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New Spitfire partwork


Whofan

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I've just seen an advert on tv for a 1/18 scale spitfire partwork model.

 

unusual features were a base that has arms to move the completed model in several directions, it has working lights and a rotating propeller.

 

first part £1.99, remaining parts (I presume around 100) £9.99.

 

It appears to be this one;

 

https://hachettepartworks.com/spitfire-mk-ia/spitfire-mk-ia-issue-1

 

Edited by Whofan
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12 hours ago, Admiral Puff said:

.. It's no more than a toy - and a very expensive toy, at that!

..yeah..but.... everything lights up - tail, navigation and cockpit lights. You can even send a Morse signal

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I'm not unloading my Monogram 1/32 Phantom Mustang, sealed  in the box, just yet! (Now, if they had done a Typhoon, I would be tempted, but not at that price...I could buy a dozen or so Hasegawa limited releases for that amount! 🤪

Mike

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22 minutes ago, Oldynewby said:

Over a grand for a toy spitfire? I don't care how many bells and whistles it's got, they're having a laugh!

They are, but they do with all of these partworks. I often wonder how many people grit their teeth and keep paying the £5, 6, 7, 8 or more for the 100 or so issues, and how many ever complete the "model"

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Saw this on UK TV advert last night, Looks more a quick build toy than anything really? But hey, if you have a young son or even daughter who might be interested, toys are a good way to learn.

Even might draw adults into the deeper side of the hobby?

Cant see me buying this but maybe it could be turned into a real Beaut of a 1/18 Spitfire by the right dedicated modeller? Maybe a school project kinda thing, I guess most serious modellers would scorn it though :)

Sorry if its been mentioned before already, could not think where else to post this kinda thing here?

At the very least this brings back happy nostalgic memory's of my first Airfix 1/24 MK 1 Spitfire on its release, after a kid on a diet of 1/72 kits ? The Airfix 1/24 Spit was a game changer, OMG it had a sliding canopy and ... and retractable landing gear and you could "even" buy an electric prop motor for it too if you saved up your pocket money and was good!! was only about 10 years old, 60 now so please forgive my nostalgia :)

https://www.spitfiremodel.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-n34NfS5wIVRbTtCh2XEg0HEAAYASAAEgINrPD_BwE
 

 

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7 hours ago, Bullbasket said:

Fine if you don't mind parting with about £600 by the time that you've got all of the magazines and parts to build the model.

 

John.

£1200!

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On 2/15/2020 at 5:32 AM, One 48 said:

Looks more a quick build toy 

Define quick. 

it might go together pretty fast if and when you have all the parts, but the time that takes.... your 9 year old son is probably interested in other types of birds by then.

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I wonder if anyone has ever finished one of these kits. Is there a giant warehouse somewhere full to the roof with the final issues containing the last parts of Spitfires, Titanic's, Apollo rockets and Ferrari F40s

Edited by AltcarBoB
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I'm not here to defend part works but they do have there place and their audience, also they must sell well as they are produced with monotonous regularity.  

 

Much has been made of the cost, but that spend is over nearly two and half years - what would your hobby spend be over the same period? Furthermore, if they introduce people into the hobby it can't all be bad, can it?

 

I wouldn't buy this one for a whole slew of reasons, some mentioned above and some not. But, there are some of these part works that are really good, the one that springs to mind is the DeAgostini Millennium Falcon which is widely regarded as the de facto model of the filming miniature and well built examples often command more than the purchase price, there are others too, like  JB's DB5.

 

I just thought I would add a little bit of perspective.

 

Tommo.

 

 

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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Sorry Admins, when I made my post, never saw the one before on same subject, thanks for combining.

I don't think I would ever do one of these "part things" (Hatchette) but as someone in the thread has mentioned, they must have a profitable market, because have been seeing this kinda thing for a while, decades even? and TV advertising cant be cheap!

I wonder what the ratio of started "Part Build" projects from started to finished are? most end up on the shelf I bet, never to be finished because you cant resume years later with buying the complete part issues ... very few serious modellers are dedicated enough to start one kit and then to the exclusion of everything else  ... complete it ... I know I cant :)

Might be worthy of a Britmodeller dedicated forum for such builds, after time we might see and gauge how many do get finished ? Just a suggestion, am sure many Members here have tried "Part Builds" at some point, massive membership here, so there must be folk who have tried it, despite knowing the eventual expense, drawbacks ETC

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The point about these part builds is the semi-subscription business and possibly cross/upsales connected.
I.e. it only results in a complete model if you stay the course for the entire runtime - often that is too long for some - but then it is up to the individual purchasing all necessary editions. If possible that is...
 

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16 hours ago, 303sqn said:

If they they don't sign up enough punters they will cancel it. If people drop out to the point when it no longer profitable for them they will cancel it.

 

From what I can make out from the dedicated forum these part work builds have, cancelation is a surprisingly rare occurrence and in some instances they struggle to sate demand and run out of packs and subscribers have to wait for a new run. Furthermore, I had a friend who subscribed and built the DeAg Millennium Falcon and DeAgostini corrected every verified error that was highlighted as they went along, which included new nose cone for the cockpit and a whole stack of 'greeblies' and other stuff. I have to say it was uber impressive when completed too.

 

The point is, broadly speaking with a few exceptions these part works models appeal to a different demographic to that that inhabit this forum. For example the dude that receives their fortnightly pack and spends a couple of hours assembling thier model a Sunday morning and forgets about until next Sunday or the parent that builds it with their offspring.

 

Whilst they are not for me, down to subject matter. However, I'm of the opinion some are little too stuffy about them and dismiss them to easily, its just a different form of modelling.  In common with every other model manufacturer they have some clunkers in their range, but there are some extremely nice ones too.

 

Tommo.

 

 

 

 

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
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