Hornby / Airfix bringing production back to the UK

[Zad]

Seems like TVR isn't the only traditional British company coming back home...

Ever since re-launching Airfix, Hornby have had trouble with their contractors in China. It had looked like things were improved when they went to multiple sources, and moved some production to India, but it seems that rising wages and continuing supply problems have contributed to a £3.4M loss in year to March 31st. A suicidal set of Olympic sponsored products didn't help either.

Last year it was reported that Hornby were bringing some of their paint production back to the UK. Well now it looks like more of the core business is coming back to the UK. It seems only to be around 10% of production, but it is a move in the right direction.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jun/08/hor...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/re...

[Eric Mc]

Interesting.

At the talk I went to in October last year, the Airfix chap giving the talk hinted that using Chinese mould makers had its problems.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

...the Airfix chap giving the talk hinted that using Chinese mould makers had its problems.

I think I've been hinting the same thing for several years...

Let's hope they don't end up with the same quality, but just more expensive.

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

...the Airfix chap giving the talk hinted that using Chinese mould makers had its problems.

I think I've been hinting the same thing for several years...

Let's hope they don't end up with the same quality, but just more expensive.

If they are anything like their new Gladiator, Vampire or Typhoon, quality will not be an issue.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

...the Airfix chap giving the talk hinted that using Chinese mould makers had its problems.

I think I've been hinting the same thing for several years...

Let's hope they don't end up with the same quality, but just more expensive.

If they are anything like their new Gladiator, Vampire or Typhoon, quality will not be an issue.

With the Vampire and Typhoon, it's more of the same in terms of trench panel lines. Not seen the Gladiator yet, but it has more potential simply becasue there aren't that many lines to start with.

[Eric Mc]

The Airfix chap that spoke at the talk I was at was actually referring to the difficulty in communication and reviewing test mouldings from a distance of thousands of miles and using internet images to make initial judgements on quality - and the ensuing time it takes to get errors fixed.

Note that this article doesn't state that their mainstream moulding work is coming back to the UK. What they talk about is a new line of snap fit kits for juniors.

However, you really cut Airfix no slack whatsoever.

What are your opinions of Revell's failure to get their recent Lancaster wing diherdral right?
Or Revell's major mistakes with their new tool Halifax?
Or Italeri's trench lines on their £40.00 new tool Sunderland?

I love what they are doing now. And at reasonable prices.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

The Airfix chap that spoke at the talk I was at was actually referring to the difficulty in communication and reviewing test mouldings from a distance of thousands of miles and using internet images to make initial judgements on quality - and the ensuing time it takes to get errors fixed.

Note that this article doesn't state that their mainstream moulding work is coming back to the UK. What they talk about is a new line of snap fit kits for juniors.

However, you really cut Airfix no slack whatsoever.

What are your opinions of Revell's failure to get their recent Lancaster wing diherdral right?
Or Revell's major mistakes with their new tool Halifax?
Or Italeri's trench lines on their £40.00 new tool Sunderland?

I love what they are doing now. And at reasonable prices.

I choose the kits I feel will reflect the level of effort I put into my builds. So far, Airfix aren't a choice for me becasue the time, money and effort spent getting them to Academy, Tamiya or Hasegawa standards of surface detail would be wasted - I'd rather buy a quality kit in the first place and reap the rewards on completion.

I have my opinions, which fortunately aren't swayed by the "Emperor's new clothes" comments on many modelling forums. If or when they get their act together, I will definitely buy Airfix as a first choice becasue they are British. I'll look at the Gladiator and, if it's any good I'll get one, if not I won't. Simple

[Eric Mc]

It is good. Buy one.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

It is good. Buy one.

I certainly will. Are there any aftermarket decals for it yet?

[Eric Mc]

Because there have been a number of (now inferior) Gladiator models around since the late 1950s (Airfix, FROG, Matcbox (now Revell) and Heller), there are quite a few decal sheets available for the Gladiator.

For pre-war RAF ones, the (now defunct - but still obtainable) Silver Wings range from The Aviation Workshop had quite a few Gladiators on their sheets.

The kit comes with pre-war colours for a 73 Squadron aircraft (as did the 1970s Matchbox kit) and a WW2 era camouflaged Irish Air Corps aircraft. The kit decals are by Carthograf.

The kit comes with three choices for canopy and windscreen, open, closed and two versions of the front windscreen.



The Starter Kit version will have markings for 80 Squadron, RAF Amriya, Egypt.

[dr_gn]

Cartograf

I quite fancy the silver one (like the old Matchbox version), but I'm not sure how to represent that high speed silver finish. I'm happy doing natural metal in Alclad (and they do a white aluminium which would be about the right colour), but I think my usual preshading techniques might not work so well on this.

[Eric Mc]

Xtracolour do a metallic enamel which they call High Speed Silver. I've not used it yet but I have its set aside for Meteors, Vampires etc. It might work for pre-war silver RAF aircraft.