Airfix

[Wardukw]

Or the lancers stuck in mud and the tank carrying on...

😆 🤣

[jcf]

The 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) was mechanized in 1939-40 with light tanks and armoured cars. It was fully converted to tanks in 1946 with Stuarts, followed by Churchill, M4 Sherman and T-54/55. Current mount is the T-72. Paint the turret yellow to match the kurta of the 1st Horse? The 3rd Horse wore a dark blue kurta. 

[Weaver]

Stolly Limber first look video, all 35 seconds of it...

[Weaver]

Here's a new one: Flowers Grown By Airfix

Lego have done well selling "grown-up" flower kits so I presume Airfix have decided to see if they can ride the same train. Seems like a smart idea to me: anything to get a wider range of people into the hobby. Women are demonstrably into painting, sculpting and crafts in large numbers, so it seems obvious that the reason more of them don't gravitate towards modelling is that the traditional subject matter doesn't interest them. I've been to a couple of model shows that were joint projects between a traditional model club and a figure painting club, and there were loads more women there exhibiting first-rate work. Seems hard to avoid the conclusion that subject matter, "people" rather than "things", is the key.

The question for us though, is how do you whiff a flower kit? Paint the petals green and the stem purple? Or how about posing a small scale fantasy figure on it, implying the "real" figure is fairy-sized or the flower is huge?

[Beermonster58]

Flowers? Bloody flowers??? 😮😮. Ok, they can't give us a Halifax, Manchester or Lincoln(to name but three) but, they can give us FLOWERS!!

Sorry but if this was April 1st I'd be calling it a joke

[Gondor]

Looking at the picture in their email I was thinking that we just need a couple of figures from a 1960's kids tv program, or a couple of Politian's as they make as much sense when talking as the Flower Pot Men did.

[jcf]

Flowers? Bloody flowers??? 😮😮. Ok, they can't give us a Halifax, Manchester or Lincoln(to name but three) but, they can give us FLOWERS!!

Sorry but if this was April 1st I'd be calling it a joke

The design, engineering and production cost of the flowers is a fraction of the cost
of a kit of any of those bombers. 
🙄

[zenrat]

Flowers? Bloody flowers??? 😮😮. Ok, they can't give us a Halifax, Manchester or Lincoln(to name but three) but, they can give us FLOWERS!!

Sorry but if this was April 1st I'd be calling it a joke

The design, engineering and production cost of the flowers is a fraction of the cost
of a kit of any of those bombers.
🙄

Yes, something different.  Good on 'em.

[Mossie]

Flowers? Bloody flowers??? 😮😮. Ok, they can't give us a Halifax, Manchester or Lincoln(to name but three) but, they can give us FLOWERS!!

Sorry but if this was April 1st I'd be calling it a joke

The design, engineering and production cost of the flowers is a fraction of the cost
of a kit of any of those bombers.
🙄

Yes, something different.  Good on 'em.

+1

Airfix are a business and need to survive. If these keep them going and expands their customer base it's a bonus.

I managed to encourage one of my twin girls into models when she was young. The other wasn't interested in the construction but is very into art and painting, especially natural objects. I might be able to convince her to try these.

They'll also be useful for artists and miniature painters to practice painting skills.

[zenrat]

Flowers? Bloody flowers??? 😮😮. Ok, they can't give us a Halifax, Manchester or Lincoln(to name but three) but, they can give us FLOWERS!!

Sorry but if this was April 1st I'd be calling it a joke

The design, engineering and production cost of the flowers is a fraction of the cost
of a kit of any of those bombers.
🙄

Yes, something different.  Good on 'em.

+1

Airfix are a business and need to survive. If these keep them going and expands their customer base it's a bonus.

I managed to encourage one of my twin girls into models when she was young. The other wasn't interested in the construction but is very into art and painting, especially natural objects. I might be able to convince her to try these.

They'll also be useful for artists and miniature painters to practice painting skills.

Orchids would make fascinating models.  There are some very challenging colour schemes in nature.

[kitbasher]

I like the idea, well done Airfix.

I'd not buy one to build myself but if they came with the Starter Set paint pots I'd definitely invest in sets to build with the grandkids.

I wonder if there'd be a market amongst kids for Vintage Classic-style repops of the 1/12 historical figures if Airfix could tie them in with Horrible Histories?

[Mossie]

Orchids would make fascinating models.  There are some very challenging colour schemes in nature.

They would. Some impressive patterns that would take some serious skill to pull off.


There's another way of looking at this. Self preservation. You get caught trying to sneak in a 1/350 Bismarck. Whip out a box of Airfix flowers: "I was planning to paint them in them in your favourite colours" - off the hook. 

Of course they'll end up in the long term stash (both kits) but they don't need to know that.

[Mossie]

I'd not buy one to build myself but if they came with the Starter Set paint pots I'd definitely invest in sets to build with the grandkids.

Yes, paints and glue are included. 

[kitbasher]

I'd not buy one to build myself but if they came with the Starter Set paint pots I'd definitely invest in sets to build with the grandkids.

Yes, paints and glue are included. 

👍 I'd missed that.

[Weaver]

Only negative result: not enough people buy them and Airfix don't make their money back.

Least positive result: a wider customer base puts more money into Airfix's pockets.

Most positive result: a wider customer base gets interested in modelling generally, and in turn gets their kids interested. If the kiddos want a car or a plane model, then if mum/dad have built a few flowers they'll be less intimidated by the thought of having to help them with it. I've lost track of the number of parents I've overheard in model shops pouring cold water on their kids' enthusiasm, saying things like, "oh you don't want those dear: you have to make them yourself and it'll look rubbish when you do it" (translation: "it'll look rubbish when I do it for you"). I've really had to bite my lip sometimes...