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Any news on the Trumpy 1/32 F-14D and F-18 E / F


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I received an e-mail from e-hobbyland.com with an early order for Dec 2009. However, I haven't heard anything additional whether these models are going to be released in Dec. Are there any new shots of the spruces? I'm curious about the accuracies / inaccuracies. Personally, I'm not a rivet counter but some of the riveting Trumpy does is beyond rediculous... of course I would rather putty over some of the rivets than rescribe an entire model... that's the reason I haven't or will not be building the Tamiya 1/32 F-14. Is the 1/32 F-18 and E or an F model?

Thanks.

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As of now, other than the sprue shots found around here from the Nats and IPMS Phillipines, nothing is known other than a release date and prices (Dec and around $230 MSRP each). They MAY be out in Asia this month (they are on the October release list) so we may see more details and maybe instruction scans soon

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_month.asp

Super Bug

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/prod...sage.asp?id=765

Tomcat

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/prod...sage.asp?id=764

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I wonder if they messed up these kits as they did with the Su-24.

Brad

Some earlier photos show scores of "superfluous" rivets across the fuselage of the new F-14. Frankly, if that's the extent of the damage, I'll consider it a big bullet dodged. The make-or-break criteria for me are the proportions; as much as I dislike the idea of having to scribe most of Tamiya's 1/32 Turkey, I'm frankly more worried by the idea of Trumpeter's kit having proportional mistakes similar to what I saw on their Flanker kit. If that turns out to be the case (we shall see come December) then I'll happily stick to my Tamiya kit.

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As of now, other than the sprue shots found around here from the Nats and IPMS Phillipines, nothing is known other than a release date and prices (Dec and around $230 MSRP each). They MAY be out in Asia this month (they are on the October release list) so we may see more details and maybe instruction scans soon

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/products/en_month.asp

Super Bug

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/prod...sage.asp?id=765

Tomcat

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/war513/prod...sage.asp?id=764

WOW, $230, what a rip off! I really like Trumpeter, but I would rather have the Tamiya version anyday! Dont they know the world is in recession?? I guess not!

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$230 , (or $150 or so from an on-line dealer),

Well how much would it cost to do an accurate F-14D from scratch ,you'll need a Black Knights F-14 kit, Engine conversion , (legend if you can find it or Aires ), a decent pit , (Black Box or Techncs is you can dind it), and a decent caaurate D decal set , (got any of the Zotz sheets to hand?) -

OK OK all this assumes Trumpter got the basics of the Cat right ...

Add that little lot up , and let me know if its within spitting distance of $230 .. ;)

Oh and in passing , how do cost the time necessary to re-scribe the entire Tamiya Cat ....

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$230 , (or $150 or so from an on-line dealer),

Well how much would it cost to do an accurate F-14D from scratch ,you'll need a Black Knights F-14 kit, Engine conversion , (legend if you can find it or Aires ), a decent pit , (Black Box or Techncs is you can dind it), and a decent caaurate D decal set , (got any of the Zotz sheets to hand?) -

OK OK all this assumes Trumpter got the basics of the Cat right ...

Add that little lot up , and let me know if its within spitting distance of $230 .. :wub:

Oh and in passing , how do cost the time necessary to re-scribe the entire Tamiya Cat ....

You pointed out the reason(s) why I haven't tackled the Tamiya F-14. My hat is off to all those that have done the work to re-scribe the cat and do all of the resin. I love your work and respect the effort to do it. But the cost is definitely going to run in the same ballpark that Trumpy is asking MSRP.

I'm hoping that Trumpy's new models are pretty accurate in proportions... If so, $150 for a kit isn't out of the question... Personally with the amount of time I spend on a kit, the cost translates to pretty low per month entertainment... One kit will last me at least 4 months (probably more like 6 or 7). I will admit, that I would prefer that Trumpy be a more aggressive with their pricing... but then again I don't see Tamiya, Academy, Revell, or Hase. building models like 1/32 F-100. I just think Trumpy should spend a bit more time being proportionally correct for the cost... assuming they do this, I think they should charge a premium... no one else is stepping up.

Just my thoughts.

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I will be interested to see how well they sell. At $230 I would expect sales to be slow at least until the economy picks back up. But my biggest hope is that the kit is decent. IF not then you will have to add all kinds of costs on to it in aftermarket corrections. That would seemingly price even the most diehard out.

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I will be interested to see how well they sell. At $230 I would expect sales to be slow at least until the economy picks back up. But my biggest hope is that the kit is decent. IF not then you will have to add all kinds of costs on to it in aftermarket corrections. That would seemingly price even the most diehard out.

I don't know of any store that actually sells at full MSRP. Personally, I buy from online retailers because they is no decent LHS where I live now. So, these kits should be had for ~$150. I agree if they are of low quality needing a lot of resin, sales will be slow.

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I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the kit, hence why it is taking Trumpeter a little longer to get it on the shelves. This is a special kit for Trumpeter and they want to make it right. Having seen the kit in the flesh in the Philippines I can say it is a nice kit. I have always loved the F-14 and it looks like an F-14 to me. Is it perfect? I do not know what a perfect kit is. Sure I’m not a fan of open panels but I can live with it, as long as the kit is reasonably accurate and that is all I ask. The basic cockpit in the kit is really good but I will go for a resin cockpit only because of the finesse that only a resin cockpit can produce.

The one problem you have in the States is Stevens Int Gouging you guys with their pricing. In Australia the pricing is more reasonable.

The F-14D is first followed by the F-14A from Trumpeter.

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I am hopeful that the wait and lack of info translates into an effort by the company to nail (or rivet as the case may be) this kit on accuracy, fit, features, instructions, etc.. As mentioned, I hope the kit sells for less than MSRP. And how much would the cockpit, wheels, etched metal interior/exterior, metal gear, dropped flaps, gear wells, scab plates, exhaust cans, intake faces, avionics bays, radar gun bay, and weapons cost you if you were inclined in that direction? Then if the nose were short, the canopy was 'squashed', etc. and someone put out the correction set....

Just think, what if they nailed it?

"Some-wheeeeereeee oooover the rain-bow....."

Edited by Space Tiger Hobbes
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If it could be built out of the box and come off well I might bite. Although I have never found seats included with kits to be as good as aftermarket seats. That might be where I upgrade. Also on the F-14 there is a lot of cloth in the cockpit which might look better in Resin. Ooooooor, Darren could use his vinyl treatment to give us an upgrade!

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It's sort of lost on some, but if the kit sells for $230, it first beats the estimates about this being the first kit to retail for over $300. But it also retails for a price comparable to Tamiya's big cat (a kit whose tooling has long been paid for). That being said, let's look at a final product. If it rivals some of Trumpeter's other follies, than it's fair enough to compare the price to that of the Revel Tomcat. If it does at least approach the quality of Tamigawa, and considering the issue of re-scribing and updatedness, it is a good price. It will probably be in between. Personally, I won't buy it unless they actually impress me. If it's something like, well, they have the updates, and THIS is good, but THIS is even less accurate in shape that this other kit, I'm out. But I am not at all shocked by the price. Not even surprised. Were any of you? Really? The $300+ predictions were based on what we'd seen earlier. I will patiently wait until I see some plastic. If you're not patient, then Trumpeter really isn't the game for you.

Mike Todd

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I think the latest releases across the board have gotten too expensive. $400 1/350 ship kits from Hasegawa, $230.00 1/32 kits from Trumpeter, $90+ dollar kits in 1/48, $75+ kits in 1/72

The hobby is just getting too expensive. I am afraid that it is going to turn into an extinct hobby after our generation, not only from lack of new blood, but because the cost of entry is too high.

I know if I was a teenaged person today, I could not afford the newest kits coming out, I would be limited to the Revell line (not that it is a bad thing) But never the less, there is quite the sticker shock for someone starting out.

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I will agree with you there as I build ships as well. Last night after what I read here regarding sticker shock I looked at my expenses for the Tamiya USS Enterprise in 1/350 scale. I am backdating it to the first F-14 cruise with VF-1/VF-2 so I have to backdate the Island. With the cost of the kit,photoetch sets for the ships and aircraft and decals etc, etc. The total cost comes out at about $850! If I had known this going in I would have thought twice.

Just a reminder to all,the Trumpeter F-14 has complete intake truncking which has always annoyed me with the Tamiya kit plus their half engraved kit attempt. Wonder what was with that idea?

From what I have seen Trumpeter have got the windscreen, canopy and nose correct in their F-14 kit. I just hope they produce the F-111 that they have plans for in 32 scale.This is why we have the Hobbyboss 1/48 scale kits. marketing at its best.Oh and bring on that A-6 Intruder!

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Interestingly, the Trumpy 1/32 typhoon (Eurofighter) is retailing at £100 here in the UK, Yet Revell is about to release their 1/32 typhoon (supposedly an upscale of their 1/48 excellent kit) at half that price (£50). I'm fairly certain that both kits get manufactured out in the Far East so it 'ain't the shipping that drives up the costs.

That said trumpeter seems to be obsessed with giving you loads of plastic for interior parts etc that most of us will leave out. (I gather their AV-8B / GR-7/9 have the whole engine included).

I like trumpeter, they have brought us kits that otherwise would never have been made. If my wife ever allowed me their 1/32 tomcat it would take me a good 4-6 months to do it justice with my modelling skills. (not adding what favours/jobs the wife will be requiring as payback :huh: So $200 over 6 months is just in the boundaries of OK - providing the shape etc is right.

The coward that I am probably means waiting about a year to watch the rest of ARC buy & build them before finally finding the money (probably when the wife is drunk, left her credit card unattended, owes me big time for fixing car , Allows her to have her hair done at the hairdressers for not far off the same price! :angry: etc) before I get to buy one. Who knows, the A-6E might be out by then...........

Edited by FIGHTS ON
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From what I have seen Trumpeter have got the windscreen, canopy and nose correct in their F-14 kit.

I sure hope so. From seeing how Revell, Fujimi and Academy didn't get all of them right, this is not an easy feat. If Trumpeter manages to get them correct, then I will be more forgiving in other yet to be discovered faults.

Terry

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The thing I hope for is that whomever built it doesn't know anything about what they were building and just glued fins from an Niner Mike to the front end of a Niner Xray and then glued it to the rails wrong.....

I don't recall the missile looking that far off when I saw the test shots at the Nats

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