dahut Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 ...all this talk of Sea Furys has me looking around and I see the Kitech is abundant. BUt I suspect it of being some natty Chinese knock-off. Anyone know the deal with this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skii Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Yep - Chinese copies as far as I know, decals are off the awful scale, moulds aren't too bad, buildable but invaribly a copy of something that has been floating around for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 It is some natty Chinese knock off. I'm not sure if it was here on on another forum where somebody reported it as reasonably favourable. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahut Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Well, buildable is good, innit?. Decals can always be replaced. I wonder what they are a knock off, of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Well, buildable is good, innit?. Decals can always be replaced.I wonder what they are a knock off, of? If they're on the same scale of buildable to unbuildable as some people were using when the Airfix Lifeboat came out, they must be BRILLIANT if they're buildable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I wonder what they are a knock off, of? I believe they are copies of the Hobbycraft Sea Fury. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike V Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 (edited) Hummm... It would seam copying something that's already bad to a lessor form, would not be a good basis to start from. I picked up on the the Kitech 48th F-16s a while ago. Only spent 5$, but after opening the box and seeing a Hasegawa clone with "rasied panel lines", I would have been better off dropping that 5$ on a Lotto ticket. Mike V Edited April 9, 2008 by Mike V.@ Two Mikes Resin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 This is my Kitech. Simple, but to me and for its cheap price, it look like a Seafury. The Cockpit needs a little work, its very sparse. The decals went straight in the bin, they're not even worth saving for the spares box! I bought new decals and, a vac canopy. I was pleased with the end result and it didnt cost a fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahut Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 I agree in spirit that copying something that is alsready poor is a bad idea. Yet that is a nice Sea Fury, Perry, especially since I am no rivet counter. The Kitechs dont appear on the local store shelves, but they are flooding ebay. They have the virtue of being readily avaliable and low cost. I reckon Ive built a few Matchbox and SMER kits in times past, I can probably work with their Sea Fury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Thanks David. It went together beautifully, I had no problems with any of the fit and hardly any filler was needed. The cockpit is basic but you can't see much of it anyway especially when the tub is painted black. I made the seat harnesses out of foil and picked out other detail in the tub with paint and dry brushing. With new decals and canopy, I think it still made a cheap and decent looking Seafury. I think it cost me in the region of £3 for the kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Roberts Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I believe Kittech is a Chinese knock off of The HC mold. If you see Idea that is I believe the Korean company who originally did the moldwork for Hobbycraft. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I paid £1.85 plus about £5.00 from HK for my 1/48 example. Did buy some decals but not complaining. Yet to be built but looks OK to me. Go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 (edited) I bought the 1/48 F-111 out of curiosity. It is a cheap knock-off of the Academy kit. The decals are crap. From what I have heard, I do not believe they are licensed copies either, though I stand to be corrected. If these are unlicensed copies, then you will, as individuals, have to wrestle with the ethics of illegal copying. Edited April 9, 2008 by Paul Bradley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Yep,,,I wrestle with my conscience every day I have the Aardvark as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsshamsul Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Hi there! I'm from Malaysia and a newbie at Britmodeller. I also did get some Kitech Sea Fury and 1/72 Jaguar - out of curiosity. The Jag is basically a copy of the hasegawa kit - which i had purchased sometime in 1990. Decals are lousy - best to replace them with Model Alliance/etc. Its a quick way to build up a series / squadron (?) of Jaguars on the cheap. Apparently the Sea Fury is a best seller at one time in our LHS. Everytime they brought in a shipment - they were sold out. Probably because of the price, approx GBP2.00-3.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Yep,,,I wrestle with my conscience every day I have the Aardvark as well! Call me a "do-gooder" but as soon as I realised, I pitched mine. Yes, they'd already made their money, but that's not the point. Let's what if for a moment. What if someone was making illegal copies of, say, TwoMikes Resin sets (just to pluck an example out of the air) and selling them cheap online. Would anyone here buy them? If so, what's your justification? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousER99 Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Call me a "do-gooder" but as soon as I realised, I pitched mine. Yes, they'd already made their money, but that's not the point. Let's what if for a moment. What if someone was making illegal copies of, say, TwoMikes Resin sets (just to pluck an example out of the air) and selling them cheap online. Would anyone here buy them? If so, what's your justification? I would buy one to see if it looks better than my own stuff!! Then I would contact the caster if it was :shithappens: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 It was my understanding that the kits were not reverse engineered, but were made from the original moulds in a similar manner to Frog/Novo. I have no idea what the arrangement is. I don't have limitless resources at my disposal for my hobby, or for life in general. Does anyone here buy pattern parts when their car needs repairing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke481 Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 My expirences with Kitech! CRAP!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Given the softness of the detail and the general poor quality of the mouldings, its doubtful they are from the original moulds. It was my understanding, from a similar discussion on another forum, that these were not licensed copies. Of course, that information might be wrong. KiTech doesn't have a website, so no way to contact them. If anyone out there has definitive info, I'm sure we'd all like to hear. I too have limited funds for my hobby. I'm as cheap as the next guy, buying stuff on sale, cruising the dollar bins at the Nationals and local shows, waiting for the Squadron flyer. I also buy stuff from the local hobby store at full price on occasion, to help them stay in business a little longer. It helps salve my conscience a little. We do what we can. I personally would not knowingly buy a cheap knock off. But that's my choice. We are all different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dahut Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 So, there is a mixed bag of feellings on the Kitech Sea Fury, mostly siding on negative. Some will hate them for being knock offs (potentially pirated, at that). Others will bar them for being not up to Asialithic standards. There are a very few who accept them and their limitations and try to work within that framework. The best advice I've heard yet is try one and see. If it is too bloody offal, then Ill bin it. If my conscience kicks up, I can hammer it into bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike V Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 The reason why I don't support such piracy as it sets precedence for other similar manufactures to follow. And if left to run amuck, the industry will suffer in the long run. It’s becoming more common, as is the case with most of Hobby Boss's 48th scale jet line, copying Hasegawa's F-18, Revell's Rafale, Eduard Mirage, etc.... In some cases these knock off kits may be cheaper, they are rarely as good as the originals. While most will turn a blind eye and buy these often cheap knock offs, I think many just don’t know. Those who do know are not only contributing to this unethical practice, but often down play the issue to justify it in cost of that it really does not hurt any manufacture or the industry. This practice is just ethical and in most cases, legally wrong. The copy-cat manufactures benefits from the "legitimate" companies that actually invested all that time and money in detailed research on a particular subject, as well as the cost and engineering. All the cheap, copy-cat manufacture has to do is copy any particular kit, and rush into production, bypassing (and often skimping) the R & D by simply copying some else’s work. Weather it's coping from scale to scale, or same subject matter/same scale, it really doesn’t benefit the hobby, unless you're fine with this type of practice. Never before in the hobby has piracy been this rampant inn the industry, and I feel it’s only going to get worse. Mike V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Frey Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 KiTech doesn't have a website, so no way to contact them. If anyone out there has definitive info, I'm sure we'd all like to hear. Just as an FYI, Kitech does have a website; the parent company is Kiu Hung Industries, who make various products, including models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Just as an FYI, Kitech does have a website; the parent company is Kiu Hung Industries, who make various products, including models. Thanks for that Tony. i sent them an e-mail asking about their products. I'll let everyone know what they say. The reason why I don't support such piracy as it sets precedence for other similar manufactures to follow. And if left to run amuck, the industry will suffer in the long run.It’s becoming more common, as is the case with most of Hobby Boss's 48th scale jet line, copying Hasegawa's F-18, Revell's Rafale, Eduard Mirage, etc.... In some cases these knock off kits may be cheaper, they are rarely as good as the originals. While most will turn a blind eye and buy these often cheap knock offs, I think many just don’t know. Those who do know are not only contributing to this unethical practice, but often down play the issue to justify it in cost of that it really does not hurt any manufacture or the industry. This practice is just ethical and in most cases, legally wrong. The copy-cat manufactures benefits from the "legitimate" companies that actually invested all that time and money in detailed research on a particular subject, as well as the cost and engineering. All the cheap, copy-cat manufacture has to do is copy any particular kit, and rush into production, bypassing (and often skimping) the R & D by simply copying some else’s work. Weather it's coping from scale to scale, or same subject matter/same scale, it really doesn’t benefit the hobby, unless you're fine with this type of practice. Never before in the hobby has piracy been this rampant inn the industry, and I feel it’s only going to get worse. Mike V Couldn't agree more, Mike, well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Just as an FYI, Kitech does have a website; the parent company is Kiu Hung Industries, who make various products, including models. Quite an interesting site, I don't know if I can find the space for one of these though: http://www.kitech.com/kiuhung_eng/P_model_kits_p13.php Or maybe it's just a typo Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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