Aircraft crew members

[Ratch]

 Please don't confuse high e-bay prices with high demand. It only takes the seller to set the price high or for two determined bidders to raise the price. Many items on e-bay are overpriced. It would be best if crew figures were included in the kits. Figures designed specifically for the kits.

I don't think sets of figures alone would be a good seller. There are too many variables. What ratios of WW1, WW2, Cold War and Modern pilots would there need to be. Would they all be seated or should standing/animated figures be included. Which uniforms? Fighter pilots - bomber crew - tropical or temperate. Its really best to include the figures in the kits.

I'm lucky in that I have a stock of spare figures to use. I'm just hoping the ones I have will fit into the Victors and Valiants I have in my stash.

[FAAMAN]

It only takes a little bit of modification Ratch, you can "make" 'em fit 😆 😆

[spadgent]

It only takes a little bit of modification Ratch, you can "make" 'em fit 😆 😆

of a sort!!  try putting a F-16 bang seat and fugure in a mragrge!!

[Kenneth ONeill]

I've said this before on other sites, but all auctions are potentially pathological.

I know someone who was having some work done on their house. One of the workmen left behind a 3/4 pack of cigarettes, and my mate put it in a fleabay auction. It went for more than the retail price of a full pack!

[peebeep]

probably why Airfix under Humbrol went bust. Thank goodness Hornby took over and moved the brand a few massive steps forward! Even I didn't realise until recently how far Airfix had been left behind.

 

Airfix never went bust (it was the Humbrol group that went bust), even though product development had become moribund. It was Heller going bust that bought down the old Humbrol group. People keep repeating 'Airfix went bust' as fact, it's not. 

 

[Ratch]

 Airfix did make their pilots in several sizes. I have their classic WW2 'crotch grabber' pilot in three different sizes 😀

[peebeep]

 Airfix did make their pilots in several sizes. I have their classic WW2 'crotch grabber' pilot in three different sizes 😀

 

They would have been scaled from a larger buck/master. The reason for the um, arm configuration, is so that the pilot could be released from a conventional two part mould. Articulated arms would require either a slide mould or separate parts.

[jopres57]

 I was only thinking a few days ago that the two main Airfix pilot figures, the classic WW2 and the 'where's mi pint?' jet jockey were ahead of their time. They actually look up to standard even now.  I was making a vintage F101 Voodoo a couple of weeks ago and decided to use a couple of figures from the dedicated Revell jet pilots set. Both crew looked good but the facial and uniform detail was actually quite poor compared to the thirsty Airfix chap, who's now at least fifty years old. I think it's a real tribute to the Airfix staff from the era that these moulds are still being used and don't look dated. It's a good idea that the pilots come in different sizes as well, because the Revell figures are too big for a lot of models, a point that I think has been made before on this forum. Could be that the Revell bods didn't take into consideration the scale thickness of cockpit walls? Anyway I can only hope that Airfix pay some attention to what's on this forum and return to issuing figures with all aircraft, and hopefully with vehicles as well.