Phillip RhodesGo for it and get him the 1/24th scale Spitfire!!!! 😉
My dad bought the 1/24th scale Airfix Spitfire. He spent weeks building it while doing nights (RAF Benson), and when finished it he brought home for his son (me). I was only seven. Because the RAF didn’t like you pinning Airfix models to bedroom ceilings (20p fine per hole) it stayed within arms reach – on the RAF issue sideboard in the living room. As I said I was only seven and when your seven you didn’t just sit and admire your dad’s hard work. Airfix was for playing with. I was only seven (did I mentioned that?)…
I think it lasted ten minutes before some small piece of other snapped off. Within a week it was was a total wreck. SORRY DAD!!! That was 37 years ago and I still feel sorry for him.
Regarding the early shots in the programme that obviously showed Corgi models, this can easily be explained. Airfix is owned by Hornby. They also own Corgo.
On the subject of 1/24th scale Airfix models, I wrote the following a few weeks ago and the response (on other forums) has been rather positive:
1/24th Scale Model Aircraft high in detail, but fewer in parts…
This suggestion is for the creation of a new series of 1/24 scale model aircraft that are both high in detail, yet contain less than sixty parts, resulting in an affordable range of new and innovative plastic kits. This proposal was inspired by the original 1/72nd scale model aircraft made by Airfix, that contained few parts, but which started the plastic modelling revolution of the 1950/60s.
With improved moulding techniques the fine detail demanded by modellers has become a reality. Yet, the level of accuracy in scale reproduction is only checked by the cost of producing new, larger scale designs that contain hundreds of parts. Some aircraft will never get the full Series XX treatment by Airfix or indeed by any other kit manufacturer, but why discriminate against a wide range of aircraft designs? Larger scale doesn’t have to mean higher design costs.
While the level of detail offered by Airfix’s 1/24th model aircraft are a delight, most of the detail is hidden away – either buried within the fuselage or obscured behind clear plastic. And do we really need to have working undercarriage or control surfaces? How about the need for a pilot, who simply gets in the way of all that wonderful cockpit detail? Why need six parts to create a propeller when only two would suffice?
I would like to propose a new range of entry-level construction kits – one that both encompasses or merges the simplicity of the 1/72nd starter model with the desire for more 1/24th scale designs – that are both affordable (compared to existing kits) and are as detailed as new technologies will allow.
Most (if not all) 1/24th scale Airfix aircraft are priced above £40, with the new DH Mosquito costing over £100. My proposal would see a basic 1/24th scale model retailing for £20. Design and manufacturing costs would be greatly reduced, while unit sales would be significantly higher (more people can afford to buy a £20 than a £100 kit).
So what designs could be chosen? Well, how about a Trilogy of 1930s RAF types, namely the Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Demon and Bristol Bulldog? Each would contain around sixty parts, while still retaining a superior level of detail. The Hawker Typhoon is another design that would be popular, though the provision of rockets would probably increase the number of parts to around eighty.
By eliminating detailed engines and the provision for working undercarriage (moving wheels and retractability), not to mention unseen cockpit components it should be easy to limit the number of kit parts to a bare minimum, while making these models more affordable to design and manufacturer.
And maybe when someone has tackled a 1/24th scale Gloster Gladiator costing £20 they might want to tackle the more expensive DH Mosquito.
I believe that model makers would be more appreciative of accurate panel lines and surface detail, than in obscured internal detail, that takes time to finish and which is rarely appreciated by others. By introducing a more affordable range or 1/24th scale designs, the model maker can quickly establish a collection of finished kits without breaking the bank. Another important issue is one of stamina, in that some kits are too complex, sometimes resulting in mistakes being made, parts being lost or accidentally broken; and in the modeller simply giving up. It happens even to the most experienced of model maker.
But can you really create a large scale model with as few as sixty parts (or fewer)? Let’s take for example the Gloster Gladiator. I surmise the parts needed are as follows:
1. Fuselage and Rudder (port half)
2. Fuselage and Rudder (starboard half)
3. Upper Wing (complete top half)
4. Upper Wing (bottom half)
5. Lower Wing (bottom half)
6. Lower Wing (top port)
7. Lower Wing (top starboard)
8. Tail wheel (single moulding)
9. Port Tailplane (single moulding)
10. Starboard Tailplane (single moulding)
11. Port Wheel
12. Starboard Wheel
13. Port Undercarriage Leg
14. Starboard Undercarriage Leg
15. Engine (front moulding)
16. Engine (rear moulding)
17. Instrument Panel / Control Column Fuselage Frame / Pedals (single moulding, perhaps?)
18. Pilot Seat
19. Fuselage Frames (pilot seat mounting)
20. Propeller (single moulding)
21. Propeller Pin
22. Engine Cowling (front)
23. Engine Cowling (rear)
24. Canopy (front)
25. Canopy (rear)
26. Exhaust (port)
27. Exhaust (starboard)
28. Outer Wing Strut (port front)
29. Outer Wing Strut (port rear)
30. Outer Wing Strut (starboard front)
31. Outer Wing Strut (starboard rear)
32. Inner Wing Strut (port front)
33. Inner Wing Strut (port rear)
34. Inner Wing Strut (starboard front)
35. Inner Wing Strut (starboard rear)
36. Machine Gun Barrel (port fuselage)
37. Machine Gun Barrel (starboard fuselage)
38. Machine Gun Barrel (port wing)
39. Machine Gun Barrel (starboard wing)
Have I missed anything out? That’s 39 parts for a 1/24th scale model. I would image two or three additional parts could be expended on the cockpit. My proposal is simple, why expend huge sums of time and money on designing a 600 part kit, when you can design eight simpler same-scale models that would be more popular (selling higher numbers while increasing both product range and brand awareness). Just a suggestion.
Phillip Rhodes
P.S. Feedback has been mixed. Some argue that impracticalities of large scale models (where to display them in the home), though most thought that limited (number in range) they would sell. The selection of three RAF biplanes was “spot on”…
Phillip Rhodes100% Brilliant. Well done James May. Wonder if he would be interested in presenting a magazine programme on aviation? Now that would work. Bring it to C4 and Airfix might sponsor it.
Phillip RhodesMoggy waves his magic wand and…..
Must admit though, it is looking a little moribund
Only involved with active sites.
Phillip RhodesIt’s really difficult to comment on Duxford without repeatedly going over old ground.
We are obviously in a minority – those of use who care passionately about our aviation heritage. That won’t change. We do need a voice – one not compromised by conflict of interest. We need to get our message across.
Regarding the need for housing in the UK. There is a clear need, but one that will never be met. Simply put, there are two housing sectors in the UK: one based on NEED and one based on GREED. Guess which one will always come out on top? When I mean greed, I mean an industry that drip feeds houses onto the market to artificially keep property prices high. Yes you can make a profit from building affordable houses, but that isn’t as profitable as building mid-range properties.
Taking out of the equation the one million empty properties there are in the UK, one reason why we need so many expensive houses is to keep the economy going on an upwards direction. That takes precedence over need or affordability.
Regarding places like Duxford and Upwood and that place in the north, my argument or persuasion has always been sympathetic redevelopment. This means new houses while utilising existing structures.
People love AMQs, they always sell and there is always a queue to buy them (some have been known to sleep in tents waiting to buy). Accommodation blocks are an enigma for me, in that it doesn’t take an expert to realise their full potential. Take for example your average H-Block – that can easily be converted into eight spacious apartments. I was recently told that in East Yorkshire such an apartment if done properly would go for around £150k. That’s £1.2m for a structure that already exists and which wouldn’t be problematic in securing planning permission. Simply put we are dealing with mind set when it comes to development.
If they need to build houses at Duxford why not in an area that embraces the airfield (and not strangles it), making it a selling point? Mind set: that’s the biggest obstacle when it comes to the way our country is shaped. Being creative in planning doesn’t exist.
Regarding Duxford. If I thought that the end of flying would make a difference (make people realise how important our aerodromes are), then I would say bring it on, making people sit up and shout and scream and have sleepless nights. But as I’ve mentioned before, we are in a minority with no voice.
I would suggest an ACTION FOR AERODROMES group, one that gives advice, collates information and distributes campaign material to MPs and local councils. The group would be active and couldn’t be bought out by any developer. But such an idea would probably be shot down in flames. SEE BELOW.
Phillip RhodesREF, I rarely comment on pictures posted on this section, but that first picture of the P40 landing is the best picture of this type I’ve seen – ever. WELL DONE!!!
Phillip RhodesJames, you silly b****r – come down from that ledge this instant. Do you think walking away will achieve anything?
Key has a problem, or rather we have a problem. Andy is one person. His value to Key Publishing – hold on – let’s find a recent copy – is £4.10 (the cover price of Flypast). No more. No less. Andy has been affected by this stupid saga of Key’s making, yet is Key concerned by the negative feedback posted on this forum? Nope!
Add a few dozen other concerned individuals and then compare that to the 30,000 plus readers of Flypast. That’s the problem. It’s a money making machine. Flypast is flawed. I’ve posted messages to that effect several times and have always been burnt by negative feedback.
Someone suggested that we picket Flypast’s stand at the next Duxford event. Fine. Super. This will no doubt result in Flypast complaining to the IWM, who in turn will ask the police to evict said campaigners from Duxford.
This is what I would do. Firstly, Andy should re-register under his own name, and start posting again. See what happens. Secondly if you feel that you or anyone else should leave this forum, then please promise also to stop buying Flypast and/or the other Key titles.
There is nothing to stop you or me from starting another forum. Check out what the Airfield Information Exchange (AIX) have done, though please promise not to censor (edit) other people’s messages or block forum members from replying to the criticism about them made by others. Once this new forum has been established then I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people started to defect. More so if Key decided to pull the plug on it’s own forum.
Phillip RhodesJames, you silly b****r – come down from that ledge this instant. Do you think walking away will achieve anything?
Key has a problem, or rather we have a problem. Andy is one person. His value to Key Publishing – hold on – let’s find a recent copy – is £4.10 (the cover price of Flypast). No more. No less. Andy has been affected by this stupid saga of Key’s making, yet is Key concerned by the negative feedback posted on this forum? Nope!
Add a few dozen other concerned individuals and then compare that to the 30,000 plus readers of Flypast. That’s the problem. It’s a money making machine. Flypast is flawed. I’ve posted messages to that effect several times and have always been burnt by negative feedback.
Someone suggested that we picket Flypast’s stand at the next Duxford event. Fine. Super. This will no doubt result in Flypast complaining to the IWM, who in turn will ask the police to evict said campaigners from Duxford.
This is what I would do. Firstly, Andy should re-register under his own name, and start posting again. See what happens. Secondly if you feel that you or anyone else should leave this forum, then please promise also to stop buying Flypast and/or the other Key titles.
There is nothing to stop you or me from starting another forum. Check out what the Airfield Information Exchange (AIX) have done, though please promise not to censor (edit) other people’s messages or block forum members from replying to the criticism about them made by others. Once this new forum has been established then I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people started to defect. More so if Key decided to pull the plug on it’s own forum.
Phillip RhodesWhat a load of bureaucratic BS.
Is Key run by middle level public servants?
Malcom, if Key Publishing was run by “middle level public servants” then each edition of Flypast would be double the price and three months late… 😀
Phillip RhodesWhat a load of bureaucratic BS.
Is Key run by middle level public servants?
Malcom, if Key Publishing was run by “middle level public servants” then each edition of Flypast would be double the price and three months late… 😀
Phillip RhodesToday is the 9th of the 9th of the 9th.
September has 9 letters
Wednesday has 9 letters.We’re all gonna die!
Discuss…
Yep, we are all going to die, but not all at the same time. I remember 09-09-99, when two artists, who were working with the arts organisation I worked for, created a special £9 note (scanned £10 note and reworked in PhotoShop), and gave copies away FREE to members of the public. They only printed one side of the new banknote. You’d think that it would be seen as a bit of harmless fun – until the local pub (Black Boy – High Street – Hull) pinned a copy behind the bar with a red mark across it, reading: “WARNING FAKE”!!!
My birthday was on the 9th of September. Actually…
…I was physically born on 8th September in Cyprus, but the RAF clerk didn’t complete the paperwork until the following morning (filling in that day’s date on all my forms). It was months before my parents realise the mistake, but they never corrected the RAF…
…been downhill ever since.
Phillip RhodesToday is the 9th of the 9th of the 9th.
September has 9 letters
Wednesday has 9 letters.We’re all gonna die!
Discuss…
Yep, we are all going to die, but not all at the same time. I remember 09-09-99, when two artists, who were working with the arts organisation I worked for, created a special £9 note (scanned £10 note and reworked in PhotoShop), and gave copies away FREE to members of the public. They only printed one side of the new banknote. You’d think that it would be seen as a bit of harmless fun – until the local pub (Black Boy – High Street – Hull) pinned a copy behind the bar with a red mark across it, reading: “WARNING FAKE”!!!
My birthday was on the 9th of September. Actually…
…I was physically born on 8th September in Cyprus, but the RAF clerk didn’t complete the paperwork until the following morning (filling in that day’s date on all my forms). It was months before my parents realise the mistake, but they never corrected the RAF…
…been downhill ever since.
Phillip Rhodes[SNIP] [SNIP] [SNIP]
There we have it…
[SNIP] [SNIP] [SNIP]
So, does that mean we have to go back into the darkest regions of the Summer of ’07 to find out what Andy did? I seriously have problems remembering what I did on Monday afternoon (when I should have kept an appointment at the hospital), let alone what I wrote two summers ago on this forum (probably something about RAF Driffield no doubt).
“Over 10,000 hits with these last threads alone!” and with a banner add on the top right corner of every page. Key must have earned a few pennies then. And what of Andy’s welfare and well-being? I know what’s it like when the actions of others make life unbearable to the point of…
…let’s not go there. “Sometimes there is absolutely no difference at all between salvation and damnation.”
I reckon the reason why Key have kept quiet is because they themselves have forgotten why Andy was banned! Come on Key – at least let Andy know what he did wrong!
Phillip Rhodes[SNIP] [SNIP] [SNIP]
There we have it…
[SNIP] [SNIP] [SNIP]
So, does that mean we have to go back into the darkest regions of the Summer of ’07 to find out what Andy did? I seriously have problems remembering what I did on Monday afternoon (when I should have kept an appointment at the hospital), let alone what I wrote two summers ago on this forum (probably something about RAF Driffield no doubt).
“Over 10,000 hits with these last threads alone!” and with a banner add on the top right corner of every page. Key must have earned a few pennies then. And what of Andy’s welfare and well-being? I know what’s it like when the actions of others make life unbearable to the point of…
…let’s not go there. “Sometimes there is absolutely no difference at all between salvation and damnation.”
I reckon the reason why Key have kept quiet is because they themselves have forgotten why Andy was banned! Come on Key – at least let Andy know what he did wrong!
Phillip RhodesPhillip, I’ve sent you an e-mail on this subject.
Hello Avion Ancien, can you email me again. My old email address used when I first signed up to this forum is no longer active, but the one in its place is my current address. Cheers!!!
TTFN
Phil Rhodes
Phillip RhodesPhillip, I’ve sent you an e-mail on this subject.
Hello Avion Ancien, can you email me again. My old email address used when I first signed up to this forum is no longer active, but the one in its place is my current address. Cheers!!!
TTFN
Phil Rhodes
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