Airfix Gone Bust?

[wonwinglo]

Richard,regarding the Humbrol tinlets,I think the retailer was confusing the original slow drying enamel as opposed to the newer quick drying paints,the formulae was the same just a bit more Terebin dryers in them,Humbrol always did suffer problems with the darker gloss colours taking a long while to cure,I remember writing to them and suggesting that they do something about it,which they did.

Certainly Revell enamel is a different formulae and is quicker curing,you can add thinners and it starts to cure while you are still weilding the brush.

By far the best gloss paints for models are artists oil colours mixed with alkyd resin and thinned with white spirit,you need to mix them fresh from the tubes but the coverage is superb,most of my models are painted with this type of paint.

[Guest]

speaking of which Barry what are you working on at the moment?

[wonwinglo]

***RJ,I am putting the finishing touches to several of those early Airfix rebuilds,will photograph them in due course so you can see the finished results,there is always something on the bench,they were shown in primer in the blog recently.

speaking of which Barry what are you working on at the moment?

[Guest]

oh right, all those ones you had out on your workbench you had stripped down to re-"master"?

[wonwinglo]

***Thats correct,there are several canopies to polish up with toothpaste and dunk in Johnsons,then frame up.

oh right' date=' all those ones you had out on your workbench you had stripped down to re-"master"?[/quote']

[Guest]

BBC business news yesterday said that Meccano may make a bid for Airfix. There is hope yet perhaps ?

[Guest]

That would be a positive outcome and would keep things at least based in the UK although I doubt whether they will be manufactured here any more.

[wonwinglo]

Not quite correct Richard,Meccano is now owned by 'Bandhai' a Japanease company who took it over from Meccano France,all tooling was shipped over there some years ago,Bandhai ruined the system with numerous plastic parts including those essential gears,even if Bandhai take on Airfix it will be made in Japan,what a sad state of affairs.

That would be a positive outcome and would keep things at least based in the UK although I doubt whether they will be manufactured here any more.

[Guest]

Kuso,shimatta !

[wonwinglo]

It is not just Airfix.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/31/rip_airfix/

Another source has stated that Heller also has been under administration as well,so the rot goes deeper than expected,what exactly was the connection betweenAirfix and Heller ? the two appear to have been linked for years,remember the old Heller/Airfix Bobcat kits ? it appears to be a complex situation.