Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

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BWP
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by BWP »

I've already done several of my predictions (as opposed to my wish list) on the other thread (I'm a bad boy) but to summarise:

Aircraft (1/72 except where stated; I don't really know or care much about the 1/48 market, let alone other scales):

1) At least one new Spitfire, very possibly a couple, but I couldn't make a guess on what mark or what scale(s). I don't know enough about Spitfires to make any reasonable deductions. Furthermore, we know (because Airfix have said so) that there will be a new 1/24 kit next year, and I'd say it's quite probable (for a number of reasons) that it will be a Spitfire of some sort. Remember: Airfix have stated that they want eventually to have a kit of every Spitfire mark in their range, but I don't believe that they have said they will all be in the same scale.

2) There will be a new 1/72 Defiant. See other thread for the detailed reasoning. A strong contender for the new 1/24 kit, too.

3) Very likely there will be new Lancaster variants, since the new kit is tooled up in such a way to make that very easy for Airfix to do.

4) I'm going to go out on a limb and say a Harrier GR.5. It would be a very simple modification from the recent GR.7/9 kit, and the decision to release the GR.1 and GR.3 this year indicates that Airfix have decided that the Harrier is one of their "iconic aircraft" (like the Spitfire) and want to have the "full spread", so to speak. Which leads to the question of ....

5) ... the twin-seaters. Depends a great deal on how they have designed the GR.1 & GR.3 kits. The GR.7/9 kit is not really easily modifiable into a T.8/T.10, so I really don't know how likely a T.2 or T.4 would be. This is probably more of a "wish" than a solid prediction.

6) RAF and RN F-4 Phantom. There's no market competition and hasn't been for some time, so far as I'm aware. Ticks a lot of the right boxes, but whether they will arrive next year or just within the next couple of years I am less certain ....

7) A new German bomber kit, something appropriate for BoB. I'd say a Ju88 is most likely.

8) A new Allied fighter kit, something appropriate for D-Day (that isn't a Spitfire). A P-47 seems most likely.

AFV (1/76):

1) No real "predictions" here, because I can't really fathom Airfix's intentions with these kits. Are they intended for kids only? For wargamers primarily? The Cromwell seems a "serious" display kit, the King Tiger much less so (but still has a lot of fine detail). They've reboxed their old Sherman as an "M4A2" when it's clearly nothing of the sort, and redone the Panther artwork but still left it in North Africa, suggesting that the marketing people really have no clue at all -- making it very hard to guess what they might be planning! The most I can say is that I think a German subject is less likely (because they just did one) and a Sherman V would tick a lot of appropriate thematic boxes. I can only hope that it would be more like the Cromwell kit and less like the KT kit.

2) They'll re-issue the Crusader kit, because they haven't done it yet and there aren't many other possibilities.

AFV (1/32):

1) With the re-issues of Monty's Humber and Rommel's Halftrack this year, re-issues of the Crusader, Lee, Grant and 17-pounder don't seem hugely improbable. I'd guess the Lee and Grant are most likely. I don't really expect to see anything new in this scale (ever).

Other Stuff:

1) Who knows? I'm sure there will be cars and stuff, but I really neither know nor care. Maybe more Afghanistan stuff in 1/48, this year's releases seem to be popular. New space stuff? Hard to say, if the re-issued Saturn rockets etc. have sold well, they might want to commission something new, but I'm not sure what. IF (and it's a big if) they can negotiate something appropriate with the rights holders, they probably would want to do some new Gerry Anderson stuff. (Probably not re-issues of the Eagle/Hawk kits, since Round2 in the US have the moulds.) This is only a "prediction" in the sense that "if they can, they will". Plenty of subjects to choose from!
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VickersVandal
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by VickersVandal »

sdweier wrote:
Perhaps a Camel and a Fokker triplane. Eduard, Revell and Roden's kits make no money for Airfix and a good cleverly engineered Camel seems as good a guess as any.
Surely they must be planning to seriously update their WW1 offerings with the 100 year anniversary??!

Everything except the Pup is absolutely atrocious and would be embarrassing to reissue for the Centenary, particularly when compared with Eduard and Roden and even Revell.
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In summary, I also predict a new tool Camel and Triplane and perhaps Albatros and SE5 to boot.
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Zee28
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by Zee28 »

Dunno if they'll be re-tooling the WW1 stuff, or doing a typical Airfix deal of putting a load of their existing WW1 kits all in one big colourful box with paints and glue and calling it something like 'WW1 Aces of the Air Centenary Gift Set' type thing.

You guys know the sort of thing I mean, Airfix do this a lot!

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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by Chuck E »

I've not added odds, but I've underlined the favourites. Either way, I feel that Airfix will continue to delight and surprise us.

1/72nd

Hurricane I Late model. Metal wing. Battle of Britain. They have the basis already in the new Early Model

Hurricane IIB / IID A IIB is already included in the Club Kit of Russian Aircraft.

Spitfire Vb Well overdue for the new tool treatment. Half way there with the Mk1.

Defiant. 2 schemes. Black and camo. This fits their plans to replace the old tools and certainly gets a slamming.

Beaufighter I or VI Plenty of variations.

Another EE Lightning, possibly a T-Bird.

Harrier T2 or T4 Continuing the Harrier Saga.

Bf 109F Continuation of 109 story. This will be followed by G and K.

Fw 190D Another follow up. Ticks all the right boxes.

Possibly a new Ju 87B. The old one is not too bad though.

P-47D Another favourite.

Dornier 215 or possibly 17. One of my favourites from days gone by.

Hunter F6 Another old Airfix favourite.

Meteor F4 or T bird.

Halifax BIV - BVII. Another classic. Friday the 13th / Vicky the Vicious Virgin. Alternate wing tips would be nice.

RAF Airfield Buildings in resin to go with the control tower.

Crew / Aircraftsmen set. To compliment the current vehicles release.

1/48th The big release for 2014

4 possibilities in terms of most likely at the top.

Swift FR5 This would be a very popular subject.

Scimitar Long awaited and will go nicely with the Sea Vixen. I'd like to see a British Phantom in this scale too.

Gnat T1 Nice addition to the family and lots of good schemes.

Hunter F6 A classic that needs some 48th exposure.

I feel that the 1/24th Kits have come to an end, but you never know.

Racked my brains but can only think of 2. Hawk or Gladiator.

I feel that 2015 will continue on this pilgrimage to the old tool locker. DC3 / Blenheim / Wellington / Stirling / Tiger Moth / Mosquito Plenty to chose from.

Re-releases. Yes please. Some real little gems hiding there. Hopefully, they'll have a minor clean up and new canopies too. Coupled to the new decals, they would be worth getting all over again. The canopies let the re-releases down. They are a bad fit and not clear. The other bits of the kits can be dealt with, as Mike Grant shows us, but canopies can be a real pain.
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by AndrewR »

I think re-releases are inevitable, as it is cheaper to do that than design a new model and tooling. With the need to generate profit quickly to recover from the Olympic debacle, we should expect some old dogs favourites with spiffy new decals.

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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by BWP »

Chuck E wrote:I feel that the 1/24th Kits have come to an end, but you never know.
Actually we do know. Airfix have stated publicly that there will be a new 1/24th kit in 2014. Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be. This leads many (myself included) to expect a new Spitfire, but I couldn't guess what mark.
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by Wookie13 »

1/24 Spitfire PR XIX anyone? Swedish markings included of course!
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by rob_van_riel »

AndrewR wrote:With the need to generate profit quickly to recover from the Olympic debacle
I know that in general the Olympics were rather less than succesful commercially, but how has this hit Hornby/Airfix? What's there to recover?
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by Eric Mc »

They did take a serious hit on their profits because of the failure of the Olympic merchandise. Hopefully, it was a temporary dip and they are on the road to recovery.

I have heard that the Aitrfix side of things is doing quite well and is in a very viable state in itself - as it always has been - despite the demise of Airfix's various parent companies from time to time.
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by AndrewR »

BWP wrote:
Chuck E wrote:I feel that the 1/24th Kits have come to an end, but you never know.
Actually we do know. Airfix have stated publicly that there will be a new 1/24th kit in 2014. Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be. This leads many (myself included) to expect a new Spitfire, but I couldn't guess what mark.
I hadn't heard that rumour :)

My guess would be IXc with J-EJ markings and invasion stripes. 2014 is the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

Plus, if you design the kit right, alternate sprues would let you produce Mk 1, II and V variants later.

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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by PaulBradley »

BWP wrote:Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be.
:roll: I could make a million guesses, and give good reasons for all......how about a real clue, Mr. Airfix...? :ha:

Depends on whether they are talking a completely new mould or a mod of an existing tool. Most of their exisiting 1/24 kits are getting rather old now, though.

A new mould Spitfire to replace the Mk.1 kit would be a safe bet - only them and Trumpeter have done one in the past. Spitfire IX would be the logical choice. Certainly more sales than an XIX, with more mod potential. Slightly more out on a limb would be the XIV - that could then be converted to XIX pretty easily. I suppose they could mod the existing Mk.I/V kit, but those moulds are getting a bit long in the tooth.
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by SJPONeill »

BWP wrote:Airfix have stated publicly that there will be a new 1/24th kit in 2014. Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be.
Noting other deductions in this thread, it can ONLY be a 1/24 Defiant... :-D
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by lancfan »

As long as they remember to release a new 1/72nd Defiant as well.


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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by BlohmWolf »

SJPONeill wrote:
BWP wrote:Airfix have stated publicly that there will be a new 1/24th kit in 2014. Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be.
Noting other deductions in this thread, it can ONLY be a 1/24 Defiant... :-D

It could be a 1/24 scale Ju-88.

Then again. That would be flipping massive.
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Re: Predictions for Airfix 2014 releases

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

SJPONeill wrote:
BWP wrote:Airfix have stated publicly that there will be a new 1/24th kit in 2014. Furthermore, they said we ought to be able to guess what it will be.
Noting other deductions in this thread, it can ONLY be a 1/24 Defiant... :-D
with a target tug option included :party
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