Airfix on BBC2 Now.

[Gretchen]

How Hornby attempt to lure back the children.

Measuring up for a Dalek and a Canberra.

Not that i'm watching it of course.

[The Hypno-Toad]

I was watching and I'll freely admit to it!!

Good programme I thought but I thought it was quite funny that most of the delays in launching the Dr Who kits seemed to be coming from the BBC! You'd have thought they would have said to the programme makers "Have a word,"

I really hope it works. Airfix was a terrific brand name but just like BL they lost out to the Japanese. Who's going to put together a 20 year mould of yet another Spitfire when the Hasegawa & Fujimi ones were more interesting subjects and were of much higher quality? Its interesting that the TSR2 kit which was released just before they went bust in 2006 had been knocking around in mould form for ages and the dedicated model fans were screaming for it but it wouldn't get released. I guess another example of short sighted management. However, I guess a lot of people must still be interested as their website has crashed as I type! (19-50)

I think the best models I built were the 1/48th Mosquito & 1/72rd F-86D Sabre Dog.

[tali1]

what was so complicated that it took 5 weeks to get pic of david tennant and his bird for the models?

[gopher]

I was pleasantly surprised by the programme, it painted a much more positive picture than I was expecting.

I saw the Dr Who model at the IPMS show in Telford a few weeks back and have to say the sculptures look excellent as do the TARDIS, the Nimrod and the Canberra.

[Zad]

In true reality-style-tv it was full of "oh no disaster" moments that weren't disaster at all. Unfortunately I'm not sure we learned much at all from that programme, and much was misleading. For instance, the old moulds capable of producing results as good as they did when they were new.

Clue No.1 for Airfix: Forget the kids market. At £24:99 a throw you aren't going to be selling to kids anyway.

Clue No.2 for Airfix: Google for Rapid Prototyping.

[gopher]

Zad said:

In true reality-style-tv it was full of "oh no disaster" moments that weren't disaster at all. Unfortunately I'm not sure we learned much at all from that programme, and much was misleading. For instance, the old moulds capable of producing results as good as they did when they were new.

Clue No.1 for Airfix: Forget the kids market. At £24:99 a throw you aren't going to be selling to kids anyway.

Clue No.2 for Airfix: Google for Rapid Prototyping.

I'm not sure what you were expecting. I didn't think the "disaster" moments were over played at all, in fact I would say the opposite having spoken to Trevor about the trials and tribulations og getting Airfix where they are now.

For instance it seemed that the Dr Who people at the BBC were at least in part responsible for delays along the way, something I did not know as fair the Airfix people on the stands they never looked to lay blame elsewhere, and the little "lost in translation" issues I know where far more numerous than the flashing light, but they mentioned it and put a humorous slant on it.

IMO it wasn't bad and quite positive.

[anonymous-user]

The Fujimi Phantom just falls together. Best Kit I've made for quality.

Nimrod looks good, but I believe is a strictly limited run of a couple of thousand, which is total madness as, as far as I am aware, no other manufacturer makes a model of the Nimrod in 1:72.

The 1:48 Canberra looks interesting aswell

Still got a 1:72 Concorde to finish (I started it 4 years ago)!! and Shackleton somewhere.

[V8mate]

Thanks for the heads-up

[MK4 Slowride]

Your such a slag V8mate.

[Stu R]

V8mate said:

Thanks for the heads-up

You are aware it's 2009 aren't you?

[Eric Mc]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Airfix are alive and kicking now, after their 2007 problems.
Their 1/48 Canberra models are selling really well and getting pretty good reviews. So far they've released the B(I)8, PR9 and Martin B-57 variants. A B2/6 version is coming too.
They will be releasing a 1/72 B(I)8 and PR9 in the next few weeks.
The Nimrod is still readilly available - often at discounted prices so I reckon that its "limited" status has not encouraged "panic" buying (as the 2006 release of the 1/72 TSR2 did.

Airfix never did a Shackleton. I recon you are remembering the FROG 1/72 Shackleton MR3, which was re-released by Revell a few years ago.

The only other 1/72 Nimrod was a vacform by long defunct Formaplane. I think it was released in the early 1980s.

[Eric Mc]

Holy schmoley - did this thread REALLY need to be moved?

If it was going to be moved, perhaps "Scale Models" might have been a better forum seeing as how the TV programme it originally referred to was so old it was a 405 line black and white tramnsmission.

[Zad]

The Forum mods are getting utterly out of hand now! If I mention a steam train, will that get it moved to Boats Planes and Trains, and then if I mention cars, will it get moved again? Utterly ridiculous.

To keep it on track (and, who knows, maybe get it moved to scale models?) my current project it an Airfix beam engine. I'm trying to do a "proper" job on it so it is taking longer than I would have hoped.

[Eric Mc]

It does beggar belief at times. If I mention the fact that the inhalation of superglues when constructing an Airfix kit may be injurious to one's health, maybe it might be moved to the "Health Matters" forum.

I think the Airfix beam engine dates back to the 1970s. Airfix are still some way behind the Japanese and Chinese competition these days, even with some of their new mouldings. However, as long as they produce subjects that are in demand, they will find a amarket.

[mybrainhurts]

Eric Mc said:

Airfix are still some way behind the Japanese and Chinese competition these days, even with some of their new mouldings. However, as long as they produce subjects that are in demand, they will find a amarket.

I think they've gone too far with this.....

I certainly couldn't stick it together in my kitchen...

Edited by mybrainhurts on Monday 27th April 19:15

[Zad]

I chose the beam engine because one of my earliest memories is that of my granddad Shaw making one. He was the senior fitter in a central facility that serviced all the local mines. He had somewhat of a reputation for doing things properly, so my conscience won't allow me to bodge this one.

I have quite a bit of faith in Hornby running Airfix properly now. It seems to be making a profit, and the problem they had with their Chinese injection moulding company (due to financial leveraging on a buyout some time ago) now seems to be fixed. The truly new releases aren't perfect (as opposed to re-releases of slightly tweaked old moulds) but are a marked improvement on the old stuff. The 1:24 Mosquito does look amazing, but I fear £140 will just be too much for the market to bear. Then again, I have seen people shell out nearly £100 on TSR2 detailing parts.

For anyone that hasn't seen the video yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIiieWvcRK0

[Eric Mc]

Plastic kit prices are rocketing at the moment - due to the weak pound I guess.

I'm chiefly a 1/72 scale man so I don't think I'll be tempted with the new Mossie. I have a few of the 1/72 Mossies from the 70s and they are really nice little kits - although somewhat cruder than the magnificent Tamiya 1/72 Mosquito.

[HereBeMonsters]

I was always an Airfix kid, but since I've been able to afford them, I buy Tamiya models mainly. Detail is just better, and instructions easier to follow.

[Eric Mc]

There's no doubt Tamiya have set the standard for years. Airfix have covered some rather escoteric subjects and there are still a few aircraft they cover that no one else does.

The releases from Revell Germany over the past ten years or so have been simply superp quality wise.

[anonymous-user]

Yep, I think the Shack was a Frog one. Bought it a few years ago now before Revell re-released it.

I bought 3 Nimrods a year ago, expecting them to be "limited edition of only about 3,000."

I've only built one so far and need to do the transfers.