Just landed an Airfix 1/48 JU-87B1 , kit A07114, the 2017 release with Kondor Legion markings. Was doing some research on Scalemates and it shows a A07114A ,2021 release. Allegedly the same kit with new decals (BoB, Italian, North Africa). Scalemates references the instructions for the 2017 boxing. On Britmodeler site and a You tube review the instructions are totally different (look like a simplistic , early 80s 1/72 sheet) and the parts sprues are now where near what I have. Also, just from a quick look the parts look 1980s too. The gunners basket seat (an actual basket in mine ) is something akin to an American baseball base pad. On my 2017 kit, there is a fuselage section from tail to firewall and then the nose section with the option for the full engine. The ânewâ release , the fuselage is one section, from nose to tail. Did the wankers pull out an old set of molds out (like they did for the Fairy Battle?) and are trying to pass it off as a rebox of their 2017 new molds ?
Oops! Neeeever Mind. The kit in question is actually a rebox of 1981 molds reboxed in 2010. Some how got a hit on my search. Guess puter figures if I search â1/48 Airfix Stuka A07114Aâ that '1/48 Airfix Stuka " is close enough. Anybody know what the ânewâ decals for the 2021 release are? Junkers Ju87-B, Airfix A05100 (2010) (scalemates.com)
They shouldnt use the red boxes for the âclassicâ OLD kits. Use gold boxes for the ancient retreads. Save the red for kits with molds actually tooled this century.
Seriously, âvintage classicsâ would oft times be better labeled âAncient, under-detailed, poorly fitting for nostalgia purposes onlyâ in large, obvious script. Having said that, Iâm all for them re-releasing models which have no modern equivalent. I wouldnât mind picking up their big olâ hovercraft kit, for example. That and not ALL of their old kits are terrible. The one that baffles me the most is their 1/76 panther. Still availableâŚ
Back on subject: Iâd be also baffled if the older airfix Stuka has not been properly retired now.
i havenât built an airfix kit since i was a kid and if they are doing this sort of under handed activity then i wonât be going near them if theyâre trying to palm off ancient kits as re-tooled kits.
Airfix rely a little too much on Facebook for kit suggestions.
A lot of people are requesting old kits there from simple nostalgia of building it when they were younger.
There have been some right old dogs reissued in recent years that have me completely baffled, but plenty of good old kits have been ignored. The Shorts Skyvan for example.
I have nothing against reboxing old kit.But as I said, in Airfixs case, use different boxing for oldies, and leave the red box for stuff that was tooled this century. Also, in Airfixâs defense , part of the confusion in this case is them reissuing the 2017 kit with new decals, then Scalmates not listing waht the new decals are and using the 2017 kit for reference. When the 1980s kit, in a red box , with decalls different than the ones in the other two red boxed for real new kits logical conclusion IS this must be the announced 2021 rebox of the 2017 tooled kit with the new decals. ATTENTION AIRFIX; Iâd been royally pissed if Iâd ordered up a kit thinking it was the new molds and got old cludge.
Kinda hard to âbewareâ when the old cludge and the new tooled kit of the same subject are in the same type box. And hard to âcheck conditionâ when in a sealed box ⌠or if buying on line , a continent or two away.
How hard is it to pull out your smart phone, go on to Scalemates, and check out the lineage of a kit while looking at said kit in a hobby shop? At worst you may have a bad internet signal. If youâre looking at it online to buy, there is no excuse whatsoever.
