Speculating on Heller / Airfix situation

Kits that appreciate in value tend to be ones that were not made in large numbers and have not been kitted by anyone else (say, Renwal's

1/32nd scale Atomic Cannon or 75mm Skysweeper kits). They also have to be disirable subjects. Most Heller and Airfix subjects were produced for many years, and many have been superceded by better kits from other companies. Heller's French Army armor kits are mostly unique, but have also been manufactured for many years, in most cases since 1977. Since the customer base for French armor is rather small, I wouldn't look for very high prices for most items. Likewise, the customer for a 1/72 or 1/48th scale Spitfire has many more choices than Airfix. And finally, old molds never die (almost), so most of these kits will no doubt reappear in other boxes before long. The point of bankruptcy is to sell off the company's remaining assets to satisfy creditors, and the molds fall into that category. Of course, if the Revell Germany purchase of Airfix goes through, that is a moot point.

Count DeMoney a utilisé son clavier pour écrire :

Don't speculate too much about Heller... Heller is still alive, and far to death. I phoned yesterday to my friend who's a boss of Heller, and even if they have some problems (thanks a lot Airfix and Humbrol!!!!), they are far to let down...

If it's not too much trouble, could you ask your Heller buddy if we'll ever see the new Heller 1/72 EC-145 helicopter kit here in the US? I've been patiently waiting for it, but so far, no luck.

Martin

Hi Martin,

The problem is not by Heller itself but Importers. Heller doesn't sale directly, nowere in the word. If your local store order this kit for you, you will have it very quicly.

Hi again Martin

Here are the main distributor Heller in the USA:

GREAT PLANES phone: +1 2173983630

STEVENS INTERNATIONAL phone: +1 ( 856 ) 435 1555

SENTAI DISTRIBUTORS, INC phone: +1 818 886 3113

Call them... The EC-145 will be very interesting for USA modellers: it's a great model, but also because for US Army, it's the HC-145...

Best regards from France

UH-145, actually.

UH-145? Good grief! Do we continue to deviate from the 'standard' desginations??

Al Superczynski wrote:

via email.

It's not only the US that does that. The UK had a perfectly good designation system that had worked for years and years. Then the RAF bought some old F-4J Phantoms from the US Navy to replace a squadron that had been deployed to the Falklands.

Previous Phantom marks were FG1 and FGR2 (the Mk 2 could carry a recce pod, unlike the Mk1. Both aircraft were primarily fighters with a secondary ground attack role). The "new" Phantoms were intended solely for the air defence role and there was a perfectly good designation available - F3. Both nooooooo.... the MoD had to designate them "F-4J(UK)". Why?

Then there was the Sea Harrier. The Mk1 was primarily a fighter, with secondary recce and nuclear strike roles. Therefore it was desgnated FRS1 - a designation in line wth the standard system.

The Sea Harrier Mk2 had the strike capability removed, and an improved ground attack capability. The recce role was retained. One would have thought that it would be designated FGR2. But... the US Navy had recently redesgnated its F-18s as F/A-18. So, in a fit of ridiculous optimism - thinking that the Sea Harrier could ever be remotely compared to the Hornet - the MoD designated the Mk2 version of the Sea Harrier as the F/A.2.

Now we have even more stupidity with the Eurofighter Typhoon. The primary role of an aircraft has *always* been the designator for the first mark. Hunters, Lightnings, Harriers etc have *always* had either "F" or "GR" as the designator for the first mark, with the trainer version as the Mk2. The Hawk *was* designated T1, but that was always intended to be a trainer.

The initial version of the Typhoon is the T1, with the fighter version being relegated to F2... Mind you, from what I hear the aircraft is a superb display jet, but there are *major* problems integrating the weapon system to the aircraft. It may *never* become a combat ready aircraft, so it might as well be a trainer!

The F4-J was called J because the first users of this version was the Japan, not UK...

I think you're getting confused with the F-4EJ, which was a version of the F-4E licence built in Japan by Mitsubishi.

The F-4J was the definitive US Navy version.

You're maybe right. I'm not a phantom specialist... ;-)

I'm obsessed by them! And now that we've mentioned the F-4EJ, I want to build one!!! :-D

Yeah, it's really nothing recent for the US, just that some don't really get any attention, like from the '60s, the A-37, FB-111 & AV-8 are wrong. I know there are others, but those come to mind right off.

Enzo Matrix wrote:

Enzo Matrix a émis l'idée suivante :

lol lol lol

You've just noticed? How about those F-24s? Somewhere along the way they bacame F-35s which is what the Danes designated the Drakens they had in service. Now the mention of 'F-35' brings a mental picture of a green Draken with red & white roundels, not that littler F-22 thingy.

I see the Hueys have made it to 'Z' now. If there are more upgrades in the future, I wonder what their designation will be? I also see that there's a T-6 Texan II in test. Shouldn't it be T-47 or something? Oy!

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

That's a first isn't it?

WmB

Perhaps UH1-AA? Unless AlAnon dont want to buy in.

I can't think of too many that have gotten that far. Hey, maybe they'll do what the NOAA does with hurricanes - go to the Greek alphabet.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

I have developed a "problem" of late.

My friend in Scottland sends me parcels of models, decals, parts and the like several times per year in exchange for the same from me. Been doing it for years. Usually a box of eight or nine "surprises" contains at least a couple that I don't have. The rest go into the disposal/trade box(es).

Quite often the kits are incomplete, usually no box, or decals, or instructions and sometime just parts. Those that I can't find packaging for become "builder's kits" sold really cheap.

Of late, however, he's been sending things that I just can't pass on. The Russian glider that I have mentoned was the first, the AA truck being a natural for a diorama and an extra kit in the pile to boot. Now I'm doing what turned out to be the Aviation Usk Polikarpov I-15 and 'm really tempted to do the MPM Wellington. The KP Letov S.16 jumped right onto my desk and I was forced to find some Latvian decals that make yet another one a must do!!!

Now I need a new display case. Between the return to building models and the great new diecast and the outstanding new stuff from Easy Model I am out of space!

He also sends some n> Enzo Matrix a =E9mis l'id=E9e suivante :

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