Airfix

[Gondor]

It looks like the fuselages in the Vintage Classics Jaguar aren't from the very early Airfix issue (pointed nose, extended splitter plates), they're from the Heller re-issue of the Airfix mould done when the two companies were under Humbrol. It looks like a late French Jaguar A (pointed nose, under-nose laser fairing, flush splitters, no RWR fairing) was issued by Heller, using the Airfix mould, which was different to their own-tool A/B/E kit (which had interchangeable single and two-seat front ends). This might mean that the proper Airfix GR.1 fuselage is no longer available, depending on whether Heller re-cut the original mould or made a new fuselage mould and issued it with the rest of the Airfix sprues. Either is possible since the fuselages are on a different sprue to every other part.

Incidentally, "BAC Jaguar" and "SEPECAT Jaguar" are not good ways to differentiate early and later Airfix version of their kit. They've issued it as both the "BAC Jaguar" and the "SEPECAT Jaguar" several times after they modified it to include the chisel nose, flush intake splitter plates and RWR fairing.

I just had an email from Airfix with an "Unboxing" video of the Jaguar kit. The version that came out of the box was as you described.

You could cut back the nose to the correct point. On the correct fuselage, there is a vertical line at the front of the windshield. That is 29mm from where the chisel nose part fixes on the fuselage that I have.

[Old Wombat]

Stolly, for me, is a must have.

Which is why a parcel is waiting for me at work.  I'll pick it up tomorrow morning.

  

Was a "Must Have" for me, too. Which is why I got two direct from Airfix. 

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks, that's still at about the $100 Kiwi Pesos mark. Ah well, it's an 'It would be nice', rather than an 'It Must Be Mine!' 
Though even that postage is pretty reasonable.

I divide models into the following categories ;
1) Must have
2) Could use
3) Would be nice
4)You must be bloody joking
5) Are you for real, they want WHAT for it!??

   Actually, I suppose 4 & 5 amount to essentially the same thing!

Nice - works for me. 

I'll stick with the old Airfix polythene Stalwart I have.

[Weaver]

According to a mod on the Airfix forums, Airfix is aware of the issues with the Jaguar.

[Beermonster58]

Thanks, that's still at about the $100 Kiwi Pesos mark. Ah well, it's an 'It would be nice', rather than an 'It Must Be Mine!' 
Though even that postage is pretty reasonable.

I divide models into the following categories ;
1) Must have
2) Could use
3) Would be nice
4)You must be bloody joking
5) Are you for real, they want WHAT for it!??

   Actually, I suppose 4 & 5 amount to essentially the same thing!

Nice - works for me. 

I'll stick with the old Airfix polythene Stalwart I have.

I vaguely remember that one😂. Actually, I think the the new Stalwart is a bit overpriced at nearly 40 Squids.

I was initially interested but, when I saw the provisional r r p, I moved it from category 2 to category 4😂

[Weaver]

Colin Freightdog tells me that when Heller modified the Airfix Jaguar mould to make an "A", they used a removable mould insert, which allowed the GR.1 version to still be produced. That's good news, because it raises the chances that Airfix can still produce a correct GR.1 fuselage.

[zenrat]

According to a mod on the Airfix forums, Airfix is aware of the issues with the Jaguar.

When?

Before they released it?  Which indicates contempt for their customers.
Or after?  Which indicates they didn't care enough to check what they had before they released it.
It's the 'dyne moulds all over again.  Any sign of damage to the moulds on the newly produced Jag kits?

[Weaver]

According to a mod on the Airfix forums, Airfix is aware of the issues with the Jaguar.

When?

Before they released it?  Which indicates contempt for their customers.
Or after?  Which indicates they didn't care enough to check what they had before they released it.
It's the 'dyne moulds all over again.  Any sign of damage to the moulds on the newly produced Jag kits?

Not clear (it was literally a one-sentence comment), but I took it to mean after release as a result of the complaints. The fact that obviously nobody built a test-shot or even one of the first production batch is mind-boggling. If they have only just realised, then I'd imagine that investigations are currently underway, and if it's the Indian factory that's at fault (say they took the mould insert out without realizing it's significance) then "negotiations" will be underway as to who pays the costs of whatever corrective action they're going to take.

No sign of damage to either the Jag or the Puma, in fact they look kinda nice overall. There's a little flash, but you can't really complain about that on moulds this old.

[zenrat]

Thanks H.
I grew up building mostly Airfix kits and i'd really hate for them to go down the tubes.  But sometimes it seems like they just don't care.

[Weaver]

Thanks H.
I grew up building mostly Airfix kits and i'd really hate for them to go down the tubes.  But sometimes it seems like they just don't care.

It's wierd. Their new stuff is mostly really, really good, but it's like they do the Vintage Classics stuff as an afterthought. I wonder if it's literally a different team?

[PR19_Kit]

Are they actually doing anything with the Vintage Classics, other than printing new boxes and slinging the sprues in there?

If the Rotodyne is anything to go by, they aren't.

[Mossie]

Some, yes, like the Bond Bug and Islander had new clear parts. Most of them, no.

[Charlie_c67]

Are they actually doing anything with the Vintage Classics, other than printing new boxes and slinging the sprues in there?

If the Rotodyne is anything to go by, they aren't.

IIRC, they said right at the start the range was aimed at the nostalgia side of things rather than anything else and all they were doing was cleaning up the molds (done with varying levels of success it seems) and giving them new boxes.

Crazy thing is, in the case of the Jag they have a much better model on the system that just needs shrinkifying and would beat the Hasegawa and Italeri offerings which are both long in the tooth and have errors. I wonder if Hobbyboss putting their one out stifled those plans?

[Weaver]

Some, yes, like the Bond Bug and Islander had new clear parts. Most of them, no.

Do you mean Beaver, rather than Islander?

That was what really annoyed me about the Belvedere - if anything needed new clear parts to transform it, that was the one.

[Weaver]

Are they actually doing anything with the Vintage Classics, other than printing new boxes and slinging the sprues in there?

If the Rotodyne is anything to go by, they aren't.

IIRC, they said right at the start the range was aimed at the nostalgia side of things rather than anything else and all they were doing was cleaning up the molds (done with varying levels of success it seems) and giving them new boxes.

Crazy thing is, in the case of the Jag they have a much better model on the system that just needs shrinkifying and would beat the Hasegawa and Italeri offerings which are both long in the tooth and have errors. I wonder if Hobbyboss putting their one out stifled those plans?

Shrinkifying a mould from one scale to another is a bit more complicated that hitting the "scale?" button. The size of the parts changes, but the minimum thickness of the moulded plastic doesn't, so, for instance, cockpit walls get relatively thicker, and cockpit interiors therefore have to be adjusted or they won't fit. It's not that it's impossible, just that it's a fair bit of work.