Airfix

[NARSES2]

And people wonder why I get annoyed ? 

We've now sunk to posting derogatory comments about some YouTube Wally's predictions for Airfix. Can't even be bothered to wait for the actual announcement next week ? 

I'm really minded to delete that post with the clip. Can't help feeling it would of been better posted in the "got any good links" thread

[Gondor]

And people wonder why I get annoyed ? 

We've now sunk to posting derogatory comments about some YouTube Wally's predictions for Airfix. Can't even be bothered to wait for the actual announcement next week ? 

I'm really minded to delete that post with the clip. Can't help feeling it would of been better posted in the "got any good links" thread

Going by that comment, would the video be eligible for the "got any good links" thread?

I have neither watched the video nor do I intend to do so. I will be mildly surprised to realise that the list will be out, as I am not going to be waiting for it. I will probably be disappointed with the contents of the list when it is eventually out, the same as I have mostly been for the last few years.

[Beermonster58]

And people wonder why I get annoyed ? 

We've now sunk to posting derogatory comments about some YouTube Wally's predictions for Airfix. Can't even be bothered to wait for the actual announcement next week ? 

I'm really minded to delete that post with the clip. Can't help feeling it would of been better posted in the "got any good links" thread

Going by that comment, would the video be eligible for the "got any good links" thread?

I have neither watched the video nor do I intend to do so. I will be mildly surprised to realise that the list will be out, as I am not going to be waiting for it. I will probably be disappointed with the contents of the list when it is eventually out, the same as I have mostly been for the last few years.

.
Yes, I'm inclined to agree with you. I'm not expecting anything other than another triumph of hype over substance as the last three to  four announcements have been.

That's the only prediction I'll make. It'll be what it is. Won't lose any sleep over it

[Weaver]

And people wonder why I get annoyed ? 

We've now sunk to posting derogatory comments about some YouTube Wally's predictions for Airfix. Can't even be bothered to wait for the actual announcement next week ? 

I'm really minded to delete that post with the clip. Can't help feeling it would of been better posted in the "got any good links" thread

C'mon Chris.

Apart from the bit of "Mystic Mug" tomfoolery, the video's an entirely reasonable wishlist/prediction list about what Airfix might announce for this year, and since that's the same as what members have been doing on here already (and which we do every year), it's directly relevant to this thread. I didn't post it to provoke anyone and I seriously doubt whether Gary (the video creator) did either. If he did, then he'd have put some far more controversial things on the list. All Gary's videos that I've seen have been mild and reasonable to a fault, so I don't think he's in the business of courting controversy. His last few videos have been personal wishlists with various criteria, so this is just another in that series.

I can't see that anyone has posted a "derogatory" comment about the video either. Two people have said that if it's accurate then there's little on it to interest them, which is an opinion that they're perfectly entitled to, and Lee has voiced his dislike for a part owner of Airfix (which he's done before), which has nothing to do with either Gary's video or my posting of it.

[jcf]

Could be worse, could be someone prognosticating on what Tamiya is going to release.
🤣

Not that I'd watch it anyway as
99% of modelling related Youtube
content is painfully dull. Especially
unboxings.
🤣

[NARSES2]

Interestingly the post that annoyed me, I wouldn't have bothered commenting on the video alone, has been deleted. Not by me I might add.

So that's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned.

Chris

[zenrat]

Damn.  Missed it.  What did it say?  I hate it when I miss all the controversy.   

I haven't watched the video.
Lee is right about niche subjects though.  It's the same in the model car world.  People demand the mainstream manufacturers tool up some obscure variant of a poor selling model.  They usually claim it's because they have a personal connection to the subject but I have always suspected they do it to look "clever" by exhibiting esoteric knowledge.  If they actually got what they wanted they'd hate it as it meant that "special" knowledge got shared.

[The Wooksta!]

There was a thread on Britmodeller some years back with a small group of people advocating that Airfix should do a 72nd VC10 on the grounds that it'd be profitable and quite a few more saying that no, it's a bloody stupid idea and it would bomb.

TSR2 was a success for Airfix, largely because it was a blank canvas, was reasonably priced and not particularly big, so you could have several on an average shelf.  This fooled them into thinking that the Nimrod would have a similar feeding frenzy, but it was three times the size and basically a large grey aeroplane.  Large aircraft never sell well.

[Thorvic]

TSR2 was a success for Airfix, largely because it was a blank canvas, was reasonably priced and not particularly big, so you could have several on an average shelf.  This fooled them into thinking that the Nimrod would have a similar feeding frenzy, but it was three times the size and basically a large grey aeroplane.  Large aircraft never sell well.

No that wasn't Airfix, they just did the same ploy as they did with the TSR2, see what the preorders were like and produce to those numbers, the issue this time were the retailers who assumed it would sell better than the TSR2 as it was a serving RAF aircraft with a long history, they were the ones that didnt factor in it was three times the size and the price, when most people would buy 1 or 2 max. this gave 22000 orders which screwed up airfix as they couldnt get the decals printed to meet that number in the timeframe, so had to get someone else to do it which led topoor quality. Ironically a normal release would not have been a problem, as more likely a managable 6-8 thousand run, and subsequent reissues, they probably could have done seperate releases of early and late models. They did learn from this and moved the Valiant to a regular release.

[Weaver]

For those who can't/won't watch Gary's video, here's his wishlist. He acknowledges that some of these are more "in hope than anticipation":

New tool

1/72nd Ju 88
1/72nd Scimitar
1/48th Strikemaster
? Scout or Wasp - not clear if he means 1/48 or 1/72nd here
1/35th Bedford RL truck

Reissue (some with new parts)

1/48th Lysander Special Ops
1/48th Hunter F4 (75th anniversary)
1/48th Spitfire Mk.5/8/prototype
1/72nd Wessex HR.2 (rescue)
1/48th Sea King (rescue)
1/48th Javelin (75th anniversary)
1/48th Sea Vixen (75th anniversary)

Vintage Classics

1/72nd Skyvan
1/72nd Whirlwind (fighter)
1/72nd Boston
1/72nd Islander
1/72nd Ford Trimotor (100th anniversary)
1/72nd Airco DH.4
1/72nd Roland C-11
1/144th SRN.4 hovercraft

I think it's a pretty decent list overall. There are some things I think would be mistimed commercially (1/48th Srikemaster, 1/72nd Wasp), but none that would actively annoy me. There are also some things that aren't my interest, but I think would sell well.

There are certainly some things on there that I definitely WOULD put my hand in my pocket for: 1/72nd Scimitar, Wasp, Scout, Skyvan, Islander, Trimotor, 1/144th SRN.4.

[Mossie]

TSR2 was a success for Airfix, largely because it was a blank canvas, was reasonably priced and not particularly big, so you could have several on an average shelf.  This fooled them into thinking that the Nimrod would have a similar feeding frenzy, but it was three times the size and basically a large grey aeroplane.  Large aircraft never sell well.

No that wasn't Airfix, they just did the same ploy as they did with the TSR2, see what the preorders were like and produce to those numbers, the issue this time were the retailers who assumed it would sell better than the TSR2 as it was a serving RAF aircraft with a long history, they were the ones that didnt factor in it was three times the size and the price, when most people would buy 1 or 2 max. this gave 22000 orders which screwed up airfix as they couldnt get the decals printed to meet that number in the timeframe, so had to get someone else to do it which led topoor quality. Ironically a normal release would not have been a problem, as more likely a managable 6-8 thousand run, and subsequent reissues, they probably could have done seperate releases of early and late models. They did learn from this and moved the Valiant to a regular release.

I remember a seller at the Huddersfield show having what looked like the back wall full of Nimrods and they weren't shifting.

[PR19_Kit]

There are certainly some things ob there that I definitely WOULD put my hand in my pocket for (all in 1/72nd): Scimitar, Wasp, Scout, Skyvan, Islander, Trimotor, SRN.4.

The SRN4 was only available in 1/144, sadly.

I'd LOVE a 1/72 scale one, but I may have been the only buyer anywhere!

[Spey_Phantom]

i do fancy some of those reissues, correction, all of them 

[scautomoton]

The SRN4 was only available in 1/144, sadly.

I'd LOVE a 1/72 scale one, but I may have been the only buyer anywhere!

Ha, yes in 1/72 it would take up some real estate....

The only one on that list that I'd consider is the Scimitar, but it would have to be a decent effort, with all the flaps etc separate so that correct configurations could be modelled.

[Weaver]

There are certainly some things ob there that I definitely WOULD put my hand in my pocket for (all in 1/72nd): Scimitar, Wasp, Scout, Skyvan, Islander, Trimotor, SRN.4.

The SRN4 was only available in 1/144, sadly.

I'd LOVE a 1/72 scale one, but I may have been the only buyer anywhere!

Sorry, my bad. I didn't mean I want a 1/72nd SRN.4, I meant I'd buy a reissue of the 1/144th one. I've fixed the original post.