Swastikas

[Daxe]

I was just about to buy an Airfix Bf-109 kit and while doing quick research on it found they don't include swastikas.
Fair enough for countries where it is illegal but here in Oz?? Seems like it is motivated by profit to lump every market together. I was going to email them to confirm that the Aussie kits are sanitized but they want more personal details than the police, so screw them, I'm boycotting Airfix. They can re-write history with other peoples money they're not getting any of mine.

My question is what brands include historically correct decals and what brands to be careful with?

Is this common enough to warrant sourcing swastika decal sheets? Where would you get them in Australia?

Cheers

[cib2265]

OZ is such a small market, take that into consideration (for well, everything actually not just model kits!) and Airfix (owned by Hornby) biggest market is Europe.

You'll find that almost all the Chinese manufacturers (e.g Academy, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss) also dont include them, or print them in half.

Anyway, you'll want to use aftermarket decal sheets for most of the bigger scale kits - Ive found Airfix decals are so-so in 1/72 at least, having said that I have a 1/48 109E in the stash (no swastikas on the supplied decals - just checked) but I'll be building that up as a Spanish Legion Condor anyway (alongside a Heinkel He-111)

Check out ebay or BNA Model world for decal sheets.

[Daxe]

OZ is such a small market, take that into consideration (for well, everything actually not just model kits!) and Airfix (owned by Hornby) biggest market is Europe.

You'll find that almost all the Chinese manufacturers (e.g Academy, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss) also dont include them, or print them in half.

Anyway, you'll want to use aftermarket decal sheets for most of the bigger scale kits - Ive found Airfix decals are so-so in 1/72 at least, having said that I have a 1/48 109E in the stash (no swastikas on the supplied decals - just checked) but I'll be building that up as a Spanish Legion Condor anyway (alongside a Heinkel He-111)

Check out ebay or BNA Model world for decal sheets.

Thanks for the tip.
Found them:
http://www.bnamodelworld.com/index.php? ... ika+decals

......but they're out of stock. Signed up for notification.

[UKguyInUSA]

My question is what brands include historically correct decals and what brands to be careful with?

Is this common enough to warrant sourcing swastika decal sheets? Where would you get them in Australia?

Cheers[/quote]


My wife bought me the Airfix 1/48 BF109E for Christmas, one of three kits she bought me, and it was my second build, I too was disappointed that there were no Swaztikas. I ordered a sheet of mixed sizes and scales from Aeromaster- here's the link-



I'd completed he kit before they arrived, and then just added them when I had them. Here's my YouTube link to how she looked after I completed her.



Good luck,

Cheers,

Martin

[Johni044]

I've not come across a manufacturer that includes swastika's recently.

I know for a fact that Airfix did include them historically but the world moves on companies have to trade in it. It is illegal to display the symbol in some countries because of the tyranny and devastation associated with it. There are two aspects to take into consideration, firstly it's the costs involved in producing different decals to accommodate the restrictions, second the logistics of making sure the correct decals are put into the correct boxes and the legal and financial consequences of mistakes occurring. Then there is the whole issue of the global second hand market.

So please don't single out any individual manufacturer for coping the best it can in these circumstances, particularly ones which are trying to keep the price of kits more affordable.

I personally put swastika's on my models from aftermarket sets which are readily available through the internet. I believe that we can only learn not to repeat history by learning from it, but I'm in the fortunate position of not having large portions of my family wiped out by evil.

[Daxe]

I've not come across a manufacturer that includes swastika's recently.

I know for a fact that Airfix did include them historically but the world moves on companies have to trade in it. It is illegal to display the symbol in some countries because of the tyranny and devastation associated with it. There are two aspects to take into consideration, firstly it's the costs involved in producing different decals to accommodate the restrictions, second the logistics of making sure the correct decals are put into the correct boxes and the legal and financial consequences of mistakes occurring. Then there is the whole issue of the global second hand market.

So please don't single out any individual manufacturer for coping the best it can in these circumstances, particularly ones which are trying to keep the price of kits more affordable.

I personally put swastika's on my models from aftermarket sets which are readily available through the internet. I believe that we can only learn not to repeat history by learning from it, but I'm in the fortunate position of not having large portions of my family wiped out by evil.

I kind of over reacted a bit there.....
It's not too hard to find decals. Airfix is back on board.

Lucky WWII equipment didn't carry tobacco advertising.

[Johni044]

To true about tobacco or the Lotus JPS Special would be the Lotus and we would have lost one of the most attractive F1 liveries ever IMHO.

However don't get me started on sanitized boxart

[Daxe]

To true about tobacco or the Lotus JPS Special would be the Lotus and we would have lost one of the most attractive F1 liveries ever IMHO.

Agree! The Lotus 78 and 79 are hard to beat. I have been looking at a Tamiya model. Tempting.

[Colin]

For Motorcycle race kits by Tamiya it seems they are reluctant to include tobacco sponsors decals, not a smoker here either but fortunately after market tobacco sponsor decals are available.

As regards the swastika thing, for sure back when I used to model as a kid Airfix and Revell that were the kits I built back then included swastikas and at late 60's early 70's that was a lot nearer the end of the war than now of course ... if these two company's have stopped it must mean global opinions are changing ... indeed I remember seeing early movies as a kid when they came out like Battle of Britain and especially remember Where Eagles Dare that had drapes with swastikas' inside the castle, nobody seemed to worry back then, pretty sure I built a 1/24 Airfix 109 while living in Germany around that time bought there that had them too (maybe not?) but I had one German friend on a forum in recent years who finds the symbol offensive even on scale models so we have to respect their opinions, just glad they can be bought after-market.

I'll stop there because I know it can be an emotive issue and I don't want to upset or offend anyone, we have members from all nations here.