When are the Corgi Halifaxes coming?

Spoke with the Shop Manager at Newark Air Museum this morning about the Corgi Halifax.

She told me that they had received the 35 Sqn Halifax B Mk.2’s in early November and that the other one is due anytime – sadly they were all were pre-ordered. As a consequence they will not be on the shelves there – although they do stock many other items from the Corgi Military Aviation Archive range.

Seems as though the Corgi special edition Vulcan, XM594 is also delayed

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/shop.htm

I agree

They did seem to do a lot of aerobatic teams at times, I remember looking at the Hunters one time and wondering why there wasn’t an Omani Air Force for example. That said, I bet everybody on here has a wish list a mile long for a die cast something or other.

The problem is that the tooling costs for a new model are huge so Corgi have to choose something which can be produced in several colour schemes without major alterations to the main moulding tool.
It shouldn’t be a problem to change props or U/C legs (provided the attachment points are similar but anything which requires major changes to the wing or fuselage means the expense of investiing in a second moulding tool.
This is why Corgi have for the most part played it pretty safe with their choice of subjects. It is nice when they turn out versions in unusual colour schemes but in my experience some of the more unusual colour schemes (like some of the A&AEE aircraft) haven’t sold particularly well. I think this is a shame but I suppose most collectors just seem to prefer the main service versions rather than the oddballs.

SE-5A

I saw one in a case in Model Zone today – looks good, whatever their problems, the bi-plane idea seems spot on to maybe aim at some unusual releases?

Thats a new one on me.
I assume the implication is that the stock has been impounded in the UK which doesn’t seem very logical. If the shipping wasn’t paid then it would never get put on a boat in the first place.
There has been lots of juggling going on this year by the new management simply because they inherited an overambitious release programme which would have resulted in far more product out there than the average collector could ever afford to buy. This would have led to the usual situation of excess stocks which would have been dumped soon after release at unrealistically low prices.
To combat this problem some models have been delayed until next year and some which had received very poor orders have been dropped altogether, which make sense as there is no point in making something if collectors don’t want to buy it.
The new management approach seems to be to produce only the quantities of each model for which there is a demand and to cut the number of releases so that collectors can afford to buy every release if they wish.
This new approach seems very sensible and Corgi have turned some of their attention to other sectors of the toy/model market so that they can maintain profits. Let’s hope it all works out.
By the way the above refers to the Corgi ranges in general and not specifically to the aviation archive models.

A rumour circulating wholesalers is that latest shipment of Corgi has been impounded because they havent paid for the shipping- apparently this is why stock has been delayed all year. The future does not look too bright for Corgi.

Regards, Dean

I’m with you on the Fury

couldn’t wait to get mine. I also love the Corgi Swordfish and Gladiator. Not sure what I’ll do on the Halifax. The Desert airforce version looks also to be slightly in error, I can’t find a photo but my Osprey book on the Halifax says that it had 4 bladed props outboard due to different mark Merlins? But then again, who is to say that the aircraft never flew in the paint scheme with 3 blades on all engines? In terms of what I just picked up :

http://www.flyingmule.com/products/HM-HA1023

I also have a couple of century wings (A-6 and an F-14) that are good, A-7 planned next. I need to change my user ID, I’m at work and this posting won’t go down well !:mad:

The U/C error with the Halifax could be due to a communication problem between Corgi and the Chinese factory. I was told by Len Mills when he was in R&D at Corgi that the problem is the Chinese copy exactly what you give them.
I remember when Corgi made the first model of Sally B in 1/144 James Chilton, who was then Corgi marketing manager, proudly showed us a preproduction Sally B from China on the stand at the British Toy and Hobby Fair. I told him it looked very nice but asked him why it had four checkered cowlings at which point he looked very confused and got a bit panicky when I explained the error. He called over Len Mills who explained that the chinese factory had just copied the design for all four engines assuming they all matched and that it was being rectified on production models.
It is possible that somewhere along the line the Chinese factory was given the wrong info about the Halifax U/C and have just copied what they were given BUT Corgi should have picked up the error particularly as they used to claim that all models were checked by a panel of experts/enthusiasts before production went ahead.
Not sure what you mean about Ixo. I must admit that they have sometimes chosen to model some unusual subjects but at least it means that we get something a bit different from the other ranges.
I also thought Witty Wings / Sky Guardians were getting better. The Sea Fury in particular seems a great imprvement on earlier releases although I did notice that G-FURY was made without the smoke generators on the wingtips and I am not sure how long the aircraft flew without them.

will be interesting to see how Corgi pan out…

I’ve had a moan about them on here with the faff up on the “Grey” vampire but they were the first ones I started getting in, but Hobby Master have caught them up in quality and cost, Gemeni are good as well, if with a limited 1/72 range. IXO are just weird in what they do. Check out the Hobby Master F-104 in the subdued japanese markings with sharkface, check that out and tell me that its not an object of beauty….!;)

Well, I have two Halifaxes already and will get them all. As well as the Blenheim (if they don’t cancel them)

I like the new Halifax apart from the undercart but some swapping here and there is possible.
Keep them coming Corgi
Cees

According to a Corgi newsletter released this week there has been a great deal of discussion regarding the model of Friday the 13th and as a result the model will now be finished in the wartime operational livery of this aircraft and not with different markings on each side as it is now displayed at YAM.
I also notice there are comments a little earlier on this thread about prices being reduced a while after models are first released. This was bcause the old owners of Corgi were over producing and then selling off unsold stock to save warehousing costs.
The price cutting has been going on for a long time and became self perpetuating ie many collectors got wise to the fact that if they didn’t rush out to buy the new releases they could pick them up a while later at considerably lower prices. The policy was operated for the whole Corgi range (not just aircraft) and was very short sighted and has resulted in many dealers virtually giving up on Corgi because they got sick to death of being stuck with unsold stock that they couldn’t shift even if they reduced it to the original trade price and tried to move it on at no profit just to get the money back to reinvest in different stock.
Plenty of dealers told the old Corgi management that they couldn’t carry on indefinitely making mugs out of the dealers or the collectors who bought models at full price on first release by selling the overstock off cheap literally weeks later in some cases but they wouldn’t listen
The new management at Corgi have said that they will monitor production quantities much more closely and it does seem that they are even cancelling models where advance orders from the trade are very poor rather than produce unwanted stock and land up selling it off unrealistically cheap just to save paying for warehouse space.
This is the sensible way to ensure the future stability of Corgi and should mean that, from a collectors point of view, the models shoulld appreciate in value over time so should a collector need to sell up or wants to change theme it may be possible to at least recoup the majority of the money originally invested in a collection rather than find the collection is virtually worthless because your prized models were later cleared out by the manufacturer at a huge discount.
Let’s hope the new management get it right and we can look forward to a stable market or retailers and collectors in the future.
Maybe some of you don’t feel any sympathy for the retailer but remember many of the smaller ones have invested every penny they have ever owned in their business and need to make a profit to live. If I were still in that situation I would be extremely unhappy with the way the old Corgi management marketed what is, for the most part, a good quality product.
.

When I look at the very light blue uniforms of the crewmembers it looks as if the Halifax is manned by a crew wearing the ultra light blue uniforms of today’s Chinese Airforce:diablo:

Any pics of it?

BW Roger

Hi all,

I got the Corgi Halifax II today. It’s supposed to be W1048 now at the RAF Museum Hendon. It looks great and they have captured the nose reasonably well (better than Matchbox did). Apart from some small nitpicks (starboard cockpitwindow painted over which should not, diagonal bracing on the upper glass which is in fact tubing inside the cockpit, flat pitch on props), there is one big nitpicking. The undercarriage is from a Mk V (Dowty) and looks wrong. But having seen the pics of the soon to be released Desert version (a Mk V) that one has the Mk II Messier undercart (which is thus also wrong) but swapping bits will be no problem.
I am pleased so bring on the next version

Cheers

Cees

http://www.flying-tigers.co.uk/index.html

Check out the Newsletter under ‘Squadron News’ due any day by the looks of it…:cool:

Is there any chance that Corgi would listen and produce a Horsa to put behind the Halifax and their Dakota. Oh yes and then again when the Stirling comes along:)

I’m just happy they have sorted the Sea King model – albeit the 3A.. the RAF mk3 was laughable in its first guise – no obs windows at the rear, winch, etc.

Not being remotely familiar with the varying marks of Halibag, how well do the models represent the real thing? Are there huge inaccuracies?

Will there be a 640 Sqn one? If not, I might have to get the pait brushes out….:D 😀

Ok a Halifax is fine, but how about a real bomber, the Short Stirling.!!!!!

Yes please a Stirling too, if you make a Lancaster and Halifax then a Stirling needs to follow and while at it, a Hampden too (did anyone say Whitley?)

Cheers

Cees

Chaps,

Did the Halifax have a dorsal turrent with 4 303 guns ? Never seen that before.

Steve

Steve, The Mk II had the BP Type C “Hudson style” turret with two guns.
This was later replaced on the Mk II series Special and Series IA (Merlins) and all Hercules types by the BP Type A (or Mk VIII) four gun turret, the same one as on the Defiant.

Cheers

Cees

Dorsal Turret

Chaps,

Did the Halifax have a dorsal turrent with 4 303 guns ? Never seen that before.

Steve

Yes, a Stirling and I wouldn’t mind a Warwick, Hampden, TBM-3W2 and a FW-190/ JU-88 Mistel either. BW Roger