... given that the Jaguar only JUST went out of service this year and all politics aside... why are there so few models of the cat around? I got from the UK on eBay (the Airfix 1/48 GR3) but they are like rocking horse droppings over here in the US...

It seems odd to me that there are so many aircraft from so many different nations represented and yet the Jag, one of my all time favourite aircraft, is represented, as far as I can tell but a couple of 1/72 scale Jaguar A's...

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere.

M

First of all; Welcome to the GB Wingslinger.
As for the lack of kits, things are better for 72nd scale modelers with both Hasegawa and Italeri providing decent replicas of the GR.1 and T.2 but 48th is down to the Airfix kit alone at the moment. I think it's not in current production at this time but there seems to be some stock still in circulation around the UK.
I guess the US situation is due to the fact our subject isn't that well known outwith the UK or France?

AS Col suggests, it doesn't have one of those annoying "F"'s in front of it's designantion and it's a European aircraft. It's been quite successfully exported but to the non glamorous countries.

It's funny, I went to a hobby shop on the other side of the Bay... looked around... decided to pickup a Meteor, a Tornado and a Hunter... the guy behind the counter commented, 'oh... you like those British planes I see'... I asked him about Jaguars... 'I've got one SOMEWHERE'... after searching around he found a dusty, old, original box, Heller Jaguar A.... with the same box art as the one I made when I was a kid!!! But here's the thing, even looking around Brit online hobby shops it's hard to find Jaguars...

Of course, I could make 28 flavours of F-104, 39 different F-16's and Phantoms of all nations... somebody please make some decent new Jaguars... at 1/48

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! WHY OH WHY CANT ONE OF THE DECENT MANUFACTURERS STOP PUMPING OUT F-16'S ETC (though I do,like them too, honest) AND BRING OUT SOME JAGS, TORNADOES ETC ETC IN 48 (and 32)!!!!!! Trumpeter/Tamiya/Hasegawa etc are you LISTENING??????
Lets start a campaign!
And by the way, Merry Christmas to one and all.

Hi M

One day HaseTrumpvell may do a 1:48 Jag to modern day stnds and accuracy?
Providing they dont visit a museum oddity!

Till then Airfix/Heller is the only game in town + lots of Neils add ons to achieve a decent Jag.


Adrian

It's been out of print with Airfix since they went down, so they're getting scarce by the looks of things. I managed to pick up 2 at Telford for £5 each, but wish I'd just bought the whole stack now, so I'd have some spares for you guys

and pray tell kind sir your reward for releasing such items?

Adrian

Just your soul!!

Sadly, I need the 2 I got & the one I wangled from Stephen later... Apart from the one I'm already building as a Gulf War ship, I have a 2-seater, a retirement bird, and an ACT planned.

as long as there is no 'R' in that!



Dough!

Here is the issue... Jags and other not so exported jets do not justify the cost of the tooling. I will predict right now that other than in GB the 1/32 Jag from Trumpy will not have a big market. You have to look at the world market. F series jets sell because A) they are more marketed and exported and they simply have more worldwide appeal. Its not a slam against anything at all but the truth.

F-16's are the new Mig-21 period. Where are the exports for the Jags, Fins and Rafales? Not NEARLY as many and not nearly in as many non third world countries. Model Manufacturers look at the market viability for sales and plan releases accordingly............especially the BIG companies. You can argue many releases from such and may be right but I am also not the head of Tamiya, Hasegawa etc....I would just guess That being said, the biggies are running out of subject matter and need to look at things not previously done and/or poorly done. In the world economy and with the risk model companies take coming out with ANY new kit is a big thing unless said company is based in China where labor and materials are dirt cheap but profits soar. Its a simple fact of economics.

Mike

I think youre all correct. I, too, was fuzzled that a plane that had been in service around the globe for 30 years, even license built, had so few kit renderings outside of 1/72. Some of the whackiest things are kitted in not small numbers, but not the Jag.
I doubt the 1/48 Airfix will ever be improved on, and that is going to way of the dodo to hear tell it. I decided to stick to 1/72 for a JAg and just chuck it in.