Display Stands Still Exist?! What Happened to Airfix model Aircraft Display Stands?

[@randomnickify]

Yes, they do, you just have to buy them independently😂. Honestly, I wish model companies would go Bandai way and gave us a bit more complicated "action" stands with heavily adjustable position and height like the ones for gundams. I do not mind buying stand independently, I just wish we get some better choice.

[@ModelMinutes]

yeah, i think the bandai stands are great :)

[@jaws848]

​They should release the style of stand that comes with the dogfight doubles as seperatly available like they used to be rather than with a kit...that way you could buy them if you want or not if you dont want....and it wouldnt cost them anything to tool as they already include them with the dogfight doubles..​@@ModelMinutes

[@jaws848]

The problem with these clear stand is they are brittle...i dont know how many of mine i broke.

[@jaws848]

​@@ModelMinutesthey even did 1 of those dogfight doubles with a larger base and 5 arms so it could hold 5 models....and i know this because i have it.

[@Flakmagnet1701]

Back in the day, I don't think I ever used a display stand. I was either hanging them from the ceiling...or having them on their wheels. Nice to see Airfix giving the option to buy a bag of them, even though I think £12 is a bit cheeky for what they are.

[@ModelMinutes]

works out at a pound a stand really

[@Flakmagnet1701]

@@ModelMinutes I think it's because I mainly model in 1/48 and only really do large subjects in 1/72. I would never use the small ones. Maybe they will do packets of just small and just larger ones. If they sell well they just might. I think this is them sticking a toe in the water and seeing if there is a market. If nobody buys the packs, they probably intend to feed them into the Vintage Classics anyway, so it's a chance to recover some of the tooling costs in a different way. Makes sense.

[@deaks25]

The display stands set is one of the hidden gems of the Airfix site. Having a little stock of stands for when I want to have a stand is really. The price is pretty reasonable too. I have made slots for using a stand on newer kits and even non-Airfix builds, it just takes a little planning during the build to place and cut the slot. According to Scalemates the set was released in 2012, so it's been available for a long time not, just few seem to know about it. Before I found the stand set I made stands out of sprue, usually box-frame type arrangements but sometime a central rod with a base and a set of supports for the build.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info!

[@nickbrough8335]

Back when i built Airfix 1/72 aircraft in the 1970's I'm pretty sure that I remember getting both of these designed (ie the single slot or the two prongs). I may be misremembering, but thats what came to my mind immediately.

[@wessexdruid7598]

I recall in the 60s, 70s and 80s there being various developments of the stands, with/without logo and the two-pin ones. Some of the recent new kit issues seem to have a 'shadow'-shaped display stand, in the same grey plastic as the kit.

[@JanoTuotanto]

The 70's vintage stands have these twin holes and logo

[@ModelMinutes]

yeah, the new aircraft starter sets have stands

[@chrispacer4231]

YES, those stands are very useful… and you can use them on any 1/72 aircraft… You can cover the AIRFIX logo if you want… This was a very good INFORMATIVE VIDEO 👍 Thanks MAT CHRIS 🇺🇸

[@ModelMinutes]

Thanks for watching Chris!

[@stuff31]

I have considered snapping up a few because they might help save space in my incredibly crowded display cabinet. Stagger one between two others. Might give some nice variety and elevation to the kits when they're on show.

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, that is exactly what I do with mine on the shelf lol

[@JanoTuotanto]

They are also much easier to move when dusting the shelves

[@billwright2811]

Good video, good topic. I keep the stands, I don't use them all. I think having the option is important. I like to do one kit on wheels, and another example "in flight". Most of my kits are on wheels, I like doing dioramas, airfields and such. I never hung mine from the ceiling, and I use cotton gloves when handling complete kits. I like the idea of keeping my kits dust free, cabinets for display. I use plastic containers of appropriate sizes for storage.

[@willm5032]

Where do you get the containers, I need to start rotating complete kits (i have too many and my wife's patience is finite)

[@tonypetts6663]

Lol, as a child and young man I had mine hanging from the ceiling. My dad put a very complex set of strings crisscrossing the ceiling that I could hang then from, at one point I had over 100 planes in various poses up there. By my teen years I'd even started using circles of acetate with slight shading to approximate spinning blades. It's was probably best to have had them up out of the way back then, the paint finish wasn't always that good and little fingers could do damage at a phenomenal rate if left unsupervised for just a few seconds!

[@pete2895]

They are the only stands I use. I use them regardless of kit manufacture, just used a large stand for a Zvezda 1/72 SU27. Used a smaller one for a Revell 1/72 harrier and a really small one for the red Barron’s tri plane. Ok so they need a bit of work to make them fit the job, but the fact they are clear and don’t distract from the model is cool.

[@johnclarke25]

I did use some of the stands back in the day but didn't glue them as I liked the wheels down,early in the 60s the transfer sheet came with the aircraft name which you put on the stand so most of the time the prongs went to the rear as you liked,the groves on the upright I remember around 1970,but when I built aircraft like the original corsair and hannover and possibly the camel in about 65/66 the stand came with two pins that went into the base that as 7 and 8 year old you rushed and broke the pins off,maybe round the time of the photo boxes is when they stopped the stands.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info!

[@pitanpainter2140]

Interesting, the old Dog-Fight Doubles kits used to have black shared stands, where the single kits had the clear stands you are showing.

[@pitanpainter2140]

With straight poles, not the cured form

[@ModelMinutes]

interesting!

[@mc2594]

@@pitanpainter2140 - The old style dogfight double stands were last used under Humbrol ownership at Heller in France prior to Hornby takeover in 2007, although Hornby have owned Humbrol and Airfix since they don't seem to have that tooling, what happened to it I don't know. Clear stands were discontinued by new owners post 1981 with one exception being the 2003 ('05) Anniversary BTK Spitfire and another being the more recent DFD, the small and presumably medium sized being found some time in between released as the set of 12 in 2012.

[@stephenrose1343]

I remember the old dog fight double stands,a big black capital "A" for airfix with two black supports of different height.

[@philsmodelmaking2260]

hi! the original dogfight doubles came with a black plastic stand that if i remember correctly was in the shape of a letter "A" for both models, the zero and P40 double stand ( i have this kit) seems like a modernised version of that.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I think I had one of the A frame stands in my youth!

[@kitbag9033]

Absolutely correct, all the dogfight doubles I can remember from late 60s through 70s had the A shaped frame. Matchbox had a ball and socket type display stand. With an M shaped base. Most likely removed from kits due to costs. As for your poll sample size, given the number of model makers, your sample is streets ahead of YouGov or mainstream media for such a niche subject. Keep them coming Matt, I've enjoyed watching your channel mature.

[@philsmodelmaking2260]

oh yeah! I've always had a fondness for building older kits and because of that I have one of those matchbox stands, still on the sprue, the "M" has matchbox written on one side, and lesney prod. & Co. Ltd. on the other, its sitting next to a frog "skybase" stand that has a hole in the base and a really long curved arm with a ball and socket on so you could screw it to a wall and mount your built kit on. @@kitbag9033

[@BansheeNT-D]

Actions Stands from Bandai are so good. Maybe someday you will give the RG Hi-Nu Gundam a try, excellent kit! 🧡

[@ModelMinutes]

Maybe! :P

[@trevorwilliams907]

I recently bought a bag of these stands off eBay, various sizes too for not much money. 👍

[@1965GJS13]

It's NOT a new tooling. Back in the day, the two-hole version was actually the original! It's the slotted-version that is slightly newer, as they found the "prongs" on the older two-hole version were prone to breaking. The slotted version was stronger, so some time in the late 1970's they changed from the two-hole to the slot. So it *may* be that they lost the mould to the slotted version, but found the ones for the two-hole version? Just a guess on that last part. But I very clearly remember seeing both versions of the clear in-flight stands back in the day.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info

[@MacMcCaskill]

They're clearly different toolings. They're not even the same way round on the sprue.

[@1965GJS13]

@@MacMcCaskill You mis-understand I think? When I say (either) are not "new" toolings, I mean *BOTH* versions are old and date from the 1970's or earlier. Yes the two versions are clearly _separate_ toolings, but neither are "new" meaning recent.....

[@PurplEWolFGaminG]

The clear display stands look so cool

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, it is a nice design

[@heneagedundas]

Wow, that Henschel kit is the one I made to pass my Modelling badge in the Scouts back in the early 70s!

[@pethuman4557]

The Matchbox stands had a ball joint that enabled variable positions/angles for the plane

[@ModelMinutes]

interesting

[@julianbye9066]

I bought the same set as you Matt. I've used with newer starter kits, i just cut the slot in the base with my dremmel in a similar location to the new style holes

[@ModelMinutes]

Good tip!

[@randytaylor1258]

​@ModelMinutes come on -- this is as racist as hell. It is beneath you to leave the note up.

[@ModelMinutes]

@@randytaylor1258 KZbin doesn’t notify me of comments in reply to other users so I didn’t see this one, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’ve now reported it to KZbin and it should have been removed

[@b.vhidalgo4817]

I really like the bandai stands made for the Star wars fighters in 1/72 and 1/144 scale. They have a ball on top where you can turn the aircraft left or right and up and down. I couldn't find any of those in stores. Guess I gonna have to print one in resin.

[@WayneWelly]

Great little stands maybe airfix will bring them back in the next few years again

[@ModelMinutes]

fingers crossed!

[@martinsearle714]

When the Hornby wonderworks opened they were selling off those bags of the stands for £2 a go without the cardboard packaging guess they were dumping surplus stock out of their inventory as they sometimes do. I’ve put a Lancaster BIII on one of the larger ones with no issues. Just cut out the plastic between the two stand holes in the kit and then fettle until the stand arm fits.

[@ModelMinutes]

I was invited to the wonderworks opening but sadly couldn't make it - shame as I could have got a deal on the stands!

[@bradleyhatchen]

The stand here natt is a great ideas for vintage kits it takes off space to add more room for plane space to display I have like a bookshelf with lots of them on shelves and on stand no worries the landing gear breakages they look better of the ground like there flying in open air if your careful on the new 1/72 scale you could cut a grove in the bottom of the plane

[@rubensandri740]

I have a lot of them, since I collect and don't use from the 70s and 80s. Cheers from Uruguay.

[@EastSideOz]

I hope they slide these into more kits. I would like to portray my PLANE FLYING.

[@ModelMinutes]

fingers crossed!

[@randytaylor1258]

It also requires that the plabe be built with wheels up -- not always possible.

[@carlosoliani2219]

Airfix display stands with single rectangular hole were used by Airfix until 1969-70 approximately, soon after they were replaced by the two circular holes type. The latter type, for sure, is not a recent re-tooling.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for clearing that up! I didn't think it was a more recent tooling given that the "made in England" part had been scratched out

[@anticlockwisepropeller7379]

I have a couple of airfix kits in the stash from the mid/late 70's - can confirm they have the double-peg stand type, not the older slot, so that design has been around a while!

[@aterxter3437]

I also wonder why the pilot figure was removed ? It might not be that useful, for a highly detailed plane on the ground, with a fully painted cockpit, but if you want to make just a flying plane, or a diorama, having a pilot at an appropriate scale (even if it's a little bit smaller) would be Highly appreciated. And well, 2g of plastic wouldn't be such a financial loss. You might tell me to buy a specific minifigure, but I tried on my first model kit, an f104 (where are the wings ?) The pilot's head came out of the canopy

[@ModelMinutes]

again there was an element of cost. Whilst it is possible to include a generic pilot in most aircraft, they don't always fit inside the cockpits. Real pilots are a bit squishy and can conform themselves to fit the space provided to them in the cockpit, but plastic pilots are not so fortunate. For a company to design a bespoke pilot/crew for every seat in their specific kits would result in a relatively cost-prohibitive activity (at leas that is what I have been told by my source within airfix)

[@jeffholt9437]

I recently bought the Dragon Apollo Recovery set - Sea King, Apollo capsule and Recovery dingy - NOT A SINGLE FIGURE INCLUDED!!!!!!

[@MK-Ray]

This,... I just commented this,... I prefer to display aircraft in flight but that just looks silly if there is no pilot? And this is not just Airfix. And it's also not like you can just buy a bunch of 1/72 pilots if you need them. Just offer me some generic pilots, I will find a way to make them fit,... I have used a couple of spare Bandai Star Wars pilots (because THEY DO offer you options) on my two latest 1/72 builds,... but now I have run out. And as I type this I again find out HOW MUCH this annoys me.... lol.

[@MK-Ray]

@@ModelMinutes I would happily pay a little more if they included pilots, seriously.

[@billthomas8205]

Glue the bases of two stands together to make a spaceship: I still have a couple of squadrons of spaceships I made from Airfix & Matchbox stands in the late 60s & early-mid 70s. Great for play, & they last long after the finished kits themselves have lost wings, wheels, everything...

[@ModelMinutes]

Very cool!

[@emmabird9745]

In the vintage Classic era, the dogfight double stand was black plastic, the base a big "A" with two arms each with the rectangular lug. Incidentally it has a hook so you don't have to glue it on. They were higher than those clear things you've got. Frog had similar stands to Airfix but higher. I don't remember anyone I knew using them, except as plastic stock for a bit of scratch build.

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for the info

[@obi-ron]

Aircraft kits from Matchbox had stands with bases that formed an M, but the shaft has a ball and socket at the tip which allowed you to angle the model and give you more choice in how you displayed it after you'd hooked it on. With some of their older kits having been acquired by airfix and revell, it's a pity they haven't adopted the design of the shift. These days, if I want a stand, I build one out of plastic and or wood. Cheaper than buying them and gives you chance to practice skills

[@emmabird9745]

@@obi-ron Hi Obi-ron, thanks, I had forgoten the ball end stand. That was an improvement. May the force be with you.

[@obi-ron]

@@emmabird9745 live long and prosper (meant the good way, not the star wars/ star trek adversarial way) lol

[@jerrymail]

Even when I was a kid, when I started with Airfix, Matchbox and Heller kits, I have never used display stands. I just don't like them. But if there are more complex stands, which allow to present a dog fight in a more interesting way, I'm more...interested to use one :) What is the stand you use with your A6M and P40 ?

[@ModelMinutes]

that stand was the one included in the dogfight double set at the time

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

I think that they went away as the hobby was very much moving towards diorama display when I was last making kits in the 90s. The hobby magazines tended to feature a small diorama with their build series too i recall.

[@ModelMinutes]

that's interesting, although I think the cost saving element was quite a factor for the companies

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

@@ModelMinutes As costs increased into the 21st century I think the majority of companies were looking for ways to save money, omitting the stands was a fairly easy option for that I expect. Plus as you say in the video, the tools could have been lost, damaged or broken over time, whilst they are usually expected to have a 20-30 year life cycle, the more constant use for every kit sold will have worn those moulds faster than others would usually wear so that is a feasible reason too.

[@barrybautista4781]

I remember those stands. I also made my own from wire cloths hangers.

[@ModelMinutes]

nice!

[@anthonylichfield3540]

Airfix always had them when I was a kid in the 1960s happy modeling old boy

[@MichaelCampin]

Dogfight doubles has an A stand for both models

[@ModelMinutes]

well, I believe the older Dogfight Doubles did - i know I had one in a set around 2016. The more recent ones that use the starter set toolings have their shadow stands instead, and the vintage classic biplane set had clear stands as featured in this video

[@MichaelCampin]

@ModelMinutes my dogfight doubles circa 1970 has double stands, but that is over 50 year ago m8.

[@stevetheduck1425]

Yes, they do. Airfix sells ( sold ) bags of them, the dogfight doubles bases, and the triple bases can still be found. - also 3-d printed flight bases for most planes can be sourced. - and many a spares box has a Matchbox 'M' shaped one in them. Found an old Revell round 'world' base with a place for the name of the kit transfer in an old kit recently.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yup

[@ekspatriat]

Those new 'Shadow' stands are a great idea. (can't recall what I was watching to see them)

[@ModelMinutes]

yeah, exclusively on the new starter sets though

[@benmanning4340]

I never need to use stands with my scale model builds as I usually hang them from my ceiling. However, i do use the display stands that come with my atlas editions diecast model collection.

[@ModelMinutes]

Very cool!

[@neilgatenby-l7j]

I have found it very frustrating when you've bought an Airfix kit and the instructions give you an option to drill two holes (and serial number) for a display stand only to find the said stand isn't even available from Airfix. I was also advised by Airfix that their messerschmitt/mustang dogfight sets didn't include a display stand which surely has to be a key element of having a dogfight double kit.

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, i dont think i have seen that display stand available for a very long time

[@markhill4526]

When i was building 1/72 aircraft, if the kit didn't have a flying base. I used games workshop flying bases, weighted with blu tac & flocked.

[@ModelMinutes]

good tip!

[@RP-ck8ym]

Most kits now have the round hole though, how do you go about using one of these with the round hole?

[@ModelMinutes]

you'd have to cut a rectangle hole instead

[@mrasoft7184]

One had to cut a rectangular slot for the vintage display stands. In most cases the slot was pre shaped in the model. I prefer the “new” display stands (AF1005, AF1006 etc.) as a few little holes would do to have them put on the display stand. However, the “new” display stands are hardly available (2023-2024 - at least in the Netherlands). Hope Airfix will reissue them soon as not everybody hangs their models from the ceiling.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yes, I'm not really sure what has happened to the "new" style stands - I don't recall recent kits even mentioning them in their kits so I wonder if they have been discontinued in some way

[@ollieollie5512]

In 1970 all my model planes came with display stands they really made them look real

[@MichaelCampin]

My son didn't use any stands but a heck of alot of fishing line to hang the planes on the ceiling.

[@ModelMinutes]

I have hung my planes in the past too :)

[@themajesticmagnificent386]

Airfix include a rather nice shadow stand with some of their 1/72..So why not in 1/48?.But display stands would be great if you want to build wheels up.The price of separate stands are a bit pricy for a multi pack in scales.But if you only make 1/48 or just 1/72 etc then a waste.Be better if they offer stands in their own separate scales as well as multi scales.I like Zvezda stands which stand solid and a bit taller.Time model companies updated the display stand..Doing so might entice model makers to buy one model gear down and the same subject in flight. Great video on a fair subject🥸👍

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for sharing!

[@jameslarosa2396]

Some used to have a globe embossed on the base. It might have been Aurora.

[@ModelMinutes]

yeah i think i have seen those online in the past

[@akula9713]

The cost of clear plastic is much higher than for coloured plastics. It’s a cost cutting exercise. With coloured plastics you can use various grades and shades, even mix in recycled plastic, not so with clear plastic.

[@thoughtengine]

Stands are not always clear, though.

[@akula9713]

@@thoughtengine The stands originally supplied were clear, the exception being the dogfight doubles, which were black.

[@IanLanc]

The main question with the horse shoe stand is this.....Does the shoe face with the open end to the nose of the model or the shoe facing away from the model ? Many do it facing away from the front as it looks the neatest, but in reality the shoe is supposed to face forwards with the open end to the nose of the model.

[@ModelMinutes]

The Airfix logo is on the inside of the U, so I think officially the logo should be forwards (towards the nose of the aircraft) so I have put it in backwards. I prefer the way it looks with the U facing the rear so I guess it just depends on what the modeller likes

[@IanLanc]

@@ModelMinutes The shoe facing backwards does look the best and it marries with the flow of the model, I've used the old stands from back in the day, decades back maybe even 40 years ago, all facing towards the model, on certain very Airfix kits instructions they show the placement of the stand and it is shown the other way, but I find it odd that Airfix themselves show the stand being the wrong way! Airfix oddly are also making their big 1/24th 'vintage' aircraft but fail to include the big black stand.....Tight shits.

[@DR-lc9qg]

I would prefer stands and pilots were included still, as I like displaying planes in flight, not on the ground, parked.

[@ModelMinutes]

i agree

[@jorgehcampos1054]

Display stands could be the best ally of young and novice modellers, and could actually help to make plane kits cheaper for modellers and brands, saving money, time and space for even more planes kits! Whenever i can i built my planes wheels up and put them on a self made styrene stand. This cover 3 porpuses for the modeller: 1-Save building time: Quickly skip landing gear will allow to save time for other projects. Also pilot help to hide lack of details in cockpit saving even more time. 2-Prevent future small pieces damage: Yeah landing gear can be very fragile. Same goes to open cockpits. 3-Planes fly, so why not display them flying? 4-Collection and space. Alternating flying and on land planes allow for more display space. Also if modellers are collecting different schemes of the same plane, they want to focus on decorations. Benefits for the model kit brands: 1-Easy to build (gear up, close cockpit, pilot figure) is more attractive to novice modellers and weekend modellers. 2-Stands are cheap. 1 mold fits a lot of planes. Put landing gear and detail pieces on a separate sprue for "complete model" and pack the "quick build" version without landing gear but with stand. 3-Quick builds means more time for more builds,

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for sharing

[@davidhinkson8856]

Over the weekend I completed the Airfix Dogfight Doubles set with the Zero and Wildcat aircraft, and when I saw the kit had the display stand in it I decided to build both planes with the wheels up so I could use it. While I eventually figured out how to use the stand without the planes falling off every minute, I think it would have been helpful if they had included some instructions on how to put the stand together. It would be particularly helpful for newcomers to the hobby or Airfix models in particular. I have another kit I bought in the last couple of years, an Atlantis Models airliner, and at least that tells you how to use the stand and that is a kit that probably initially dates back to the 1960s.

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, a small sheet of instructions would be handy

[@vogonpoet5860]

I was told, display stands disappeared at the same time and for the same reasson pilots vanished. In the late 90s the PC brigade tried sanitizing the world, any item supposedly encouraging military or violent tendency was to be purged as this would lead to a world of butterflies and Looooove of the purity form, so away went toy guns, action man/GI Joe, commando comic, dramatic action model box art, pilot figures and display stands, the last 2 combined with a model airplane could imply the aircraft was in flight with violent intent. of course this purge was a total success and since 90s there has been a total lack of violence and warfare world wide, NOT. and neither has there been a world wide clamour from little boys to replace the tree branch gun, and model kits with the 'my first baby' dolls. yes I can see the excuse for photo boxes, and figure/ stand removal on the grounds of saving money which is probably why so many kits remove the wheels up option ! as it sounds so much better than admitting they were bullied by the snowflake PC brigade !

[@randomnickify]

Its true that human creativity does not have limits - all the bull*it crazy theories it can create 🤣 Spoiler: Pilots disappeared because as decades old production molds were aging and loosing details pilot figures were first to turn into unrecognizable mush.

[@ModelMinutes]

I was told by my sources within companies that it was a purely cost-based decision to remove the stands as it was extra plastic and weight when shipping that had to be paid for and not necessarily used by the purchaser Edit: Commando magazines are still in print - just google it

[@edwinchampeau8685]

My local hobby store has a airfix package full of clear stands

[@ModelMinutes]

possibly the same one in this video?

[@matthall143]

I brought up the question of why stands are no longer included on a recent live chat between Peter Oxley and Airfix. They gave what I thought was a bit of a brush-off answer about the extra cost of tooling. While I appreciate this would impact on the frame of each kit, nothing was said about chucking-in one of these clear stands. They always came in the past as separately tooled items (ie. not attached to the other clear parts as I remember) so I don't really see why they are no longer included. Some of us would like to show aircraft in flight, so Airfix come on. Incidentally, they loose custom from me because I would in many cases buy two kits - to show one in flight and one wheels down. They cost pence, so I object to paying eleven quid to buy them separately (especially as they are old style that don't fit)

[@ModelMinutes]

i think the main problem is that if they could guarantee that the cost would be worth including them in the boxes, then they would be a worthwile inclusion - but seeing as not all modellers are interested in using them it's cheaper to just not include them. Whilst it might be true that manufacturing these stands isn't a massively expensive endeavour, it will incur complications for adding a different product line into all boxes that are being manufactured. Additionally, seeing as most of these products ship from India, and you have to pay for shipping costs, cutting down on the weight of your models will mean more can be shipped. If every box has a display stand, whilst a very low weight individually, that adds up to quite an increase en masse. Say for example (i'm just guessing here) Airfix can ship 10,000 kits in one ISO container as they are now, with the increased weight in stands that might get reduced to maybe 9,000, but they still have to pay the same price for the shipping . . . And then, not all modellers (as mentioned) will use the stands - so you are getting less models for the same cost. Financially as a business I can see why it doesn't always make sense

[@jeffholt9437]

Perhaps Airfix could offer free stands in exchange for flying points?

[@crazylocha2515]

All hail the mighty bean counters 🫘. Actually makes sense for them to be separated nowadays on most kits. Some of the double aircraft combos though, nice to see something included with them, where it makes more sense. After all, Airfix does manage to keep their prices reasonable compared to most. Thx Matt appreciate the perspective of the poll etc. 👍☕🐢

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

It would be a nice option. I actually still have a room where I can hang them from the ceiling.

[@ModelMinutes]

thats cool!

[@mc2594]

If you look at where Airfix do include Stands you'll find them in all Quick Build Aircraft, to the point where there's no landing gear included. So rather than being about cost it's more about the age of the customer and new levels of technology to accommodate them both separately, in the case of Vintage Classic Aircraft not including a clear Stand has probably cost Airfix more than it's saved them, I can't see them putting 'Doesn't include Display Stand - Available separately for £15.00 inc postage' on the box but that's what they're telling everyone.

[@ModelMinutes]

i'm sure i've built a quickbuild plane that came with landing gear

[@mc2594]

@@ModelMinutes- Apache does (obviously) and the F35B does but they don't make you buy a dozen stands for them, out of the box that option has been removed from Vintage Classic A/C because you're an adult, your childhood memories costs you an extra £10 - £15. What it comes down to is keeping Share Holders happy as a priority over Customers and in this specific case works against both. Having said that a P1127 for £6.99 is making up for any grumbles about missing stands, I've got a box full anyway but not everyone has, bit of a _must_ for the P1127.

[@sorvad99]

Airfix still sell them, you have to buy a pack of assorted stands for around 12 quid. They could include them for say an extra quid or so but wont. The 1/24 scale vintage models come with a stand so they can do this with very little bother same with pilot figures, if you can 'waste' plastic on various wings and propellers that are not even relevant to the kit then surely a pilot, even a generic pilot of the scale and period wouldn't be that difficult.

[@ModelMinutes]

yeah If i remember correctly my 1/24 hurricane came with one

[@christopherbell5817]

It would be nice if a company came up with various scale silicone moulds that you could melt the leftover empty sprues into, and create your own display stands, and reduce plastic waste at the same time.

[@ModelMinutes]

i'm not sure how practical it is to melt sprues down at home . . I'm not sure that polystyrene "flows" particularly well resulting in it being pourable into moulds - a home injection moulding machine would be better

[@Jeff-cv4qn]

Yes and I want pilots, I had to buy these stands seperate

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks for my next video idea :)

[@lukeIreland1990]

I use these on the newer kits just carefully cut a slot out of the model

[@ModelMinutes]

good idea!

[@henrysanchez4810]

I use the Zvezda stands they are excellent.

[@ModelMinutes]

nice!

[@garrylum6025]

What ever happened to the matchbox stand?

[@ModelMinutes]

I imagine Revell has it somewhere

[@willm5032]

Don't new starter sets come with stands?

[@ModelMinutes]

yes, the new aircraft starter sets come with shadow stands

[@hardysscalemodels]

Yeah I’ve got a pack at home!

[@ModelMinutes]

Awesome!

[@MK-Ray]

I think it's a bit cheap to try and cut costs this way, I can't imagine leaving them out will save them much tbh. But Oh well,... I'm creative enough to make my own stands, I prefer to display planes in flight. But when it comes to that, what I find extremely annoying, more so than the lack of a stand, is the fact that many airplane kits come without pilots!!!??? Maybe my memory fails me, but I seem to remember they used to have them included? I have come back to the hobby about 2 years ago and it baffles me there are hardly ever any pilots that come with the kits, unless they are kits tooled in the 80's, 80's or prior? Is it just me or does anybody else miss them too? And it's not like you can find 1/72 pilots for every kit easily.....

[@ModelMinutes]

pilots are another thing that are often missing due to development costs

[@dariostabletopbastelecke4846]

Thanks!

[@sorvad99]

It's really annoying that you can't buy the updated stands separately for the new tooled kits . Judging by your poll around 77% would make good use of a stand. I wish Airfix would actually listen to modellers, only 10% would never use a stand that's not a good enough reason to not chuck in a stand and only charge maybe a pound more. Aeroplanes are meant to fly its nice to be able to show them flying.

[@ModelMinutes]

I'd like to see my models in a flying pose more often :)

[@epicforger12345]

Kinda wish airfix would go back to the painted box art that the older kits had

[@ModelMinutes]

The box art made by Adam Tooby is really exceptional

[@xWILZTAx]

I use these stands on all 1/72 builds.

[@hoverpilder1905]

I need to mod my assembled kits to take these stands.

[@aldunlop4622]

I can’t believe back in the 70s/80s they all came with stands. During Covid I decided to get back into modelling after a 40 year break, and not only was the quality very poor they had no stands! Very disappointing, the world’s gone backwards.

[@ModelMinutes]

i think that companies are starting to make changes though, the more the customer base make their feelings known the more they will change. Model companies never used to put tooling dates/ages on their boxes, but since we started raising this issue as a community over the last 10 years or so, more and more are doing so

[@joesanchez979]

Great paint on the USAF

[@ModelMinutes]

thanks!

[@GeorgRv22]

You can always make your own slot in newer kits and still use them

[@ModelMinutes]

yep that is true, my comments in this video more refer to the fact that the older kits and a moulded slot indicating where it goes and how big it should be, whilst on the newer airfix kits they have 2 holes moulded on the bottom that just need drilling all the way through. Cutting your own slot on a newer airfix (or other) kit is not too much of a problem, just that they no longer cater specifically for the style of stand featured in this video

[@Ducknuck84]

the buffalo already had the stand slot cut out, at least mine did

[@ModelMinutes]

hmmm, i'm not sure mine did but I will have to double check

[@digitaal_boog]

What I’ve done is copied what a guy at work does and he uses thin wire painted black and brown, and often has a plane flying over a crashed one, so he can hide the wire in the smoke

[@ModelMinutes]

cool idea!

[@mirage3rd]

I wanted my 1/72 models to be on stands so I designed and 3D printed them!

[@ModelMinutes]

Oh that is awesome! Is your design available anywhere online?

[@mirage3rd]

@@ModelMinutes errr... you caught me by surprise there. Of course, I will do that, probably on Thingiverse, in the coming 48 hours

[@ModelMinutes]

@@mirage3rd oh sweet, I’d be keen on checking that out if you could ping me a link

[@mirage3rd]

@@ModelMinutes Trying to be as concise as possible to circumvent the reply auto-delete: thingiverse 6630090 and 6631021

[@mirage3rd]

@@ModelMinutes I tried 3 or 4 times but my replies disappear right away. Any tip?

[@grimairbrush]

I 3D print my own based on the old airfix principle.

[@snookindustriesproductions4166]

This but for pilot figures! I almost exclusively buy airfix because they are the only manufacturer to put figures in every kit

[@ModelMinutes]

Well, not every kit… the swift and me410 doesn’t have them

[@snookindustriesproductions4166]

@@ModelMinutes it’s a shame. Why don’t they sell their pilot figures individually like they do these stands? I think they would sell.

[@nigelpickett2471]

Prefer these old style stands to the newer style.

[@ModelMinutes]

they doo look quite good

[@SCjunk]

The original Airfix display stand for small aircraft -Spitfires/ Bf 109s Westland Whirlwinds fighter etc were shallow ellipse tapered to the rear where the stalk was slotted in, and was probably designed as an expression of a curvature of the earth -very similar to that produced by Revel inc for their display which as with Frog kits were circular and the Frog even had a map like pattern, both were mostly in self coloured rather clear plastic, most likely as in the case of the Revel Red series WW1 kits as a cost saving measure, no canopies in WW1 aircraft so no need for clear styrene. Most of the original Airfix and Revel stands got used for paint mixing bowls.

[@ModelMinutes]

sounds very interesting!

[@randytaylor1258]

The stands are useless unles . . . there is akso a pilot. I think Airfix has cheapened out by not providing a pilot so not having to supply a stand.

[@ModelMinutes]

many airfix kits do still come with pilots

[@Alan_Saund_Models]

I bought some of these on eBay £10 only

[@ModelMinutes]

good deal!

[@gwheregwhizz]

I guess Airfix will use the 'Apple charger' save the environment argument by not providing something people may not use (but we know it's to save a few pence.)

[@ModelMinutes]

i dont think they are the only company doing this tbh

[@yaleblor]

your stand is backwards, the angle should be facing forwards, back in the '80's i was an industrial model maker , i literally made thousands of display models and bases, the base angle should imply forward movement thus the open part of the angle forward, and the plane should be slightly angled up so the plane doesnt appear to be crashing/desending

[@ModelMinutes]

i quite like the way it's been used :)

[@thoughtengine]

Frequently the stand makes no sense because you just have to accept that the manufacturer didn't give you landing gear doors that shut properly...

[@ModelMinutes]

thats usually when they dont design the kit to have the wheels raised, which is annoying

[@sitcorocket]

Matchbox stands were poseable...

[@ModelMinutes]

i don't think i have experienced them

[@Torpedo-np1iq]

I honestly think that the old display bases were better

[@ModelMinutes]

I think they had it pretty much nailed

[@M4D3mon]

Good o'l England

[@ModelMinutes]

it is certainly old

[@arghons.hobby.workshop]

Zvezda use them today.

[@ModelMinutes]

I have indeed had a couple of their small kits which came with them

[@arghons.hobby.workshop]

@@ModelMinutes I have Su-47 Berkut, MiG 1.44 and others.

[@jaws848]

These stands are crap...dont know how many i have broken over time....the stands that come with th df doubles are much better and its those they should be selling as seperatly available like the instuctions SAY they are even though they are not....they used to be and at 1 piont they even had one of those stands that could hold 5 models.

[@ModelMinutes]

lol even one of the stands in my video had a crack in it I think the 5 aircraft stand might make a reappearance this year in the D Day aircraft set

[@jaws848]

@@ModelMinutes i hope that 5 aircraft stand makes a reapperance...even though im not much of a ww2 modeller i would get it just for that stand.

[@didi29bg]

this comment is for the algorithm

[@ModelMinutes]

I appreciate your comment, my reply is also for the algorithm :)

[@starwarspros7556]

i am No. 69

[@ModelMinutes]

nice!

[@newbymick1]

First Thought - Immaculate hands for once. Those who do this sort of review should take that note. Second note- These stands have been available on the Airfix site for several years. Third note - Stop waving your hands about it. It's very distracting... Comments from a Boomer 🤣🤣 Footnote - I would always use the stands on every model as aircraft should be displayed as flying, as that is what they do.

[@ModelMinutes]

Yeah, i actually bought this set of stands some time ago but it was only recently that i'd seen people discussing the lack of included stands so thought I would make a quick video about it. Sadly I know I gesticulate a lot, i have expressive hands when I talk