why 3 kits on same ship in 1/350 by 3 different manufacturer

[73north]

I wonder why Tamiya , Hasegawa and now Fujimi feel it is necessary to make the same kit on the exact same ship - the 1/350 scale Yukikaze ?

 

I know the Yukikaze is very famous ( the ultimate lucky ship ) - but why make the same ship for the same crowded market ?

 

Why can't one of them give us a decent J, K N Class in 1/350 scale for example ?

or if it has to be Japanese , maybe the 1920's Kamikaze Class or the late war Matsu Class Destroyer ??

 

( Ps the Fujimi Yukikaze new tool kit - looks a pale shadow to the Tamiya )

 

but what do I know  ?? rant over ....................

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by 73north

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Because the Japanese kit makers make the kits primarily for their (bigger than ours) market, so their own ships will take priority. WEM used to do a reasonable J/K/N class in resin, maybe Atlantic/Starling Models might reissue it if not already.

 

thanks

Mike

[MikeR]

I think you've pretty much nailed it - the Yukikaze is a famous ship in Japan and very popular. It's like the Yamato - kits of that ship sell in Japan like hotcakes. The destroyer Shimakaze seems to have a similar hold. As Mikemx wrote, all the Japanese companies are focused on what'll sell in their own backyard - the market in the rest of the world is of secondary interest (or in Aoshima's case, effectively ignored). Many of these new kits also have anime or gaming tie-ins.

 

If a "J,K,N" is ever done by one of them, I'd lay odds on it being the Jupiter since the IJN sank her during the Java Sea. If you look at the non-Japanese ships A,F, H and T have done, they're either famous, or were sunk by the IJN. Sometimes both.

 

Mike.

Edited July 25, 2017 by MikeR

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Modelling is very popular in Japan. They are one of the largest modelling product consumers in the world actually. These particular ships are the maritime equivalents of Spitfires and Mustangs. They will sell and sell and sell in Japan. Any Japanese manufacturer who doesn't have one in their line up is missing out.

 

A more interesting question might be "How do we revitalise the popularity of model making in the UK such that we see a revival in our own domestic manufacturing market making the ships that we want?"  Modelling used to be popular here, but somehow we have socially engineered a bad image for it as an activity. Ask the average Brit to describe a model maker and you'll get an image of a loner with wearing a tank top which isn't representative of the majority.

[Tony Whittingham]

I’d love to see an accurate Tribal or a S to Z war emergency destroyer in 1/350.

surprised Airfix has not taken up the challenge. Trumpeter left the door open for this.

Or, perhaps Revell could take it on in 1/144? I would then be forced to liquidate my aircraft stash, and build a Flotilla.

 

 

TW

 

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

4 hours ago, Tony Whittingham said:

I’d love to see an accurate Tribal or a S to Z war emergency destroyer in 1/350.

surprised Airfix has not taken up the challenge. Trumpeter left the door open for this.

Or, perhaps Revell could take it on in 1/144? I would then be forced to liquidate my aircraft stash, and build a Flotilla.

 

 

TW

 

 

http://atlanticmodels.net/white ensign range kits/1-350 scale kits.html

 

Accurate Tribal and emergency classes of destroyer kits

 

They're high quality products and from a small UK manufacturer more deserving of the business than some hugely financed faceless corporation IMO.

 

I'll start a new build thread for the S-class kit very, very soon.

[Chris Hewitt]

Totally agree with Jamie,I have a V class destroyer, they are excellent kits .If facted all Atlantic models kits are superb. 

Edited September 20, 2018 by Chris Hewitt

[Graham Boak]

Hmm.  Airfix (1/600) Airfix (1/1200), Eagle (1/1200), White Ensign (1/700), Trumpeter (1/700) - all the same ship.  HMS Cossack.  Revell also did a TribaI in 1/720.  I daren't begin to count the Bismarks.  Or Bismarcks.

 

Because they are well-known ships that people want to make.

[Chewbacca]

On ‎20‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 20:10, Graham Boak said:

Hmm.  Airfix (1/600) Airfix (1/1200), Eagle (1/1200), White Ensign (1/700), Trumpeter (1/700) - all the same ship.  HMS Cossack.  Revell also did a TribaI in 1/720.  I daren't begin to count the Bismarks.  Or Bismarcks.

 

Because they are well-known ships that people want to make.

I think part of the problem in this is that we in the UK are absolutely awful at educating our youth about our past military successes and current capability.  They all know about the Battle of Britain and most children can recognise a Spitfire because the media remind them regularly and taxpayers pay for the BBMF out of the defence budget so the sort of people who are likely to become model makers get the chance to see those aircraft flying.  But there hasn't been a proper Navy Days since the mid 1980s and nothing at all since 2010.

 

50 years ago, COSSACK was a well known ship.  People who had lived through WW2 would all have known about the story of "the Navy's here" with the Altmark, but I doubt if anyone under the age of 40 who is not a naval enthusiast could tell you today what she was.  10 years ago I was Head of Operations for Naval Recruiting and we commissioned a market survey to try to understand our target demographic's (16-24) knowledge of the Royal Navy.  "Name a Royal Navy warship" was one of the questions.  The most popular answer was HMS VICTORY (which I accept technically is correct) followed someway behind by HMS BELFAST.  Over 40% left the answer blank and less than 20% IIRC named anything currently in service painted light grey.  Even in the days when the RN used to operate search and rescue helicopters before it was privatised it would be reported in the media as "a helicopter from RAF Culdrose".  we may be an island nation with a rich maritime heritage, but over the years it seems to have become politically incorrect to talk about our maritime successes in the past.  Hence the wider public including many model makers have no knowledge whatsoever of the ships that we all speak of on here so enthusiastically.

 

Ultimately, kit manufacturers raison d'etre is to make money for their shareholders.  Whilst many of us on here would all love a 1/600 Colony class cruiser or a 1/350 WW1 Town class cruiser (speaking for myself there, other ships are available!) for example, the market for them worldwide would be pretty limited and so they will continue to focus on the kits that their marketing departments tell them they will sell.  That means in the Japanese home markets we will find multiple kits of Yukikaze whilst we in UK can expect Airfix to turn out yet another boring Spitfire.

[73north]

and anything British / Royal navy that gets made is Chinese ( from Trumpeter ) or by Flyhawk ( looking forward to their modern 1/350 HMS Prince of Wales ( its totally new tool ) to compete with the old 1986 era Tamiya .

[Graham Boak]

Or Japanese  Aosima, Fujimi.  But as there are no British injected plastic model ship producers, that's not too surprising.

[Seahawk]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 8:47 AM, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

 Ask the average Brit to describe a model maker and you'll get an image of a loner with wearing a tank top which isn't representative of the majority.

Telford is coming up: those words may return to haunt you.  Don't forget the air freshener!