Airfix 2015 releases

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Discussion

Mutley

Original Poster:

3,178 posts

258 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
The full list is out, and I have to admit to being a little excited with the thought of building a Shakelton. I might even go for the "Dogfight double" of a Defiant and Dornier 17:

www.airfix.com/shop/new-for-2015.html

Zad

12,695 posts

235 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Looking at the delivery dates, they like to publicise them well ahead of release don't they!

Presumably the EE Lightning is a new mould, it seems a lot of money for another rehash of the old one.

MartG

20,622 posts

203 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Not on the list...... biggrin


jamieduff1981

8,022 posts

139 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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1/24 Mosquito - woohoo! biggrin

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Zad said:
Presumably the EE Lightning is a new mould, it seems a lot of money for another rehash of the old one.
No that will be the "old" mould. However, Airfix's 1/48 Lightning was always looked on as one of the best models they produced before the "Hornby" era.

The 1/72 lineup is cracking. We have brand new toolings of a Whitley - and a Shackleton (an MR2 as well) - and a Beaufighter.

dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Eric Mc said:
Zad said:
Presumably the EE Lightning is a new mould, it seems a lot of money for another rehash of the old one.
No that will be the "old" mould. However, Airfix's 1/48 Lightning was always looked on as one of the best models they produced before the "Hornby" era.
According to Lufbramatt, the Airfix 1:48 Lightning wasn't in fact an Airfix design:

lufbramatt said:
The much-lauded Airfix 1/48 lightnings and late spitfires were essentially Heller kits- contrary to popular belief, they were not designed by Trevor Snowden, but subbed out to Philippe Goulard, one of the Heller kit designers. "Our Trev" just supplied him with some reference material.

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Yes, the moulds have always been owned by (Humbrol) Airfix, but the design was penned by a Heller designer, who has also since worked for Revell. He's a nice guy, I've met him a few times.

dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
lufbramatt said:
Yes, the moulds have always been owned by (Humbrol) Airfix, but the design was penned by a Heller designer, who has also since worked for Revell. He's a nice guy, I've met him a few times.
General question about moulds/process: There's a lot of discussion about surface detail on previous new tool stuff. Among other things it was discussed at a recent lecture I went to in terms of cost per unit vs. fidelity. If a new tooling process became available which gave higher tolerances at a cheap price, could/would you use the existing CAD to make new moulds? Or is the mould making process so expensive that it wouldn't be worth it?

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
We would never be able to justify replacing existing recent moulds unless they broke down and could not repair them, even then we would have to justify how quickly we would recoup the expenditure on an existing subject vs. a subject new to the market. I would love to be able to use tool making methods that gave better definition, although I think the grade of plastic used and the amount of regrind in the mix makes a big difference too, our test shots always look much crisper than production mouldings which is frustrating, as the tools are pretty good. Sadly that side of things is out of my hands frown

dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
lufbramatt said:
We would never be able to justify replacing existing recent moulds unless they broke down and could not repair them, even then we would have to justify how quickly we would recoup the expenditure on an existing subject vs. a subject new to the market. I would love to be able to use tool making methods that gave better definition, although I think the grade of plastic used and the amount of regrind in the mix makes a big difference too, our test shots always look much crisper than production mouldings which is frustrating, as the tools are pretty good. Sadly that side of things is out of my hands frown
As a design engineer, I feel your pain. Unfortunately compromise is part of the game I guess.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Why are the test shots of better quality than productions shots?

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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I think it's down to the quality of plastic used. Still trying to get to the bottom of it though.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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That's easy enough to solve at least. If the moulds are inherently good, then sorting out the quality of the plastic should be more straightforward.

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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I quite fancy the 1/144 Vanguard.

paperbag

Skii

1,625 posts

190 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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what a bloody brilliant picture that is !


Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Dr Jekyll said:
I quite fancy the 1/144 Vanguard.

paperbag
Nice to see it back in the range. It is a very ancient kit now (originally released around 1961) but it is the only 1/144 injection moulded kit of a Vanguard there has ever been.

Great to see it in it's original BEA livery too.

Edited to add - 1963


https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id...

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 22 December 17:22

Elderly

3,486 posts

237 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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jamieduff1981 said:
1/24 Mosquito - woohoo! biggrin
+1 and that should hopefully put a stop to the last version being offered for silly money on fleabay etc.

dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
lufbramatt said:
We would never be able to justify replacing existing recent moulds unless they broke down and could not repair them, even then we would have to justify how quickly we would recoup the expenditure on an existing subject vs. a subject new to the market. I would love to be able to use tool making methods that gave better definition, although I think the grade of plastic used and the amount of regrind in the mix makes a big difference too, our test shots always look much crisper than production mouldings which is frustrating, as the tools are pretty good. Sadly that side of things is out of my hands frown
If it's the plastic (presumably cost related), are you sure people wouldn't be prepared to pay more for enhanced quality? A lot of subjects you're offering these days aren't that mainstream, so I'd assume a few extra £ here or there wouldn't be the end of the world for those customers?

Is the 1:24 Typhoon the same plastic grade as the other new tool stuff?

Yertis

18,016 posts

265 months

Tuesday 23rd December 2014
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Shackleton looks nice – are Airfix are working through the Frog catalogue? What chance an Ar234?



OK zero I know but it would be a cool model.

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Tuesday 23rd December 2014
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Frog did an MR3, our new one is an MR2- very different aircraft in terms of moulding a kit- almost nothing is shared apart from the interior smile