Missing Part from Kit

[BillMC]

There used to be a time when each Airfix kit had a form inside it which you could use if a part was missing from your kit. This is no longer available in Airfix kits.

So what are you supposed to do if you are unfortunate to have a part missing?

I started doing the 1/72 churchill Mk VII tank kit and after assembling the fist set of wheels I found that the kit only had one tread.

[Ratch]

Scroll up to the top of the page

Click on Support

Click on Contact us

[BillMC]

Found it Ratch, thanks.

BTW anyone know how long it takes to receive the lost part?

[Deliere -355498]

Hello,

I have a part missing in the kit D-Day Spitfire. What could I do ?

It's a piece from the back of the plane.

[Sailorman]

Scroll to the top of this page,

Click on the word " Support"

Then click on "Contact Us"

Then on "Spares Request" and follow the instructions.

Be sure to give enough information for the powers that be to identify the kit and the specific part you require.

Airfix are usually very good with helping out.

[Roger-357422]

Scroll to the top of this page,

Click on the word " Support"

Then click on "Contact Us"

Then on "Spares Request" and follow the instructions.

Be sure to give enough information for the powers that be to identify the kit and the specific part you require.

Airfix are usually very good with helping out.

 

 

No they are not! Provided the code off a snap-to car box but some feeble excuse not to send missing parts

[Sailorman]

Surprising.

What were you told?

[Ratch]

Have you contacted Airfix?

[Tony-360005]

Interesting to read the posts re requesting spare parts. I've been making kits for 40+ years but never had an issue until recently. I've tried to request spares twice from Airfix only to be told they are not available which is disappointing (even when offering to pay), basically felt as if I had been fobbed off as based on the replies I got the feeling that my emails had not really been read. I think I may have reconsider my membership to the Airfix club and may start looking to some of the other manufacturers - very disillusioned with Airfix at the moment

[Ratch]

It's difficult to appreciate your problem, Tony. In the past, i know that Airfix go the extra mile to resolve the problems. For example, I know that Airfix bought a 1/12 Bentley off e-bay when the kit was out of production. You don't say which kit(s) you had missing parts in - whether these were currently in the range or 'heritage' kits. Most of the kits are not produced in this country, so it's not possible to just nip down to the factory floor and pick up the missing part. A certain number of kits will be held by the Spares Dept, but things will run out. Maybe you were just unlucky Tony. I have found Italeri and Revell much harder to get spares from (in fact they have never replaced any of mine).

Enjoy your modelling.

[Mark-365498]

I guess I will find out - I've got a missing part from the 1:24 Hurricane which I am going to request. It been a while since it was bought for me, but the parts were still in the bag until I started the build two weeks ago. Funny thing is, the kit contained another random duplicate part. Possibly a rush to package the kit!! I'll report back on the outcome!

[John-365583]

I admitted to damaging the canopy of a 1:72 Me109 removing it from the sprue and had a deformed axe head for a Willy's Jeep. Both were replaced free of charge, took about 4 weeks. thumbsup

[Bun Lye-366723]

Have gone to this link-

https://support.airfix.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4411389893906-Spares-Request-

[Marto]

There seems to be a lot of parts missing from new Airfix kits. I'm not sure of quality control in UK/India is doing its job properly. I was just told by my Uncle in Australia that the JP I gave him recently is missing the whole clear plastic sprue.

edit: I've been informed by Hornby that the Jet Provost kit is nil stock anywhere, so no replacement sprue, something I find hard to believe.

Update Late Nov 23: I see Aldi are selling it as part of their Airfix Christmas run so must be a lot more stock in Hornby's warehouse then they let on.

[Davie muddlin]

Sent via an email I recently requested a 1/24th scale pilot from either the original 1970s 1/24th Spitfire kit or the 1/24th Typhoon kit to convert my 1/24th Hurricane kit pilot that was bought some years ago, (I felt the original moulding around his flight boots was poor & undersized and needed updating.) I admit to getting some kit details wrong but after a few messages, trying to work with the Airfix spares department, I felt that I was becoming a pest!! They said there was no pilots in stock end of subject!

The Airfix spares department was always politely helpful but this day something had changed? I believe back in the Heller owned Airfix days they had one guy who's job it was to find & remould missing kit parts? I know this as he used to send me my missing parts in tiny cardboard boxes.

I thought Airfix had a small store of old kits to harvest missing parts from? I can see its a huge operation to refit an old tool just to press new parts and probably not financially viable to Airfix? Maybe a vlog on youtube giving us modellers an insight into the limitations of the spares department would be useful?

When requests like mine go flat it feels like a very trivial and unimportant issue with Airfix as it's only a hobby!

So please, please, please Airfix educate us modellers about your spares department limitations to help us both not waste our time!

[Ratch]

Back in the day, one lady, Rita, looked after Airfix spares. I doubt that she popped down to the Injection Moulding Department and ran off any missing parts. Machine setting times simply would not allow this. After setting the machine, a run of approx 15,000 shots is determined as economical, so spares come from real production runs. That was when production was on site. Production now takes place mainly in India, so no popping down to see what bits can be salvaged.

The Airfix Tribute Forum had a Jolly Boys Outing to Margate some years ago and visited the Spares Dept. It was surprising how small the Airfix operation is.

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/31.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/25.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/26.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/27.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/28.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/James-a-j/5-%20Jolly%20Boy%20Outings/1-%20Margate-%2023-09-10/29.jpg

This may seem like a lot of spares, but when you consider the vast range of kits Airfix has produced over 70-odd years, it would be impossible to hold stock for everything. At the time we visited, Spares had around 50 requests every day. Many for kits long out of the range. The spares replacement system was supposed to replace parts where Airfix were at fault - omissions form the pack and mis-formed parts - but many modellers treat it as a free parts option for their own mistakes. With the limited storage space and therefore a limited quantity of any kit held, individual parts will run out, whether that be by genuine claims or erroneous ones. Sometimes, whether your request is fulfilled, is down to luck.

Remember, I don't work for Airfix, but I did work in the toy trade involved with production, so this is told from experience.

[Andrew-378161]

I raised a query through the recommended channels regarding parts missing from the Great Western steam ship re release.

The response from Airfix was 'sub optimal' to say the least.

I was asked to send in various personal details and the code number from the back of the box. Did so. No reply so chased up a week later to ask what the next steps would be. Got a very brusque, gramatically poor email that added no value so duly resubmitted all info.

A week later I have no idea what is going on. No reply from customer services at all.

Will I get the missing parts I wonder?

Disappointing.

[paul71]

I had to get in touch with airfix spares at christmas son had been given a harrier quick build and it had a duplicate part and was missing the part for the next stage, i sent an email christmas day saying which part was missing and included a photo of the duplicate parts and gave them the code off the box which i had this time, the previous time i asked for a spare i didn't have it and once again no receipt as it was again a present for him ( the previous request was again for a quick build) i got an acknowledgment to say they had received the part request the same day(it was an automated response) and a few days later an email saying the part was on its way, both times i have found the service to be excellent.