Limited ship models available?

[Rogus McBogus]

Why is there so few ship models available these days?

Years ago, Airfix did loads of them, now there are not very many, especially Modern and WW2 ships.

I know they are starting to re-issue some under the "Classic" name (new tooling or not?) but will they include the likes of HMS Nelson, Warspite, Tiger etc?

[Ratch]

Because they think we're only interested in 'planes.

[peebeep]

What’s not on the catalogue is stuff that is not guaranteed to sell in quantity. This is a big consideration at the current time with the parent company still in various degrees of financial difficulty.

[Cliverdee]

I've just finished the Airfix HMS Iron Duke that I bought in the 1990s and been looking forward to making it for all that time. ..It didn't  disappoint ! As with all the many similar Airfix ships that they brought out, the constant scale of 1:600 is excellent for having the models grouped together so that an understanding of the relative sizes of the Battleships, Cruisers etc can be appreciated.. i have always found it very educational which adds to my enjoyment of the hobby. ... so yes I wish Airfix would bring them all out again ... which I hope they may actually do... at least Graf Spee and Victorious are due soon... In my loft are the Warspite, Nelson, KGV, Prinz Eugen & Repulse, all of which I've had from new... and I hope the Ajax will make a reappearance too...pity they never made the Exeter. Perhaps if the ship range of the vintage classics sells well Airfix will see their way to do more... presuming they still have the moulds. 

[RN Nerd]

I'd love to see a 1:350 range of Cold War/Falklands RN ships to contrast with the Type 45. There's a huge range of kits they could make - Counties, Type 42s, Leanders, Tribals, Whitbys, Rothesays, Salisburys, Leopards, the Type 21s & 22s... to say nothing of the RFAs, carriers, subs, minesweepers, even the old cruisers and the WW2 conversion frigates...

[Dad Paul B]

Don't forget Illustrious in 1/350. It would need some new parts to bring it back to 1982 Invincible (replacing the foredeck and adding a Sea Dart launcher and deleting the Phalanx mounts). Some of these were done in 1/600 (Fearless was a nice model) and there were Leander and County Class models as well.

[RN Nerd]

Don't forget Illustrious in 1/350. It would need some new parts to bring it back to 1982 Invincible (replacing the foredeck and adding a Sea Dart launcher and deleting the Phalanx mounts). Some of these were done in 1/600 (Fearless was a nice model) and there were Leander and County Class models as well.

I remember the 1/600 models well - think I had two or three Leanders at one point (one was "HMS Hero" from the TV series  😆) - sadly my eyes and fingers can't operate at that scale any more!

[Carl Stratford]

Aha, HMS Hero, aka mostly the Phoebe..I have the Falklands Ships set, consisting of a Leander, a County Class and a 21, plus an LPD, Fearless...Despite being ex RN I can't say I'm all that horribly keen on ships, but these will get built. The 21, I would imagine, is based on very early impressions as the shape of particularly the 4.5" Mark 8 mount is miles out, and the placement and size of the pennant numbers is..artistic..I served in one for two years in the late 1980s and the kit is provided with a set of Exocet boxes, so at least the kit has some teeth.. 

[Sherlocker]

I love the Airfix 1:600.  40 years ago, I liked that they were all the same scale, whereas the Revell and Monograms were always 16" or whatever, so the Fletcher was the same length as the Missouri (didn't like that).  By comparison with 1:700, I think the 1:700 is just too small.  I'd love to see a resurgance of 1:600 ships, but i'm not going to hold my breath.

[Sailorman]

 I'd love to see a resurgance of 1:600 ships, but i'm not going to hold my breath.

You and me both!

[Aad Gadgie]

When I was a lad I built almost all the ships Airfix produced - warships, sailing ships, cruise ships.  I remember the pleasure they gave me and treasure those memories.  I may try one or two of these again, and see how they turn out now that my abilities have, erm, matured, somewhat.

[Mwelljester]

I can't  understand why Airfix haven't  at least put plans in place to bring out at least 1 New Sailing ship a year, is that really too much to ask? 

I am a member of several other Modelling forums(Sailing ships) and there is a HUGE Market out there for them, every member from those forums has the same question as we do. 

Imho if Airfix want their company to stay a float and not go through company changes in the future like its had to over the last 40 years or so, then it needs to start looking to the needs of its modellers across the board fairly, and stop regurgitating the same old kits that have been around from the 60's either that or they are going to lose a lot of custom if they haven't already.

I just hope that someone in Airfix authority reads this forum and takes note, that change is needed bearing in mind what turbulent times the company has seen in the past.

[peebeep]

Imho if Airfix want their company to stay a float and not go through company changes in the future like its had to over the last 40 years or so, then it needs to start looking to the needs of its modellers across the board fairly, and stop regurgitating the same old kits that have been around from the 60's either that or they are going to lose a lot of custom if they haven't already.

 

Airfix have issued over 100 new tool kits since 2006, that doesn't strike me as 'regurgitating the same old kits'. I get it, classic ship modellers have the thin end of the wedge, but that is almost certainly a reflection of the niche that the genre sits in.

[Jonathan Mock]

I can't  understand why Airfix haven't  at least put plans in place to bring out at least 1 New Sailing ship a year, is that really too much to ask? 

I am a member of several other Modelling forums(Sailing ships) and there is a HUGE Market out there for them, every member from those forums has the same question as we do. 

Imho if Airfix want their company to stay a float and not go through company changes in the future like its had to over the last 40 years or so, then it needs to start looking to the needs of its modellers across the board fairly, and stop regurgitating the same old kits that have been around from the 60's either that or they are going to lose a lot of custom if they haven't already.

I just hope that someone in Airfix authority reads this forum and takes note, that change is needed bearing in mind what turbulent times the company has seen in the past.

I'm slightly confused here because you seem to be saying you're aware of a "huge" (but unquantified) market out there for sailing ships but then are seemingly out of touch with the huge investment Hornby have made in new tooling by alluding to "regurgitating" old tools which simply isn't true.

 

Besides which there is probably a very good reason why not many kit companies are heavily investing in sailing ships - Tamiya and Italeri being two notable examples - and that is simply they do not sell in large enough quantities when compared to aircraft and armour.

I know it's hard on people for whom the sailing ships are their core interest, but at the end of the day model manufacturing is a business, not a service.

If aircraft and tanks guarantee a solid return year in year out, then that's where the money goes.