According to Hannants website the list of Airfix reissues includes several interesting items, not least of which is the re-release of the Airfix 1/32 Crusader tank, together with the complete range of 1/32 'Multipose' figures.

In 1/76 there will be a Sherman 'Crab' and a Churchill 'Crocodile' I'm sure more details will follow after the UK Toy Fairs at the end of this month

Happy modelling

Well.... I can think of one rather happy Grumpyoldman..... :-) :-) :-) Now if they would only re-issue the
1. Old Bill Bus
2. Dennis Fire Engine
3. M3 Lee... I want to make a "LuLuBelle..... and Bogie"
4. M3 Grant........
Multi-pose, and 1/32 ...... a happy man I'd be.
OH... I know they aren't shake and bakes.......
and have lots of things wrong.......
But they sure would bring back fond memories of a younger, more care free life. :-) :-) :-) :-)

Maybe they will release the 17lbr A/T gun in 1/32

Chad.... I'm senile... completely forgot about that one....
Thanks for reminding me.....
I'm already excited.......

I've still got several of their 1/32 scale kits, including the Crusader. Got that at a local shop that had the remnants of an estate sale. Paid only $5 for it and it was complete less the crewman pieces. Haven't built it, but it looks like an outstanding kit. I believe the kits are marked 1976 on the inside. Hard to believe they are pushing 30 years old.

The Airfix Grant (have two) and Lee are excellent kits, superior in every way to the Tamiya and old Monogram kits.

I also have Monty's Humber and a couple of sets of multipose figures. Airfix's 1/32 scale armor were pretty good kits.

There's a man who knows more about armor than I do! No arguement from me, I always liked them better than the Tamyia M3.
I have the German halftrack, and 2 Humbers in the closet, along with a few muli-pose figure sets.
The 17 pounder, came with a unique set of muli-pose just for the gun crew.

That is great news. I have been trying to get my hands on some of those multipurpose infantry for a while. I have heard nothing but good things about them. And any brit/commonwealth figs are good news to me. Any thoughts on prices? Do you think they will make us pay through the nose for reissues like some other companies....Tamyia I'm looking in your direction!

I'm even happier now, went through the list.... Old Bill Bus, and Dennis Fire Engine...... gift set, they got it listed as 1/24 scale, but they were 1/32.
Some how I can see a few yankee greenbacks heading across the pond...... :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

That's really great news, these were the best M3 and Crusader kits around in their day and I think would still hold up well today. The Crusader even featured the often seen bar along the side hung with crew gear and tarps all moulded on.
The multipose figures were good as well. The 17pdr would be good to see but I thought that the moulds were lost?

Truly excellent news Ant, thanks for sharing it with us

Just so there is no confusion, if anyone has an old catalogue of Airfix (or speaking hypothetically at least ) , Airfix did Armor vehicle kits i n both 1/35th and 1/32nd scale.The 1/35th scale kits were repackaging of the old Max/Peerless/Italeri kits -which are still sought after.

The Lee/Grant/Crusader//SdKfz 250, 17 pounder/ and Humber Staff Car were 1/32nd scale to tie-in with both their own multipose figures AND I believe, the Monogram kits in the same scale.

Multipose figures were available in the following range:

British Infantry (8th Army & NW Europe, German Infantry (Afrika Corps & 'Europeaan) , Japanese Infantry (I sold 3 sets on e-bay, you cannot imagine the prices they fetch) USMC, US infantry (Europe)

Rumors were abounding about British Paras and several others.

Now, I said in a thread a couple of weeks ago, that with the future release of the TSR2 (30+ years late) that we could see some real surprises from Airfix, that they had resurrected their old moulds... This could get VERY interesting indeed...Jim

That is good news

Had a look at Hannant's site and the multipose sets are currently advertised at UK£6.99 and the Crusader (with both 8th Army and Afrika Korps as a gift set) at UK£19.99. Bargain!!

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?CATEGORY=0&DIVISION=0&MANUFACTURER=Airfix&CODE=&TYPE=&SCALE=1%3A32&KEYWORD=&NUMPERPAGE=25&order%5B%5D=arrived+desc&order%5B%5D=code+asc

As someone who still has the multipose Japanese, they aren't brilliant, there are some anatomical problems, specially with the bayonetting figure. The arm/shoulder pose is not physically possible.

I have just converted the original thread into a full news story. It can be seen Airfix Ressurected? Thanks again Ant!...Jim

Maybe it's been a clever piece of marketing research,
in 2 ways,

1, A lot of people from the 70's who built these as a kid are now grown up house almost paid for kids grown up so have a bit more disposale income what a better way to help them spend it than by re-living their youth :-) . Is is also an uderlying theme in the scootering scene and pushes prices for scooters up every month.....If you thought some kits went for silly money on e-pay you should have a look at the scooter junk for sale there!.
2, after looking around the net and seeing requests ect for the multi-pose figures and the price they sell for on e-pay they must realise there is still a demand for them and just goes to show how good they must have been when they were 1st released. I've never seen or owned any before my time you see but I'll be picking some up to see what all the fuss is about

Well I hate to be the resident 'doomsayer' but few of the original Airfix kits will stand up very well against what has come out in the last few years...

There are of course exceptions and kits which no-one has done or is likely to do for example the 1/48th scale Buccaneer, the TSR2 and one or two others.

As far as marketing is concerned. What marketing? Just who are they aiming at with these new releases? The serious modeller will find a handful of items to interest them - the ship modellers perhaps. The figure modellers will be delighted at the Multi-Pose re-releases. The Braille-Scale modellers are hardly going to be pleased with 3 releases if (as I suspect) 2 of them are re-pops..The aviation modellers are unlikely to get excited by moulds that are 30+ years old. The Halifax in 1/72nd? Perhaps, but with reservations...

Sadly, this is perhaps the 'last chance saloon' for Airfix...Jim

Like many, I grew up with these Airfix kits having had quite a few Crusaders, M3's and 250s over the years

I just dusted off my stash and found a 17pdr still in the original plastic bag and a Bedford QL Gun Portee (partly built ex Peerless 1:35) and two sets of each mutipose figure sets still with the original price tag of AUD $3.50. That equates to GBP £1.40 and USD$ 2.60.

Given the time between those purchases (25-30 years) and the reissues as GBP £6.99 they seem very reasonably priced.

I think many who remember these will buy them again for a little trip dowm memory lane.

Cheers
Terry A

Well, I for one am glad to see they got a second chance at it, I just hope they can add and make it into another good contender, cause competition is good for all of us.
Kerry

Hmmm... I couldn't agree more that competition is a good thing. I also agree that the 'nostalgia' factor will come into play with some of their sales. They have been very successful with their 'England footballer' kits.

However, and this for me is the real doubt, will they be able to get into the all-important 'mass-market'? With less and less Hobby Stores out there, they have to have an outlet. In the '60s and '70s, their main outlet was F.W. Woolworth - this was where I made my first purchases.

Nowadays, the market has changed and IMHO the only hope for Airfix is a move to China where both labour and production is considerably cheaper. The cost of the all-important masters is also lower. Although, Revell (Germany) has survived, their release schedule is very limited. I would imagine the same will be true of Airfix....Jim

They also did a Multi-pose set of US Marines.......

The footballers were actually pretty trick kits, with snap together generic soccer player bodies in 4 poses, and realistic vinyl heads. They were fairly large and had enough detail so that a moderate builder like me could go nuts shading and highlighting, even though they were aimed at my 10-year old soccer player (He's done Beckham, I did Rooney).

Sounds good - I bought some of the Multipose kits on their last airing (two sets per box, giving 12 figure in all). Detail isn't up to say, Dragon quality but they are still very good and have loads of conversion potential.

I think the Japanes mould were damaged and no more kits have been produced but i could be wrong.

Typically, I've nearly finished my Italeri 1/35 Crusader (a pleasure to put together - mine I did in a couple of evenings, which is unheard of) but I would probably buy the Airfix one just to have a go at one (missed it when I was a kid).

As a kid, I remember building the 1:32 Grief and Humber and while many years and even more may have dulled the memory, they were decent kits. The bigger scale was a novelty, at least to me back then, but I don't think they'll compare well to todays Tamiya, Dragon, etc. As Jim mentioned, part of their success was that every branch of Woolworths had a big rack of them but today, toy shops rarely carry model kits. How's a young feller or girl to get started? Dunno if I'll rush out to buy them now, but if Airfix can get cheap kits back into department stores and toy shops, then it can only be good for the hobby in the long run.

The Humber kit is also a good conversion source for softskin addicts - it can be converted to the small pick-up/van/office bodied truck.