Who tooled it?

[Antony Wright 1Participant @antonywright1]

[Antony Wright 1Participant @antonywright1]

Ok a simple question (or 2). I purchased a model of the Airfix 1:400 scale HMS Hood. I presumed from that that Airfix tooled it. However looking on one of the hull halves I see it carries the name of Heller. So Im guessing that the model is actually an ex-Heller model? Added to this I see that the ship at this scale does not appear on the current Airfix website – so Im presuming that although Ive only just purchased it that Airfix are no longer carrying this model in stock?

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Airfix and Heller were part of the same group back in the mid 80’s and early 90’s and production at that time was in Heller’s French plant. After Airfix was split off subsequently they had problems in getting the moulds back off Heller. There is a fascinating book on Airfix by Arthur Ward which ,although the text can be a bit disjointed, does tell the Airfix story with colour illustrations of most of the kits they produced. See it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-Celebrating-Greatest-Modelling-Products/dp/0007163703

 

Colin 

[Author]

Posts