Airfix was founded in London in 1939 by a Hungarian expatriate, Nicholas Kove. The name derives originally from the air-filled rubber toys it initially made (and was chosen so that it would appear high up the alphabetical listings in trade catalogues). It only proved coincidentally appropriate when the famous model aircraft kits were introduced in the mid-1950s. These were made commercially possible by the popularity of their immediate predecessors, model ships.

After the air-filled toys, Airfix diversified into plastic combs in 1947, becoming the largest comb maker in the country. In 1948, the company was commissioned to produce a promotional model of the Ferguson tractor. Since the budget wasn’t large enough to produce a completed model, the separate components were sold instead for self-assembly. Kove was so pleased with the result that it was decided to market such models to the general public.

When a model kit for Sir Francis Drake’s ship the Golden Hind was produced in 1952, it was sold into Woolworth’s, but they rejected the recommended asking price of more than four shillings. The price was pegged at two shillings, with savings being made on the packaging.

The kits came in a simple plastic bag with a thin card header stapled over the top of it. The parts were made of polystyrene plastic (replacing the previously used cellulose acetate, which had a tendency to warp). This packaging made the kits cheap enough to be bought out of saved-up pocket money. They started being sold in boxes in the 1970s.

The Airfix Spitfire...

The two masterminds behind the Airfix Spitfire Mk I, first issued in 1953, were joint managing director Ralph Ehrmann and general manager John Gray, who had both experienced air combat during the war. The scale was 1/72, and there were 21 components including the display stand.

Strangely enough, the founder had strong doubts about whether an aircraft model would be a commercial success, and warned Ehrmann and Gray that any loss made on it would be deducted from their salaries. He needn’t have worried – the model Spitfire was an instant hit.

For the first few years, the kits were made of blue plastic, but then changed to silver. An improved version, a Spitfire Mk IX, followed in 1955. The first 1/24 model was issued in 1971. In 2003, a commemorative 50th anniversary Spitfire I kit was issued in reproduction packaging.

... and some stranger ideas

The Airfix company was acquired by Humbrol Ltd of Hull (originally the Humber Oil Company) in 1986. As well as fighter aircraft, Airfix models went on to include trains, cars, buildings and even 7in-high representations of famous individuals. A scale model of Henry VIII, released in 1960, looking a little like Holbein’s iconic portrait, was one of a series of historical figures.

Besides the latest developments in combat aircraft, Airfix has kept its finger on the pulse by introducing kits such as Wallace and Gromit’s aeroplane and motorbike.

True aficionados might be interested in joining the official, non-profit Airfix Collectors’ Club, which is supported by the company.