Airfix goes into administration

Roughneck · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:26

Efour2 said:
I dont think i ever managed to glue the "glass" cockpit bit in without coating it with a mess.

blimey i thought that was just me who did that

Roughneck · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:27

Yewen said:
Want me to hold the door open?

To me its no big loss, never actually made one as I was more into Games Workshop models for painting them, much more to do with that.

Its a shame when a big company goes, but nothing lasts forever.

so were you any good at painting them Yewen ? I used to paint em when I was younger. still got some orcs kicking about somewhere..

manoz · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:30

That;s a shame

Though I never made an Airfix model I did enjoy my time making Revell ones.

pcknight · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:35

Gutted. I used to love Airfix.

MookJong · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:40

headworx said:
distroying them in ever more inventive ways,

seeing if they actually fly off a very high place
fire damage

I have fond memories of being at my mates when we set one of his bombers on fire and threw it out of his bedroom window into the garden.

This was long before the days of digital cameras, else you would probably have seen it on You Tube by now. I think the glue was half the attraction to these models.

Hope somone keeps the company going, I'm guessing sales will be up once people hear this. If you have kids, please do the right thing and go out and buy them an airfix. Every kid loves a Focker.

Socaddict · 31 Aug 2006 at 15:58

personally, i'm not surprised. I used to build the odd one or two up until the age of about 13/14. However, airfix were easily one of the worst models to build. The level of flash, and how badly they fitted, when there was italeri, revell, hasegawa and tamiya all making similar kits, for similar (or somethimes slighly more, in truth) prices, but with quality about 20 times higher, I know which I would choose. And aren't airfix owned by humbrol anyway, or is it the other way round?

Tom|Nbk · 31 Aug 2006 at 16:00

damn what a shame i remember when every christmas or birthday id get an airfix end up never painting it right etc

or not being able to find where a little bit went and gluing it any old place, good times also remember that toxic glue concrete stuff

Stellios · 31 Aug 2006 at 16:01

I had a few of those as a kid, my harrier being my favourite. Be ashame if it goes

Skii · 31 Aug 2006 at 22:44

Lostkat said:
Humbrol Clearfix is your friend.

Yep - good stuff.

Or CA glue (superglue), but its easy to fine sand glue or whatnot off the canopies and buff them back up to a shine.

On the subject of Airfix, I'm pretty damn certain this isn't the end

Flibster · 31 Aug 2006 at 22:54

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

What am I going to do now???

Simon/~Flibster

Digital Punk · 31 Aug 2006 at 22:57

I used to love making model planes.

I think the combination of plastic kits, model glue, paint and turpentine in an enclosed box bedroom have made me the man I am today. :confused:

cheets64 · 31 Aug 2006 at 22:59

Never had a airfix kit built a few car kits much better than plane kits.

clv101 · 31 Aug 2006 at 23:12

It's a shame, I made a dozen of them some 20 years ago (man, that makes me feel old) before moving on to Games Workshop for a few years for the painting...

As I understand it the catalyst today is that that it's the French manufacturing company that's entered receivership - they also own all the moulds so AirFix can't do anything now. But even if it wasn't for this problem AirFix was on it's way out.

...wonders if the models are still in my folks attic somewhere.

Skii · 31 Aug 2006 at 23:25

I went onto painting space marines for a while, but I returned to making Airfix (and other)kits in the last few years.

I'll be tackling the Vulcan next

Welshy · 31 Aug 2006 at 23:29

Used to love doing a bit of modelling, very sad to hear about this

Hope they pull through it

Pumpkinstew · 31 Aug 2006 at 23:41

I used to have a few of those hanging from my ceiling.

I always broke the stupid spindly propellors trying to get them off the sprues though

I could never time the transfers right either. I always had little insignia floating about in a saucer of water.

Fuzzy felt was about my limit

pcknight · 1 Sep 2006 at 11:25

My ceiling used to be covered in Airfix planes. Built tanks, figures etc etc. Used to love them as a kid. Quite fancy building something now and i am an old git!

Berserker · 1 Sep 2006 at 11:42

Flibster said:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

What am I going to do now???

Simon/~Flibster

Buy up as many as you can find and get building.

Alibaba99 · 1 Sep 2006 at 15:03

Not the first time they've gone bust either. In '81 the whole company was sold to General Mills and then various bits split off and sold. Back in the old days Airfix didn't just make kits but had a range which included games, plastic kitchen stuff, model trains (eventually to be owned by Hornby) a range of action figures called Micronauts and even the classic Weebles.

Scania · 1 Sep 2006 at 15:32

Rotty said:
looks like they've come unstuck then

I used to buy & build many planes from airfix.

I started when I was about 6.

My sisters little lad (who's also 6) loves nothing more than to download planes for Microsofts Flight Simulator & fly (crash) them! - He has a few model planes (Tamiya iirc) but for every model he gets he probably downloads 50+ free planes for his simulator.

Airfix cannot compete!