get converting - natural law states Revell will announce the F.1, F.5, FGA.10 and GA.11 kits just as I've got about half way through

[Julien]

cheaper approach might be to re-pop the F.6 with new decals for maybe 74 Sqn and the Blue Diamonds and Black Arrows teams.

yes please Mr revell if you are listening!

Julien

[SeaVenom]

I saw someone on one site a few years back (who said he'd worked at Revell) saying the 1/32 Hunters sold quite well. Seemed genuine enough.

[Nigel Bunker]

"No longer in production" - well generally kits do not stay in production - they are produced in batches in order to amortise the cost of setting up the machines each time. Herr RoG talks to his sales and marketing departments who tell him they envisage selling say 10000 of a kit type, then he talks to his financial people (who hate having money tied up in stock in the warehouse that doesn't move) and they will probably end up making say 8000. The moulds are fitted to the machine and 8000 kits are made. The mould is then put away until the company decides to make another run.

Now let us say of that 8000 that 5000 go out to wholesalers and shops at £6.00 each. 3000 sit in the warehouse, and if they are lucky, another 1000 go out as further orders. that leaves 2000 in the warehouse, and after a while the beancounters go to Herr RoG and say "do you realise that in ?? months it will have cost us more to store those kits than they are worth?". Herr RoG calls in his sales manager, tells him that the kits cost say £2.00 each and to get the rest sold PDQ for as much as he can. The sales manager rings his contacts in the chains and big shops and sells them for say £4.00 each. These shops then knock the kits out at a reduced rate to get rid of them quickly. Stock in warehouses costs money to keep.

So Herr RoG has no more in stock and will not make more until either somebody wants to buy a quantity (in the thousands), either under RoG's ortheir own label or alternatively the marketing department judges there is a demand for another run. And Herr RoG does not care if that kit is a hawker Hunter or an F1 car 0r a ship - his job is to make and sell kits and make a return for his shareholders.

The idea of regularly wheeling out the moulds and making hundreds kits every few months died a long while ago, that is if it ever existed.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Nigel Bunker

[mmaker]

Well,I can imagine a re-pop of a F4 with Danish and Swedish decals, or with Kenyan,Iraqi,etc,

and even new parts with pylons for an Omani one!!!

[derek burton]

He

needs to knock a few more out then cos hannants have now got the LF two seat conversions T7 & T8 plus the Pj one then there is the O&O two seat conversion, seems to be the in thing, two seat Hunters, not complaining though must check LHS i`m sure they had a couple in at original price .

Dek.

[chadders]

"No longer in production" - well generally kits do not stay in production - they are produced in batches in order to amortise the cost of setting up the machines each time. Herr RoG talks to his sales and marketing departments who tell him they envisage selling say 10000 of a kit type, then he talks to his financial people (who hate having money tied up in stock in the warehouse that doesn't move) and they will probably end up making say 8000. The moulds are fitted to the machine and 8000 kits are made. The mould is then put away until the company decides to make another run.

Now let us say of that 8000 that 5000 go out to wholesalers and shops at £6.00 each. 3000 sit in the warehouse, and if they are lucky, another 1000 go out as further orders. that leaves 2000 in the warehouse, and after a while the beancounters go to Herr RoG and say "do you realise that in ?? months it will have cost us more to store those kits than they are worth?". Herr RoG calls in his sales manager, tells him that the kits cost say £2.00 each and to get the rest sold PDQ for as much as he can. The sales manager rings his contacts in the chains and big shops and sells them for say £4.00 each. These shops then knock the kits out at a reduced rate to get rid of them quickly. Stock in warehouses costs money to keep.

So Herr RoG has no more in stock and will not make more until either somebody wants to buy a quantity (in the thousands), either under RoG's ortheir own label or alternatively the marketing department judges there is a demand for another run. And Herr RoG does not care if that kit is a hawker Hunter or an F1 car 0r a ship - his job is to make and sell kits and make a return for his shareholders.

The idea of regularly wheeling out the moulds and making hundreds kits every few months died a long while ago, that is if it ever existed.

That's about it in a nutshell. That's why most of the kits in the Modelzone sale are Revell. About this time of year our buyer is talking to the people at RoG arranging for any remaining stock in the warehouse, that's not going in the 2011 catalogue, are with us for Christmas ready for our darling punters to empty their wallets into our tills. However I will miss the bloke that bought 50 Hunters off me this year!!!

[MikeR]

I'd love a two seater, but that would need a new sprue for the fuselage = more costs.

I remember reading somewhere that Revell did intend on doing one, but decided against it after the allegedly poor sales.

I bought both kits: the F.6 was completed as a Black Arrow and the FGA.9's allocated to be a Rhodesian one.

I'm still tempted to get a few more....

Mike.

[Julien]

However I will miss the bloke that bought 50 Hunters off me this year!!!

So whos owning up to buying 50 hunters!!

Julien

[thx6667]

I've no idea what the actual numbers are but given that Airfix have been churning out their (flawed and aged) FGA.9 for donkey's years (thereby proving there's a market)

Thing is, that could be down to a stronger domestic presence and/or the fact that the logo sells a kit just as much as the subject matter.

I can help shake the feeling that sometimes kits are talked up and then their intended market goes AWOL, especially 1950s British stuff.

[Tony Whittingham]

So whos owning up to buying 50 hunters!!

Julien

Hell! No wonder I couldn't find any on this side of the pond!