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How many of you have Wingnut Wings kits in your stash? and Why if not


Beardie

  

278 members have voted

  1. 1. How many Wingnut Wings kits in your stash?

    • The complete range
      4
    • A considerable number
      88
    • One just to see what they're like/try them out
      42
    • None not interested in WWI subjects
      29
    • None they are too expensive
      27
    • None rigging puts me off bi-planes
      5
    • None they are too big
      44
    • None but becoming very tempted
      26
    • Would love them all but not financially possible
      13


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P.S. OMG! I just paid a visit to WNW website after reading the WETA thread. They're deluded. Same increased price in USD, but the inc ("free") shipping has gone. They're nuts.  AUD$130 inc for leftover pickings of one of their cheapest offerings Pfalz IIIa is too rich for me. I didn't bother pricing the even dearer Albatros D.Va (O.A.W.)! Guessing WNW's future customer base will be an elite, cultivated, select clientle. O.o

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On 21/09/2016 at 0:51 PM, Robin-42 said:

Weta doesn't carry them at present in the shop. No space, believe it or not. I was just there. Modelair in Auckland has a decent selection.

 

 

Thanks for the heads-up.  I don't feel so frustrated that I haven't paid a visit yet.  Might be worth contacting them before I do I think.

 

13 weeks till Xmas....... I need to start leaving a few hints with the family.

 

Gaz

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I have just come across this topic and I felt I had to add to it. The more modern planes become the more detached they become from the human element that sits at their heart, after all, it is the combination of man and machine that is that magic formula, anything approaching a drone switches me off, I cannot even get excited by the F35. My point; I am being drawn to that embryonic time of warfare with bright coloured, fabric covered machines fighting a gentleman's  dual at 5000 feet.

Alas, my modelling skills do not extend to anything with wire and it  scrares the hell out of me which is a shame because I would love to buy WNW kits, they look like works of art and are fine tributes to those pioneering pilots.

With the price tag that they come with you know you are getting top quality and I could look at them on the shelf forever but I will not tackle one until I have had a lot more practice so for now they are just a pipe dream.

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Go for it! you know you want to B) Rigging ain't all that scary. As soon as you get down to some rigging you will wonder what all the worry was about. Of course you don't need to rig if you don't want to either. Even with rigging they would still make beautiful models and most average bods wouldn't know there were meant to be any wires.

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3 hours ago, Head in the clouds. said:

The more modern planes become the more detached they become from the human element that sits at their heart, after all, it is the combination of man and machine that is that magic formula, anything approaching a drone switches me off, I cannot even get excited by the F35.

 

You know what, that's exactly how I feel. I would no more want to build a model of a drone than I'd want to stick a knitting needle in my ear. Even the modern piloted birds leave me cold as well. The F35, and also all those more or less "lookalike" canard multi-role planes like the Typhoon, Rafale, Grypen etc. Which of course you can paint any colour ....... as long as its all-over, nondescript grey.

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I wonder if this has anything to do with the artistic nature of a lot of model builders. The early aircraft definitely owe just as much to designers wanting to imitate birds as to understanding of aerodynamics where the modern planes are all computer designed to make use of the best mix of known modern aerodynamics and structural strength/weapon carrying capabilities. Something like an Albatros is definitely as much an artistic creation as an engineering one where a Eurofighter Typhoon etc. is a maximised killing machine.

 

I suppose you can see the same thing in the difference between a classic car and a modern car. Look at a modern Rolls Royce and a classic Rolls. Have a look at a 1949 Rolls Royce Silver Dawn and a 2016 Rolls Royce Dawn. I know which I would rather have if I only had the loot. The new car may have all the mod cons, be more efficient, reliable, faster but boy is the old one beautiful!

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I've thought on this recently before Beardie, and I think the reason has more to do with the average age of the demographic plastic modelling these days and beauty being in the eye of those beholders rather than any inherent artistic bent. Whilst most of us here can't have grown up in '30's era of total romance with aviation, those with tales of adventure and heroism -as imagined in youth, in Spitfires or Lancasters were then still living with us, and the jet age was only just upon us. I think youthful modellers if they were present now in the same proportion we were into the hobby as kids, then they would be building more of modern mil kit. But with all the other distractions, neither this hobby nor aviation excites their interest today. 

 

As a child of plastic modelling's heyday, even without seeing Spitfires and Mustangs or hearing the sounds of Merlins above depicted on colourful Airfix headered bags on my hobby shop shelf pegboard's hangers, I well remember piston engined DC-3s, Carvairs, and DC-4's & 6's alongside the screaming RR Darts of Viscounts and Friendships on approach. We lived almost directly under just to the right of the approach of 13 (long since decommissioned) which was sufficient length to be available to these types and preferred as the most direct approach from their routes. On standard approach profile, they passed overhead at around 800'. I can attest to scream of those Viscounts with x4 Darts their props in full fine actually being physically painful and so unavoidably noticeable. Lockheed Electras were still in service too, soon to be gradually superseded and replaced by the "Whispering T-Jets" DC-9s and 727s. When I think of a low bypass JT-8D x2 or x3 being described as "whispering" now, it's quaint. So I suppose my point is, even then there was still an interactive awareness of aviation, which IMV has disappeared today.

 

Much like today's trains in Britain, which to the lay person probably unaware even of their traction mode nor noticing the presence of a pantograph present or not, whether a Hitachi Javelin Class 395, Alstom built Pendolino Class 390, Intercity 125 BREL Class 43 or Bombardier Super Voyager Class 221, they all look much the same. Whilst they still capture the imagination of those SIG interested, they don't hold a general Boys' Own interest or engage romance as did an A3, Streamined A4, Princess Royal, Streamlined Coronation or Duchess class at full pelt.

 

I like WW I subjects, but more from reading too many Biggles books, period history and satisfying remaining curiosity 50 years on than sheer aesthetics, very much aware of what dogs they are to fly like most underpowered biplanes. So these days, my interest in WW I aviation is historical rather than tainted by any notion of romance. I'm also interested in modelling modern jets, military predominantly, but that's probably more because of my previous professional background offers a relativity enabling me to identify with them, especially relating to the performance which is astounding even between Gens. That said, even I do model aircraft from previous periods with a particular penchant for German, and night fighters in the particular which capture both interest and imagination. I think most modellers continue to evolve. For many years, especially as a child and youth, WW II models dominated my builds and interest, although I was also strongly interested in WW I subjects. I really had no idea of performance, and interest was driven by romance and tales of daring do. I had an awareness of Inter-war, but then found the period lacklustre surrounded by the endorsement of modernity that the 60's represented. Today the Inter-war period is a favourite, if (understandably) model wise understandably the poorest supported. Jets too featured even before the first F-15 or 16 flew, and although I built MiG-15s and Skyhawks too, they had yet to capture my imagination, especially in my youngest years when my finished models were also my toys.

 

Today, the whole real life aviation procedure and everything surrounding it is so sterile. Ordinary folk can't get near airside or a hanger now without a security pass. Even having driven these sky buses for years and so having a more than a passing interest you might think, what folk once thought of with awe, they now self check-in, board from the boredom of one of dozens of wait Gates via sterility of a fully enclosed jet bridge and so frequently as fliers, they take it for granted just as we might have a bus or tram. Inside, about all the lay person can tell apart from a passenger POV is whether it's Airbus or Boeing, the airline brand, and the approximate size given the seats abreast. All very bland. As for modern mil types, well, they don't all look the same to me although I suppose the demands of aerodynamic performance and requirement for stealth characteristics in particular are dictating them more so to the lay eye as they evolve, especially from Gen 4 to 5 and notably in images which don't convey size differentials well. e.g. F-22 vs F-35. Personally, I think Dassault's Rafale is drop dead gorgeous, and looks very different from either a MiG-29 or PAK FA T-50 prototype. That said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Disregarding incomparable Gen performance, I still think that the external aesthetics of the MiG-29 make it the most beautiful looking mil jet ever designed to my eyes.

 

I suspect that's why a majority are interested in WW II subjects. Perhaps late war Japanese single engine fighter subjects notwithstanding -although even they too are with a little practice, WW II types whilst having a defining period look or style, are all so aesthetically individual. It's similar in British Outline model railways BTW. Of its dominantly aged demographic, the late BR nationalisation period is by far the most popular followed by the early BR. I'm not sure Modern Image even exceeds the Grouping period as children and youth have lost interest in model railways generally. It's we oldies buying, and as a rule buy what excited notions of adventure and romance of their youth or just titillates the imagination of a bygone age.

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I have two: the RNAS Pup & the Tripe-hound.  In both cases because they are smack in the middle of my Naval interest, and the best kits of each type (by reputation, anyway).  My normal scale is 1/48, but WW1 aircraft were so small anyway that these two are hardly going to overwhelm my shelf.  In both cases they were bought second hand at a show.

 

Would I buy more? If they were to do a 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Baby, Bristol Scout or one or two Nieuports, definitely!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My name is also Martyn (I'm with a 'Y') and I am also an addict. Currently I have twenty five which I have built up in something like three months. Flogged everything I had spare except the missus, kids and my banjos to get them.

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I've just got the one... an S.E.5a Hisso. It keeps looking at me going 'go on, I dare you!'

 

I'm still working up to it.

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Go for it!

 

I reckon the Roden kits I am working on at the moment are probably more of a challenge to put together than the beautifully engineered Wingnut Wings kits. My biggest fear is actually getting those incredibly fine bits off the sprues safely. I reckon I will need to be very careful and gentle with the razor saw. The plan for me is to build all the kits produced by Roden and Special Hobby in 1/32 before tackling my Wingnuts stash. The only reason for this method is that I am hoping to be moving house in six months or so and don't want to have to try and move lovingly assembled Wingnut Wings models down the 'interesting' local roads. I can live with having to bin a Roden kit and build a replacement but I am planning to put altogether more care and attention into my Wingnuts.

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26 in total (21 in the stash, 4 completed on the shelf and 1 on the workbench). 

 

Probably won't be buying many more but I am looking forward to the Camel and I hope some more allied aircraft get released to even up all the German releases.

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On ‎12‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 1:12 PM, Howlindawg said:

Hello,

 

May name is Martin and, apparently, I'm becoming an addict.

 

29648099293_8bdbf35ab5_c.jpg
WNW-Stash by Martin Fay, on Flickr

the best way to fight your addition is face it head on and to rid yourself of any association to it.

Therefore as a favour to you I'm willing to take those 6 kits off you for a 100 quid.

you know that this is the beginning of that treacherous path you must take, so you'd best not delay, cold turkey is the only way. So in the interests of your wellbeing  I'll PM my address so you can get them in the post ASAP...tomorrow morning should be ok ^_^

 

 

 

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I have to say that I am super chuffed with my collection so far. After three months of scouring, hoping and praying I am now in possession of all the sold out kits except the duellist, Fokker D.VIIF, Fokker D.VII(alb) and W.29 all of which I can live without if I have to. Now I feel a bit more relaxed as all the rest I need are still in production :thumbsup: I am especially grateful to a chap called Leo Simpson who is currently disposing of all his Wingnuts stash via Fleabay. I bought an LVG C.VI off him via ebay and he contacted me to ask if I was looking for any others. He did me a superb deal letting me have the Harry Tate for £135, Sopwith Tripe for £90 and Fokker D.VII(Fok) for £110. I don't believe he is a member here but if anyone knows the chap please pass on a big thank you from me.

 

Waiting for that darn Sopwith Camel coming out as I want at least two of them. Don't want to spend any of my spare on other kits with Christmas coming and that one in the offing.

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PS. The reason I bought a laptop and went online, a few years back, was to buy WnW kits, (still haven't mastered the bloody thing !).

I wish they would update and make some of those beautiful biplanes from the late 20s/early 30s . My dream kite would be the

DH Dragon Rapide in the old BEA markings , just think what WnW could do with the interior and engines on that.

Are you listening there , WnWs ?.

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