RIP Airfix

[kevmusic]

I'm sure I won't be the only one here to lament this:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=402998&in_page_id=1770
:sad::(

[Whirlygig]

Not necessarily RIP. The company has gone into "Administration" which means that it is the intention to keep the business going if possible. Let's hope a venture capitalist or white knight is interested in bailing them out.

Cheers

Whirls

[kevmusic]

Let's hope a venture capitalist or white knight is interested in bailing them out.

Too late for Airfix to do a 1/72 Vulcan, I suppose? Say, XH558, for example? :hmm:

[Hireandhire]

Sad to see but for what it's worth, as a youngster I felt they started downhill right from when the instructions stopped saying "glue the oil-radiator housing..." etc to the cheaper (language free) pictograms.

Saved a few pence on country-specific stock control but took a lot of the fun and learning out for kids like me.


regards
HnH

[treadigraph]

Kev, they do a 1/72 Vulcan and you can still buy it from Hannants...

Or you can emulate my good friend Darius and build this 1/48th Vacform Vulcan (http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Fea1/401-500/Fea492_Vulcan_Aibara/fea492.htm). I should add that apparently the kit does appear on Ebay from time to time with a starting price of £500!

I've brought several 1/48 Airfix Spitfires recently and have to say that the wings are a terrible fit - particularly the new-tooled Mark IX - and need a hell of a lot of work to look good. I've give up and brought an Italeri kit instead. I can't say if their other kits are that bad, but I've also acquired second hand Islander, Heron and Basset kits recently and they do appear to dry fit quite well!

[kevmusic]

Sad to see but for what it's worth, as a youngster I felt they started downhill right from when the instructions stopped saying "glue the oil-radiator housing..." etc to the cheaper (language free) pictograms.

Yes, you're right. I learned most of what I know about port & starboard, nacelles, cowlings and antennae from those instructions, but the actual rubric was, "Locate and cement....." :cool:

[teeteringhead]

Ah yes "locate and cement"! What an aeronautical bite of madeleine.....

First two I built were a Spit (obviously) and a (then pretty new) Lightning @ 1/11d each..... I remember being surprised at how much bigger the Frightening was ..... stupid boy ......

Quality control was not always brilliant then (but customer service was). Remember buying a "Jap Zero" (bet they can't call it that now) which had a wing missing! Filled in the little form and a replacement arrived by return of post .....

[Groundloop]

I was waiting for the TSR2 release.
Cancelled again I suppose?

It was released as a limited edition in January. Or where you waiting for the re-release?

[chevvron]

But why does the Daily Mail keep showing pictures of some kid building Aurora (or is it Monogram) plastic kits? They're definitely not Airfix.

[treadigraph]

I think it's a minor miracle they don't show a kid with a heap of balsawood, a bolt of tissue paper and that balsa cement which (if long term memory is accurate) was far whiffier than the plastic stuff.

[Iron City]

They don't call it dope on the tissue paper for nothing.....

[VATCO]

If only everything in aviation could be fixed with a little glue

RIP Airfix and lets hope someone else starts to operate the company.

[kevmusic]

Hornby are allegedly showing an interest. They seem to have a good track record re-vivifying dead ducks - or even, dead DUKWs (yes, Airfix did produce one!)

....erm, I'll get me hat, coat & scarf.