Discussion
Question for Lufbramatt. Just our of interest, could Hornby supply locomotives and rolling stock in CKD kit format? Ie a bit like Dinky used to do in the 1970s. And I think maybe Trix with rolling stock back in the '60s (before my time). Reason for asking is that I was on their site last night looking at test shots for a new locomotive and thought "putting that together looks a lot easier than fiddling around with whitemetal, bent brass and epoxy resin. They'd be outsourcing all the labour intensive, fiddly, and to people like me, most rewarding work to the end user. I'm sure it's not a novel idea but the new Gresley just test shots looked like someone had tipped a kit onto the desk.
Yertis said:
Question for Lufbramatt. Just our of interest, could Hornby supply locomotives and rolling stock in CKD kit format? Ie a bit like Dinky used to do in the 1970s. And I think maybe Trix with rolling stock back in the '60s (before my time). Reason for asking is that I was on their site last night looking at test shots for a new locomotive and thought "putting that together looks a lot easier than fiddling around with whitemetal, bent brass and epoxy resin. They'd be outsourcing all the labour intensive, fiddly, and to people like me, most rewarding work to the end user. I'm sure it's not a novel idea but the new Gresley just test shots looked like someone had tipped a kit onto the desk.
I genuinely don't know, I don't have a huge amount to do with the railway side of things (I did do some CAD for the roof of a diesel loco though!)It probably could be done, but I expect the cost of picking and packing all the parts, producing instructions and decals etc. would end up costing just as much as getting the bits assembled and put in a box all done. Some of the parts I expect need special tooling and fixtures (bending jigs etc.) to assemble too as they are not designed as a consumer assembled kit. I know the guys in the workshop find it very hard to get a running loco out of those sets of parts in the photos.
The other issue is cannibalising their own market, offering kits at a lower price would reduce the sales of assembled models and possibly make them uneconomical.
lufbramatt said:
I genuinely don't know, I don't have a huge amount to do with the railway side of things (I did do some CAD for the roof of a diesel loco though!)
It probably could be done, but I expect the cost of picking and packing all the parts, producing instructions and decals etc. would end up costing just as much as getting the bits assembled and put in a box all done. Some of the parts I expect need special tooling and fixtures (bending jigs etc.) to assemble too as they are not designed as a consumer assembled kit. I know the guys in the workshop find it very hard to get a running loco out of those sets of parts in the photos.
The other issue is cannibalising their own market, offering kits at a lower price would reduce the sales of assembled models and possibly make them uneconomical.
It probably could be done, but I expect the cost of picking and packing all the parts, producing instructions and decals etc. would end up costing just as much as getting the bits assembled and put in a box all done. Some of the parts I expect need special tooling and fixtures (bending jigs etc.) to assemble too as they are not designed as a consumer assembled kit. I know the guys in the workshop find it very hard to get a running loco out of those sets of parts in the photos.
The other issue is cannibalising their own market, offering kits at a lower price would reduce the sales of assembled models and possibly make them uneconomical.
That all makes sense. Re the market cannibalisation, I was wondering whether the market breaks down in the same way as 1/72 aircraft, where there seems to have been a market for Corgi's ready made offerings, and Airfix's kits of the same aircraft. (Personally I can find no attraction in buying those ready made models.)Yertis said:
Question for Lufbramatt. Just our of interest, could Hornby supply locomotives and rolling stock in CKD kit format? Ie a bit like Dinky used to do in the 1970s. And I think maybe Trix with rolling stock back in the '60s (before my time). Reason for asking is that I was on their site last night looking at test shots for a new locomotive and thought "putting that together looks a lot easier than fiddling around with whitemetal, bent brass and epoxy resin. They'd be outsourcing all the labour intensive, fiddly, and to people like me, most rewarding work to the end user. I'm sure it's not a novel idea but the new Gresley just test shots looked like someone had tipped a kit onto the desk.
I had the same thought....i probably wouldn't even try make the thing actually run.Looking forward to seeing this. I've got one of the older Airfix Vulcans as part of a collection of older kits that I've had for years. I used to build a lot of 1/72 aircraft back in my childhood, then finally got back into it (via model ships) a couple of years ago in my 30s. These four kits were sat in my parent's loft for the best part of 20 years 
I'm looking forward to getting on with them once my 1/350 Dreadnought is finished, assuming they are salvageable. I've heard that the older Airfix Vulcan has a couple of fitment issues?
I'm looking forward to getting on with them once my 1/350 Dreadnought is finished, assuming they are salvageable. I've heard that the older Airfix Vulcan has a couple of fitment issues?
As you can guess, it's an old kit so an early issue from the Hasegawa stable. I've heard it is a bit narrow when viewed head on and, of course, as it's a 1960s model, it features raised panel lines. I built a Hasegawa version around 1980 and I was quite pleased with the result at the time. However, I doubt I would be today.
In more recent times, that same kit has been available in a Revell boxing.
All the same kit
Due to the FROG connection, it has also appeared in obscure Soviet/Russian boxings.
In more recent times, that same kit has been available in a Revell boxing.
All the same kit
Due to the FROG connection, it has also appeared in obscure Soviet/Russian boxings.
I thought that was quite a nice kit actually, captured the stance of the Lightning well. It was the first bare metal finish model I made where I painted panels individually with slightly different shades of silver to get that 'patchwork' effect. Only recently consigned to the wheelie-bin of history.
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