As of late, basically a spin-off from Xmas activities, I have kept on assembling some of my collected kits concentrating on the Airfix ones (it was basically a case of "do it now, or never"), also the box was getting too big and unwieldy in the loft for its own good. I came to thinking, "How close am I to completing the wheel?" - as in for my Airfix military vehicle collection - one of each kit there is (hands up here - I am talking vehicles only, as I am nowhere near the same kind of collector for the aircraft and ships, for wings and water I just dabble)?
The Airfix Tribute Forum seems to have the "definitive vehicle" list:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/military-vehicles-t1679.html
Considering only the [1:72, 1/76. HO/OO] kits I seem to be good on all the WWII (excluding the airfield utility stuff, RAF Emergency, Refuelling, Recovery and the RAF/USAF "bombing up" kit) and with a sense of pride, I have most of the modern stuff too! The exception being the mysterious SAM 2 missile launcher (now a lost mould) and a West German Leopard 1 (although I do have the "very business like" ESCI one). If I include the JB Models stuff as well, I am missing the modern (as in post WW2) British Army 105mm Howitzer, Soft Top Land Rover and again modern Bedford Trucks (but there is little chance of getting them now unless Airfix decides to re-issue them).
Heller Footnote: I remember that Airfix picked up some [1:72] Heller kits too, Willy's Jeep and the GMC US Truck from off the top of my head, but no mention of the other Heller kits so I presume they didn't buy the right to use those moulds. I know Heller also did a Sherman, Tiger, Somua S-35, AMX-13/105, AMX 13 DCA, Churchill, LCVP, VAB and AMX-30/105. Heller seems to have had it's ups and downs. I did find this interesting blog post on the web though:
https://modellersofballarat.wordpress.com/articles/armour/hunting-down-heller/
Back to Airfix .. so with the completion of the "build" of the Bedford Trucks (2010) I call this "inner wheel of Airfix" now completed (see below, these Bedford trucks were an absolute joy of engineering to make, the paint and decals still to be done though):
If I see them again in the shops I would happily buy them in an instant (see below, I love the subtle touch of the AA Bren gun on its casual mount, plus the bicycle slung on the back of the lorry - it would be nice somehow to fill those infantry seats up with infantry though):
Does this mean I should move onto "other" vehicle manufacturers and completing their 'wheels' - this seems too big a task for my tiny pair of hands. But once the thought has been put into my ting mind smaller ranges might just become a target? As much as I enjoy a cautious "Vintage" Airfix retro-kit build, I am more of a fan of new Airfix, their new tooled kits are masterpieces as they almost fit together by themselves!