Anyone else disappointed with HK Meteor?

[georgeusa]

I really haven't mentioned the price of the kit so far. It is considerably less than the B-17 and B-25 ($278.00 and $185.00 respectively) (sorry £165.47 and £110.11 respectively). I got the Meteor through mail order with a slight discount and paid $85.00 for it (£50.59). There was no shipping charge due to another discount of free shipping if the order was above a certain amount. (The only advantage to indulging in my addiction; sad isn't it?) It seems my cost was around what everyone on this thread is willing to pay for the kit. What I don't understand is why it seems to be so much substantially higher in England rather than here? When you compare the price of the Meteor to the B-25 (seems unfair to comapre to the B-17 since it is four engine and much larger craft. At least the B-25 is two engined like the Meteor) perhaps the only explanation is a change in business philosophy towards a good kit, with less detail resulting in a better price selling point.

[Nick Belbin]

Well, the parts count difference is inevitable - the Meteor doesn't have props, as many glazed areas, guns, seats, etc

Nick

[Jennings Heilig]

This is a case of "you can't win" for a manufacturer. They produce an Überkit that has everything under the sun in the box and people complain because it's too big, complex, and expensive. They endeavor to produce a good, accurate, basic kit so as to allow the aftermarket to handle the super detail stuff, and they get taken to task for that because people are disappointed in how simplistic it is.

As for the intakes - I'm not 100% convinced the kit intakes are really all that bad. Paul's work is spectacular as always, but the difference in diameter is pretty small, and Miliput puts out an excellent product that allows us to use our skills.

[Radpoe Spitfire]

I agree with the point about using Milliput. All to often manufacturers are expected to have everything spot on whatever the cost.

So what if you have to do a bit of work to get the best out of a kit- that's part of the real art of modelling.

It matters not that there are Misplaced panel lines, rivets or a discrepancy of 00.5 mm, not to me anyway. If you saw the real thing at more than 3m you begin to lose detail.😊

[Radpoe Spitfire]

Still I must admit I am tempted to buy & convert one to a Mk 1 Meteor. It'll be easier than building a vac form Mk8, which I enjoyed building about 15 years ago.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Radpoe Spitfire

[venomvixen]

This is a case of "you can't win" for a manufacturer. They produce an Überkit that has everything under the sun in the box and people complain because it's too big, complex, and expensive. They endeavor to produce a good, accurate, basic kit so as to allow the aftermarket to handle the super detail stuff, and they get taken to task for that because people are disappointed in how simplistic it is.

As for the intakes - I'm not 100% convinced the kit intakes are really all that bad. Paul's work is spectacular as always, but the difference in diameter is pretty small, and Miliput puts out an excellent product that allows us to use our skills.

Correct me if I'm wrong Sir but didnt you have some input into the kit?

[Rabbit Leader]

Milliput !!! What's that?

Cheers.. Dave (Proud Assembler).

[McYellowbelly]

As a 1/144th modeller, I feel let down.

I've got to spend a fortune on a 32nd Meteor(which will probably never get built and resold for a loss) just to get a 1/144th Meteor!

Then it's got no undercarriage and see through intakes.

Ah well, maybe I need to change scale!

[marty_hopkirk]

This kit is not my normally fare, but it piqued my interest and I dipped for it. I have to for one think both the price point and quality are absolutely fine, to the point where I believe it is an excellent kit and is value for money. I do agree with those have commented manufacturers can't win sometimes.

I had the kit been rammed the with lots additional detail that a lot couldn't be seen, who knows what the price point would have been certainly in excess of a £100 and may have been well in excess. What HK have done here is gone back to basics and given modellers a choice. One can either build a more than acceptable Meteor straight from the box or CHOOSE to add what detail the individual modeller want to, either through good old fashion modelling skill or buy what after market sets they want rather than have them foisted upon one self.

A few more observations:

- Has there ever been a kit that has been a 100% accurate?

- The kit is subject to reasonable amount transportation costs

- Meteor is a far simpler subject matter than the 17 and 25

- It would have import tax applied to it

- Outside the UK interest in it will be modest to say the least and it would not have the same appeal as the 17 or 25, which perhaps allows for the additional investment in the detail.

As a more of a sci-fi/space modeller, where the interest in kits is a lot lower than military kits, the prices are invariably higher for similar sized and part counts, it's just a way of life. For instance the recently released Polar Lights 1/144 C-57D Starcruiser is a smaller kit - but try getting one for below £60.

Another consideration is do what the like of Moebius and Polar Lights do, they on a occasions manufacture a base kit and if there is sufficient demand later produce a deluxe version with additional features and parts - but that's a whole different debate.

Given the above I think HK have been entirely sensible in their approach.

Marty...

Edited April 28, 2014 by marty_hopkirk

[Caerbannog]

As far as I remember the B-25 was done by another company. Wingscale was their name and they were Dutch I think. They finalized everything before they sold to their chinese partner as far as I remember - sorry if I get it wrong but maybe someone else will remember it? I think Wingscale planned the B-17 as well. So maybe (!!!) this is the reason why the B-17 and B-25 are a different game?

Rene

[Radpoe Spitfire]

Milliput !!! What's that?

Cheers.. Dave (Proud Assembler).

Hi Dave, if you aren't familiar with Milliput it's a 2 part epoxy putty. Been using it for donkey's years.

Regards Adrian

[Rabbit Leader]

Hi Dave, if you aren't familiar with Milliput it's a 2 part epoxy putty. Been using it for donkey's years.

Regards Adrian

Adrian... Thanks..

To be honest, I was trying to be a tad smart, however last time I used it I could just make out the fine print which read " only to be used on Frog kits and Airfix models pre 1999"....

Cheers..

Edited April 28, 2014 by Rabbit Leader

[Radpoe Spitfire]

That's ok, it's hard for us old hands. 😊😊😊😊

At least I'm to young to have used polyfilla-just!!!!!👍

[Mike]

There's nowt wrong with Plasticene, or wattle and daub. It were good enuff fer me fathuh, it's good enuff fer us :luddite:

Oh, and £50 for a 1:32 Meatbox is fair play I say... you can't get a 1:48 F-15 from Hasegawa for that list price can you now?

(I just know someone's going to prove me wrong there )

[Radpoe Spitfire]

There's nowt wrong with Plasticene, or wattle and daub. It were good enuff fer me fathuh, it's good enuff fer us :luddite:

Oh, and £50 for a 1:32 Meatbox is fair play I say... you can't get a 1:48 F-15 from Hasegawa for that list price can you now?

(I just know someone's going to prove me wrong there )

Wattle and daub.........,.luxury!!!!!'

We used to dream about wattle and daub!!!😄😄😄😄

And we used to lick the decals with our tongue!!!

[georgeusa]

McYellowbelly,

(Love the avatar by the way). I had two of the 1/144 kits in my model box. PM me and I will send you one.

[mrobeson]

Weird that it's much more expensive in the US. At $80US (£50~), it's a pretty good price considering it's a 1/32 Meteor, and it's just a few more dollars than the new Hasegawa Shinden. And far cheaper than any current Trumpeter kits.

[McYellowbelly]

McYellowbelly,

(Love the avatar by the way). I had two of the 1/144 kits in my model box. PM me and I will send you one.

Much appreciated

PM sent

[Jennings Heilig]

I also agree that the decals seem rather poor and could have included a third option.

What's poor about them? HK wanted two choices and that's what's in the box. More decal = more expensive kit, and people are already griping about it being overpriced.

[SeaVenom]

The Meteor was designed as a simpler kit. Since the interior is black, they didn't go as all out on it. And they wanted to let their aftermarket people get their share, hence the lack of engines.

The HK Meteor looks like a nice kit to me (from photos anyway) but they shouldn't be leaving out things for the aftermarket people. They should be getting things as good as possible from the box.

[SeaVenom]

George. nothing wrong with buying all HK kits, completely understandable

I have seen the Meteor, and the 25 but not the B17.

I can see your points, especially comparing the meteor to the other kits

As a stand alone kit, I think the meteor is fine, albeit with the qualifications posted by the other posters.

Interestingly,you are not the first person to raise these points about the kit on the web, which I see as a sign of how far new kits are progressing these days and peoples expectations, rather than the actual kit being sub par.

If the Meteor had come out in a Hasegawa box, people would be fine with it, because thats Hasegawa's philosophy with their 32 scale kits, no added PE or resin, just a decent easy to build kit. HKM have just done the same with this particular kit. I don't think the kits have been done by different design teams, not sure how much HKM has done on these kits but if you remember the meteor,mitchell and B17 were originally slated by Wingscale before being taken over by HKM. The coming Lancaster will be the first kit done by HKM from the ground up.

The fact HKM have added PE in their other kits, and the likes of trumpeter and HB include rubber tyres PE and other media makes people feel a little let down when it comes to the meteor, needlessly I think, but thats just my opinion.

The meteor had a fairly basic cockpit anyway, although seat belts would have been nice. The intake shape does not worry me, nor the lack of engines. Price is such a subjective thing to people. Do I think its overpriced? Well here in Australia 32 scale Hasegawa kits sell for around the hundred mark!! The HKM kit has much nicer surface detail, yes gun bays and engines would have been nice, but I am happy with the kit as it stands. Oh, which model B25 did you get? God, Im tempted to get the B25, thank goodness the LHS never has any when go there

Regards

Bruce

Well I'm glad HK haven't included those damn rubber tyres so far like Tamiya and Trumpeter. It would be ok if they had plastic tyres as an option but they don't.

[Lawnguylander]

The HK Meteor looks like a nice kit to me (from photos anyway) but they shouldn't be leaving out things for the aftermarket people. They should be getting things as good as possible from the box.

Disagree. I think that the a la carte method is the future. Look at the ZM kits, with additional bits available to those who want them, and those who don't want/need them can pass.

[stringbag]

Disagree. I think that the a la carte method is the future. Look at the ZM kits, with additional bits available to those who want them, and those who don't want/need them can pass.

Much the same as Eduard with their Weekend and Profipack options. Seems to work for them.

[venomvixen]

Some people will whinge if it hasnt got everything included in the box

Some people will whinge if it has got everything in the box.

From this basic premise it is easily worked out that no matter what you do some people will whinge.

[SeaVenom]

Disagree. I think that the a la carte method is the future. Look at the ZM kits, with additional bits available to those who want them, and those who don't want/need them can pass.

So you don't want kits to be as good as possible from the box????? The ZM kits are different as they include a lot of the interior and structure but what I'm talking about is standard aircraft kits without all that and I think manufacturers should strive to get as much accuracy and detail in plastic without the need for aftermarket parts.

For a start not everyone likes resin so manufacturers should at least provide the alternative in plastic (unlike Eduard). They most certainly should not be pandering to the aftermarket people by missing details out etc.