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1/48 - Sukhoi Su-35S "Flanker-E" by Great Wall Hobby (GWH) - released


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What we have here is something “interesting”. For unknown reasons and under suspicious circumstances images were released of the decal sheets and the photoetch set for the Su-35 kit.

 

One has to add that the images are of preliminary, unfinished decals and photoetch. They don’t represent the final product but still show a lot of problems. The whole development of the decal sheet is very unfortunate story. I have invested close to three months into research of the subject and collected all the necessary information for the decals. It was all put together into a fully detailed package and forwarded to G.W.H at the end of summer. Photos of all the stencils were sent, a full set of Russian text was provided separately so that the decal designer can simply paste the text into the design. Several drawings were made to show the exact position, the precise heading, the size of each decal and additional images for clear understanding of what needs to be done and how it should look like.

 

It was a full package to make a 97% complete decal sheet. Only 97% since there were 4-5 stencils for which there was no precise information, so it was left off. Mind you only stencils of bigger size, more prominent and noticeable were included with a special attention to printability. After all there is no point in designing something that would not show at all on a printed decal sheet.

At a very close inspection of a Su-35S in the smaller category one can see a lot of individual service panel numberings on the real aircraft. Just like on some US types Suhoy has made double numbering (one on the panel itself and one next to it on the surface indicating aircraft Left or Right side also) but this markings are far too small even for 48 th scale. Maybe in 32 nd they could be made. There are also tiny yellow frame numbers of the airframe structure which almost disappear on their background colour. No point in making them. But all the rest was designed and supplied to the manufacturer.

 

It is very unfortunate that a one-way “cooperation” was experienced. I was asking questions with no replies. Usually when designing decals for other manufacturers, there is a constant stream of information both ways to iron-out any misunderstandings, mistakes by both the decal maker and the researcher. In this case it was not like this. After months of silence I was confronted with the decals just as everyone else few days ago on internet forums. There are serious problems with it and I don’t really like it!

Have to add the pylons, weapons and the instrument panels have nothing to do with me.

Un-comprehendible changes were made in the past months to the originally supplied data, decals disappeared for some silly reasons, designs modified . . . I have no words for this.

 

The radar dish is an interesting story. It was not easy to persuade the manufacturer to include this decal in the kit. Personally I was against doing the radar in the kit at the start! Not because of lack of information (fortunately there was more than enough) but because of lack of time. Manufacturer made a decision on including the radar at the very last moment when it was way too late to add all the fine details to it. To save the situation I was pushing to at least do a decal for the forward face which could compensate for other deficiencies of the design. At least we have this.   

 

I have to apologise to all modellers for what you will get is not what I have researched and proposed for this kit. Sad, but there is nothing that I can do and my name is shown on the decal sheet so I have to take the blame for everything.

Sorry for this to everyone!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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This is sad, not only for us modelers, but at a professional level for someone who tries to do his job at his best.

Unfortunately this makes me think that shortcuts have been taken in other areas of this product too :-(

But I hope I am proved wrong.

Edited by DIO
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8 hours ago, DIO said:

. . .  that shortcuts have been taken in other areas of this product too :-(

But I hope I am proved wrong.

There have to be short-cuts in every kit! It is not a working aircraft, just a scale replica of it. One has to make adjustments to make the kit look right and there are technological restrains. Just for example: wall thickness is dictated by the production technology (seee canopies) or you will not have ten rivet heads (as on the real aircraft) only 5-6 but it will be a good representation of what the surface looks like. There are many examples like this.

No one is perfect and we are all humans so inevitable mistakes will creep in. Of course we try to avoid them and make corrections if they are found but there is a limit to this work.

 

The design stage was interesting when we not only had to search for the inevitable mistakes but unfortunately some Western and Eastern “experts” were proposing changes. Some simply out of lack of information, or knowledge (or stupidity) but others with clear bad intention. There were 2 or 3 occasions like this, I would call it simply sabotage of the project.

 

There are people who don’t like someone else producing a kit and try to inflict as much damage as possible with clear bad intention.

 

The plastic parts you will see, sooner or later ( I still don’t have information from the manufacturer) they should be OK. There are mistakes on it (any manufacturer claiming that his product is 100% is telling a lie!) and there are some interesting corrections also.

 

As I said the decal is a different question.:(

 

Best regards

Gabor

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37 minutes ago, JeffreyK said:

Well, as long as the fuselage isn't straight where it should be curved **cough*T-33*cough**, I think this one could be pretty good!

Too bad it's not an Su-27, but I may still be tempted...

Jeffrey

I know what you mean and I think the person involved knows this too! There are some "experts" !!!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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2 hours ago, foxmulder said:

What is so horrible about the decals? As far as I can tell from the pictures above, I think they look okay. 

When you research something, spend months on it, put it all together in a package and something different is produced from it, then you will also see what the problem is.

Well you don’t know what the original design was. I know what the decal could have been!

There are dozens of obvious mistakes on what is presented and it wasn’t like this on my materials!!!

 

As I have said the cockpit was not my design. There is a joke here, decal A25. It is a view on the HUD showing a flight image. I think they took it from a Su-35 booklet. Where will you put it? And how?

 

Best regards

Gabor

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44 minutes ago, exdraken said:

interesting insights.....

 seem that also here there is no light without shadows!

 

 

 

YEEP!

Nothing is perfect but to most it will be unnoticeable! 

It is only my stupidity that I want to have something that is near perfect.

 

Best regards

 

Gabor

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1 hour ago, Uncle Uncool said:

Vinyl tyres...??? :doh:

Please read again!

The rubbers (or tyres if you like) are given as a separate plastic parts (Parts C 25, 28 and 29) for several reasons. One is that it is easy to paint the PLASTIC separately.

 

YpaL2la.jpg

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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This looks like a magnificent kit with lots of detail, in CAD form at least. I hope all that detail has made it into the production kit.

Thanks for keeping us updated and giving us some insight into the development of a modern plastic model kit.

 

Duncan B

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53 minutes ago, Duncan B said:

. . .  some insight into the development of a modern plastic model kit.

 

Duncan B

Back in the summer I had put together a far more intense and detailed campaign for this kit, showing far more interesting insight.  The manufacturer had more “restrained” ideas.

 

Takes me back to the years of working as an advertising executive for a big US advertising agency and doing presentation to clients with very strong and “hitting” campaign and the "conservative" client selecting the mildest and most restraint / dull version.

 

After all I am only doing research in this case and try to help. It is not my money and not my product that is at stake. :dontknow: 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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7 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

Back in the summer I had put together a far more intense and detailed campaign for this kit, showing far more interesting insight.  The manufacturer had more “restrained” ideas.

 

Takes me back to the years of working as an advertising executive for a big US advertising agency and doing presentation to clients with very strong and “hitting” campaign and the "conservative" client selecting the mildest and most restraint / dull version.

 

After all I am only doing research in this case and try to help. It is not my money and not my product that is at stake. :dontknow: 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Decals are much easier to overcome in error. From what you have shown us in regard to the test shots and CAD this is indeed an awesome production coming forward. I'll be purchasing my kit as soon as it hits the shelf.

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It's a shame you're disappointed with the decals Gabor - was it a case of them having to limit the colours, or were changes made to make them easier to print?  Without a word from them there could be many valid reasons, but for now it's anyone's guess :shrug:

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1 hour ago, boom175 said:

Gabor, do you think the manufacturer/lead designer cut back on the decal sheet for budgetary concerns? I.E. wanting to keep the MSRP below a certain point? 

 

37 minutes ago, Mike said:

It's a shame you're disappointed with the decals Gabor - was it a case of them having to limit the colours, or were changes made to make them easier to print?  Without a word from them there could be many valid reasons, but for now it's anyone's guess :shrug:

 

When they get the kit, most people will say “there is nothing wrong with the decal and it is good” or “if I need more I get and aftermarket”.

I know what I had planned and it would have been different, an almost perfect decal with all the details that are needed for a kit of this scale.

What you need to produce it? Nothing special really, just a bit of attention to details and using to the full the provided information.

 

The space on the decal sheet is there! There is no need for extra colours in printing! Some of the things missing from the final decal are not even difficult to print. So there are no extra costs for the manufacturer! It is more on how you envisage a kit, what you want to get out of it, proper planning and communication where there is enough time to do all the steps needed in a design program. It is as simple as that!

 

The problems? I would say it is more a question of:

- leaving something to the last moment

- lack of communication

- differing personal opinion / taste

- keeping with the norm, with the average, not wanting to do something which is out of norm.

 

There are problems in every kit design, or any other work one is doing where ever he is in life. We need to find solutions to the problems. The solution here is not something that I like, but after all it is not my money and not my product. I know that I have given the outmost and helped in everything possible so I have no real problems or anything to be ashamed off. 

 

On a positive note. The kit is going to be good. It is going to be much better than any competitor on the market, it will be an accurate scale representation of the real aircraft. So I hope people will like it! And it will be fun to build and when finished modellers could lean back and say WOW, it looks good! :)

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

 

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1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

On a positive note. The kit is going to be good.

I for one am really glad to hear that ^_^  It's one of the best looking modern jets, so it'll be great to have one in 1:48 that ticks most of the boxes :)

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Irrespective of the finite details re decals etc. with this Su-35 kit, I would hope it builds better than their 1/48 MIG 29 9-13 kit. That kit looks fabulous in the box but what a pig to build in some places and especially around the engine trunking.It was like 2 different design teams worked on this kit because in some places it was superb.Decals were awful too btw and substituted them for Linden Hill's.

 

Gary

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