If You Were Allowed To Smash A Mould

[AeroplaneDriver]

Toss-up between the Airfix Mig-15 or the Skyhawk

Based on the Airfix MiG 15 in my stash I thought someone already had smashed the mould...

My own choice would be the Revell-Monogram 1/48 A-10.  Beautifully detailed for raised detail, but it goes together like Stevie Wonder designed it.  

[Maverick]

Amongst others, I'd suggest some of Hasegawa's lesser lights that they still have the audacity to trot out with new decals and act like they're a new release.

[HOG]

You're utterly wrong and 30 years too late.  Society has changed utterly, people by and large do not have time for hobbies that take time and later generations have been programmed by society to think differently.  Anything that takes time = bad.  Most people want stuff NOW and if they can't get it, it gets ignored.

Any hobby that takes time and skill - modelmaking, knitting, crochet, whatever - is in decline and  there's nothing that can reverse that trend.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you here. Fortunately the current trend of prebiult/painted models from the Orient is in decline (according to a retailer friend of mine, thou you wouldn`t have guessed it from the large scale tanks on Amerang`s stand at the 2007 toyfair)

It`s all those pocket money kits, Airfix Heller et al that get me, they are well passed their sell by date and just how much pocket money do kids get these days?. But I must admit a certain warm glow when I think of all those Airfix kits from plastic bags burning at the end of the garden after being built in an afternoon, shot at the next day with the trusty old Webley. Ah Happy Days

EDIT
"I think they should at least come in a box with a transparent window so that potential buyers realize right away that theyre just buying raw plastic that only kinda looks like what its supposed to be. "

Just had to add this bit from Gooberliberation. Do you remember the days when kits had a picture on the box of the supposed assembled model?. Well as a past proffessional modelmaker, working in the trade, theres some stories I could tell you about them

[Andrew Gorman]

I'll chime in and as always paraphrase Barbara Woodhouse to  say there's no such thing as a bad model kit.  It can always be turned into something else and at least render up some useful parts if not blown up with firecrackers.  And I disagree that time consuming crafts are fading away.  In the US knitting is back in a big way, and other crafts are pretty darn popular- take a look at Make magazine and their annual Maker Faire
http://makerfaire.com/
and all the neat stuff that turns up at Burning Man. The next time you need a weird little part or tool, check out the scrapbooking supply or bead store.  Lots of people out here doing interesting, fiddly hand projects even if they are not making the ultimate Bf-109 G-4 LK mod. zero bis. mit fahrvernugen.   There's place for modeling in the 21st century, even if the JMNs keep complaining louder and louder about the kits they are forced to assemble.  Start with a block of wood and make your own:
http://groups.msn.com/SolidModelMemories/
Hope I didn't come across as too cranky- it's late for me!
Andrew

[philp]

Come on guys, Starfix kits make Airfix look like ultra modern, accurate models.

[Daryl J.]

Wooksta,

That would be why I said what I did.     Y've hit it spot on.    Interestingly, however, HobbyBoss 1/72 kits are selling remarkably well on the US west coast to children under ten years old.   Crocheting is the latest craze amongst high school girls in the Portland/Vancouver area too.  Stores have difficulty keeping supplies in stock.    It's almost counter culture.  

Here's to hoping it becomes a lasting trend.  


Daryl J.

[edit]:  The 1/48 Tornado by Airfix in hopes they do a grand one, that would be the smashed mould here.

[upnorth]

Amongst others, I'd suggest some of Hasegawa's lesser lights that they still have the audacity to trot out with new decals and act like they're a new release.

Definitely a prime reason to smash up their 1/72 BAC Lightning moulds, that and it would keep Revell Germany from reissuing it AGAIN somewhere down the road.

I know I already made my formal smash up nominations on the first page, but if I could do more, there would be a few of the old Hasegawa moulds on the list.

Their 1/72 Saab Viggen comes to mind, like the Airfix Viggen its just a real bad rendition of the prototype aircraft. The Heller Viggen are getting a bit long in the tooth, but are still the best starting point for a Viggen in that scale.

Others:

1/72 S-2F Tracker
1/72 P-3 Orion
1/72 A-7 Corsair II

If I could, I'd also smash up Fujimi's 1/72 E-2 Hawkeye molds so someone actually might make a new tooled version of the thing.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

As alluded to earlier E V E R Y T H I N G by StarFix.

The Occidental Fiat G-91 that resides in my model cabinet is 60% filler and fought me every inch of the way !

Heller P-47N - JCC is the most qualified to tell you about wings on this but I seem to recall that they weren't just wrong, but set new levels of monumental inaccuracy !

Airfix again, the IL2, Hudson (Still retailing for £10.00 !), A6M Zero, The Stug III, all of which I built when I was a kiddie, even then they were obviously complete pants !

Those numerous Monogram, Lindberg kits etc with 'real working parts' - Helldiver & Dauntless with retracting landing gear and dropping bombs, something with a working ejector seat and something else with firing rockets !

Some ancient Testors kits in the late fifties had the place for the markings as raised panel lines, presumably for the more adventurous modeller to hand-paint his/her own insignia.

All of these an probably many more, should be given a decent burial, mourned appropriately then forgotten !

Ian

[HOG]

Had a bit more of a think on this and have reached a decision.
Whatever you decide to demote to the knackers yard for retired moulds, please let me know so that I can stock up on them and insulate the loft to finance my retirement. What people pay for polycrapolene just because it`s discontinued never ceases to amaze me.
 

[Mossie]

Those numerous Monogram, Lindberg kits etc with 'real working parts' - Helldiver & Dauntless with retracting landing gear and dropping bombs, something with a working ejector seat and something else with firing rockets !

I've got to admit at having very mixed feelings about kits with moving parts.  The modeller in me looks at them & thinks hmm, accuracy, work to do.  The kid modeller that first built Spitfires in gloss green with bombs stuck on top of the wings looks at them & thinks WOW, moving turret & tailplane!!!  I can be a bit of nostalgia freak, probably part of the reason I've got so many Airfix kits in the stash, when I was young those & Matchbox were by far the easiest to get hold of.

[Howard of Effingham]

easy!

1/72 airfix   GR1

ugh! still gives me nightmares.   but having said that the extra sprues with the
storm shadow, raptor recce pod and the ALARM missiles are quite usable in the
GR4 revised issue.

another nomination would be the matchbox jaguar twin sticker, truly crap.

[Mossie]

That is pretty horrible Trev, but like you say, it's almost worth buying the GR.4 boxed version for the weapons sprue alone, there's quite a lot of options for RAF modern weapons there & you still get the dumb bombs from the GR.1 rendition.  Use the kit for parts & weapons.  The 1/72 F.3 on the otherhand isn't too bad, it's a completley different kit.

[NARSES2]

Well STICKING to Nigel's one mould request  

Airfix 1/72 RE-8 - I still have nightmares and it was recently re-released in their RAF Box Set  

Strange what some people dislike. I have quite fond memories of the Monogram 1/48 aircraft with many options and working part. Christmas presents when I was a kid and taught me the basic princaples of cutting, filling and sanding. Likewise the Airfix Stug III - made loads of versions following the Chris Ellis conversion artcles in Airfix Mag including a Panzer III from a Stug III and a cut down Panther turret - I'm still proud of that model as it was my first serious conversion/part scratch, and I used sponge for the folliage camo and had loads of baggage etc on it made from plastacine covered in Banana Oil Does anyone remember that ?

I suppose in the 60's we made do wih what we had - ah I'm starting to well up with the nostalgia  

Chris

[B777LR]

What exactly is the problem with the airfix spit mk9? Anyone want to donate a kit so that i can also hate the kit?

Heres some more things that need destruction:

Any old Academy kit
Academys decal printer
Airfix AC-130
Tamiyas high prices

And as a sidenote, please blow up the Zengdefu factory as well

Edit: sorry, didnt see nigels post, he posted after me :dum: so i edited the post to only include 1 kit...

[Nigel Bunker]

Well STICKING to Nigel's one mould request

Thank you Chris

Come on gents - one mould each only - do stick to the rules.

Cheers

Nigel