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Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
Markconz
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:17 am 
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Sad news for those of us who are old enough to have grown up using this stuff. I know I stopped using Humbrol model paints a long time ago though - did they ever switch to acrylic rather than enamel formulation?


"Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust Ellen Widdup, Evening
standard 31 August 2006

MODEL-MAKER Airfix faced the end of its life today after its parent
company collapsed with huge debts.

Airfix's plastic kits of Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster bombers
have been painstakingly glued together and painted by children for
almost 70 years.

Today 31 out of 41 staff were made redundant after parent firm Humbrol
went into administration. Chris Rumball, sales adviser for the
South-East, said: 'It's devastating news, for staff and millions of men
and boys who've grown up with the brand.

'Airfix is an iconic name that conjures up long, happy childhood hours
glueing and painting planes, tanks and battleships. I grew up making
them and it is desperately sad future generations won't have the
opportunity.
'This is the age of computer games and the internet. Sadly these have
killed children's traditional pastimes.' Humbrol, which makes the
special paint for the kits, was forced into administration yesterday.
Its debts have not yet been disclosed.

Keith Hinds, a partner at Grant Thornton, which is handling the
administration, said: 'In December 2005 a team was drafted in to
restructure Humbrol but they have now had to call us in due to cash flow
problems and disruption to supplies.

'The brand names and intellectual property of the business are
potentially very valuable and we are looking to sell those to investors.
That includes Airfix. Airfix, based in Hull, was founded in 1939 by
Nicholas Kove, a Hungarian businessman, and initially made rubber
inflatable toys. In 1949 it created a model of the Ferguson tractor and
then plastic kits of cars."

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Bombot
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:31 am 
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I think the name is still worth buying but a buyer would need to do something radically different with the product range (or at least add to it a lot).  There simply isn?t a big enough market for model Spitfires.  And Humbrol paints are terrible!

Still, always sad to see something you used as a kid go the way of the dodo.

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Tiny-Tim
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:18 pm 
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Agreed, there is still a market for Airfix, but Humbol paints..... well stopped using them 15 years ago.

Tim

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colonel_sponsz
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:55 pm 
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Good point, I really should throw my 15 year old Humbrols out!   :)

Back in the day the range of acrylic colours wasn't vey good and the paints themselves weren't as good in terms of coverage, strength of pigmetation or chip/flake resistance, certainly not at the pocket money price point.  Acrylics have since moved on in leaps and bounds but the old enamels have stayed still.

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primarch
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:46 pm 
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Hi!

An end of an era....


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vanvlak
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:58 pm 
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Awwww, that's sad.
Would it be a good idea to buy on up Airfix kits?

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primarch
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:58 pm 
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Hi!

Probably, especially if you can get them at discount prices.

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Dwarf Supreme
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:14 pm 
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That it sad news.  :( Airfix was a fixture in the plastic models industry

I stopped using Humbrol paints long ago. I loved some of the old colors and at the time I bought them (30 years ago), I don't think there was a really good acrylic line. Eventually, I got tired of working with enamels and good acrylics, like Polly S, came out.

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primarch
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:21 pm 
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Hi!

Yeas, I stopped using those paints ages ago as well.

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Lion in the Stars
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:05 am 
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Living in the US, I didn't build too many Airfix kits, but it's still a sad day when a company like that goes under.

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Legion 4
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:40 pm 
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Yep, built beaucoup Airfix as a lad ... they still exist with collector, 40 miles put the road from me. I sold all my collection a few years back ... to buy more Epic ! ?Too bad; Airfix was a great company ... I have been using Polly's water-based forever ... ?Enamel is best used in spray, IMO. But for a few examples ... ?Good-by Airfix ... you gave us a good ride ...

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iblisdrax
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:12 pm 
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Shockingly, I've never built an Airfix kit.... still a sad day when any model company goes out of buisness.    


ib

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primarch
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:52 pm 
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Hi!

I wonder if any of their IP will get picked up...

.... if they had any IP that is....

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jb1
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 2:51 am 
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...yup the first time I ever put a Sherman together,was an airfix...R.I.P., Meine Gut Kameraden! :(

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Mojarn Piett
 Post subject: Last flight of Airfix as model firm goes bust
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:24 am 
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(Dwarf Supreme @ Sep. 01 2006,15:14)
QUOTE
That it sad news.  :( Airfix was a fixture in the plastic models industry

I stopped using Humbrol paints long ago. I loved some of the old colors and at the time I bought them (30 years ago), I don't think there was a really good acrylic line. Eventually, I got tired of working with enamels and good acrylics, like Polly S, came out.

Humbrol had one thing going for it. Three of the paints could be used to generate "good enough" Finnish WWII three color scheme without having to do any blending.  :(

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