Sad news from Airfix

[Mark V GTD]

Got the Roy Cross coffee table book off the shelf last night and really enjoyed looking at all his fantastic paintings for Airfix but very disappointed that the captions provided zero information on the story behind each one or even a date. Time for an update I guess.

[Eric Mc]

Regarding his kit box and kit packaging artwork, Scalemates will give you a history of the various Airfix releases over the decades. That will give you approximate dates for when Cross' artwork appeared for each kit.

[Yertis]

Eric Mc said:

Nice review of the art of Roy Cross by Peter Oxley -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4VjjcoZENI&t=...

Why does he wear those black latex gloves? It's not just him either, I've seen a few YouTubers wearing them.

[GliderRider]

Yertis said:

Eric Mc said:

Nice review of the art of Roy Cross by Peter Oxley -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4VjjcoZENI&t=...

Why does he wear those black latex gloves? It's not just him either, I've seen a few YouTubers wearing them.

Maybe to stop sweat etc. damaging the books he's handling? Otherwise he may have flaky skin/dermatitus.

[Eric Mc]

He’s a kit collector as well as a builder and likes to keep the boxes he handles pristine

[Stick Legs]

Eric Mc said:

He’s a kit collector as well as a builder and likes to keep the boxes he handles pristine

I sometimes buy two kits.

One to build & one to keep.

[Yertis]

Understood. I wondered if it some YouTube convention.

[Eric Mc]

I think it's a bit excessive, to be honest, but I like his videos as I think he's quite a good presenter. So many model based You Tube channels are rather dull with poor presentation.

I also like Max's Models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXNfqw0tSX0

[Yertis]

Eric Mc said:

I think it's a bit excessive, to be honest, but I like his videos as I think he's quite a good presenter. So many model based You Tube channels are rather dull with poor presentation.

I also like Max's Models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXNfqw0tSX0

Yes I enjoy Peter's vids too. Quite relaxing to watch, and I'm always made to feel most welcome.

Not seen Max's so I'll have a scout around for those. I enjoy Greg's Models builds – he just cracks on with them in a very slick way. Saves having to build them myself.

[Eric Mc]

I'm not that interested in watching other people build models. I'm more interested in the chat about the history of the industry and a certain amount of model building philosophy. And I quite like kit and show reviews.

I also like when modellers have an interest in and knowledge about the subjects they like building.

[Yertis]

Interesting. I enjoy watching the techniques people use. The bits where they study what's on the box and what the instructions are like send me to sleep. If you want properly nerdy stuff go and watch some model railway channels, where they studiously review the product codes and description on the end of the box.

[spitfire-ian]

Stick Legs said:

Funny thing is, because I grew up with these I feel really nostalgic about them.

Me too.

Reading this thread I was thinking I preferred the pictures of the completed kits as it showed what it would actually look like.

I guess I have no imagination

[Eric Mc]

Yertis said:

Interesting. I enjoy watching the techniques people use. The bits where they study what's on the box and what the instructions are like send me to sleep. If you want properly nerdy stuff go and watch some model railway channels, where they studiously review the product codes and description on the end of the box.

Just shows that the hobby caters for many different aspects and attitudes. Scale models for me, as a hobby, is not just about building the models.

[Eric Mc]

spitfire-ian said:

Stick Legs said:

Funny thing is, because I grew up with these I feel really nostalgic about them.

Me too.

Reading this thread I was thinking I preferred the pictures of the completed kits as it showed what it would actually look like.

I guess I have no imagination

That original Vulcan kit was first issued at the time when Airfix had dropped their box art - so when it emerged in the early 1980s it was in a "photo box". It was only with later releases that they started appearing in boxes which showed artwork rather than a photo. Sadly, Roy Cross had retired by then so the later artwork wasn't that inspiring.

[lufbramatt]

Eric Mc said:

That original Vulcan kit was first issued at the time when Airfix had dropped their box art - so when it emerged in the early 1980s it was in a "photo box". It was only with later releases that they started appearing in boxes which showed artwork rather than a photo. Sadly, Roy Cross had retired by then so the later artwork wasn't that inspiring.

This actually causes a bit of a conundrum with some potential releases in the "Vintage Classics" range, there are some nice kits that would be good to re-issue but the original boxart was either a photo or one of the slightly later "airbrush" style paintings, which wouldn't work that well next to others with much better artwork.

[Eric Mc]

I can see the problem.

A lovely Airfix kit from the "just after" Roy Cross golden era is their McDonnell F2H Banshee. Unfortunately, the original box art it came with was rather bland.



And, of course, it was also released with the dreaded "photo box" -



I'd love to see it reissued but what style box should it have? A repeat of the original 1980 "boring" box or give it the modern Adam Tooby treatment?

[Stick Legs]

m
Not Adam but could be.

[Eric Mc]

That would be great. The dilemma facing Airfix is that the Banshee firmly belongs in the “Vintage Classic” era but unfortunately, the original box art wasn’t in the classic Roy Cross style.

If they put it n a modern red box with Adam Tooby style they’ll collect a lot of flak for putting an old tooling in a modern box.

[Simpo Two]

Eric Mc said:

If they put it n a modern red box with Adam Tooby style they’ll collect a lot of flak for putting an old tooling in a modern box.

That's easy, just put a starburst on the front saying 'Original Tooling' or 'Classic Tooling'. Then people will pay extra for it...

[Eric Mc]

That’s what they do with the Vintage Classic range. I expect they would be reluctant to create yet another box design to cover the few models they issued from around 1980 up to the Hornby takeover in 2006. That was probably Airfix’s most fallow period regarding new issues,