Wingnut Wings Next Releases

[bobs_buckles]

Dear Wingnuts,
Please consider 1/48th in the long off future.
I must be the only one on here not frothing at the mouth waiting for the next release

All in good time, brothers.

Von buckle

[nigelrayner]

Originally Posted by bobs_buckles

Dear Wingnuts,
Please consider 1/48th in the long off future.
I must be the only one on here not frothing at the mouth waiting for the next release

All in good time, brothers.

Von buckle

Not going to happen methinks. Peter Jackson has specifically chosen 1/32 as the ideal scale for what they are trying to achieve - superdetailed injection moulded kits for the average modeller. You couldn't do that in 1/48, a point he makes in the interview. It wouln't make economic sense either. The competition is much stronger in that scale. Eduard is quite close to them (although I think Wingnuts are superior based on the one example I have seen).

At least it will keep the demand for 1/32 buckles growing!

Cheers,

Nigel

[Brez]

I build 1/48th scale kits myself, I reckon my big fingers and dim eyes not up to 1/72nd, but I can't see a Wingnuts 1/48th kit being significantly any better than the stuff coming out of eastern Europe nowdays, say Eduard's Dr1.
Lack of space and time has made me make the decision to restict my Wingnut builds to Royal Aircraft Factory types (I'm currently doing their SE5a).

[Rowan Broadbent]

I'm sure that Nigel has read the article correctly.

I don't think that Wingnut have any interest in 48th scale - it just doesn't fit their philosophy and their reasoning for going for 32nd scale.

Where I would disagree is with the statement that Eduard kits are close to WNW quality. They have done great work in bringing quality mouldings and detail to WWI kits. The area they have not delivered on in my view, is buildability and kit engineering.

You still have to be an experienced modeller to get good results from many of their kits. Where WNW have specifically tried to make the kits easy to build, Eduard are still relying on the established, experienced WWI/biplane modeller with little or no thought given to making the kits easy to build for the tyro.

It would make good sense for Eduard (& Roden) to address the ease of construction issue. Building jigs would help but the real answer lies in ease of assembly through sensible design. Look at the undercarriage on the Eduard DrI, for example. Four seperate and specific struts with poor location at either end; the holes in the axle wing are too shallow for the assembly to work correctly and the forward mounting points on the fuselage are just suggestions! And the Camel?!? excellent detail and accuracy but the strut locations are sketchy at best. I know of two, otherwise highly competent modellers, who've given up on this one.

The route to higher sales for WWI models must lie in bringing more modellers in from the "easier" eras, which is exactly what WNW are successfully doing. Certainly it is more difficult to achieve in the smaller scales but with the right approach, I believe that Eduard could do it, should they choose.

[Brad Cancian]

Don't worry Bob, i'm not overly interested in 1/32 either and would much rather see some of these releases in 1/48, but hey, if 1/32 gets folks interested in WW1 stuff then it's gotta be good for those of us that work in the one true scale of 1/48!

I also tend to agree with the observations made about Eduard, and can understand why WNW prefers to stick to 1/32 - it's a simple matter of competition - regardless of the quality of Eduard's kits, there is much less competition in 1/32 - really, it's only Roden and the odd hobbycraft kit (as soon as a new 1/32 Camel and Nieuport comes out, hobbycraft won't have a look in). It makes financial sense for them to focus on 1/32, even without all the goodies they are throwing into their kits.

To make another observation (and to stick up for us 1/48 guys), I would almost go so far as to say that there are no big-boy mainstream kit makers putting any effort into 1/48 WW1 at the moment (and I stress "at the moment"). Eduard are focussing in other areas (all of their 1/48 scale WW1 kits in the last 6 months or more are re-releases), Roden has all but bailed in the last year bar the Bristol F.2b MkIV (which is just some additional sprues on their F2b kit, not that it's a bad thing) to focus on 1/32 (which is a shame because I am dying for them to release their promised DH9). This leaves the odd smaller company producing some kits (I am thinking here of Karaya and Mirage, and the odd special hobby kit and some others). Don't get me wrong, these smaller companies are making great kits, but they are indeed smaller operations and can only produce a limited number of new kits. I for one am thrilled that we are seeing new releases of the Halberstadt CL.IV, and the Roland DIV for example, but there are allot of new kits of very famous aircraft we need in 1/48 (RE8, FE2, DH9, Pup, Samlson, etc just to name but a few). I think that us 1/48 guys are going to be in the cold for a little while yet whilst the 1/32 wave sweeps over us. Oh well, I have enough kits to last the winter

That all said, I feel even sorrier for the 1/72 guys, they really are out in the cold...

BC

[terri werner]

Eduard being close to Wing Nuts , I would have to agree with Rowan . They have some great kit's out there in the WW1 , but some of them could have been done better in the engineering stage . I'm a big fan of Eduards have most of their kit's in the stash . Roden are very nicely detail kits , but you need more skill then you would for the Eduard kit's . I would just like to see Eduard do new subjects in 48 scale and stop releaseing the same kit's over and over again .

I only want the one kit from Wing Nuts , Pfalz D.IIIa , come on guy's when is the release date ..................

[Rowan Broadbent]

I'd agree with Brad, the small producers are currently keeping the 48th sector alive as far as new kits are concerned, at least. Perhaps there is some hope here that the likes of Mirage and Karaya, in particular, will expand their production to fill the void left by Roden and Eduard moving into other fields - whether that be 32nd scale or subjects from other eras.

For me 48th is still my scale of choice; there's a challenge and certain satisfaction involved in working in this scale that 32nd doesn't seem to offer - plus the large collection of unbuilt kits that clutter my office... I don't think the two are mutually excusive, however and whilst I will build 32nd I don't see me abandoning 48th.

But having written that, it does occur that I used to feel the same about 1/72 when that was my chosen scale. I certainly agree as well that the 72nd crowd have been well and truly dropped by virtually all manufacturers. I know from decal sales that there are still many modellers of 'our' period who still work in that scale and I am trying to do my bit on their behalf with decals, at least!

[nigelrayner]

Well I'm abandoning 1/72 for 1/32. Wingnuts are such a breath of fresh air after building so many limited run kits with poor engineering. Although I said Eduard were close to Wingnuts, Rowan is (I suspect) right regarding the buildability. Eduard are certainly quite buildable but they do vary. Wingnuts on the other hand seem very focused on ease of assembly - I haven't built one yet but they appear to be in a different league. Certainly Peter Jackson's philosophy is to engineer them that way - fr example, he got the strut attachment points deepened on one kit so they would stand in place to support the uper wing without glue.

The 1/72 crew are actually pretty well served by the specialist resin makers like Choroszy (I think there are three different Capronis available for example....) but I will be clearing all of mine out to make way for a stash of Wingnuts. They have me doubly hooked becasue I am a figure modeller as well, so the figures by the Perry Twins are another attraction. My only gripe - when will they release the bloomin' thngs?

Cheers,

Nigel

[Brez]

Originally Posted by Brad Cancian

Roden has all but bailed in the last year bar the Bristol F.2b MkIV (which is just some additional sprues on their F2b kit, not that it's a bad thing) to focus on 1/32 (which is a shame because I am dying for them to release their promised DH9).

I'll echco that! How many years has that damn DH9 been on their ''in production'' list?

[Familyman]

Originally Posted by Rowan Broadbent

Where I would disagree is with the statement that Eduard kits are close to WNW quality. They have done great work in bringing quality mouldings and detail to WWI kits. The area they have not delivered on in my view, is buildability and kit engineering.

LOL

This is quite funny. During the past decade Eduard has been accused several times here at the Drome for making 'shake and bake kits' with no challenge to a real modeler.

...but I agree with you, Rowan, as far as the 3rd generation Eduard kits are concerned. They are not quite as buildable as the lovely 2nd generation kits like Hanriot Hd.1, Nieuports, Albatros scouts, Roland C.II etc.

Maybe Eduard has followed the discussion and added 'challenge' to their kits, since that has seemed to be the wish of the customers!

Be careful what you wish, it may come true! Like more 2 seater kits. There have been quite a few lately: Karaya's DFW C.V, Roden's BE2c and DH.4, Techmod's Friedrickshaffen, Special Hobby Albatros C.III, Halberstadts by Mirage and Karaya... Now you whiners have to stop whining and start to buy and build these kits! I really doubt that Roden will ever put out their DH9, if the DH4 or BE2c kits will not sell at all.

Mikko