# Airfix going under?



## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

*Airfix going under? And looks like it's coming back*

This may not mean much to younger US modelers but many English modelers (myself included) cut their modeling teeth on Airfix model kits. A profuse manufacturer of model kits in the 50's and 60's (releasing 2-6 kits a month at one point), they distributed MPC kits in England, made some original sci-fi/movie kits (my personal favorite was the James Bond Little Nellie) and some sort-after military and aviation subjects (at last, a TSR-2!).

Now through a string of bad luck and declining business, they went into "administration" today. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2336461,00.htmlpoor "Administration" isn't quite bankruptcy - more like reorganization. But it doesn't look too good.

My first kit fifty years ago was an Airfix Spitfire Mk.1A. This year I built the Airfix Wallace and Gromit van and the TSR-2 (ironically a British military jet that was cancelled well before its time). 

For me, it really is the end of an era - even more so that PL's demise.

Jim


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## Brent Gair (Jun 26, 1999)

I think it's safe to say that Airfix was big everywhere. I built almost everything they made in the early 70's. I especially remember the big kits like the Sunderland and B-29. Plus there were the kits that no American company would've made like the 1/72 scale Stirling.

I'm in Canada but I have American model magazine going back 35 years and there are Airfix ads and Airfix models in them.

Airfix problems are, I'm sure, tied to Heller's problems which compounds the bad situation for modelers (your link isn't working for me at the moment so I'm not sure if that is mentioned). All in all, it's a very bad situation for modelers although I guess it should not be unexpected. As we've noted here before, the "need" to build models today is not the same as it was in my childhood. We didn't have action figures, diecasts and prepaints. Manufacturing plastic kits is a tough way to make a buck.

One thing is for darn sure: the entry level and inexpensive kits are dissappearing. The ancient Revell/Monogram reissues are among the last of the easily affordable kits. Increasingly, things are falling into the hands of companies like Trumpeter and Hasegawa...nice but rarely cheap. The fading of companies like Airfix, Heller, PL, etc. is a bad thing.


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## GlennME (Aug 4, 2001)

The link must've been moved. 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2336461.html

Airfix was huge here in Australia too. Those little bags of parts could be seen practically everywhere, from dedicated hobby shops to the corner store. The Spitfire was the first model I ever built, and Airfix must've sold millions of them.

A couple of years later, when I got a HO scale model railway, it was Airfix to the rescue, with station components, rolling stock, and other accessories I couldn't possibly afford to buy otherwise. 

Sadly, the older you get, the more you realise that the world you grew up in just doesn't exist any more.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

I looked on the net for info yesterday when I heard about Airfix going into administration, and found that Airfix has an entry in Wikipedia, one of the best Internet information services. Interestingly, the entry in Wikipedia had already been altered to say that Airfix's future was now in doubt as the company had gone into administation on 31st August (that day). Also, when I used the link to Airfix's own site, their categories which you click on at the left of the screen didn't download anything onto the screen.
The Wikipedia entry pointed out that Airfix only employs 41 people, (I expected it would be thousands!), and that modelling is now not really a hobby for children any longer, but largely a hobby for "men in their 30's, 40's and 50's". I resemble that comment!


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## GlennME (Aug 4, 2001)

Cro-Magnon Man said:


> The Wikipedia entry pointed out that Airfix only employs 41 people, (I expected it would be thousands!), and that modelling is now not really a hobby for children any longer, but largely a hobby for "men in their 30's, 40's and 50's". I resemble that comment!


 And, according to the article, 31 of those 41 staff have been laid off.


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## Scott Hasty (Jul 10, 2003)

Keep in mind guys, if memory serves, Fine Molds employs 5 or 6 people...

Still, as a Yank, I remember building Airfix kits. I particularly remember the 1/24 scale WWII aircraft kits...WOW!


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

The ten staff who haven't been laid off are hopefully being kept on to service orders, and hopefully to keep the company functioning until someone else buys it as a going concern. 
It also looks like the collapse wasn't any fault of Airfix's, but rather was caused by the collapse of Humbrol, the parent company. Since I only use Humbrol paints, this is bad news! Maybe we'll see Airfix rescued by a buyer who wants to keep producing Airfix kits, but no rescue for Humbrol paints.


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## superduty455 (Jun 21, 2000)

Their has been some small rumblings about Revell of Germany maybe picking up the molds. Nothing more nothing less.

I have a feeling it is wishful thinking.

At any rate, it's a shame to lose not one but three entities.
Heller made some cool 1/24 motorcycles. 

Chris


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Sometimes I feel like the whole hobby is collapsing around my ears.
Glad I have a decent backlog of kits to build.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

superduty455 said:


> Their has been some small rumblings about Revell of Germany maybe picking up the molds.
> 
> 
> And it will be a very large number of molds, I imagine. Airfix must have had one of the largest kit invenories of all, and so far as I know, they never discontinued them - they had a rotational scheme which brought the kits and figures round again at long intervals, so they probably kept all the molds in case of fututre demand.
> Now, when Monogram bought the Aurora molds, they reportedly scrapped some of them straight away for their metal content and to remove those kits from the market. If that were to happen to the Airfix molds, which are a museum of memories for many people, going back to the 1950's, it would be shame.


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

I remember in the 60's going into stores and finding tons of Airfix kits. At the time, I didn't like them, as they had too many moving pieces for me. Now, I miss retracting landing gear and movable flaps! I rarely see them, even in hobby stores today. Except for when they are mentioned around here, I'd think they had already gone under! Is there a prayer chain somewhere we can start for Airfix?


Larry


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## Just Plain Al (Sep 7, 1999)

I've always enjoyed Airfix kits, though they are rare in my stash for the last few years. Currently I have all the Wallace & Gromits, a 2001 Orion, a Space:1999 Hawk (which I recently received from some generous soul, HI Jim :wave: ) and a few Heller figures. Their probably demise will leave a large hole in the hobby which I'll definitly notice, not enough companys making the "niche" kits anymore (which I understand, but don't really like)


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## Flux Chiller (May 2, 2005)

Lads, I am sitting here in England crying my eyes out about Airfix!!!

And on the 70th anniversary weekend of the Spitfire for goodness sake.. 

Well, some rumours abound that maybe even Hornby will pick up the business? 

The hobby isn't dead as reported in our newspapers, it is just that quality is the key these days - I feel guilty about all those Tamiya and Hasegawa kits in the loft. Shame on me.

I also hear they had some major new releases coming out (Nimrod?).


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## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

I can't believe that the demise of Airfix and Heller is a permanent end to all the kits in those lines.
Word is that Hornby has expressed interest in the assets of Airfix, Hornby appears to be a strong and healthy company, and that they are capable of being successful in the Plastic kit business.
One way or another, I believe that the Airfix and Heller tools will find good homes with another manufacturer.

Dave


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

Dave Metzner said:


> I can't believe that the demise of Airfix and Heller is a permanent end to all the kits in those lines.
> Word is that Hornby has expressed interest in the assets of Airfix, Hornby appears to be a strong and healthy company, and that they are capable of being successful in the Plastic kit business.
> One way or another, I believe that the Airfix and Heller tools will find good homes with another manufacturer.
> 
> Dave


 ... who will then go out of business a couple of years down the road.


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

Zorro said:


> ... who will then go out of business a couple of years down the road.


Actually it would be a good move for Hornby who've been around longer than Airfix with clockwork and electric trains. If there was another name that screams hobby in England, it would be Hornby.

JIm


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## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

My understanding is that Hornby is pretty healthy. I believe that they are the largest manufacturer of model trains in Europe. They also produce slot racing.

When I was in Hong Kong a couple years ago for Playing Mantis I met with one of the factories that was doing some Hornby trains. The stuff these guys were doing for Hornby was very high end and very sophisticated locomotives for model railroading.

Dave


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## Flux Chiller (May 2, 2005)

Hornby own Scalextric, which is very profitable and a useful buffer during tough times for the model railway side of things. And yes they have moved some manufacture to low cost sourcing, to avoid the usual reason why British companies fold (too expensive to make in UK).


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

The guy in the one and only model shop round here told me today that Hornby is considered the front runner to buy Airfix. He also said that it was Heller's demise a few months ago which caused Airfix the problems - Heller had bought Airfix with government assistance, and so even after Heller got into trouble the Airfix molds had to stay in France, where nothing was being done with them. This starved Airfix of kits to send out to suppliers. That's what he said, anyway.


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## naplak (Oct 2, 2002)

That would be very sad news...


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## CAPTNEURO (Apr 7, 2004)

Several weeks ago, I discovered Airfix made a 1/72 Concorde SST model (I love big models) and then the same day, read that Airfix is going away. So I called my local HobbyTownUSA, they had one, I ran out and got it! 

I've heard others say how nicely made Airfix models are. This SST will be my first from them. It's a shame when a good company has problems, especially when makers of really bad kits keep rolling along (Ummm...Testors 1/72 B-2 Stealth Bomber comes to mind).

Anyway, anyone have any experience with this Airfix Concorde or any thoughts they want to throw my way?

Thanks

My Models page: www.snellingwebdevelopment.com/models/models1.htm


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## swhite228 (Dec 31, 2003)

I like building studio scale stuff, and there are a few Airfix kits that you need cases of! Someone posted that Airfix was re-releasing the space kits at Starship Modeler and the talk on the 2 boards I run was heavy with what to get the most of(Saturn V, Saturn 1b, and the 1/24 Harrier).

A couple of weeks after that came the news about Airfix's problems. 

Sometimes you just can't believe how bad your modeling luck can go!


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## Daikaiju1 (Apr 26, 2005)

heard last week that Hornby had bought Airfix and Humbrol and planned for business as usual.

Not sure what this means for Heller kits...


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## Dave Metzner (Jan 1, 1970)

I believe that Hornby only acquired the Airfix and Humbrol brands not Heller - I also read just the other day that they will recover the Airfix tooling from Heller's factory in France. This is really good news, as there had been some question as to whether or not Hornby had only bought the Airfix name or all the Airfix assets including tooling.
Airfix had a booth at the IPMS UK convention "Scale Model World" just last week and they have announced that they are continuing to develop several new kits. Sounds like good news to me.

Dave


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

I was just wondering what happened to Airfix and googled around and found this:

http://www.hornby.com/news-events/news-story-1,1,HNS.html

It seems that Hornby has purchased Airfix and Humbrol but I'm not holding my breath to see new releases any time soon.

Jim


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