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Why can't I build a 1/72 B-24 without remortgaging the house?


TonyOD

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Given what a second hand B-24 now costs, ignoring the utterly ludicrous price of the occasional Hasegawa version(s), I'm surprised that Academy/Italeri haven't got around to re-issuing them. There is clearly a demand but, in line with my 'O'-level economics, this is only serving to hike up prices due to a very limited supply. Surely if they re-issued the kit at around the £35 mark there would plenty of willing takers and it would take some of the heat out of the 'pre-owned' market? - just a thought.

 

Regards

Colin.

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4 minutes ago, fishplanebeer said:

Surely if they re-issued the kit at around the £35 mark there would plenty of willing takers

I think you are right; the original tooling has been more than paid off, and it wouldn't take much investment to make a new sprue to add to the existing ones that would  improve/ correct  the less than stellar parts in the original; this would still be a lot less than a re-issued Hasegawa B-24, and I think would be pretty profitable. (Or do a cooperative effort with  Eduard, who would include new/better resin/injected parts to go with the Academy sprues.) The Hasegawa Libs were very high priced when they were new, and have only gotten more expensive over time.

Mike

 

New nose sections that catered to the D,H/J, and M/N, as well as all the turret/canopy  variations, plus better engines, superchargers would really improve what were already pretty decent B-24 variants as kitted by Academy/Minicraft.

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I think most of us would be happy with kits as they are, even if they do need a few tweaks and modifications to be more accurate, as it would at least provide an affordable basis. Plus the after market bods would have something to have a go at which would probably sell well, so it would be the cliched 'win, win' scenario.

 

Regards

Colin.

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Been out for a while already, although it takes quite a bit of time to show up on this side of the world. 
It's a good idea to check topics like this, at least it gives you a heads-up:

 

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Hannants have 3 Liberators showing, including the Hasegawa B24J, but all are sold out so no idea when they will be back. That said at £69.99 for the Hasegawa and £59.99 for the Minicraft B24D they were hardly cheap and certainly beyond the depth of my pockets, although the Minicraft B24J is shown as £34.99 so will probably grab one if/when it ever re-appears. However am I correct in assuming that Minicraft is the same as the Academy and Italeri offerings, as in the same molds, as this is what Scalemates seems to suggest?

 

Regards

Colin.

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49 minutes ago, fishplanebeer said:

Hannants have 3 Liberators showing, including the Hasegawa B24J, but all are sold out so no idea when they will be back. That said at £69.99 for the Hasegawa and £59.99 for the Minicraft B24D they were hardly cheap and certainly beyond the depth of my pockets, although the Minicraft B24J is shown as £34.99 so will probably grab one if/when it ever re-appears. However am I correct in assuming that Minicraft is the same as the Academy and Italeri offerings, as in the same molds, as this is what Scalemates seems to suggest?

 

Regards

Colin.

Yes, they are all from the same molds.

Mike

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On 12/15/2021 at 7:14 PM, fishplanebeer said:

That said at £69.99 for the Hasegawa and £59.99 for the Minicraft B24D they were hardly cheap

 

Ugh.  Given, both are out of stock and the question moot, but I could see myself paying that much for the Hasegawa Lib if it came to that.  The Minicraft B-24 kits are not-- repeat, ARE NOT-- worth sixty bob*.  I paid $35 USD for a new boxing with a nice big sheet of Cartograf decals and still felt I'd been had; the $20 I spent on a second-hand specimen seemed more in line with reality.

 

The Hasegawa kits are so far superior in every particular that a mere ten pound price premium is a massive bargain.

 

I was able to order Hasegawa B-24D and -J kits from Hobbylink Japan or Plaza Japan (it's been a while, I forget) and it was simple and relatively cheap.  If I were in the UK I'd roll the dice on customs fees; you'd come out ahead even if you get burned.

 

* The term "steaming chunk of crap" came to mind but it seemed a bit much.  Not much much, but a little much.

Edited by Jackson Duvalier
lamentably shoddy grammar
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I guess it all depends upon how much you are willing, or can afford, to spend on a 72nd scale kit of 4 engined heavy bomber but with the Airfix B17G and Lancaster (both excellent kits) costing around the £36 mark that's about as far I would be prepared to go. For some reason Hasegawa kits in the UK are always vastly over priced and many are not that accurate or highly detailed either.  So sadly I will not be adding any of their kits to my inventory any time soon, unless there is a massive movement in the £ compared with the yen!

 

Regards

Colin.

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