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Why no current Tornado GR.4 decals?


WV908

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Evening all. Just as the topic title states, there are practically no decals available for current Tornado GR.4 schemes and this quite frankly is puzzling given the Tornado’s current popularity and rapidly approaching out of service date. Yes, there are xtradecal sets with numerous special tails from 2006-2015.... but; of all the aircraft depicted in those schemes only two are actually still about and neither are in service. This leaves the only option for a current, in service Tornado GR.4 down to one sheet and one aircraft - ZA601. Even so, that’s with 617sqn markings to boot and just happens to have the tail code numbers. The tail numbers are the main issue here and although you can buy sheets with numbers, there is absolutely nothing on the market to portray the three current special tails or indeed anything that is even remotely useful without buying multiple different decal sets to mix and match numbers and finding you run out of ‘O’ ‘Z’ ‘G’ and ‘A’ decals all too quick. 

 

Honestly it would not be difficult for one the major decal manufactures to do a sheet which is literally Tornado serials + tail codes and at least the very simple tail art and 41sqn markings for ZA607. So why has no-one done it? 

 

It’s very frustrating for modelling RAF Tornados unless you want to do a GR.1 from 1980-something or a Gulf war crate...

 

Cheers,

  WV908

Edited by WV908
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With only 20-odd aircraft still active, maybe there is a lack of interest....

 

However - over on the FighterControl forum a gentleman (TonyO), who seems to have his finger on the pulse, posted the comment on a thread concerning the retirement of Tornado stating - "Expect at least two special schemed jets, I am told".

 

I really hope that this pans out.

 

Maybe it might entice some decal producers to produce a few "Farewell to The Fin" sheets..... Please? 

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7 hours ago, iainpeden said:

Answer could be because the current scheme is so darn boring - couple of roundals and a white 3 digit set on the tail.

Equally that’s what also makes it so easy to do. Split the three special tails across two sheets with plenty of ‘regular’ serials chucked in and I reckon they would have a good place in the market, no?

 

Cheers,

  WV908 

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2 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

I remember one manufacturer telling me “WW2 is dead as a modelling subject”. 

Where did they do their market research?

 

Yemen?

 

Cheers,

  WV908

Edited by WV908
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On Saturday, September 08, 2018 at 9:37 AM, Sky dancer said:

With only 20-odd aircraft still active, maybe there is a lack of interest....

 

However - over on the FighterControl forum a gentleman (TonyO), who seems to have his finger on the pulse, posted the comment on a thread concerning the retirement of Tornado stating - "Expect at least two special schemed jets, I am told".

 

I really hope that this pans out.

 

Maybe it might entice some decal producers to produce a few "Farewell to The Fin" sheets..... Please? 

I hope their as exciting as this years 100 year celebrity schemes!

 

Keith.

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It’s a question that’s been relevant for nearly half the Tornados service life, very few current standard schemes released for the GR4 when they were displaying them, a few sheets being released years later. Only the special schemes seem to get attention.

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If you're referring to 1/72 scale, that's perhaps because there is no decent and widely available GR.4 kit.

 

Revell has not bothered with an update to their otherwise excellent GR.1 kit, much like they don't bother with new variants for most of their kits even when they would only need a handful of new pieces. Hasegawa had a one-off boxing that was ridiculously expensive. Airfix kit is a dinosaur.

 

The aftermarket industry thinks it's more important to have 4 types of wheels for [insert obscure short-run kit].

 

But who am I to criticize their genius marketing people... :P

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There is plenty of the correct stencil about and then all you need are letters and numbers, modeldecal does them in white for post war RAF types in loads of sizes

If the beef is about the last Tornados flying then I'm not surprised, how is a manufacturer supposed to forecast the last airframes flying

 

Personally I'd like to see TTTE markings in 48 for the different countries

Edited by nigelshipp
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  • 1 month later...

I hope Xtradecal or Kitsworld take note of this. Afaik, there are going to be three retirement schemes, but apart from this new batjet, I have no idea what they will be.

 

Cheers,

   WV908

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