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Rumourmonger at the Nats


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Rumourmonger at the Nats.

Well the day has finally come and its time to go to the IPMS Nationals at the Hyatt here in Columbus. I have to admit that I usually don’t care about seeing the built up kits and I didn’t even get to the display room. What I go for are the vendors and to see if anything interesting has shown up and what rumors are flying about.

First things first, if Steph reads this I only spent under $100 including parking and lunch. 3 decal sheets (Two from Two Bobs – a RAF Tiffie and a Fighting Omars, and one from Illiad designs for a Gladiator) 1 kit an Academy Hunter and a pair of True Details cockpits for this one and the one I bought at Blizzard Con last year.

Ok enough on what I bought, now what did I see (or hear about)

Academy – The MRC stand had the new 350th Graf Spee on display (MSRP $49.95) as well as the SLAM Eagle, Raptor and 72nd F/A-18D. The revised F-15E wasn’t there yet but is supposed to be soon. I could not get much out of the reps there about the F-5 or 72nd BAE Lightning, except if it is in the catalog then it is still planned – The F-5 is still there, the Lightning isn’t – interpret how you will. The ROK K-1A1 tank as well as a Tiger were on display, no sign of the new ONTOS or the Swedish IFV kit, but they are in the Catalog. Ship wise the biggest thing on the stand was a new tool 350th Wasp LHA kit from a new company.

Revell - Theyhad the reboxes of their aircraft on display. The 109 and P-51B were both there as well as the new Frogfoot boxing. The Frogfoot doesn’t have any new sprues included but does have as its secondary marking the Czech airshow ‘Frog Cracker’ scheme (A frong on the tail hammering a T-34). The only interesting tidbit to come from their stand is that there may be announcements mid-2010 for a pair of new tooled aircraft. No other hints were given but I did suggest a new tool 48th F-80/T-33 series and at least a repop of the AV8A Harrier (which was nowhere to be found in the used kit stacks…) There was a list for suggestions and at least I did see some love for the F9F Cougar on the sheets (and all in differing hand writing!). It sounded like there is still some delay with their releases due to the purchase by Tower Hobbies last year and the moving of the company and that is why the new releases were pushed back. Oh yeah lots of cars but I have no idea what was new and what was reboxed….

Minicraft – the biggest stuff I saw on display were the new E-3 Sentry and J-STARS build ups as well as what looked to be a Saudi KE-3 version. One boxing is in a colorful NATO airshow scheme.

Eduard – Since they couldn’t take credit cards Steph cannot yell at me tonight, much. The new parts for the 48th Dora 9 were on display. I also asked about the 48th Fishbeds. They are due to start releasing mid-2010. The first releases will be of the third generation Mig-21s (MF/Bis/SMT and hopefully rebuilds like the Romanian Lancer) followed by second generation Fishbeds a year or two later (PF/PFM) It still sounds like someone in China may be doing the first generation Migs (F/F-13/J-7 & variants) so watch Hobbyboss news next year. Forgot to ask about the Phantoms, so maybe someone else will ask. Lots of PE and some new resin ejector seats were displayed. The seats apparently part of what they are planning with the new jets they are doing.

Squadron – had some bits for the new 32nd F-80 there as well as the Cessna T-50 Bamboo Bomber on display. But I will admit that they don’t do much for me as I have a bit of an avirson to limited run kits. There is a new PBY Walkaround book on sale. Now with MMD as the distributor of Hobbyboss I figured they might be position to divulge something on new releases, but to paraphrase Sgt. Schultz ‘they know nothing…nothing’ Their response was when we are told by the company then we know. They did have the new M-26 Pershing, AAVP-7 with EAAK uparmor and the little Chinese airborne IFV there but no aircraft kits on display. So I expect that we may see the new Tornado pop up probably before Christmas, more than likely at Telford (probably same with the F-111). It sounds like November will be a costly month for both 32nd and 48th guys.

Stevens – Spoke for quite a while with the Stevens rep on new releases and looked at the test shots for the 32nd F-14 and F/A-18E/F on display. Each of those molds will be released in 3 versions – the F-14A/B/D and F/A-18E/F/G and if you want those 6 be prepared for shelling out just under $1500 total, the MSRP was said to be $230 for the Super Hornet and I would assume a similar cost for the Tomcat. He put up a good defence of the pricing in stating that the new tool kits are priced at what the cost of the new tooling is coupled with the mark ups for both the middle man as well as the shops and shipping the kits in bulk halfway around the world. It is one thing that more established companies have is that they have older paid for tooling that is still viable to offset the costs of new tooled kits, and Trumpeter being around – what – 10 years old just doesn’t have enough depth of catalog to offset the costs of new toolings. One kit I was surprised to hear about is the new 32nd TBD. He had mentioned that it was expected by now but nothing has been heard from Trumpeter as of yet. He even said that Yellow Wings had decals ready for it. So we may have a surprise sooner rather than later here. Nothing on the A-6 front, it was mentioned that the tooling was done but they just have not released it yet. Perhaps because it was hinted earlier that this may have been the first kit to break the $200 barrier, the costs and potentially smaller market of the Intruder versus the Flankers and Super Hornets may have caused it to be delayed. If they stick to their habit of popping a 32nd first then the smaller scales (a 72nd has already been ‘announced) it may be that we see a smaller scale A-6 before the 32nd kit. It sounds like that they ‘perfect’ the tooling in a larger scale first then scale it down as being an easier way to approach the subject than scaling up a smaller kit. Nothing on the Su-24 front either. I put in a hint for a 48th Flogger and Foxbat. The kits due for release by the end of the year are in 32nd, the Tomcat, Super Hornet, Harrier II (next month – he had hoped to have one on display but didn’t get one in time), two seat Typhoon and Lightning F-6. In 48th Trumpeter has the F-100C in the next month or so (Sept I think was the release date) 72nd will see the Backfire D and a F-100C.

The 72nd and 48th Huns were both on display. The oddball stores of the 32nd D are still there but now with a pre-Vietnam C being first out of the shoot they may actually be more appropriate than they are for an in country Hun. If I can figure out where my cord for my camera is, I’ll upload a few badly composed shots of the sprues. All three 72nd fuselages were on display along with the common parts. 48th will go for around $70 and 72nd around $40 MSRP. The 48th D and F are due in 2010.

Ship wise a 350th Hipper and Prinz Eugen are both due before the end of the year. Armor wise the first T-62 is due in a month or so. No word on the BMP-3s. Some test shots were there. A LAV III Kodiak, an M1135 Stryker Nuclear Biological Chemical Recon Vehicle (NBCRV), M1133 Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle and a pair of up-armored M-1078 trucks as well as an M-1117 security vehicle were on display. It was also remarked upon at the hatred Trumpeter and Dragon have for each other. All one needs to look at are the dueling Sd.Kfz-7 Halftrack releases in the last few months to see this in action.

The representative also mentioned a way of reading Trumpeters release codes. If it is in their catalog, tooling has begun. If it is on their website (or distributors) it is around a year out, once a price is given figure 6 months to release. For what it is worth.

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The J-10 and Su-24 are both 'out there' no ETA yet. In the catalog both are shown as 'new releases 2009/10', so by going by the 'code' that Stevens mentioned the tooling is being done but they are not immediately available in the near future (less than 6 months). The next Trumpy release period will be around I believe the next Japanese show in November which I think is the one they announce at besides Nurnberg. I had discovered that the Shizouka show earlier this year is not the one Trumpy announces at, but the later in the year one.

Hey the A-6s are still listed......

As for the Academy Eagles, I asked about the possibility of the fighter reissue that was mentioned earlier this year in the initial release news of the SLAM and Strike Eagles. He didn't have any knowledge of it BUT he mentioned the possibility of a F-15I. But considering the rep didn't seem to be too knowledgeable he may have been talking about the new 72nd Sufa - which is in the catalog.

Also for Sufa fans look for the updated Isradecals book on the Sufa. The original had mostly pre-operational pics, little ordinance and targeting pods. The new one has operational pics from the South Lebanon War as well as Gaza operations. New squadrons are also shown. If I just had the $$$ in hand I would have grabbed one, but as I only had a card which he didn't have the capability to take I will have to go thru Sprue Bros to get it in a couple of months. My hobby wad has been completely shot for both August and September!

Matt

Edited by Matt Roberts
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I talked to the guy in the Minicraft booth about the 1/72 Martin PBM, which was first shown in their catalog about three years ago. He said that the CAD work is done, but they were forced to shelve the project because they couldn't find anyone who would do the tooling for a reasonable cost. He said the project is still definately a "go," they just need to find someone to cut the molds.

SN

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It also does sound like Eduard is doing Hellcats and 110s in 72nd starting next year. Remember that I am a 48th guy so I have a blind spot on 72nd news and release info.

And over on HS a controversy is brewing over the wheel wells on the Dora 9s. If you have the stomach for it go and take a look (cannot directly link to the thread on Hyperscale) You can see both sides of the discussion over the whole subject of late war German aircraft and trying to make definative statements one way or another about them.

Also regarding the Academy 72nd F/A-18D I am not sure if it had the ATARS, though part of me doubts it. The Rep didn't seem to know much about the future releases - or at least didn't seem to feel much need to talk to me.

Matt

Edited by Matt Roberts
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Matt, Sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you. But If that stevens rep would have tried to defend Trumpeters overpriced kits I would have punched him in the throat!! They have done nothing to improve the accuracy of their kits I don't but the middleman stuff its just Stevens getting rich!! Trumpeter kits do not appear to have the same markup in the EU as they do in the USA I am interested un the big super hornet but I will never be able to buy it.

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The J-10 and Su-24 are both 'out there' no ETA yet. In the catalog both are shown as 'new releases 2009/10', so by going by the 'code' that Stevens mentioned the tooling is being done but they are not immediately available in the near future (less than 6 months). The next Trumpy release period will be around I believe the next Japanese show in November which I think is the one they announce at besides Nurnberg. I had discovered that the Shizouka show earlier this year is not the one Trumpy announces at, but the later in the year one.

Hmm...well, at least its good to hear that they're progressing..can't wait to see what they have to show for it @ the next shows. :worship:

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Rumourmonger at the Nats.

Revell - Theyhad the reboxes of their aircraft on display. The 109 and P-51B were both there as well as the new Frogfoot boxing. The Frogfoot doesn’t have any new sprues included but does have as its secondary marking the Czech airshow ‘Frog Cracker’ scheme (A frong on the tail hammering a T-34). The only interesting tidbit to come from their stand is that there may be announcements mid-2010 for a pair of new tooled aircraft. No other hints were given but I did suggest a new tool 48th F-80/T-33 series and at least a repop of the AV8A Harrier (which was nowhere to be found in the used kit stacks…) There was a list for suggestions and at least I did see some love for the F9F Cougar on the sheets (and all in differing hand writing!). It sounded like there is still some delay with their releases due to the purchase by Tower Hobbies last year and the moving of the company and that is why the new releases were pushed back. Oh yeah lots of cars but I have no idea what was new and what was reboxed….

I hope Revell continues to re-release some of the older kits. I've enjoyed what they've put out so far this year. The reissue of the Pro-modeler A-26, the Su-25, Visible B-17, EA-6A (soon to be reissued). All kits that I wanted to pick up (especially the B-17), but didn't want to fork out the cash to pay the collectors prices. The AC-47 was nice to see as well. Rommels Rod, the universal monsters also good to see reissued. I'm hoping they put out the RF-101B again.

Would be nice to see them do a B-26K Counter Invader, seems like it would be minimal investment to convert the existing A-26 kit.

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Any word from Moebius regarding their rumored upcoming Battlestar Galactica kits? Any word from Moebius at all? (are they ever gonna change that stupid pose for Iron Man?) Any BSG model rumors/test shots/word?

Thanks

Latest I heard was they just got approval to start the tooling on the Mk II viper.

Iron Man is what it is, and the pose has more to do with Marvel, than Moebius. They weren't thrilled with the pose either, but it was the only one Marvel would approve. Their hands where tied on that one.

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Matt, Sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you. But If that stevens rep would have tried to defend Trumpeters overpriced kits I would have punched him in the throat!! They have done nothing to improve the accuracy of their kits I don't but the middleman stuff its just Stevens getting rich!! Trumpeter kits do not appear to have the same markup in the EU as they do in the USA I am interested un the big super hornet but I will never be able to buy it

Well put. Steven's has the monoply on Trumpeter kits and knows it. I've seen their kits go for way less overseas on Ebay.

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Don't worry I even stated to the Stevens guy that I buy most of my Trumpy/HB kits via Lucky Model or Hobby Easy as when I can buy something with shipping for 67% the US MSRP that means something is screwed up in the distribution system. I even pointed out that MRC who I will usually say nothing nice about has the Academy prices in the US at almost parity with the Asian sources once shipping is factored in. The SLAM Eagle/Strike Eagle are examples of it being $45 US MSRP and around $40 to ship from HK. For that $5 I will buy locally. When the HB SLUF is from Lucky Model for $45 incl S&H and from Squadron for $65 - not including shipping - I will buy from Raymond every time.

Unless a year later the distributors unload thier kits to clear out the warehouse - like I do with Squadron selling HB Hornets for $33 earlier this year, or when Hobbyland 'meatballs' them (aka marks down) after a year or so. But if you notice those are on kits that have sat....why are they sitting gathering dust in the warehouse or hobbyshops versus gathering dust in our stashes....prices.

Matt

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Exactly Matt.

My LHS has had a few Trumpeter kits for going on probably 7-8 years but no one wants to mark them down. What I thinks is stupid is they claim that, then if you even check their catalog, similar planes are way off the scale. a 1/32 P-40 or F4F is around $50-60 yet a similar kit of the Nanching C something, that 2 seat trainer thats ugly but in roughly the same category of size is around $35-40.

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It also does sound like Eduard is doing Hellcats and 110s in 72nd starting next year.

That would be fantastic! We really don't have a "definitive" Hellcat in 1/72..I've been toying with combining the best parts of the Academy and Hasegawa kits for years. A really good 1/72 110 would also be most welcome!

SN

Edited by Steve N
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