Jump to content

1/72 - IAI C2/C7 “KFIR” by AMK AvantGarde Model Kits - progress


Recommended Posts

20 hours ago, Mikemx said:

 

Hannants are the UK importer for AMK and haven't had any in for weeks....

 

thanks

Mike

I guess Hannants can only get them back in stock if AMK produce another batch. When will that be? We know they have to fit kit production between the companies over work. Looks like they are currently doing the new 1/48 version.

 

I presume Hannants have ordered another lot of these kits as the first ones sold out quickly.

 

Maybe they are on a ship heading to the UK already, Maybe not.

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 9-12-2017 at 5:51 PM, Diggers11 said:

I guess Hannants can only get them back in stock if AMK produce another batch. When will that be? We know they have to fit kit production between the companies over work.

 

My LHS got a new batch in after I snatched up the first one. 

 

Unfortunately for my fellow local modelers, I snatched up the second batch as well (yes, I like both the original and the AMK kit).  ;)  The Italeri Kfir C.1 / F-21A reissue was in as well, but since that one would set me back 5,- more than the AMK it remained on the shelve..! 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Hook said:

 

My LHS got a new batch in after I snatched up the first one. 

 

Unfortunately for my fellow local modelers, I snatched up the second batch as well (yes, I like both the original and the AMK kit).  ;)  The Italeri Kfir C.1 / F-21A reissue was in as well, but since that one would set me back 5,- more than the AMK it remained on the shelve..! 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

Where is your LHS?, mine I don't think have ever stocked AMK. 

Edited by Diggers11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On ‎8‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 00:25, Hook said:

 

  The Italeri Kfir C.1 / F-21A reissue was in as well, but since that one would set me back 5,- more than the AMK it remained on the shelve..! 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

 

I didn't know that the old Italeri kit had been re released already, but if you want a Kfir then that kit is not it, there was a reason it has not been redone in the 20 odd years since first put out

Just some of what I think is wrong with it, and it is just my opinion, so ignore if you think otherwise.

 

The nose is far too fat, looks more like a radar nose, get one from the HPM kit and put beside it and you will see what I mean.

The tailpipe is an absolute joke, it's best to hold it in your left hand over a garbage receptacle , and accidently cough so your hand muscles will relax,

The outer elevon fairing which incorporates the pylon is way oversize, the elevon fairings should all be the same size, yet somehow Italeri made their outer one twice the size of the inner one.

The cockpit coaming, and well everything inside the cockpit is just basically wrong.

It would be easier to backdate the AMK kit, you would end up with something that is far better than the Italeri kit.

 

For those wanting a new Mirage III/5, i'm guessing you want AMK to do it purely for what might be a lower price as there is not anything wrong with the Mk III HPM kit.

 

I have been on a bit of a spending splurge with HPM over the last couple of months getting 4 of the dual boxings, one of the Chilean 50DCM, and the new Cyrano boxing and the Venezuelan upgrade,  the kits are not costing me any more than say a Tamiya F-16CJ, and although some may argue that is marginally a better kit, I don't think so.

 

 I did get a couple PJ kits, that did cost me a hell of a lot more in purchase, but I really wanted to do some Belgian ones, and where else will you get all the work done for you on the vertical stab except the PJ resin tail..

 

Sorry if this has been a bit of a thread hijack, but I do love my Mirages.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guys,

 

Resin will always be costly. And if the host kit is affordable, what a bargain! Besides, nobody has a gun to your head to buy ScaleWorx products ;). The material/production costs of an injection molded kit is minimal, while most of the rest of it's price is recovering money invested to have the extremely costly injection molds made. Thousands have to be sold before they see profit. ScaleWorx, my only source of income, has been running for 17 years now, and it has most certainly become more expensive over the years to produce kits. I spend my time scratch building and producing models for other modeler's happiness, sacrificing/depriving my time to build my own stash of +- 400 kits. Come to think of it, the last time I built and completed a model for myself was January 2012! If you have never actually been involved with the production of resin products, here's a few overheads you might have overlooked: .

1. You need a place to work, so rent has to be paid.

2. South Africa is not a cold place, so air conditioning is vital and runs most of the day, using a lot of electricity.

3. Staff do not work for free, so salaries have to be paid.

4. New products have to be researched, scratch built and reverse engineered to user friendly components relatively easy to cast. The only thing worse than a miser, is a rivet counter. So, I have to do my best to provide a quality/accurate product.

5. Rubber and resin is not cheap, can't go without it.

6. "Gas blanket" aerosol (costs more than a 2kg batch of resin!) is a necessity in Cape Town, as moisture ruins resin within 3 days without treatment.

7. Molds only last for approximately 20 to 30 copies, then has to be replaced, and not every cast is successful, which means the mold loses a "life" with every part rejected.

8. Inevitable wastage/spilleage of resin when casting, especially two-part molds.

8. Boxes and packaging materials are essential to purchase, and fuel required in the car to collect.

9. Instructions have to be printed, so cartridges and paper for the printer.

10. Photo-etched parts are made Johannesburg 1300km away from Cape Town, and couriers also adds to the cost.

11. Decals are made in Port Elizabeth 970km away from Cape Town, so it's posted and collected at the post office, which is collected with the car, which also doesn't run on water. If it did, it would probably have cost more, considering Cape Town is under Level 6 water restrictions.

12. Clear plastic for vac-forming purchased and collected. An oven has to run to heat the plastic, which then goes onto the vac-forming machine. More electricity...

13. A lot of time is taken up with packing parts in kits and then in boxes and wrapped to once again drive to the post office.

 

The next time you Google the price of rubber and resin, and think "that's not expensive", think again. I have paid some ridiculous prices for models I've wanted, and did so to satisfy my passion for models, because nobody will put a price tag on my sanity B)

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Enjoy building the Kfir's! :)

 

Cheers,

John

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Sources: 

https://fr-fr.facebook.com/scaleworx/posts/828065324059477

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.828063634059646.1073741893.212054182327264&type=3

 

Quote

1/72 Cheetah D Conversion set - ref.SW72-37 - for the AMK Kfir C2/C7.
Note: Canards absent in the picture, and will be included in the set.
Email [email protected] for queries or orders

 

37746038.jpg

 

37802854.jpg

 

V.P.

Edited by Homebee
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...
3 hours ago, lasermonkey said:

I was looking at the future releases page over at Hannants last night and noticed that the AMK Kfir was on the list. No date was mentioned, but it would be nice to see the kit again. I'm pretty sure I'd get a couple more.

Future release? They had an AMK shipment in about a week ago which included the Kfir. They sold out pretty quick though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
51 minutes ago, Nymond said:

And still sold out for today. Just hope for a rerun. Hope so.

 

Indeed.   I built one.  It was a very nice kit.  I also have one in The Stash.  :thumbsup: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't AMK close? Or at least they seem to have been on hiatus for a while. I wouldn't expect any new production run of this kit unless the company gets back or someone buy the mould.

A pity as their Kfir is a great kit

Edited by Giorgio N
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucky I still have a pair in stash...

I managed to talk to my country's local AMK distributor about a year ago, he said he still had plenty available, but most model shops "don't order older releases". He was willing to sell them directly too. This was a year ago, not sure how long stocks lasted. Bottom line is, if you want to buy it nowadays, probably the best idea is to go directly to your local AMK distributor and ask, or get one second hand for inflated price on ebay, etc. AMK went silent.

Edited by drake122
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also believe AMK is out of business for some time already. I've decided to finally buy their Kfir about half-year ago and it's not been listed on big H at all. Panical search across the online shops of a large frosty neighbour (unfortunately 95% of online shops to the west of Belarus including ebay do not ship to us anymore) resulted in only one local hobby shop in Murmansk having a Kfir in the stash for about 20 bucks. The story with happy end. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...