A few more future releases.

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Yesterday Airfix put up their 'new for 2013' list. Not so much, but interesting nonetheless, 1/48 stuff and a good bunch of apparently new-tool 1/72 kits coming our way. including new-tools Lanc's (obviously the merlin engined variants, but apparently also one with Hercules radials) gloster gladiator, hawker typhoon, Fw-190A, Hurricane Mk.I early, Vampire, EE Lightning, and then some.

Details best found @ the Airfix site ofcourse, and ofcourse it remains to be seen what will come out in 2013 down the line, but you know how it is. Still, good to see the Hornby folks making ever increasing efforts - in times such as these - to bring back airfix from the ashes of backruptcy a few years back.
 
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Sure is. Just had a message from Karl, telling me they're going to do a 1/48th scale Gloster/AW Javelin - but at £50. Bit expensive, even though it will be a fairly large model.
 
Crimea_River said:
No 1/48 Spit MkXIV. Damn.
Click to expand...

I would much rather make that a 'not yet' Looks like they'll focus on 1/72 stuff for 2013, but I think chances are good for a new 1/48 MK.XIV to be released in the near future. It's about the only major variant left to be made into an accurate model (if all goes well Eduard will come up with an accurate 1/48 MK.IX very soon)

Makes no sense to not do it as far as I can see. A little out there perhaps, but maybe they'll wait it out in order to pair the yields of the excavations in Burma with a new mould Mk.XIV release or something like that. In terms of marketing the 'buzz' surrounding that will work to their advantage too if they launch a new MK.XIV kit.
 
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Shouldn't be difficult for Airfix to make a MkXIV Spit, using the basics of the PR19 moulds. It was essentially the same externally, so just needs the bulges and cannon for the 'C' wing, windscreen and a few other small areas. I guess I'll be converting the PR19 to a MkXIV when its released, as I'm currently in the process of converting a Hobbycraft MkXIV back from the PR19 I converted it into, to XIV again!!
 
I agree Terry. I think it's just a matter of time before the "official" XIV comes out. I was just disappointed that it was not planned for 2013. Maybe Jelmer has a point and they're holding it back pending the disinterment of all those "shiny, new, flyable" XIV's in Burma.
 
They'll wait a long time then. Even if work to unearth them does start in January, as proposed, it'll be some time before they reach the UK.
I realise that there has to be a production and marketing plan, and a budget to cover these, but if I was running the show, I'd already have the tools in place, ready to release a MkXIV within a very short time period following the PR19, if not concurrently. I'd also ensure that, having announced the PR19 for release in 2013, that it is released within the first quarter, ensuring there are no delays, as happened with the 1/24th scale Mosquito.
These proposed kits will sell like the proverbial hot cakes, giving a relatively fast return on the investment, and I personally believe that priority should be given to plans for new kits, in all scales planned, at reasonable retail prices,with re-tooling of older kits, although very welcome, being a secondary aim.
That said, it's gratifying to see that Airfix will be re-tooling many 'traditional' kits, rather than trying to market and sell, at 'today's' prices, those which I made as a boy in the 1950s, many of which, even then, were only of passable quality.
One thing I'm wary of though - their prices are creeping up, approaching the ludicrous asking prices for certain 'Far East' manufactured kits. As we all know that Revell can produce excellent kits at realistic prices, this is something which the marketing and financial wizards at Airfix need to look at closely. Their current or recent releases have been good, reflecting the quality of their 'new breed' of kits from the late 1970s and early 1980s, but, as good as they are, they still lack the finesse of some manufacturers products, Revell being one, although this might be a result of where, and how, they are produced.
 
I do hope, that Airfix (and their owners) sniff around on the 'net' and forums like this, to keep track on what us grassroots think about their kits, what we wish for, prices etc., should be any PR departments duty, well.....one can always dream, right?
 
I've just been notified of a surprise, out of the blue re-release, in a regular newsletter from Relish Models. This is the Heller 1/48th scale Jaguar GR1/GR3 and the Jaguar A, both available now - RRP £24.99, Relish Special Offer price £21.99. (Just ordered one!).
The GR1/GR3 is, of course, the same kit once available from Airfix, released alongside the Heller kit around 12 years ago, when both companies were then owned by Humbrol. (RIP).
From what I understand, and have seen, it can provide a good basis for extra detail, having 'solid' control surfaces, and, until the new Italeri kit is released - date and price not yet known - it's the only RAF version available in this scale.
Good or bad, I, for one, am happy to see it back, and it'll make an interesting comparison to the old ESCI kit I got earlier this year.
 
I had a problem at the 'check out' Karl, as an internal error occured. However, I eventually managed to get the order through, although it adjusted the indicated stock levels down from 6 to 4. I've e-mailed Graham, at Relish, to let him know what happened, so it should be sorted.
I've been checking Hannant's site daily fro further news of the Italeri kit, but it's still showing only as 'Future release', with no suggested date. I noticed on a couple of web discussions that this kit was rumored, then announced, at least a couple of years ago, with only a very basic mock-up of the box art shown, so it's any one's guess when, or if, it'll appear. At a guess though, when it does appear, it'll be more than the Airfix/Heller example, but hopefully well detailed.
I was surprised by the Heller re-release, as they are supposed to be 'no more', and I hadn't spotted any news on it.
I did notice another new Jaguar 'A' though, by a company I haven't heard of before, the name of which escapes me at the moment, but it was something like £45 !!
 
The Lords of Hornby move in mysterious ways - perhaps they're planned, after the release of the 1/48th scale Vulcan mentioned a year or so back ......
 
Crimea_River said:
I agree Terry. I think it's just a matter of time before the "official" XIV comes out. I was just disappointed that it was not planned for 2013. Maybe Jelmer has a point and they're holding it back pending the disinterment of all those "shiny, new, flyable" XIV's in Burma.
Click to expand...

I was throwing a bit of a curveball there in regard to the MK.XIV buried in Burma ;) All things considered though, I do still think it could serve as a helluva 'free' marketing trick for anything regarding classic British aviation and Spitfires in general. Still, Airfix have the basics pretty much covered in terms of research and a series of seperate kits. So provided the PR.19 is an accurate attempt that mights serve as the basis for a new kit it makes no sense to NOT do a MK.XIV.
 
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