Has Airfix lost it?

[Airframes]

It's common practice these days with most manufacturers, with one of the reasons being to preserve the moulds for longer life. Also, it allows an inventory at the same level, allowing for new kits being introduced in the meantime.
Fortunately, Revell tend to be reasonable in the way they go about this, whereas some other well-known manufacturers will withdraw a kit, then re-release it a couple of years later, being the same kit, with a different decal sheet, but with a 200% or 300% price increase, which I think is pure banditry !
It also really annoys me that these same manufacturers can introduce a new kit, which might be excellent, but costs an arm, a leg and your first born, whereas Revell can release a bigger scale kit, exceptionally well detailed and produced, at a quarter the price. Come on, someone is taking the p**s!

 

[Lucky13]

Tamigawa??

 

[Airframes]

I couldn't possibly admit old boy. But, there are at least two companies, one starting with 'H', who are the biggest culprits, and the other having a name starting with 'T', who aren't quite as bad but bad enough. Oh, and they're both based in a country in the Far east .....

 

[Lucky13]

Hmmmmm......

I like a couple of comments so far in the book...

John Wells made his first Airfix kit around 1969. 'I remember conning my mother out of 2/11d and telling her I wanted to buy a Series 1 galleon for 'educational purposes'; when I really only wanted the money to buy the Series 1 Westland Whirlwind fighter instead. She was very upset about that!

Mentioned a few times, that kits were and still is, educational....

The other one fits me and when it comes to Airfix...

Suming up John said. 'Airfix? It's about childhood. It's about the summer holidays when the sun always shone.'

Amen to that!

 

[weetam]

i have only just bought my first airfix kit since i was about 14, and to be honest, that had nothing to do with it being an airfix kit, and everything to do with it was cheap...

Like most, i grew up and started out on airfix kits, but to be honest, ive never really felt they were for the serious modeller, i would never ever buy an airfix kit by choice (unless as previously stated it was so cheap it was ridiculous) as i still feel they are intended for the young modeller market and not for the modeller who is serious about quality and pro-builds.

Myself, i prefer Revell, Italeri and Tamiya and Trumpeter. But then, i suppose doing it for a living, i rely on the quality of the kits for a decent build and while i hope to be proven wrong with the 1/24th Spitfire, i seriously doubt i will be using airfix kits for commissions and general sales.

 

[Gaston]

I couldn't possibly admit old boy. But, there are at least two companies, one starting with 'H', who are the biggest culprits, and the other having a name starting with 'T', who aren't quite as bad but bad enough. Oh, and they're both based in a country in the Far east .....

Yes, and it's not the fault of distributors or the dockyard workers union either... In the case of Hasegawa it's a deliberate strategy, apparently typical of Japanese companies, to retreat to the home market (80% of their sales I heard) when times get tough... Hasegawa jacked-up everything 50% in the Fall of 2008 (just as the Financial crisis hit), and besides Sprue Brothers, which had a stash at a lower price for a few years, they are now the same crazy price everywhere outside of Japan right now...

Trumpeteer was always overpriced, but not quite as bad as Hasegawa now is.

Gaston

 

[2112]

Five years later from the original post and I would say that the answer would be a definitive "no".

 

[rochie]

Five years later from the original post and I would say that the answer would be a definitive "no".

Airfix have picked up their game kit wise and I hope it continues, Humbrol enamel still crap though

 

[Airframes]

Yep, there's been a tremendous improvement since my original post. But I agree with Karl - the Humbrol enamel paint range needs desperate attention, even though production has now, apparently, moved back to 'somewhere in the UK'. Having used it for over 50 years, when it was without doubt the best model enamel bar none, since the demise of the Humbrol factory at Kingston, the paints have got worse and worse.

 

[Lucky13]

Agree!

 

[rochie]

i want to try the Humbrol acrylic range but my local shop only stocks enamel but as it has the full Vallejo model colour range i'll probably stick with them as i have found them pretty good so far, even got the hang of brush painting the metallics which is quite a challenge !

but Airfix 's Javelin is excellent and shows what they can do so i hope the do a few more different subjects rather than more Bf 109 E's and Spitfire I,Vand IX's !

give us the 1/48 Spitfire XIV Airfix and a new Bucceneer and dare i say a 1/48 Vulcan !!!!

 

[Airframes]

There's been rumours of a 1/48th scale Vulcan for some time Karl. I remember Iris, at the LHS, telling me about either test shots or a 'mock up' at one of the trade fairs some years ago. But then, the original 1/48th scale Mosquito had, I believe, been intended as a 1/24th scale kit back in the early 1980's, but was released in 1/48th, with a wait of 30 years before seeing it in 1/24th !
The Vulcan would be big - no, huge - in 1/48th scale, but I'd make room for one somehow !

 

[Lucky13]

Having two of their later new molds Lancasters in 1/72, I've got to say, even though in the 'wrong' scale, I love those kits, top quality and so on and what a joy it would be, if they'd enlarge them 1/48, including the ground set, wouldn't take much for them to run circles around the old Tamiya kit....

Then of course, we've got the Halifax, Stirling, Hampden in 1/48 as well, pretty please!

Games are fun to a certain level, have played a few 'first person shooter's (WWII of course) and race games myself, haven't touched the Xbox in a couple of years now, in saying that....it does not give you the same feeling of.....what's the word.....anyhoo, they don't give you same feeling after finished a game as when you've finished a model, in which a lot of hard work and hours of research (here on the forum obviously) put in, where you almost feel like that you get to know the person, I personally look forward to my Beurling and Zumbach birds, almost bought Screwball's book yesterday but decided to wait a wee while....not to mention those that I've got on my '13' list that I'd like to do, quite a few that's still MIA, after 69 years....

Think that I got a bit carried away here, anyhoo.....I look forward to future Airfix releases, particularly in 1/48 (Halifax, Hampden, Stirling) but that 1/24 Typhoon.....sorry, but I've got to have one!!

 

[Airframes]

I'm with you old chap. If they can release a Halifax, Stirling, Hampden and Whitley in 1/48th scale, plus some others such a a Hudson and, of course, that elusive Spitfire MkXIV and a Lancaster, as well as some ground support equipment and vehicles, all to the standard they used to have, and, fortunately, have recently achieved again, then there'd be a lot of happy modellers out there.

 

[Morlock]

They had a bit of a renaissance a few years back coming out with a variety of subjects some not the usual type. But the last few years have been dull as far as their releases go. Many of their "Classic kits" are an embarrassment in modern times as was the 1/72 Concorde about 12 or so years ago.

Their forum is also pretty terrible with a moderator who does a disservice to them on the PR front. It adds to making me avoid them.

 

[Snautzer01]

Do we have another dead post reviver?

 

[Morlock]

Do we have another dead post reviver?

I came by this post via a Google search so I didn't notice it was a few years old. Not sure what the big deal is really, is it preferred a new thread on the same subject be created instead?

 

[Snautzer01]

Well we have someone reviving dead ancient threads with nothing to add really. And that is a nuisance. I for one have nothing against reviving if it adds to it.

 

[Morlock]

Well we have someone reviving dead ancient threads with nothing to add really. And that is a nuisance. I for one have nothing against reviving if it adds to it.

I find it an interesting topic and wanted to chime in. Airfix is an iconic brand whose luster wore off long ago. A lot of older people who grew up with it still hold it dear but I think for most people they are viewed more critically.

Ironically it is the old guard who defend it no matter what who tend to let it down with their blind devotion.