Airfix

[Weaver]

Maybe they think they'll be mostly shifting them at air shows where the real thing appears.....

[Old Wombat]

Or... Maybe they don't think (at all)!



Guy

[Thorvic]

That's why the whole 'Limited Edition' thing gets me going so much.

Having forked out to make the new decals already why not put the thing on general release? Even their finance people MUST be able to see that, but apparently not. 

Because they know what they are doing, and its a clever ploy to cash in on short term interest in a one off subject, rather than see the aftermarket decal boys capture the market (where their production run would be nearer to 500 max !). As weaver says its for the Airshow Circuit and that scheme is for the 2013 display aircraft, come 2014 it will be replaced (late war european with D-Day stripes perhaps ?) and excess stock of the old model will be left on the shelves, so its a good ploy and 1000 is a production number that ties in well with the printers.

Quite surprised your thats its annoyed you as pretty sure you can replicate the scheme with standard aftermarket roundels and codes, its not exactly got anything too spectacular that would warrant having to get that specific kit for the scheme as its not like the Jubilee boxing from last year.

If you have a beef with limited edition have pop at Hasegawa where they do special kits with extra parts and decals in limited numbers at hyper inflated prices that never get seen again once stock has sold out!

[PR19_Kit]

I have a pop at anyone who does the 'Limited Edition' thing.

It's rife in the model railway world where even standard colour schemes are produced as 'Limited Editions', I suspect solely because it raises the cash faster than any other way. Some time later they do a re-release, probably with an increased price too. And Hasegawa are doing turbo-charged!

It's the five letter word again, G R E E D

[ChernayaAkula]

I have a pop at anyone who does the 'Limited Edition' thing. <...>

Would you rather have them released as general releases in the tens of thousands and then see the manufacturer go bust because they can't sell the damn things?

In the past year, Airfix had the limited edition Jubilee Tucano, then released it as a full-scale "regular" release and now the "Middle East" Tucano as a limited edition. They probably felt (quite rightly, I think) that the Tucano market is quite saturated at this point and demand simply wouldn't support releasing the "Middle East" Tucano as a general release. It doesn't help, of course, that the decal sheet is the single biggest cost factor in a kit. Yes, they may have forked out to make the new decals, but why order 10,000 of them if the market isn't there? Sure, the price per sheet will go down significantly, but what's the use if you have all these kits sitting in your warehouse?
It's not greed, it's sound business practice.
Actually, as long as they don't jack up the price a bit for this release, I don't see them making too much profit from this one. Assuming decals from Cartograf (who have a minimum order volume of 500 sheets!) in small numbers (small as opposed to a general release), extra instructions in small numbers, extra boxings in small numbers, yeah, Airfix are totally gonna make a killing on these.

Hasegawa has most of their kits in regular, general release boxings (the "white boxings"). Kits that have come for years with the same decals for a decent price (it's not Hasegawa's fault you guys in the UK are being ripped off by the importers). The limited edition boxings, at a higher price, will offer you new decals for different squadrons. Since they're produced in smaller numbers, they're more expensive, largely due to the smaller numbers of decal sheets ordered.
Take Revell's F/A-18F, for instance. Two schemes (one of them the oh-so-original Jolly Rogers) - and that's it . The Hasegawa regular kit of the F/A-18F also has two marking options. Now, thanks to their limited editions just about any squadron that flies the F/A-18F can be modelled. Even oddballs such as VX-23. Which is great as the common thing you hear from aftermarket people these days is that "1/72 just doesn't sell", at least in certain areas of interest.
To those of us building real life aircraft as well, these Hasegawa limited editions are a godsend. I recently bought a OIF VF-211 Checkmates F-14A Tomcat. I was very happy to see Hasegawa do this one. Hasegawa were the only option for this squadron and place in time. The aftermarket people won't go near it. Even though they already have most of the design work done in form of a 1/48 sheet, Fightertown Decals won't do them in 1/72 as they wouldn't sell. They feel they wouldn't even get enough customers for a run of 500 sheets. Taking such a risk would be prohibitive for a small aftermarket outfit. For Hasegawa, it's possible.

[PR19_Kit]

I'm entitled to my opinion, and I'm far too old to change now.............

[pyro-manic]

If it makes them money, then fair enough. And a huge production run would likely lose them a lot of money. Which makes that 1:72 Sea Vixen, Javelin, etc. less likely!

The words "Limited Edition" to me mean a: expensive, b: hype, c: for collectors. Pass!

I certainly won't be buying one, as 1: I don't feel like paying a significant premium over the standard boxing; 2: the subject (type and scheme) doesn't particularly excite me; and 3: the scheme can easily be bashed together from spares. The reverse would definitely have to be true (likely in spectacular fashion) for 2 and 3 in order to get me to reconsider 1.

[NARSES2]

As far as the Tucano Limited Addition argument is concerned I'm with Geoff and ChermayaAkula but I do understand where Kit is coming from. So that's me nicely in the middle 

The release of the new tool Harrier actually highlites a point for me regarding the closure of Modelzone. I'm not particularly bothered about the Harrier but I do object to paying postage on an Airfix kit ! It's purely emotional I know but I feel I have a right as an Englishman to be able to obtain Airfix kits locally without going via Royal Mail. This will effect me when the new tool Hurricane I and Fw 190F come out as unless Hobbycraft get them in then I will probably have to go mail order as, believe it not there is an extreme dearth of model shops in S London, and no I've not been to Comet and Bexley is very difficult for me to get to via public transport. I do have a Hobbycraft on the tram network but it requires a special journey so I'll have to hope that a) they answer the phone and b) they know what they have in stock.

[Green Dragon]

Where you at Narses2? didn't know London had got trams back. Was in Edinburgh a couple of months ago and they're still digging all the streets up! Lots of closed shops on Princes Street.

Paul Harrison

[PR19_Kit]

Croydon, where Chris lives, has had trams for some years now, I think they started in 2000. While not as extensive as the trams used to be in Croydon (I know, I lived there after WWII  ) it's a good start.

[Rolead]

Chris, why not order a 3 from Airix then you do not have to pay for postage. If you want 3 that is.

I know what you mean about the lack of shops in South London as I live near Bromley and once Modelzone goes it is either Hobbycraft or Hannants in North London

Robert

[Weaver]

I want a slew of the new stuff when it comes out, so I calculated that it was worth joining the Airfix Club at the new lower price, and using the Flying Hours token from the not-inconsiderable stash that I've already got....

Only thing is, you need to provide two alternative choices when you order with Flying Hours, so I have to wait until there are three of the new ones out that I want, so the GR.1 will have to wait a while yet.

[Green Dragon]

Croydon, where Chris lives, has had trams for some years now, I think they started in 2000. While not as extensive as the trams used to be in Croydon (I know, I lived there after WWII  ) it's a good start.

Thanks for the info Kit! Been to Croydon about three or four times when I was little far I can remember, once to a department store that had models (possibly Allders? very disappointed coz Mum wouldn't let me have a Revell Blue Angels Hercules!) and a couple of times to a shopping centre that had a great model shop that stocked Aurora. Got my Land Of The Giants Spindrift, 2001 space shuttle and a few figures like Frankenstein and Mamoth/dinosaurs etc.

Paul Harrison

[Aircav]

Chris, why not order a 3 from Airix then you do not have to pay for postage. If you want 3 that is.

I know what you mean about the lack of shops in South London as I live near Bromley and once Modelzone goes it is either Hobbycraft or Hannants in North London

Robert

Or he could just get me to get him one. 

[Martin H]

Chris, why not order a 3 from Airix then you do not have to pay for postage. If you want 3 that is.

I know what you mean about the lack of shops in South London as I live near Bromley and once Modelzone goes it is either Hobbycraft or Hannants in North London

Robert

Or he could just get me to get him one. 

And here we have a perfect example of a very nicely executed but not so subtle plug for ones employer LOL 



Steve knows Im only kidding