Piotr Mikolajski

List of the variants published by IBG Models in January 2025: Fighters Mk.I (1938) Mk.I (1939) Mk.I (1940) Mk.II (1940) Mk.IIa (1941) Mk.IIC ASR Mk.II LR Mk.IIb Mk.Va Mk.Vb (Early Series) Mk.Vb (Late Series) Mk.Vb Trop (Aboukir) Mk.Vb Trop (Vokes) Mk.Vc (Early) Mk.Vc (Late) Mk.Vc 4 Gun Mk.Vc Australian mod's Mk.Vc Trop Mk.VI PR PR Type A PR Type B PR Type C PR Type E PR Type D PR Type F PR Type G PR.IV PR.IV Trop ...and more!

I don't need to read threads on MF. The Eduard talk about their plans quite openly, as they do about many other things. It is enough to gather this information and analyse it. The bottleneck for any company that has its own workshop is time needed to cut metal moulds. Regardless of how many designers they have and how well they can design, machines cannot work any faster. The solution is to buy another one, but this is a large investment, very expensive and not the most efficient. Eduard found another solution to the problem – a change in approach to design. They invested in a fleet of new professional 3D printers that have a dual purpose – can print aftermarket stuff, but can also print components for kits from various types of resins, including more durable ones. This reduces the workload for the workshop, which no longer needs to cut moulds for small components, so it can start cutting new moulds with large elements (like wings and fuselages) for the next project. Thanks to this change in approach to design, they want to release at least three new kits yearly and ultimately even six new models per year. Avia is their test field in 1/48, most likely all models in 1/32 will also be produced in this way. Some modellers will not like it, others will be delighted that they can build models faster without losing detail quality. Considering the very positive reception of the Spitfire cockpits from IBG Models, I assume that there will be more satisfied customers, even if the Brassin Hybrid line will be a bit more expensive. But will other companies follow in this direction and also start building their own 3D printer farms? Probably only a few will, as for most it will be too complicated logistically.

Once again: low sales were anticipated from the start, the AZ/KP model is irrelevant. Contrary to what modellers might think, Eduard has a much better understanding of how something will sell. And none of this is a big secret; they regularly write about their release policy, sales, plans and so on. Sure, they will bankrupt next week.

On the contrary. Kit in 1/72 was noticeably more expensive than Bf 109s, due to expected lower sales. Limited edition box is still available in many shops and was available in Eduard shop for two years after release while it should be gone in 3-6 months. Eduard tests new solutions on niche projects, most often on models of Czech aircraft. The reason for creating this hybrid is very simple – it is easier, faster and cheaper to print a number of components than to make moulds for them. IBG Models has used a similar solution in its new Black Box edition Spitfire – the cockpit can be built traditionally, from plastic parts, but there are also printed cockpits available. You may see completed one here:

During the IPMS USA presentation, information regarding the price was mentioned – depending on how this technology and production prove themselves in practice, the kit may cost around 52 USD in the USA, while ProfiPack costs 40 USD. It is difficult to say what the prices will be in Europe.

It doesn't work that way. Late Merlins are an order of magnitude more popular than Griffons, so the presence of Revell and Tamiya on the market and the absence of Griffons is irrelevant. Eduard chooses VIII/IX/XVI because they have to invest much less and the whole project will take less time, plus there is practically no financial risk and there is a guarantee of a substantial profit and a very quick return on investment. In the case of Griffons, the opposite is true – Eduard have to invest much more, the project will take much longer, and with less interest in Griffons, the investment risk is much greater, while the potential return on investment will take longer. Eduard is not a charity, so they are not obliged to release models that are not yet on the market. The same applies to other manufacturers. If a model of an aircraft has not been on the market for many years, it does not mean that the companies are run by ignorant people who do not know this. It means that the companies have calculated the demand for the kit, available options and the production costs and either discarded the idea or put it on hold until better ideas come along.

Because working on existing project of Spitfire VIII-IX-XVIII is much easier, faster and, most importantly, cheaper than designing brand new kit from the scratch. This is a very sensible approach and a very sensible way of managing resources and finances, especially since this is an investment of hundreds of thousands of euros.

The premiere is set for November, so the kit will definitely be shown at Eday, but there can be no delays if it is to go on sale.

I wouldn't have expected that. The latest revolution at Broplan is the transition from vacuum to low-pressure injection moulding, which has a quality that was typical 30 years ago. It is a very niche (and one-man, if I remember correctly) company, producing very niche items, and it will probably stay that way, including this level of quality. Those who want to work on these kits will have some interesting items on their shelves. Those who prefer better quality will have to wait for someone else.

Yeah... I'm not a fan of Spitfires, so when the project started, I thought I'd make six models – I, II, Vb, Vc and 2× PR – and that would be enough for me. When I received a set of test sprues a year ago, I knew that six would not be enough. After opening the Black Box, I know that if I end up with 15, I will consider it a success. No, I don't know where I'm going to keep all of the boxes. I'll think about it tomorrow.

This is Walter Major built in Poland.

I think Chinese manufacturers are more likely to make kits of their latest designs, such as the H-20 bomber. The Halifax is complicated (and therefore more expensive) by differences in fuselages and engines. However, it cannot be ruled out that somewhere in the world, some company is working on the Halifax. This is a natural business risk in this industry. Although I build 1/72 scale models, I am very excited about the new 1/48 scale Halifax. A well-designed project can be converted to a different scale much more easily than developing one from scratch. This means that in 5-10 years, a new 1/72 scale Halifax should appear on the market.

Of course. After all, Halifaxes of all versions have been preserved in forty museums in the UK and twenty in other countries, and complete documentation of the entire aircraft and derivative versions is available for download from the National Archives. A skilled designer will draw the CAD design in three months, and cutting the moulds with all corrections will take a maximum of six months.

Update: "arguments about too much detail, too big decals sheets and too many boxes in the pipeline".

Yes, that's true. And it has been explained many times - Eduard manufactures everything in-house, only the boxes and instructions are printed by a subcontractor, who is a friend of the company. However, this method of production is rare; the standard is to use multiple subcontractors, so Eduard is the exception rather than the rule. If, despite many explanations, someone stubbornly uses Eduard as a benchmark for pricing new models, then I am afraid that he is deliberately ignoring the facts. In my storage room, I have a few boxes containing only Eduard models, most of which are Royal Class and Dual Combo. Common sense tells me that although it deserted me when I bought the Bf 109s, it has now returned and reminds me that there is no room for more boxes in my storage room. And I'm wondering whether to buy a box of Mezek and whether there will be another edition of the L-410 with different markings.