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What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 1st, 2017, 9:29 pm
by ronbow
Is there a problem at Airfix? I am pleased they are bringing out new kits and new tooling's, But There all military. Now don't get me wrong cos that's what I mainly build, But looking on there site I found not one civil aircraft (airliners). There are only two members kits to choose from , and the membership pack gets less and less in it every year. On top of that the Chairman of Hornby has quit. WHATS GOING ON?
:sad: :???:

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 1st, 2017, 11:36 pm
by Eric Mc
Airfix will not be releasing any 1/144 airliners anytime soon (if at all).

When I attended a talk given by the Airfix production team a few years ago they categorically stated that they had no plans to issue new mould airliners in 1/144 scale.

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 3rd, 2017, 5:37 pm
by Stamford
I like to build things with guns on them. I remember, with horror, unwrapping a large box of rattling plastic as a nipper to reveal an airliner -one little kid was very disapointed!

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 3rd, 2017, 6:24 pm
by GeorgeSweety
Eric Mc wrote:Airfix will not be releasing any 1/144 airliners anytime soon (if at all).

When I attended a talk given by the Airfix production team a few years ago they categorically stated that they had no plans to issue new mould airliners in 1/144 scale.
A few years ago, while I was still a member of the Airfix Club, I emailed Airfix and asked them if they were ever going to re-release the 1/72 HP Hampden because I wanted to build one but at the time they were fetching silly prices on ebay. They categorically stated that they had no plans to reissue the 1/72 HP Hampden at any point in the foreseeable future. They re-released the 1/72 HP Hampden within about eight months of my query. :roll:

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 4th, 2017, 10:31 am
by Eric Mc
A re-release is one thing. Investing in brand new tooling and the related research is another.

They actually went into significant detail as to why they would not be issuing new airliner kits. The main one was that they felt that the market was already more or less sown up by new releases from the likes of Revell, Roden and Zvezda. That was about six years ago and since then they have stuck to that decision. In fact, we have had a few new players enter the fray with some 1/144 airliner kits so I think Airfix will stick to this particular decision.

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 4th, 2017, 9:53 pm
by ronbow
It's not just the Airliners I'm talking about. There seems to be less and less in the membership pack every time you renew, there are only two members kits to choose from , what happened to the free catalogue, colour chart, and other things like membership pin (my 12 year old nephew was very disappointed and is loosing interest in the club). Then there were the members special limited edition kits. If it's because they have tried to keep cost down, I think it's a bad idea and the club needs revitalising! Cant even get kits with motors in any more, Or just the electric motors. And it's getting very hard to get spare parts for kits that are no longer in production, Airfix used to be brilliant for spares even for kits that were years old. So I ask again WHATS GOING ON AIRFIX?

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 5th, 2017, 6:45 pm
by Eric Mc
Economising?

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 5th, 2017, 7:37 pm
by Ratch
Ron, the Club has been run down for the past three or four years. It's only really worth being a member if you have Flying Hours to trade.
As for the parts service, I'm afraid we only have ourselves to blame for the situation. How many modellers buy a kit second hand then ask Airfix to replace any missing parts. When I visited the Factory in Margate back in 2010, they were concerned about the number of dubious claims they were getting. As they inherited no Spares Department when everything was moved from Trun, they had to go on e-bay to buy old kits to satiate our relentless demand for missing parts. They'd even had some dodgy characters saying a whole sprue was missing, then another, then another - just to get a free kit. They now do what Revell and Italeri do - ask for proof of purchase (which I think is pretty reasonable).
The Club on the other hand is hardly worth joining :roll:

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 6th, 2017, 10:16 pm
by ronbow
I think that's a good idea, But I asked for a canopy for a 1/48 Canberra with proof of purchase and the badly made canopy. they sent me back the damaged part and an apology saying they no longer had spare parts for that kit as it was no longer in production. I bought it from them a month before hand!

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 7th, 2017, 2:07 pm
by PaulBradley
Are you going to Telford, Ron? Talk to the folks at the Airfix stand - I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss your concerns.

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 7th, 2017, 5:28 pm
by GeorgeSweety
Eric Mc wrote:A re-release is one thing. Investing in brand new tooling and the related research is another.
I know it is completely different between a new tool and a re-release but I just found it amusing how they said that "No way" would they be re-releasing the Hampden then did the opposite a few months later. Never say "Never" ;-)

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 7th, 2017, 6:22 pm
by Ratch
Their current policy seems to be new tools only. There's hardly any pre-2006 kits in the range this year :roll:

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 7th, 2017, 6:50 pm
by iggie
Ratch wrote:Their current policy seems to be new tools only. There's hardly any pre-2006 kits in the range this year :roll:
I suspect that Airfix have realised that most dedicated modellers will buy older kits via online sellers or at shows etc., which means that for them (Airfix) to be competitive means selling older kits at prices that don't justify the overhead producing and stocking them entails. Whilst it is true that the toolings will have paid for themselves over the years, it still costs exactly the same to produce an older kit (raw plastic, cost of moulding etc.), transport it, store it and sell it as it does to sell a new-tool; except that the new-tool can be sold at a higher price and therefore greater profit. There is also a chance that their new suppliers don't have presses capable of utilising the older tools?

My view is that for the future of modelling, this is good news; how many times have we complained about Airfix (and other manufacturers) selling old dogs in new packaging? Imagine the frustration of a parent buying a kit for the first time for their child, only to find out it only fits where it touches and is covered in more rivets than the Forth Bridge? Airfix (in the UK anyway) is still the brand synonymous with plastic model kits, and is therefore likely the first choice for returning or new modellers. Better that they buy a new-tool with well fitting parts and enjoy the experience, than they buy an old clunker that gets binned halfway through....there will be time enough in the future for them to discover the joys of the old kits held in such reverence by some!

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 7th, 2017, 9:18 pm
by ronbow
May be it's time for Airfix (Humbrol, Corgie) whatever, to come back to the home land for the lot , you know , production, distribution, the hole shebang! Revamp the whole lot, retool upgrade bring a home brand home and make it all in the UK! :grin: :lol: ;-) They have made great steps with New kits in the military range, so why not the civilian stuff (not just aircraft).

Re: What is happening to Airfix and the Airfix Club?

Posted: November 10th, 2017, 2:48 pm
by jezbrook
Hornby was put in a difficult position by the previous management and all the brands suffered as a result. It is now under new management and slowly getting back on track. All the brands had to rationalise their ranges to help this process. For Airfix it meant withdrawing the slow selling lines and concentrating on fast selling ones. Interestingly, the Tiger and Sherman are still in production, which tells you something about them!

All brands recently underwent a 6-month freeze of design and development and at present they are concentrating on getting the 2017 (and announced 2018) products to the market place. For Airfix, 2018 may not be a bumper year for new tools but at least there will be some new models.

jezbrook