The Crash and Burn of Model Airplanes

One of the Biggest Model Makers Closes it Doors - a Victim of Video Games and Other Electronic Media

For a lot of young boys growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s building model replicas of World War II fighter airplanes was something to be proud of. There was a certain admiration and envy to be had when you could show of your latest creation - because you knew and your friends knew that you had spent hours gluing the pieces together, painting each part and then attaching the required decals and emblems. Building a model airplane was an art. A craft among youngsters no less important than building a go-cart out of spare parts found in your father’s garage.

So it was with heavy heart when I learned that one of the premier builders of model World War II fighter planes, ships and tanks decided to shut its doors in late August. You may not recognize the name “AirFix”, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you spent a few hours of your youth piecing together an AirFix model Spitfire or Hurricane, or any number of model tanks or aircraft carriers complete with miniature fighter planes on the runway. AirFix had a cool little logo always present in the upper left-hand corner of their model kits. The name AirFix was wedged in between what kind of looked like two bolts of red lightning placed in a circle. If you saw that name on a plastic model you knew you were going to get your money’s worth. AirFix models used to run about 2 or 3 dollars (back in the good ‘ol days) and it was a good investment for parents who knew that they were purchasing something that would occupy their kid’s time for several hours.