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revell 1/72 shackelton aew 2


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So there was gossip of Airfix doing the AEW variant at a later date. Unless Revell makes a complete hash of it, providing it is a new tool, then I know where my money will be going and it will not be Airfix.

Robert

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Well my flaber is well and truly gastered, I was happy with one but two, blimey.

A couple of points guys, this is definitely not a re-hash of the old FROG MR. Mk 3 mould, there are so many differences. Ask anyone whose done the conversion, the nose profile, wing tips, undercarriage, nose wheel, tail wheel, heat exchanges etc etc, are all wrong it's a massive job and I could go on.

So it has to be a new mould. Is it a partnership with Airfix using their new MR.2 mould?

Another point if Airfix have lazered the Coventry Shackleton (that was a AEW MK.2 converted back to an MR, then I am sure it will look odd as the bombay doors afaik are different as is the undernose profile ahead of the bombay doors).

So my guess this is Revell possibly beating Airfix to the punch and their's will most probably be about half the price of Airfix's offering judging by recent pricings. Why didn't one of them do a Lincoln, surely they must communicate a bit?

Wow what a day

Cheers

Ian

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Another point if Airfix have lazered the Coventry Shackleton (that was a AEW MK.2 converted back to an MR, then I am sure it will look odd as the bombay doors afaik are different as is the undernose profile ahead of the bombay doors).

As the Shackleton trust has all of the original blueprints and worked closely with Airfix, hopefully this can be avoided.

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As the Shackleton trust has all of the original blueprints and worked closely with Airfix, hopefully this can be avoided.

There is a good article in the latest Aeroplane Monthly with news that G-SKTN may get airborne. However, as it was modded back from an AEW.2 the front end of the bomb bay doors where the radar fairing used to be are separate. Surely this is wrong and something I hope that Airfix don't copy.

Trevor

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I do agree that this Revell kit must be a new-mould kit as we're not just talking about a few changes between the MR.2 and MR.3, i.e., this probably isn't the old Frog mould with a few new sprues. If they were going to do a new Shackleton, I would have hoped that Revell had done a new-mould MR.3, to replace the ancient Frog moulding they currently use.

Regards,

Jason

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An outside chance it could be a joint effort by both Airfix & Revell with slightly different sprues to reduce development costs, Similar to the way some car manufactures share substantial parts like floorpans for the respective manufactures types. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_platform

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If I recall correctly didn't the 1/72 Avro Lincoln win Revell's peoples choice award for most wanted kit!!

So why go with the Shackelton?. I can only see this damaging sales for both companies.

Yes - there will be modellers who will buy both, however at such a size, there is going to be a brace of modellers who will choose only one of the two.

A new tooled Lincoln and Shackleton in the same year would have been a dream come true.

Now we have two Shackletons due out almost fifty years since the original Frog kit hit the shelves in 1967.

It's probably just a bad coincience, but we should probably all be grateful rather than not.

To be honest.. I'm not sure how I really feel about this all.

Cheers.. Dave

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Revell should have done either the Lincoln or a new-mould MR.3. Unfortunately, they didn't consult with me before they made their business decision. Let's just hope that this doesn't kill the sales for either kit. If it does, we may never see a new-mould MR.3, although I suspect someone, somewhere is cooking up plans to do a conversion set for the Airfix/Revell MR.2. It won't be cheap, however (not that I won't buy it!).

Regards,

Jason

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An outside chance it could be a joint effort by both Airfix & Revell with slightly different sprues to reduce development costs, Similar to the way some car manufactures share substantial parts like floorpans for the respective manufactures types. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_platform

I don't think this is the case, Rich States their not supporting Revell..

Good luck to them.

As the owners of the Shackleton aircraft design, there's only one we're supporting and its not the Revell item. I'd doubt they can achieve the same level of accuracy without the data we hold.

Regards,

Rich W

Shackleton Preservation Trust

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Interesting news, certainly seems to have put a few noses out of joint. I think I shall be buying one as it's the version I want and I'm pretty sure it won't be £39.99. Reference shouldn't be hard to come by as theres an AEW2 at Pima.

As far as the duplication goes Revell aren't obliged to check with other manufacturers before making anything. After all the Airfix Shackleton won't make any money for Revell. And if the reports of the Frog molds being worn out are true and given all the begging on here for a new one, you can hardly blame Revell for gazumping Airfix. It looks like a no brainer.

And who knows, perhaps a new C-130 is on Revells 2015 list as well. A Shack may be a big kit for Airfix but Revell routinely release a couple or more large new kits a year, usually 1/32 but maybe this is the year of the 72nd heavies. Isn't there a C-54 coming already? Given how long the Hercs have been at Ramstein they've gotta do one at some point, surely? Guess we'll know in a few days.

I'm really getting rather bored with the 'Kit X doesn't make money for Company Y' old chestnut that keeps getting quoted in these forums. I completely understand and accept the argument that each kit manufacturing Company wants to have the 'staples' in its own catalogue in order to attempt to capture that lucrative corner of the market…no self respecting kit company would want to be without a Spitfire, Hurricane, ME Bf-109, P-51 Mustang, F-4 Phantom etc etc in its catalogue so this kind of duplication I accept but when it comes to the more 'esoteric' types than surely it would be better to enter into a collaborative venture where each agrees to cover one type over another rather than get into a release and pricing war ?. I feel sure that Revell (or Zoukei Mura) now rue the day that they both decided to do the Heinkel 219 in 1:32……if one had opted to do the DH Mosquito, for example (or a new tooled Typhoon, Beaufighter, Blenheim), they would have certainly cleaned up the market well before HK Models release their version of the kit and I suspect the respective companies sales figures for the type would have been far greater than having two produce the same, rather esoteric, German night fighter. I suspect if Revell were to release a C-130 in 2015, they would have announced this ahead of pretty much anything else, given the high demand for a truly state-of-the-art kit of this aircraft….another missed opportunity, I fear.

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This will be interesting. On the one hand, Revell has made some silly mistakes on their recent toolings, but take into account cost the playing field changes. Airfix is really asking for a lot of money, if Revell can bring it in at the usual price for these type of kits, it could come in at half the price of the Airfix.

Then again, it's not my kind of aircraft so I will probably just get some popcorn and watch this one unfold from the sidelines :)

Edited by sroubos
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There are a number of competition and monopolies issues that are raised the minute companies try to get together to split up market share between them, not to say restrictions on plcs sharing information with competitors.

Agreed. Tiger's suggestion of manufacturer's comparing notes to avoid a price war is a criminal offence in most countries nowadays.

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