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Hornby Buys Airfix, Plans to Make Model Kits in U.K.

Hornby Plc, Britain's largest maker of model railways, said it bought plastic model kit-maker Airfix from Humbrol Ltd., and plans to move some manufacturing of the brand to the U.K. from France.

The company bought assets including Airfix, Humbrol Paints, used for Airfix models and the Young Scientist brand from Humbrol Ltd.'s administrators, Grant Thornton, for 2.6 million pounds ($5 million).

``It's a great fit,'' Chief Executive Officer Frank Martin said in an interview. ``The company is operating in a similar market to ours, with the same distribution channels.'' Martin plans to move some model-kit manufacturing from France to the U.K., as well as China and India.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=as_2PfZ98X9I&refer=uk

I just read this on the BBC News page and was about to post it! You're quick off the draw today Doug
Great news for model makers however

Wahay.....I wont need to resort to those complicated Revell thingys.....that reminds me...I must finish the half painted meteor and F15 sitting on my desk.

.Mic

Yay
Good News!
More info here
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=HUINFO

great news

Bugger, I was going to put one of my TSR-2 kits on e-bay for big money Seriously though, great news for us model builders. My local model shops are getting very low on Humbrol paint and I use bucket fulls of this! I'm glad it's gone to a UK based company and not to Revell Germany.

I'm glad it's gone to a UK based company and not to Revell Germany.

Indeed. Airfix did make the best aeroplane kits. However their ground vehicles left a lot to be desired. Revell made by far the most detailed model tank kits avaliable. Not that their aircraft were bad either. My first Lancaster and B17 were Revell and they had working retractable undercarriage.

My first Lancaster and B17 were Revell and they had working retractable undercarriage.

And the Lancaster came in green plastic with decals for R5868 PO-S. Revell also did a Dambuster version with the retractable U/C and detatchable Upkeep mine. The Airfix B-17 was a better model than the Revell one but sadly it was so old the moulds wore out and the last time Airfix boxed a B-17 it was the Acadamy kit!

And the Lancaster came in green plastic with decals for R5868 PO-S. Revell also did a Dambuster version with the retractable U/C and detatchable Upkeep mine. The Airfix B-17 was a better model than the Revell one but sadly it was so old the moulds wore out and the last time Airfix boxed a B-17 it was the Acadamy kit!

My lancaster came in sand/brown plastic. The B17 was green. I've still got the Lanc (or the remains of) somewhere. the fuselarge and wings are mostly intact though the props have gone ashave bomb doors and wheels. The B17 got shot.

Anyway, like I said, Revell made the best tanks by a long shot. They really made the airfix ones look bland in comparison.

Great news about that, and a (small)boost for the UK economy. I liked Airfix kits for the smaller scales, but prefered the old Monogram kits for 1:48 scale and over. I once made a really nice battle-damaged B-17 from Monogram's 1:48 scale kit.
Academy, Tamiya, Arii, Hasagawa, Fujimi, DML, Acurate Miniature, AMT, Aoshima, & Heller make some nice kits too.

Tamiya made great ground vehicles! Their Spits always had a few faults however
I'm still after an Airfix 1:24 Spitfire I if anyone knows of one....

I'm still after an Airfix 1:24 Spitfire I if anyone knows of one....

Boxed and un-started Yours for

Yay!!

I wouldn't go as far as 50 quid Roger.... 49.99 maybe