Airfix models

With Christmas upon us I have been buying numerous presents and one that has really contrasted the past with the present has been an Airfix kit that I have bought for my nephew.

The toy is called “Daleks in Manhattan” and, in keeping with all Airfix models, it takes the form of a self assembly kit that is glued and painted to create a scale model of, in this case, two daleks – one as a complete unit and the other as an “opened out” model exposing the dalek’s interior.

The contrast of the past with the present relates, for me a least, to the fact that this kit has features that include light and sound! I can only assume that some kind of sound chip and possibly an LED module is included for these features.

This would not have been found on an Airfix kit when I was a kid. You needed to go to companies like Tamia for remote control model kits like tanks and they cost a fortune and were too complex for most sub 12 year olds.

The other change is in the nature of the kits that, rather than featuring machines and crafts from wars, now seem to focus on science fiction and other areas.

Whether this is a genuine shift in young model buyers interests or, more probably (and disturbingly), the result of political correctness is something that we will never know. Perhaps a recent UK TV show, in which James May highlighted Airfix products, was a good indication that it is the latter.

So, here is a link to the Airfix site (http://www.airfix.com/) for anyone interested and for those wanting to buy I would recommend Amazon for the best prices and quick pre Christmas delivery.