So...what's next for Merit?

[Jason of Admiral Toys]

If it is the same company I think Merit got the Dauntless from... they were working on a 1:18 B-17 as well...!

[normandy]

Jason, great to hear from you!
A 1:18 B-17 that would be cool...... wasn't 21st going to do a B-25 in 1:18 scale?
I'd be happy if Merit or Somebody..... would do a Me-163 Komet in 1:18.

I've got one of your Me-262's (white 7) Jason, Fantastic model!!!!
All the Best to You Guys!
Normandy.

[Dauntless]

21stC did do a 1:32 prototype of a B-17, and they listed it on ebay a while back.

[YT]

If it is the same company I think Merit got the Dauntless from... they were working on a 1:18 B-17 as well...!

Now that would be cool!

[aferguson]

i wonder if Jason is referring to BBI. Mike told me years ago they had a prototype b-17 made...and a c-47.

no chance we'll see a 1/18 b-17 produced in this day and age.

However, somebody said a Hind. BBI also had a Hind ready to go. I wonder if Merit has the courage?

I'll buy one one if they do.

[snake]

1/18 B-17 would be ridiculously huge.

Don't think they would sell many at all.

I certainly wouldn't buy one.

Think a Mosquito, B-25, or F-15 is as big as 1/18 should go.

[Vonberne]

I know it'd be expensive. And I know it's been requested to death, but I'd really like an A-10. I don't even need all the pods and/or armament, just the plane. I started active duty at RAF Bentwaters in the 80's, and at the time we were the largest tactical fighter wing in the world with 110 A-10's on station. Love those planes, and in later years those ugly hogs pulled my butt out of some nasty spots in Afghanistan.

There'd be a couple of paint schemes they could do, old NATO green and the current gray, perhaps with sharks teeth.

Maybe someone from Merit could come on and ballpark a cost for us?

I second that. But I would want the ordinance.
Come on Merit.

[Long Time Luker]

1/18 B-17 would be ridiculously huge.

Don't think they would sell many at all.

I certainly wouldn't buy one.

Think a Mosquito, B-25, or F-15 is as big as 1/18 should go.

Sitting side by side, a B-17 is just a bit bigger than a F-14. If folks were going to accomodate an F-14, I don't think they'd have a issue with a B-17.

B-17
# Crew: 10
# Length: 74 ft 9 in (22.7 m)
# Wingspan: 103 ft 10 in (31.6 m)
# Height: 19 ft 1 in (5.8 m)
# Wing area: 1,420 ft² (131.9 m²)
# Airfoil: NACA 0018 / NACA 0010
# Empty weight: 36,135 lb (16,390 kg)
# Loaded weight: 54,000 lb (24,495 kg)
# Maximum Take-Off Weight: 72,000 lb (32,660 kg)


F-14
# Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
# Length: 18.6 m (61 ft 9 in)
# Wingspan: 64 ft unswept, 38 ft swept (19 m / 11.4 m)
# Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
# Wing area: 565 ft² (54.5 m²)
# Airfoil: NACA 64A209.65 mod root, 64A208.91 mod tip
# Empty weight: 19,000 kg (42,000 lb)
# Loaded weight: 28,000 kg (61,000 lb)
# Maximum Take-Off Weight: 32,805 kg (72,900 lb)


And I'd definately go for a Jimmy Doolittle B-25 as well.

If we've reached a day and age when 1/18 planes are going to be $150-$200 and still be well received and purchased by the community, I think the hobby may be to accomodate a higher price for the bigger planes such as the A-10, especially if Merit or another company would give the buyers a heads up in order to have time to save up the bucks

[Jackson]

Butcher Bird for myself would make my Luftwaffe collection complete...

[Dauntless]

A 1:18 Flying Fortress would be huge, but somehow I'd make room.

Would be cool to have one with removable panels much like the BMF (Big Millennium Falcon) playset to put figures in.

I can imagine the cost of doing something like this, but such a thing would be the ultimate for collectors.

A B-25 Mitchell would probably be within the realm of possibility. Given it would be more closer to the size of an F-14 Tomcat. Maybe more complex though.
The B-25C Doolittle Raider would be historically significant model to do, but personally I would rather have a B-25J with all the bells and whistles, side fuselage 50 cals., rear gunner station, dorsal turret moved closer to the cockpit, and the option for the nose to be altered to a strafing attack version with the 50 cal. nose and or the B-25H with the 75mm cannon etc....