Now if it were true how much would it cost ? 3 years ago I would say about $95 to $170. When Admiral posted there Phantam , that was there price range. So I guess that price would work on the A-10. The problem that I see with the A-10 being made by the big manf. is the shear size and to make it in scale. The wing span would be 38.33 inches by 35.55 inches length. That takes up over 9 1/2 square feet !!!!!
In todays market I would say that this same model will sell in the $195 to $300 range . Almost out of the range of all 1/18 scale collectors. IF IT EVER HAPPENS. Chances are ....
So what to do to get a A-10 ? The most costly would be a fully customized A-10 from sratch. This would take about 2-4 weeks full time to make in SCALE. Then you have the RTV and resin to contend with. My estamate on RTV mold making rubber would be about $1000 to $1500. It would take about $100 to $150 worth of resin to cast a single copy.
That being said a production scale A-10 model would take a day to cast a day to assemble and another 2-3 days to paint. Not that long but you need the paint to dry between coats. So how much would this cost per unit turn key? My guess would be $1000 to $1500 for one.
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That is a lot of money !! Who would buy something that high ? Not a lot of collectors but there are a few. Probably about 10 to 20 who would be willing to shell out that kind of dough. Of course the avarage collector would not.
So what is another option ? Aferguson checks on the R/C items all of the time. Here are a couple of Almost Ready to Fly R/C A-10s.
http://www.raidentech.com/new204chathi.html
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/stor ... oduct=7524
They are close to the right size in the discription . They have the wingspan at 34.5 inches and the length at 38 inches . This is kind of a flip flop in sizes. Maybe it is a typo maybe not. They sell for $95 to $130. Are the basic bones right ? I do not know. Is it a good platform to start ? I do not know. But it is a start. They are made out of foam with a good looking smooth look . The paint scehmes
![Evil or Very Mad :evil:](./images/smilies/icon_evil.gif)
The developement would take about 2-3 weeks about half of the RTV and resin. But it would be a kit and you would have to do all of the work yourself.
So using a R/C plane and a scale kit about $300-$500 . Turn key job $700-$900 using the R/c model.
So there you have it. That is the reason we have yet to see a good quality A-10 in 1/18 scale.
The reality that we will see an A-10 in 1/18 ? Very high if you are willing to shell out big money.