Battle of the Bags: Heller Vs Airfix at Scale Model World 2026
We were not at Scale ModelWorld this year, so like many modellers we followed it through the photos, videos, forum threads and comment sections that came out of Telford. It has made for interesting reading. Here are the main talking points from the biggest weekend in the scale modelling calendar.
For years one stand has set the tone at Telford: Airfix. This year, on 7 and 8 November, the talk of the halls was a sea of yellow. Heller attended for the first time and, by most accounts, had the stronger show.
Heller has been making kits in France for almost 70 years, and since 2019 it has been part of Glow2B, the German group behind Heller Hobby GmbH. In July it appointed Dale Luckhurst as Head of Brand. British modellers will know the name: Dale spent four years at Hornby looking after the Airfix brand. Since then Heller has had a busy few months, with an all new 1/72 F-16A (MLU), a growing range of starter kits, and plenty of time spent with the modelling community and content creators. At Telford it all came together. Visitors described a big, confident stand, consistent yellow branding everywhere you looked, and staff who were happy to talk kits. Our post on the new Heller F-16A has the details, and you can register your interest there.
Airfix has been part of Hornby since 2006, and Hornby has spent the last few years reshaping its business. It has cut costs, sold brands such as Oxford Diecast, given each of its brands its own leadership, and in April 2025 it left the stock market to continue that work as a private company.
Not everyone thinks that reshaping has gone well for Airfix. In July, Alex at the YouTube channel Mann's Model Moments set out what he called the warning signs: redundancies, cancelled projects, delayed announcements, changes in how Airfix works with content creators, and a growing use of AI style marketing. He was clear that he wants Airfix to succeed, but asked whether the people now steering the brand really understand the hobby and its customers. Other creators, including Zinzan Scale Modelling, have raised Airfix's relationship with the modelling community too, and modellers on Facebook and YouTube have been vocal about the tone of some recent social media posts. There has also been speculation online about Airfix's future within Hornby, none of it confirmed.
At Telford the contrast was hard to miss. The Airfix stand was quieter than visitors are used to, without the big launches and giveaways of past years, and the branding felt less joined up. Several visitors posting after the show said the staff could not answer questions about upcoming releases. One modeller who asked about a kit due for release was told they did not know about it, but that there were lots of other aircraft to look at. The Airfix designers were the exception, happy to go into detail on the kits they had worked on, although they could not speak for the wider plans.
Even the free bags told a story. Heller's queue went home with bright yellow "Beyond the Bag" totes, while Airfix's carried the line "Night in on your own? Fancy a tank?"
None of that changes what is in the box. The current Airfix range includes some superb kits, and they remain some of our steadiest sellers.
Heller and Airfix were not the only stories. Revell had a strong weekend, and AIP showed a prototype of its new 1/35 British Army 4 tonner, which drew a lot of interest. Zoukei-Mura were back for their second Telford, and their large scale aircraft kits continue to win fans.
Fresh on our shelves
This week we have had deliveries from both Airfix and Heller.
New from Airfix
New from Heller
Or collect free from the shop at 294 Hillmorton Road, Rugby.
