http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/10/hornby_rescues_airfix/
http://www.hornby.com/pages/nws_det_press.aspx?NewsItemID=581
Quote:
While the news that Airfix has been bought by a UK company will be welcomed by plastic Spitfire aficionados, Hornby warned that change was inevitable. The company said it was planning "a new range of Airfix's plastic tanks, planes and ships adapted for a younger generation with a shorter attention span than its parents".Hornby chief exec Frank Martin told Reuters: "We wouldn't rule anything out. At the younger end we might produce kits which are already painted, already clipped together."Instead of working on something for a week, children can work on something for an afternoon. If that's what they want, we can give it to them."In the short term, Hornby is looking at "character licensing and film character-related products", Martin added.Hornby did, however, say it would "not desert products for the brand's older fans". Martin promised to keep the classic kits flying, stating: "Many of them sell year-in, year-out because they are iconic subject matter." ®
I think that we may see more of the "eazy-snap" type kits from Revell (prepainted, scale that "fits the box" kit) from AIrfix as they target the younger audience, maybe we will get similar if they start going for tanks.
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Lets hope the the new business plane includes 1/144!This way maybe we will see more aircraft in the style of Takara/Hasegawa WOTL/ FAOW where the "kits" are prepainted, and wouldnt it be cool, if we got another range of prebuilt tanks (i sadly suspect in the 21cc/NM stlye rather than Can.do) or maybe even "prepainted" panzer Korps.
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Lets hope the new owners can bring the same sucess for Airfix as they have done for Hornby and other brands!
Well the first thing I got to say is
ReplyDeletegreat news.
But I say that with some trepidation
as I remember when Humbrol took it on a few years back
They too were to be the saviour of the company,and the future was promised so bright,but the reality
was different
Basically what they never grasped
was the fact that the brand was tired,and alot of the molds worn out
Their first move on aquiring Airfix
was to repackage in their own dismal
box art,and pump into the molds a
terrible glossy plastic--in the case
of the aircraft kits,the canopys
resembled the bottom of bottles,when
trying to see through them.
Another bit of straw grasping was
the changing of scale on the afv
kits from HO/OO to 1.72,oh dear how
sad a move was that?
Add to that the introduction of the
Heller products,the cross kitting
with Italeri,and you have the right
ingredients for the perfect mess.
As far a Hornby saying-some of the
line are "Iconic"I think a better
description would be "Cronic".
But putting that to one side,there
are a lot of great subjects that are
very well done,and still stand up to
todays offerings,I just hope and
pray they have someone in charge
that knows the difference.
Lets put that into perspective--I
am 60yrs old,and I bought the first
Spitfire kit that came out,at the
time it was sold through Woolworths
A bit later out came a new version,
with can you believe,a separate
pilot figure,WOW!!,it was actually
Johnny Johnsons Spitfire,and that
kit was pumped out for as long as I
am here.
I think over the years I must have
bought and built at some time or
another,everything that came out of
Haldane.
Unfortunately nostalgia has no place
in business,and the first thing they
need to do is change that logo.
A complete brand overhaul,discard
all the out of date junk.
It dont make any difference how you
repackage,or dress up something,its
still the same inside.
I appologise for sounding off,but I
suppose like all the rest of you--
Im keeping my fingures crossed,
Regards .....Dave
Dave thanks for that allways good to hear from someone who has some passion on a the subject!.
ReplyDeleteI too hope the brand survives, I too spent my childhood in the 70s builing Spitfires, ME109s and the likes while growing up in Germany (thankfully in hindsight no TV).
The future is uncertain, I hop they do still reatian an identity and there own range of products and don't just end reboxing somebody elses kits, however if the eastern markets and manufacturers are anything to go by I think there will be some reboxing and there are many cross deals, for instance the recent 1/144 Dora railgun release, would Airfix have had the gets or resources to release that? oh I know that it was repackaged for Europe as a Heller Kit opposed to the Aoshima(?) and Metal Troops Kits in the east? - or do you think this is getting away from their heritage?
Lets hope they dont end up repackaging, Dragon, Trumperter, Panda or even worse Minicraft kits! and they they do retain there own kits and identity, certainly there where items only they produiced such as teh RAF vehicles nad some of the diorama pieces, although to be honest i dont knwo what the recent quality of htese has been?
cheers
bd99