New Fightertown Jolly Rogers Tomcats

[skyhawk174]

Doesn't anybody make 72nd scale decals anymore?

Hannant's Xtradecal, Caracal Decals and Fundekals. Maybe Superscale?

Edited September 22, 2014 by skyhawk174

[andyman_1970]

Predominate 1/72 builder here.

While I’ve got no interest in more JR markings, it is interesting how decal manufacturers (or shall I say designers as I believe most do the design work and have them made somewhere else) shy away from 1/72. I know Two Bobs had/has a pretty good variety of 1/72 Navy stuff.

With that said, I always here there “is no money” in 1/72, but really all the design work is done, it doesn’t have to be recreated out of thin air, it’s scale it down for tinier jets. So that’s always been a head scratcher for me, you’re already getting stuff printed by Cartograph or whoever, adding more would likely lower the per unit cost, keep the 1/48 the same price and charge a wee bit of a premium for the small scale guys.

Anywho, I wonder also if it’s just a general dismissal of 1/72 as “legitimate” jet modeling scale as well.

I bet there would be a market for selling the graphics so you could print your own decals, regardless of size, kind of like 3D printing at home for parts but for decals.

[skyhawk174]

Any chance for a 1/72 release?

See Brian's post in this thread #32 and #42

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=277709&hl=fightertown&st=0

Edited September 22, 2014 by skyhawk174

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

Sorry but the cost is not in the artwork. The cost is in the printing and every sheet, whether it's reprinted art or all new, has the high cost of prep and printing. I can draw all day long for months and there is no cost other than my time but once I send it off to print, that's were the checks are written. The only cost break in the print numbers is on that specific sheet. If I do 500 of x sheet in 1/48, it has no impact on doing 500 x sheet in 1/72. It's a whole new sheet.

-brian

[Cool Hand]

Brian, not to beat a long dead horse here, but would it be cost effective to make sheets in 1/72 with fewer schemes and print them double on a standard 1/48 sized sheet and cut them by hand to make two smaller sheets to be sold individually? I'm not sure what the minimum print runs are that you have to purchase, but just for example if you print 100 of these in 1/72 then you can split them into 200 sheets for retail sale. Have you given any thought to a system like that?

[skyhawk174]

Brian, not to beat a long dead horse here, but would it be cost effective to make sheets in 1/72 with fewer schemes and print them double on a standard 1/48 sized sheet and cut them by hand to make two smaller sheets to be sold individually? I'm not sure what the minimum print runs are that you have to purchase, but just for example if you print 100 of these in 1/72 then you can split them into 200 sheets for retail sale. Have you given any thought to a system like that?

I believe with the smaller print runs the per sheet cost goes up. So I guess the question is, how many people will be willing to pay for a 1/72nd sheet in the $20 to $25 range with less schemes.

Sorry if I am stepping on your toes here Brian, not sure if I got the numbers right.

[kenlilly106]

It should be noted that Afterburner Decals had a standing offer for a year or so for someone to finance the cost of a 1/72 decal sheet print run and instruction sheets. Afterburner would transfer to person the art for free or a very low cost, introduce them to decal and instruction sheet printers, etc. All sales and marketing costs would be on the back of the print run financier as well.

Scott @ Afterburner wanted that person to prove him wrong that "1/72 doesn't sell," if AB was doing something wrong in terms of marketing then he wanted to know, he wanted 1/72 to succeed because that meant more sales for his company and more sales equaled more money that could go into new sheets.

No one took him up on that offer to the best of my knowledge.

It was a similar story with their USAF F-15 Agressor sheet, AB financed a 1/72 print run and it didn't sell well at all.

It was released at the same time as the 1/48 sheet, same options, etc. and it didn't move many sheets at all. I think at one point the 1/48 print run was almost sold out and the number of remaining 1/48 sheets equaled the number of sold 1/72 sheets.

And this was a sheet that had a lot of pre-release hype because it was of current jets that had a lot of pictures floating around online, lots of news articles, etc. and wasn't a standard "boring gray" scheme.

[ChernayaAkula]

I believe with the smaller print runs the per sheet cost goes up. So I guess the question is, how many people will be willing to pay for a 1/72nd sheet in the $20 to $25 range with less schemes.

Sorry if I am stepping on your toes here Brian, not sure if I got the numbers right.

If the price is the issue, I'd personally have no trouble at all paying 1/48 sheet prices for a 1/72 sheet. I realize it's a niche market and I'm prepared to pay niche market prices. (Besides, it has always been a little more expensive to have good taste... )

It's basically the situation I'm in regarding Wolfpak Decals. 6 to 7 subjects on average for around 16 to 17USD on average. I've got several of their sheets and in most cases, I don't intend to build more than one or two subjects.

Basically, I'd rather pay a bit more and get some kick-a§$ decals than keep my money and have no decals.

Edited September 23, 2014 by ChernayaAkula

[skyhawk174]

If the price is the issue, I'd personally have no trouble at all paying 1/48 sheet prices for a 1/72 sheet. I realize it's a niche market and I'm prepared to pay niche market prices. (Besides, it has always been a little more expensive to have good taste... :coolio:/> :monkeydance:/>)

It's basically the situation I'm in regarding Wolfpak Decals. 6 to 7 subjects on average for around 16 to 17USD on average. I've got several of their sheets and in most cases, I don't intend to build more than one or two subjects.

Basically, I'd rather pay a bit more and get some kick-a§$ decals than keep my money and have no decals.

I agree, I am sure Brian would sell a few of the sheets but what would he do if not enough sell to recoup his investment?

This scale thing with decals is a funny situation. I am in the same place as the 1/72nd guys with Wolfpack Decals. Their sheets are only in 1/72nd and I would like to have some of those schemes in 1/48th. I don't even bother to ask since I know he is only going to do them in 1/72nd. No issue, it is not as if I don't have 1/48th schemes to do with the freaking number of sheets I have.

I say it again, we modellers are a strange bunch :) Ok maybe just me.

[RKic]

That's too bad. Perhaps 1/72 has become more of a prop scale. Most of the recent kit releases are of WWII era aircraft. That's just fine with me, but I really wonder why 1/72 jets aren't more popular. To me at least, 1/72 is ideal

For thEse generally larger aircraft.

I'd love to build them in 1/48, but I enjoy having a large collection on display, and in the larger scale I wouldn't be able to fit that many on my shelves. When I buy a model I like to know I'll have a space to display it

[Sarathi S.]

See Brian's post in this thread #32 and #42

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=277709&hl=fightertown&st=0

*sigh* Fair enough. I'll go sit in my corner now. :/

[skyhawk174]

That's too bad. Perhaps 1/72 has become more of a prop scale. Most of the recent kit releases are of WWII era aircraft. That's just fine with me, but I really wonder why 1/72 jets aren't more popular. To me at least, 1/72 is ideal

For thEse generally larger aircraft.

I'd love to build them in 1/48, but I enjoy having a large collection on display, and in the larger scale I wouldn't be able to fit that many on my shelves. When I buy a model I like to know I'll have a space to display it

Yet the last several releases by Hasegawa have been in 1/72nd scale. The last 1/48th scale kit they have done was the F-22 so it must be an Asian thing? Although having said that, look at Airfix with all of the 1/72nd releases recently that I would love to see in 1/48. At least they are talking about the Gnat in 1/48 so now I can get rid of the 1/72nd one I thought I would never see in my scale :). Hmm I guess I got to learn not to say never.

[Jinxter13]

Ohhhhhhhh..jeez here I go again...another JR sheet or two or three...I'll have enough JR sheets to do all the Tomcat kits I've got, and maybe a few more :D . Brian should I set up a special acct for FTD, seems a lot of my hobby decal money goes to FTD.

Edited September 23, 2014 by #1 Greywolf

[Mizar]

Doesn't anybody make 72nd scale decals anymore?

I do wonder that myself and switched to Ace Combat subjects,should say thanks to Hasegawa for bringing me Razgriz,Grabcar,Yellow 13 decals (but I need a Su-37 cause there is no way that I'm going to do an Su-33) and probably more to come saved me some work.

Right now as I said to some friends and modellers that for real aircrafts I will only step on WW2 german Night Fighter,some odd ones like HS129B3,or basing my works/dioramas on games such a STALKER,Metal Slug,OFP/ArmA or GuP anime they didn't invite me to their club nor to the Decimomannu airbase anymore

It should be noted that Afterburner Decals had a standing offer for a year or so for someone to finance the cost of a 1/72 decal sheet print run and instruction sheets. Afterburner would transfer to person the art for free or a very low cost, introduce them to decal and instruction sheet printers, etc. All sales and marketing costs would be on the back of the print run financier as well.

Scott @ Afterburner wanted that person to prove him wrong that "1/72 doesn't sell," if AB was doing something wrong in terms of marketing then he wanted to know, he wanted 1/72 to succeed because that meant more sales for his company and more sales equaled more money that could go into new sheets.

No one took him up on that offer to the best of my knowledge.

It was a similar story with their USAF F-15 Agressor sheet, AB financed a 1/72 print run and it didn't sell well at all.

It was released at the same time as the 1/48 sheet, same options, etc. and it didn't move many sheets at all. I think at one point the 1/48 print run was almost sold out and the number of remaining 1/48 sheets equaled the number of sold 1/72 sheets.

And this was a sheet that had a lot of pre-release hype because it was of current jets that had a lot of pictures floating around online, lots of news articles, etc. and wasn't a standard "boring gray" scheme.

My point of view regarding the F-15 sheet and whatever sale they missed is that people seems/was more interested in that patchwork-land of japanese Eagles.Outside japanese,IDF,Luke and Nellis experimental camouflages the Eagle is quite plain so it was at last for me the USAF aggressor version of it

Since Twobobs F-16 sets were hard to find and evilbay had high&silly prices they should have started with the F-16 instead,then give some love to Fujimi Skyhawks and do the A-4E/F and TA-4J set minus the trainers in plain white and red stripes camo.

They should have stopped or don't do commemorative schemes cause outside America people has little interest in that sort of stuff,VF-151/161 Phantom set was nice,so it was the EA-6B one then I don't know what they did after moving on the other forum nor what happened to them for closing down their business

Edited September 23, 2014 by Mizar

[Manuel J. Armas S.]

Arrived yesterday, excelent decals...

[Jinxter13]

I've got two....AIN'T takin no chances :nanner: , If I'm lucky I'll get a third

[wright2626]

thinking about ordering another one myself. tough part is narrowing down which ones to build. i would build them all in 1/72 scale, but guess that is not an option on the table.