R.I.P Airfix

[Barry Q]

I mention this as there's a number of model makers out there. On the 31st of August, Hobby Products (The owners of Airfix and Humbrol) called in the Administators. Now, Airfix did produce a number of WWI related models. Some were good, some were bad. A number of the subjects are also produced by other companies, but when it came to HMS Iron Duke, the HP 0/400 and the steering trailored tank (The tank itself wasn't that good), Airfix was the only game in town. It's sad, but there you go.

[Bombadier]

Apparently it's going to be very difficult for anybody to do anything about it. The kits have been moulded for Airfix by Heller France for a number of years. Heller themselves are in difficulties and are refusing to release the moulds, but are unable to produce anything from them, thereby starving Airfix of product to sell.

Goodbye childhood.

Nigel

[Barry Q]

Heller went into admistration in July. You're correct in saying that the tooling isn't being released, but it's a sad fact that when the admistrators go in, they treat everything as being part of the company they're admistrating. Production moved to France when Airfix went 'belly-up' in the early 80's. A load of tooling got sold off as well. Dapol got the railway stuff and Hat Industrie got the plastic soldiers (which include the WWI British, French, German and American infantry). At least some of the old Airfix range is currently available, but until the current mess is sorted out, we may never see the rest again.

[Andrew Hesketh]

Out of interest what happened to 'Matchbox'? Does anyone still reproduce their catalogue?

[FAAAEd]

Dapol got the railway stuff ... we may never see the rest again.

And pretty good railway stuff it was too, had Hornby beat on detail, as did Dapol(Mainline). It was the early 80's when I got interested in model railways again and started a layout in a 10x8 shed. Pretty basic but with two loops with two bi-directional crossover points, of different plans, removable bridge in doorway, extensive sidings with extra point and switch control for parking many loco's on two sidings, wired up moving turntable (based on the Airfix kit but modified with centre current switch over) with track 'shingle' and 'plank' infill. Two double controllers with Relco. Then a forced change of direction sent me away from home again to chase a degree. In the meantime the layout slowly deteriorated. Still got all the loco's and rolling stock though, and metres of unused Peco NS flexible track.

I must have made just about every aircraft/warship kit available in my time at school. By the time Iron Duke was brought out (although I never realised that it had) I must have joined the real navy. No surprise that I became a 'wafu' realy although I was lucky to be catagorised in my preferred choice, this by watching what happend to those in classes ahead I put down AA as my second choice.

The skills I learned in painting all those models came in useful later when painting up all those cast alloy ships crests (well one yiour kit was sorted there wasn't an awful more to do in the winter evenings in that first year of training) that helped raise money for naval charaties. I guess that modelling also taught skills that came in useful in easing my way through the selection process at joining up.

It is a shame that today's kids tend to be more consumers than creators, GameBoy and XBox beat Airfix for interest these days but do they provide such a real sense of satisfaction? I doubt it somehow.

Is it an era that has truely passed?

[Barry Q]

Matchbox was bought out by Revell Germany. Many ex-Matchbox kits are currently available (including the Renault FT17) in a Revell box.

[Andrew Hesketh]

Cheers Barry.