Revell A340-300

[Shoreline2200]

Hello

 

Has anybody notice that the Revell A340-300 #04214 or any of its variants doesn't show up in the Revell manual/instructions download area. 

Maybe a new model is coming? Hopefully a new tool.

[Timo]

A few years ago it was rumoured that Revell might issue a double boxing of the A340 and A330 together in one box, i.e. with one aircraft kit but two sets of engine sprues to enable either version to be built and with decals to cover airlines that operated both types e.g. Lufthansa, Swiss, SAS, etc.  Maybe there is something interesting is in the pipeline. We live in hope!!

[Skodadriver]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the A330 and/or A340 reissued at some point but the chances of a new tool are somewhere between extremely remote and non-existent.

[Dave Swindell]

2 hours ago, Skodadriver said:

the chances of a new tool are somewhere between extremely remote and non-existent.

So there's still some hope then?

New tool A340-600 is on the way from EE, wouldn't be surprised to see them follow up with the rest of the family - you might need to re-mortgage the house though....

[neilg]

I've not really been impressed with the way that Revell files their instructions online.

 

You cannot search by product, e.g., an Airbus A340.

 

Instead, you need to use the product code, and in some cases, it looks like Revell has reused product codes.

 

For example, 04234 is the product code printed on the box for the Air Canada A340-300.

 

But if you search the Revell instructions Library for 04234, you get:

 

https://downloads.revell.de/Manuals-Modelkits/04234.pdf

 

I'm sure the instructions for the A340 are there somewhere.  They're probably filed under another product code...

 

Scalemates has a link to the Lufthansa A340 instructions 04214.

[Skodadriver]

2 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

So there's still some hope then?

New tool A340-600 is on the way from EE, wouldn't be surprised to see them follow up with the rest of the family - you might need to re-mortgage the house though....

Interesting but I don't do EE nowadays - too many bad and expensive experiences in the past.  It's one of modelling life's mysteries how Zvezda can produce a B777-300 which retails for under £30 but an EE F27 costs about £45.

 

Incidentally if anyone is in need of instructions for the Revell A330/340 feel free to pm me and I'll gladly scan them from my stash.

 

Dave G

[Dave Swindell]

11 hours ago, Skodadriver said:

Interesting but I don't do EE nowadays - too many bad and expensive experiences in the past.  It's one of modelling life's mysteries how Zvezda can produce a B777-300 which retails for under £30 but an EE F27 costs about £45.

Incidentally if anyone is in need of instructions for the Revell A330/340 feel free to pm me and I'll gladly scan them from my stash.

Dave G

Part of the cost difference is Zvezda is is mainstream with big productions runs vs EE with short run tooling, economies of scale, but they're still very expensive to buy outside of Russia.

 

Instructions for the A330/340 are available to download from Scalemates, select which boxing you want and scroll down a bit for the instruction download button

 

A330's          A340's

 

 

[Abandoned Project]

20 hours ago, Skodadriver said:

 It's one of modelling life's mysteries how Zvezda can produce a B777-300 which retails for under £30 but an EE F27 costs about £45.

 

8 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

Part of the cost difference is Zvezda is is mainstream with big productions runs vs EE with short run tooling

Hmm......

While there might be something in the tooling costs I can't see there being that big a difference between Zvezda and EE creating a master and moulds for an airliner. Essentially both companies will have to go through the same process to produce a model. I think the desired profit margin of EE may be based on a more short term model than that of Zvezda.

[Orso]

On 1/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, neilg said:

 

 

But if you search the Revell instructions Library for 04234, you get:

 

https://downloads.revell.de/Manuals-Modelkits/04234.pdf

 

 

And the result is instructions for a DC-3

[Dave Swindell]

15 hours ago, Abandoned Project said:

 

Hmm......

While there might be something in the tooling costs I can't see there being that big a difference between Zvezda and EE creating a master and moulds for an airliner. Essentially both companies will have to go through the same process to produce a model. I think the desired profit margin of EE may be based on a more short term model than that of Zvezda.

Err, I wasn't implying there was a big difference for the tooling costs, it was the numbers being produced I was getting at. Unit cost for a high production run is potentially significantly less than for a short production run if development costs are to be amortised over that run, and therefore for the same profit margin, the short run kit will be significantly more expensive.

[Skodadriver]

I know we're miles off the original topic but while the point about unit costs is valid, it does not fully explain the UK price of Eastern Express kits.

 

In Russia the Zvezda 777-300 sells for 2190 RUB (roughly £21) and the Eastern Express F27 sells for between 1620 and 1860 RUB (roughly £15.50 - £17.75) depending on version. So far so normal. However at Hannants the 773 is £27.99 and the F27 is £46.40. Either Eastern Express is deliberately using the export market to recoup its higher unit costs or somebody somewhere (not Hannants) is ripping us off. If anyone wants to pay a premium price for a non-premium product they are free to do so but as I said earlier I've had enough bad and expensive experiences with EE not to touch anything by them when there is a reasonable alternative available.