Jump to content

1/48 - Grumman F-14A/B & D Tomcat by AvantGarde Model Kits (AMK) - F-14D released


Homebee

Recommended Posts

On 8/14/2019 at 2:19 PM, Uncle Uncool said:

This could very easily go both ways. Back in 2010, perhaps some modellers here remember when Airfix pulled this stunt about the releasement of a 1/48th scale Vulcan kit with the display of a sign and all at Telford.

I really took it too to heart and started conversations with people in different countries' IPMS: mainly Brazil, Perú, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. Almost 5873 modellers in South America had shown interest in such a kit, so Airfix asked to collect the contact for each and every modeller willing to compromise with the purchase of that kit, which I did. In vain. 

How many modellers would be interested in buying an injection moulded Vulcan kit in 1/48th scale in the U.S., Canada, UK or Asia I wonder? What about the rest of Europe and Oceanica?

Model manufacturers will have you collect contacts to then tell you: "Meh... we'll probably do it in future." :rolleyes:

Do you ever know how hard it is to collect contacts from countries in half South America?

Cheers,

 

Unc2

 

P.S: I gladly got my Aeroclub Vulcan kit in 2015, so I got over it somehow, but will never again commit.

Yeah I remember that! I so want a 1/48 Vulcan. Especially after climbing aboard the one down at Castle AFB.
Another one I was looking forward to was Minicraft announcing back in early 2000's a 1/48 Gulfstream G-4 that turned to dust!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting the video. Not wanting to be a kill joy, but watch the video either on an empty stomach or at a much reduced speed (0.25%) as the video man is clearly as excited as the two gents unboxing the kit. The picture waves all over the place and is generally out of focus most of the time...however, the kit looks really good and probably great value for money.

 

Jeff

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/14/2019 at 12:13 AM, IvanVasili said:

 

I both see your points and widely agree gentlemen. And I sure can figure out the mathematics behind model manufacturers trying to produce their versions of popular subjects. But I wouldn't say kits such as 1/32nd scale F-101, F-111, F-102, F-106 and some similar aircrafts to start with can be considered as "niche" models. Would a 1/32nd Mirage F.1 be a "niche" model? Or a 1/48th P2V Neptune? I think many and many modellers around the world would defy gravity in welcoming such kits. One would think manufacturers have the best nose to smell the air for what the modelling community wants, but are we rather being forced to choose from what they present us?

 

As for niche Airfix releases... Airfix itself rather than the subjects may be in question here...   

 

Yes, a 1/32 kit of an F-101, 102 or 106 would be a niche product. Just look at how many kits of these types were made in all other scales: there have been only 4 kits of the F-106 made over the last 50 years and 3 of the F-102. To see a kit of an F-101A we've had to wait til very recently if we don't consider the ancient box-scale Revell kit and even today the only 1/72 kit is a short-run offering. Now if still today the only 1/48 available F-102 is the 29 year old Monogram kit, maybe these subjects are not a huge success with modellers. The F-111 fared better, with a few more kits available, but again the numbers pale in comparison to other subjects.

A Neptune then... only one mainstream kit ever made in a standard scale, first issued in 1972.. had there been such interest for the subject someone else would have followed Hasegawa's path at some point instead of leaving the whole market to them.

The manufacturers do have a good nose to smell the air for what can return their investment, and the older have the advantage of having decades of experience in selling their own products and in watching what others sell. If manufacturers stand clear of certain subjects, maybe it's because they have already seen before that these don't sell that much

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally ! It took ages but now the kit really seems to be ready. I will wait to comment on shapes as I'd like to have the kit in my hands first.

I can see some very interesting solution for a number of parts, if the shapes are right the kit has a lot of potential for me. Personally I'd have liked to see an A first as there's a wider range od markings for these, but I can see how the D can be more interesting to many. No big deal, I can find room for another D in my stash...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ttyng0904

Very interesting video! Thanks a lot for having posted it. I want to be to Japan next September the 20th for the World Rugby Cup and also to see how it is like about the modelling fans.

I very much admire you, Japanese modellers, for the passion you put into modelling.

Say, what about the bloke in the flight suit? Is he a former Japanese Military pilot or something? Also, what are they laughing about all the time?

It seems the IFR panel has come out off, anyways.

Cheers,

 

Unc2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Uncle Uncool said:

@ttyng0904

Very interesting video! Thanks a lot for having posted it. I want to be to Japan next September the 20th for the World Rugby Cup and also to see how it is like about the modelling fans.

I very much admire you, Japanese modellers, for the passion you put into modelling.

Say, what about the bloke in the flight suit? Is he a former Japanese Military pilot or something? Also, what are they laughing about all the time?

It seems the IFR panel has come out off, anyways.

Cheers,

 

Unc2

I hope you will enjoy your visit to Japan.

 

The happy man in the left is a editor in chief of the Modelart magazine(https://twitter.com/ModelArtInc). Quiet man in the right is a young modeller/univ student(https://twitter.com/kn20154).

 

Laughings are mainly their expression of surprise  and excitement about precision and fine details they find on the spurues' surfaces, art of partitioning&injection, volume of weapons.... in the end, thay also laughed about they realised that they have to make hopeless effort to put all the sprues back to the box.

 

For additional info, they indicated that the kit shown is not the final release version. They also stated that the instruction is not yet provided and the kit will be generally availavle in late october in Japan.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, ttyng0904 said:

in the end, thay also laughed about they realised that they have to make hopeless effort to put all the sprues back to the box.

:lol: I was thinking how difficult it would be to put everything back together into the box. I wasn't able to put all the sprues back into the box of the Kinetic 1/48 Su-33 kit... :hmmm:

11 hours ago, ttyng0904 said:

They also stated that the instruction is not yet provided and the kit will be generally availavle in late october in Japan.

:blink2: That late? Thought the Japanese would be the first to receive the AMK Tomcat kits.

Thanks for the reply, ttyng0904, my mate!

:cheers:

 

Unc2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want to see a detailed, non-shaky, blow by blow fitting of this kit, go to Facebook and look at this guy's page Fishbone.Inc page.  

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Fishbone.Inc/photos/?ref=page_internal

 

A lengthy video review of the sprues by Three Raccoons Modeling. 

 

 

As well as this guy's 3 videos (to date) of how he fitted the parts together.  https://www.facebook.com/jaychan1234/videos/10157694937302249/

 

He has dry fitted all the parts and taken pictures almost every step of the way. Looks like a fantastic kit. I particularly liked how the designer, Sio, crafted the canopy, made it a consistent thickness so it looks like real glass with no light distortion inside, single piece molded front fuselage, etc.  Other brands will find it hard to up the ante on this one.  

Its going to be priced about the same as the Tamiya kit I hear but has about 3 times more plastic, includes a PE set and decals. 

 

I love the F-14 and I really liked what I see in this kit. However I might just get it to stare at it. I don't have the space to showoff a 1/48 kit as I stay in a small apartment that already has many things. In addition I feel the detail and complexity of the kit will be lost on me as my skills do not do justice to the kit and I would do the wings in swept position to save space. Plus my kids often take my planes for a joyride and they sometimes come back missing a part. The kit will be wasted on me.

 

However for the rest of you experts, this should shape up to be a great kit. Truly a kit designer by a modeller for modellers.

 

spacer.png

Edited by CasualModel98
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...