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Now, Hasegawa's 1/48 F-22 kit has its problems. It's scabby. But otherwise, a pretty good kit, from what I can tell. That having been said, I bought mine for a sticker price of $100 last year (got it on sale, didn't pay that much,) but the other day I saw one at HT-USA for around 50 bucks, WITH the 40-dollar PE set. I looked on ebay, and they're really cheap there, too. Is this kit just a flop for Hasegawa? Are people really that turned off by the texture? Can they just not get rid of them? Or has the price come down so much?

But here's another question: If this kit IS selling badly, do you think Hasegawa would do anything about it? It would take a big new mold, to be sure, but I think if they retooled the fuselage halves to remove the scabs, they'd really have a winner on their hands, and it would probably do the company well to have a "new tool" F-22 kit on the market. I've always been a big proponent of companies updating and correcting old molds, and I really applaud Academy for doing it with the F-15's and F-111's (among others.) I'm just wondering if a company would go back to correct a mistake in their kit, to make it sell.

Thoughts?

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Well it is a one dimensional A/C, not a whole lot of color and marking options,It was a good addition to modeling though.

I got my 1st one on sale at out LHS for $49.99, a big shocker coming from this store. Squadron blew some out for $35 while Tower Hobbies did theirs at $29, so who knows if it was lack of interest or an abundance of kits taking up space.

As far as re-tool,don't count on it. Academy's band-aid on their F-15 didn't help it that much, but no company is going to re-tool a subject already on in the inventory.

Curt

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I think the price hurt the sales more than anything else, the Academy kit runs half the price and is a "new tool" kit as well, most of us don't have unlimited hobby funds so you have to pick the kit you think will give you the best bang for your dollar/euro/pound.

I personally thought the raised panel details on the Hasegawa kit were way too pronounced even before the PE addition, I've had the opportunity to see an F-22 at very close range at Holloman AFB and I like the Academy representation better.

Ken

forgot to add

I don't think we'll see a retool of the kit to lower the profile of the panels, short of redoing the fuselage molds there's not an easy way to fix the problem.

Edited by kenlilly106
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Some kits sell. Some kits don't. Often the kits that people cry out for the loudest are the lousiest sellers (Monogram PBY, Hasegawa SH-3). The F-22 (besides being plug ugly IMHO) has exactly one color scheme, very few users, all of whom have the same basic markings, and the airplane is grounded. It doesn't generate a lot of "gee whiz" these days. It's never been in combat (too expensive to risk it!), and it's just not a go-getter from a marketing standpoint.

That said, will we ever really know for sure how well it's sold for them? No. The only reason I know the Sea King was a lousy seller for them was because they told me so when I visited there a few years ago when I was working with them. But they don't normally release sales figures, and it's a very closely held company.

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It doesn't generate a lot of "gee whiz" these days.

I think watching the F-22 demo last year was one of the biggest gee-whiz moments of my life. From getting buzzed by Zeke as I was driving to the airport to getting up close and personal with a Raptor at Nellis I think the F-22 is always awe-inspiring (although I understand that the lack of demos this year is a major let down). I really want to build one. Having said that, I just can't get myself to buy a Hasegawa kit. The overdone detail is quite disappointing and the price is simply outrageous.

Brian

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My suspicion is that the average consumer (that is, one who's not concerned with accuracy to the degree we are) who wanted a 1/48 F-22 had already purchased the Academy kit. And those who had not yet purchased an F-22 are more likely to opt for the cheaper kit.

I already have an Academy kit in the stash, but even so I would normally be tempted to buy a Hasegawa kit just for shites and grins. But given that the F-22 has been operational in only one paint scheme, it's hard to justify even a $29 purchase.

Ditto on the 1/72nd scale F-22 kits that have hit the market after Revell's (very nice) release.

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I think watching the F-22 demo last year was one of the biggest gee-whiz moments of my life. From getting buzzed by Zeke as I was driving to the airport to getting up close and personal with a Raptor at Nellis I think the F-22 is always awe-inspiring (although I understand that the lack of demos this year is a major let down). I really want to build one. Having said that, I just can't get myself to buy a Hasegawa kit. The overdone detail is quite disappointing and the price is simply outrageous.

Brian

No reason not to buy one at $29.99 even if you build it 20 years from now. :D

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXZKT8&P=SM

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That hits the nail on the head. It's unlikely people will be stashing many multiples of this kit with the intention of doing lots of different markings. A few will hoard, yes, but not like the F-4 and F-14 fans.

The Raptor is a dazzling airplane in the air and interesting on the ground with some panels open, but not THAT interesting. My Academy 1:48 will be gear-down with weapons bays and cockpit open, and my Revell 1:72 will be inflight, probably in an unusual attitude with the nozzles vectored, with only one bay open if any.

And then I'll be done building F-22s.

Well it is a one dimensional A/C, not a whole lot of color and marking options,It was a good addition to modeling though.

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I think Hasegawa just set their price point too high. I'd have almost been willing to forgive the overdone detailing if the price had been say $35-45, but at nearly $100, not a chance.

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The F-22 (besides being plug ugly IMHO) has exactly one color scheme, very few users, all of whom have the same basic markings,

I think that is the single biggest issue for me. And I'm not a fan of What If markings/paintings, but maybe this is a good one for that. Also, despite the benefits of stealth, it's boring to look at an aircraft with NO external ordnance.

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I doubt will see a different color scheme and since we won't be exporting them no cool Japanese or IDF markings. Which leaves the only reason to buy another is if one actually got an air-air kill, but since they don't fly in combat....I guess that one Hase kit I got will be fine!

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I just picked one up for $38 just because I've wanted this kit since it came out.

The initial $80-$100 price tag was a huge turn off for me, but it's not just the F-22, it's also the F-18E/F super hornets as well. Prices on those kits are $70-$90 and I just can't afford them at those prices.

I love hasegawa kits, but their recent prices are just friggin' stupid. So, I have to wait until I see one of their kits advertised at a low price on ebay or at a show and take advantage of it.

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While it may not have the colorful markings of a CAG jet, I find the scheme of the F-22 to be no less interesting than any line teen series jet. If anything, it's unique sheen helps it stand out amongst the crowd of flat gray F-14s, 15s, 16s and 18s. I would have no personal problem with building one kit in Langley or Alaska or Hawaii markings and a second jet in a WhIf scheme/markings (JASDF? RAF? Let your imagination run wild).

And while I love Hasegawa kits, the price point and ablative armor finish of their F-22 offering is a complete turn off. I'll just pick up an Academy kit on sale. Money's just too tight these days to drop $100 on a kit, $20+ on paint and $20 on a sheet of decals (most of which I'll never actually need for my build).

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The price is/was high, but that's true for a lot of Hasegawa kits these days. Still, I think that combined with their armor plating exterior hurt them. If the surface texture was toned down, I think it would have sold better, but I think some people would have still gone for the Academy kit based on the lower price.

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So, am I correct in saying Academy's 1/48 F-22 is more accurate than Hasegawa's?

No. The Academy kit has issues with the size of the horizontal and vertical tails, and in the first releases also had a issues with the nose. The Hasegawa kit is more accurate in shape and details. Also, the external detail on the Hasegawa kit is accurate, but it's just too prominent.

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It'll sell only if Hasegawa can license some Starscream decals for it.

Terry

License? rrright.

... Bay surely payed royalty to Lockheed Martin in the first place and of course Lockheed martin has to pay reguarly for the patent from this italian nerd...

what was his name again? oh yeah... Leonardo Da Vinci

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Well it is a one dimensional A/C, not a whole lot of color and marking options,It was a good addition to modeling though.

Very true, and people aren't likely to buy multiple Raptor kits like they would F-16s, F-4s, P-51s, Bf109s, etc.

The same could be said for F-117 kits.

Edited by Dave Williams
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Okay, but *why* do you have absolutely no interest in it ?

This thing is going to be your grandchildrens' "Phantom".

The Phantom on one hand was built in many externally rather different versions, flew in a ridiculous amount of totally different paint schemes, often turned quite grimy in operational service which lends itself to a number of weathering techniques in scale, took part in some major conflicts and has many, *many* options for external stores.

The Raptor on the other hand is built in just one single variant, flies in one single paint scheme which is generally kept spotless, has yet to fire a single shot in anger and has only an extremely limited of external stores available to add interest to the model.

About all that varies are the lo-viz tail code, serial and badge...

Cheers,

Andre

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