Tamiya 1/48 F-16C. Was it a sales disappointment?

[Mr Matt Foley]

12 hours ago, viper730 said:

I just counted the finished Tamiya F-16 Builds. It is currently at 8.I have  7 at home and One given to My Uncle who Worked for Pratt & Whitney.  Then  in my stash I have 18 left. I say left cause I traded away  some  and sold off another batch. Crazy right well the majority were scooped up at Hobby Lobby. I went to visit friends/family in Texas and stopped at one along the I-10 between my house.I live about 50 miles north Of New Orleans,  and there and they were on the clearance shelf..after that I stopped at every one and on the way out of each store I had to check to make sure I wasn't being pranked... lowest price was 12.36 ea....highest 21.00....I'd grab all they had left. Although A couple did not have any at all...I think that was 2011 or 2012..... I got about 20 kits and many were the Aggressor version. When I got home I took a few trips to the area HL and scooped another half dozen... Now days when I get Amazon points I look for the Block 50 from Japan which go for about 28.00 shipped. I attach some points in the payment area and get em for about 10.00-15.00 ea....all total I bought maybe 34+/- kits....

 

Viper.... you're a mad man. How about parting with one of those aggressors?

[viper730]

2 hours ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

Viper.... you're a mad man. How about parting with one of those aggressors?

 

Can't do it.....they're mine, ALL MINE!    Unlike a lot of my kits that I hope to build these I Will build. 

 

[Gunny]

I bet Tamiya isn't loosing money on their 48th or 32nd Vipers for that matter. The fact that they released a new tooled F-14A with all kinds of possibilities for the future is superfluous. I'm sure they have other models on the boards as well. They have to keep releasing high quality models of all types to keep customers coming back & to gain loyalty to keep the lights one. The purpose of business is to generate revernue. Their 48th Viper kits are still selling like hotcakes. I have two of every model & now have four Kinetics. My aim is Vietnam era - present USMC jets becuase that's what my dad flew for a 30yr carreer & that's what I grew up around unitl & turned 18 & went ground side. I'm not mind reader, but I think Tamiya is doing just fine selling all varieties of their models. Act on what you know, not what you think.

 

Semper Fi,

Masterguns

[Scooby]

9 hours ago, Gunny said:

I bet Tamiya isn't loosing money on their 48th or 32nd Vipers for that matter. The fact that they released a new tooled F-14A with all kinds of possibilities for the future is superfluous. I'm sure they have other models on the boards as well. They have to keep releasing high quality models of all types to keep customers coming back & to gain loyalty to keep the lights one. The purpose of business is to generate revernue. Their 48th Viper kits are still selling like hotcakes. I have two of every model & now have four Kinetics. My aim is Vietnam era - present USMC jets becuase that's what my dad flew for a 30yr carreer & that's what I grew up around unitl & turned 18 & went ground side. I'm not mind reader, but I think Tamiya is doing just fine selling all varieties of their models. Act on what you know, not what you think.

 

Semper Fi,

Masterguns

 

The Tamiya F-16s were a money drain of my wallet, I have lots of them.

 

What jets did your father fly? Nice to see you followed in his footsteps and became a Marine too.

[Gunny]

On 4/28/2018 at 9:36 AM, Scooby said:

 

The Tamiya F-16s were a money drain of my wallet, I have lots of them.

 

What jets did your father fly? Nice to see you followed in his footsteps and became a Marine too.

 

Thank you. He flew the A-4/TA-4, F-16, F-8, R/F-4, F/A-18, A-6/TRAM, Harrier, F9F/TF-9J, F-11, T-2, OV-10, T-34, T-28, F-5, A-7, T-38, F-14, f-15,  (in no particular order) & maybe a few others or some I cannot recall. He was an instructor pilot with NATC shortly after earning his wings & a Post Graduate of the USNTPS hence his varied mix of aircraft types post SEA. However I'd say about 90% of his operational time was spent in the front seat of a Phantom. Spent many months in SEA dropping iron & sliging lead & did short tour as a FAC with a line grunt battalion. First combat flight in an F-8E VMF(AW)-212 in SEA '65 & last flights in VMFA-321 F-4Ss & Bugs at MARDT Andrews '92. I did not want to go to college only just to earn a commission with air option, so I took the better path in part...ITR rifleman, passed Recon Indoc & later Force Recon Indoc....lots of time passed & then I went to Det 1 with a lot of other SME in Marine SOC units to see how we woud be would best fit in within SOCOM as the mandate of the SECDEF. MARSOC stood up after the Det 1 "experiments" & they took almost all of us in the Force Companies to stand up MARSOC & get going albeit under strength until we could get the CSO selection & school tuned & running. My my last billet was Marine Special Operations School as the Command's Senior Enlisted Leader where I retired & now I still can't finish a model. haha.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Gunny

[Scooby]

Wow, I thought I had a diverse range of training and experience on aircraft in the CAF (now RCAF). Your fathers experience is amazing. I served and trained on Hercules, Twin Otter, Kiowa, Twin Huey, Griffon, and Hornet Squadrons. Not many get to move types as much as I did.

 

In the Tactical Helicopter Squadron I was in, they always told us we were a soldier first, airman second. So I guess I was a part time grunt. I only stayed in a hotel once during that posting, that was when we flew the Royals (Charles, William, and Harry) in 1995 during their visit to Vancouver, BC. Otherwise it was canvas, weapon cleaning, ditches, or dirt while I served in Tact Hel. That squadron deployed to Haiti and Kosovo on several rotations

 

I preferred the hotels. :) 

 

I haven’t built much since retirement, maybe one kit a year. 

 

 

[Brad-M]

I built 1 and have 3 left. I wish they came out with an A model.

 

Brad

[Gunny]

4 hours ago, Scooby said:

Wow, I thought I had a diverse range of training and experience on aircraft in the CAF (now RCAF). Your fathers experience is amazing. I served and trained on Hercules, Twin Otter, Kiowa, Twin Huey, Griffon, and Hornet Squadrons. Not many get to move types as much as I did.

 

In the Tactical Helicopter Squadron I was in, they always told us we were a soldier first, airman second. So I guess I was a part time grunt. I only stayed in a hotel once during that posting, that was when we flew the Royals (Charles, William, and Harry) in 1995 during their visit to Vancouver, BC. Otherwise it was canvas, weapon cleaning, ditches, or dirt while I served in Tact Hel. That squadron deployed to Haiti and Kosovo on several rotations

 

I preferred the hotels. :) 

 

I haven’t built much since retirement, maybe one kit a year. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your service to your country, friendly neighbor to the north!

[Gunny]

2 hours ago, Brad-M said:

I built 1 and have 3 left. I wish they came out with an A model.

 

Brad

 

I concur on the A model. The only possible reason I can think of why they haven't released one is having to retool so many parts for just a few blocks of American & allied users of the F-16A in various guise. Maybe it wouldn't be a very wise risk/rward venture at venture. The Kinetic A is decent alternative. The availability on those seems sketchy. You can still find Hasegawa's A & B models on eBay at builders prices. Aftermrket from shops & resellers all over the place.

 

S/F,

Masterguns

[Whiskey]

Red Dog does a good comparison of the manufacturers early F-16 block minus Academy.

 

http://reddogmodels.blogspot.com/2017/02/kinetic-vs-hasegawa-vs-tamiya-f-16-148.html

[skyhawk174]

Hmm I must be a rank amateur as I only have 4 of the 1/48 Tamiya kits, 2 x CJ and 2 x C/N. At one time I had F-16 kits coming out the ying yang with Hasegawa, Monogram and ESCI F-16 kits. As of now I only have the aforementioned Tamiya kits, 13 Hasegawa kits of various versions, 1 Kinetic and no 1/32nd kits. I actually have a Hasegawa 1/48 F-16A kit under way forever now and still can't finish it.

 

I too wish Tamiya will release the A version but not holding my breath since it would be too much back dating and I don't think they could use much from the C kit. I live in hope on a D though.

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

On 4/28/2018 at 8:54 PM, Gunny said:

 

Thank you. He flew the A-4/TA-4, F-8, R/F-4, F/A-18A/C A-6E/TRAM, AV-8A/B, F9F/TF-9J, F-11, T-2, OV-10A/D, T-34, T-28, F-5E, A-7E, T-38, F-14A,  (in no particular order) & a few others I cannot recall at the moment. He was an instructor pilot with NATC shortly after earning his wings & a Post Graduate of the USNTPS hence his varied mix of aircraft types post SEA. However I'd say about 90% of his operational time was spent in the front seat of a Phantom. Spent many months in SEA dropping iron & sliging lead & did short tour as a FAC with a line grunt battalion. First combat flight in an F-8E VMF(AW)-212 in SEA '65 & last flights in VMFA-321 F-4Ss & Bugs at MARDT Andrews '92. I did not want to go to college just to earn a commission to try & get an aviation slot, so I took the better path in part...ITR rifleman, passed Recon Indoc & later Force Recon Indoc....lots of time passed & then I went to Det 1 with a lot of other SME in Marine SOC units to see how we woud be would best fit in within SOCOM as the mandate of the SECDEF. MARSOC stood up after the Det i "experiments" & they took almost all of us in the Force Companies to fill the space until we could get the CSO selection & school turned & running. My my last billet was Marine Special Operations School as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader where I retired & still can't finish a model. 

 

Holy crimony.... 

[Grindcore]

On 4/28/2018 at 11:54 PM, Gunny said:

lots of time passed & then I went to Det 1

 

 

Hey Gunny, did you carry one of the Kimber Warriors??  Might have had some of my prints on it from when I worked for them.

 

Semper Fi!!!

[Gunny]

10 hours ago, Grindcore said:

 

 

Hey Gunny, did you carry one of the Kimber Warriors??  Might have had some of my prints on it from when I worked for them.

 

Semper Fi!!!

 

Rah...I like the 1911 a lot, but there are so 'freakin many of them I can't keep track of them all these years. However, I don't think we used the Warrior. Isn't the Warrior the civvy copy of what we used in the "Great 87," (inside joke) the Kimber MCSOCOM IQCB. Note:  I arrived MCRD PISC for boot camp before the official change over to the M9. The M9 was barely even selected over the P226 for simple cost reasons. However, as you know, us force bubbas scoffed at the M9 & continued to use the 1911 in various forms as our mad scientist pitsol & riflesmith surgeons at PWS in Qauntico tweaked it per different requirements over the years as the MEU(SOC) we shot the hell out of. Anyways Kimber is pretty much old news with us now as anything other than a sidearm possibly purchased with unit funds as well as a few other weapons higher higher might approve. I haven't seen one in the teams since years before I retired. Det 1 sold many of those Kimbers to us after use & many of us sold them to civvies (no derrogatory jab intended, bros) for fortunes on the secondhand market.The Colt M45A1 has taken over that role quite well thus far the last 5-6 years. Anyway, I'm a Sig fanatic. All I own are semi pistols & they are all Sig.

 

Semper Fi,

Masterguns

 

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Gunny

[Grindcore]

I picked up a Warrior a few months ago and a H&K P30LS but I have a Legion P226 SAO save in a cart, loved the way the Sig fits my hand.

I first shot the 1911 back in "86 at MCRD PI, then they started the switch to the M9s.

 

But back to the thread topic, I just traded for a F-16C Block 25/32 kit, I have doubles on all their other versions sans the Thunderbird kit. I really wish they would do a F-16AM.