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1/32 - Lockheed F-104G/S Starfighter by Italeri - released - new upgraded RF-104G boxing released

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  • 2 weeks later...
Tiger331 Very Obsessed Member

Tiger331

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There can be little doubt that Italeri kits have crept up in price in recent years and I suspect much of this is to do with the ups and downs of the overall Italian economy. Italeri kits have always been expensive in their 'home' country..I lived there between 2005-2008 and always found it interesting and frustrating that the kit prices were anything between 15-20% more than I paid with the BiG H. I must admit the UK RRP for the F-104 is a bit more than I was expecting - I thought it would come in at the £60 mark so £89.99 is a bit steep.

On the plus side, if the rumour about a tie-in with Danny Coremanns is true then we can expect nothing more than fantastic accuracy (within the bounds of economic reason). Danny has a fearsome reputation for accuracy when it comes to anything F-104 related and could have been relied upon to provide the very best references to Italeri.....so, I for one, will forego the 'pleasures' of the Hasegawa kit with a mass of aftermarket correction sets and opt for the Italeri kit.....just requires a little 'shopping around' (as is usual these days) to secure a slightly better deal.

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coneheadff Very Obsessed Member

coneheadff

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Well, the first reviews show that Italeri didn't "listen" to Danny that much.

I had two kits ordered at Dukmodell, but canceled my order. I will wait and hope that AFV will do their homework better.

Edited by coneheadff
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Tiger331 Very Obsessed Member

Tiger331

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The predictability of ARC continues.....more kit bashing....suppose it makes a change from Chinese-originated products but I get so tired of this constant 'whining' about new kits......I may consider listening more when the domestic market actually starts to produce something of its own (and I'm not talking about re-pops of a 25+ year kit with a new fuselage etc). As modellers, we have never had it so good and particularly in the larger scales with kits we could only dream of a few years back. So you need to do a few corrections here and there ?...big deal.....thats what modelling is meant to be about...taking a kit and building it to your own standard.....if it does not meet your 'exacting' standards out of the box then do one of two things.....don't buy it or buy it and do something about its 'faults' with your superior knowledge and modelling skills......leave the rest of us mere mortals to enjoy the simple fact that a manufacturer has taken the brave decision to actually produce a kit of our favourite, long-awaited subject.

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Albeback52 Very Obsessed Member

Albeback52

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The predictability of ARC continues.....more kit bashing....suppose it makes a change from Chinese-originated products but I get so tired of this constant 'whining' about new kits......I may consider listening more when the domestic market actually starts to produce something of its own (and I'm not talking about re-pops of a 25+ year kit with a new fuselage etc). As modellers, we have never had it so good and particularly in the larger scales with kits we could only dream of a few years back. So you need to do a few corrections here and there ?...big deal.....thats what modelling is meant to be about...taking a kit and building it to your own standard.....if it does not meet your 'exacting' standards out of the box then do one of two things.....don't buy it or buy it and do something about with your superior knowledge and modelling skills......leave the rest of us mere mortals to enjoy the simple fact that a manufacturer has taken the brave decision to actually produce a kit of our favourite, long-awaited subject.

Sound advice. :D Mere mortals rule!!. After all, WE are the majority among modellers.Without us buying all these (allegedly) shoddy, sub standard kits and thereby ensuring continuing production of same, there would be very little for the whiners and whingers to whine and whinge about!

Allan

Edited by Albeback52
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dazdot Very Obsessed Member

dazdot

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don't get me wrong I'm no expert. but if it comes from Europe without the import duty and not withstanding the decay options 80. Quid! when another European manufacturer can turn out a lynx in the same scale for 20?. I'm not whining about accuracy I doubt know enough about the 104 to comment but price yep

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Albeback52 Very Obsessed Member

Albeback52

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don't get me wrong I'm no expert. but if it comes from Europe without the import duty and not withstanding the decay options 80. Quid! when another European manufacturer can turn out a lynx in the same scale for 20?. I'm not whining about accuracy I doubt know enough about the 104 to comment but price yep

Inclined to agree with you. Even at the "reduced" price of £66 on one ebay shop it's STILL too expensive for me. As for "accuracy"? Well,like you I'm no expert so, as far as I'm concerned the so called "issues" are non issues to begin with. I rather suspect that they won't even be obvious on the completed model (unless you really know what to look for) so I really don't see the problem . However, I'd really like this kit AND my partner DID ask for a short list of models she could get me for christmas............................................!!!!!

Allan

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coneheadff Very Obsessed Member

coneheadff

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I doubt it has something to do with Europe vs US vs Asian products. It is a "review" done by somebody who was close enough to the a/c to see the shortcomings of the kit.

Am I glad that someone is doing a new kit of that beauty?...You bet!

But saying that they did that in cooperation with DACO is a joke if you see what Danny did in 1/48.

It looks like somewhere half way they stopped taking care of accuracy and just tried to get the kit on the market.

Another thing is that a loooooooot of us where waiting for that kit desperately cause we have some kind of connection to the F-104...even let it be the childhood memories ;-)

And we were disappointed by the lack of accuracy and the bad molds.

For you British guys...try image if Airfix (a great British modeling company) would have messed up the Lightning as much as Italeri did with the F-104. It's the same thing...There are a mass of Starfighter experts in Italy, cause they flew that beauty for ages, and they still didn't go the whole distance. Dozens of Starfighters in museums around Italy and they didn't care...well, at leats it looks like they didn't.

Look at Taurus and their new Viggen...they didn't like the first shots, so they delayed it and went back to the lab. Same with Danny and his update set. Why didn't a big company like Italeri did it that way???

I know, I know...back in the days we didn't even bother about the panels. We were happy when somebody produced a kit that looked close to the rral thing. Out came the tools, wires and putty. BUT back than we didn't pay 100 s for a kit and thise things were nit developed with CAD.

That is my opinion and that is why I canceled my order.

Cheers,

Alex

Edited by coneheadff
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dazdot Very Obsessed Member

dazdot

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true I remember the "outrage" when trumpeter released the lightning having seen one built to me as I'm no expert it look s like a lightning but if it was an fw 190 or 109 I may feel differently. so italeri, having made a bit of a mess price it accordingly and let the am boys do their stuff and don't put off the casual builder who just wants a 104 because I'm sure at the right price it'll sell in spades

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Giorgio N Blabber Mouth

Giorgio N

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If I may add a couple of cents, I think some of the discussions on this kit are now becoming ridicolous !

IMHO the kit does not deserve its asking price: it's quite "rough", lacks the kind of refinement we expect from modern kits today. Italeri could and should have done better and they have to improve in the future if they hope to be taken seriously by the kind of more experienced modellers who have no problem in spending that money for high quality kits.

At the same time, the kind of inaccuracies that have been found on the 1/32 Starfighter are all minimal, with the wheels being maybe the most annoying. I know a good few highly celebrated kits that have many more inaccuracies than this one and yet most if not all seem to be pretty happy to live with them.

Personally I find the inconsistency of the panel lines and that typical Italeri "half baked" feeling about everything the worst part of the kit. At 2/3 the price it would have been something more interesting

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Caerbannog Very Obsessed Member

Caerbannog

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Fully agree Giorgio - the price is way too high for what Italeri offers. Personally I would not bother to replace the wheels with after market stuff and most other "problems" can be corrected in one or another way too. But honestly: I would not have bought the F-104 for the asking price if it would have been perfect. I certainly will not do so now but keep to the alternative offerings, which also need work but are way cheaper. This has nothing to do with kit bashing although Italeri should be bashed for missing the opportunity which will hopefully now be taken by AFV... it will be interesting to see what happens when AFV releases their version :popcorn:

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Steven Corvi New Member

Steven Corvi

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So sad that the world is all about Yield. Quantity over quality. I see it everywhere. What happened to substance...The old days of Bill Koster getting things right albeit in 30 year technology and raised panel lines but the kits were molded in shiny fine plastic. Look at the molding differences between the old Monogram F-84F vs. new Kinetic F-84F ...Not even talking about accuracy but the pebbly texture of the plastic and the quality of the moldings??

The New Italeri kit reminds me of a Kinetic kit. Why cant they get better texture and quality moldings like Hasegawa, Tamiya, Revell, Rev-Monogram F-15E 1/48 beauty of a kit! etc...

And Yes Italeri did screw the pooch with the kit. How much better is it than the old Hasegawa 1/32 F-104G/S?? What if the Hasegawa kit was engraved then what?? I don't mean to whine just wouldn't buy it. The truemtper F-=100 was a decent attempt and since it had never been done in1/32 IT was OK the mistakes (intake rounded etc..) were forgivable in my book.

Steve,

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dazdot Very Obsessed Member

dazdot

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there needs to some rationale here. trumpeter have released kits in 32nd that no one saw coming so they should be congratulated as for italeri this one looks like they got so far and ran out of money? if so don't like the chances of a sterling next year. but let s face it when was the last perfect italeri kit? sunderland? panel lines. hurricane? was told the spinner was wrong. e/a 18 people i know are still shaking at the thought of it.

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Albeback52 Very Obsessed Member

Albeback52

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there needs to some rationale here. trumpeter have released kits in 32nd that no one saw coming so they should be congratulated as for italeri this one looks like they got so far and ran out of money? if so don't like the chances of a sterling next year. but let s face it when was the last perfect italeri kit? sunderland? panel lines. hurricane? was told the spinner was wrong. e/a 18 people i know are still shaking at the thought of it.

You ARE joking aren't you? Shaking at the thought of a model kit?? :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: .

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