What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor?

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:19 pm

What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor in the preassembled way like 21st, bbi, and 21st
What if they where just as detailed if not more then their smaller 1/32 kits with photo etched parts?
And say the price was affordable and they came out with 4 new products each quarter ?

Just wondering?

What are your thoughts?

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:22 pm

Heck even if they were kits. i bet alot would buy them in 1/18th scale

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:24 pm

I could groove on this.

FieroDude · Post by **FieroDude** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:41 pm

VMF115 wrote:What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor in the preassembled way like 21st, bbi, and 21st
What if they where just as detailed if not more then their smaller 1/32 kits with photo etched parts?
And say the price was affordable and they came out with 4 new proudest each quarter ?

Just wondering?

What are your thoughts?

If they could release 1/18 kits in detail and pricing proportional to their 1/32 kits, for example with photo-etched parts and costing maybe $250-$500 (based on retail for 1/32 averaging $70-$120 and a 1/18 bird being about twice as big dimension-wise, but maybe 3-4 times more materials--I have never done a real volume/mass comparison so I don't know exactly), I am sure there would be a following.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:54 pm

FieroDude wrote:
If they could release 1/18 kits in detail and pricing proportional to their 1/32 kits, for example with photo-etched parts and costing maybe $250-$500 (based on retail for 1/32 averaging $70-$120 and a 1/18 bird being about twice as big dimension-wise, but maybe 3-4 times more materials--I have never done a real volume/mass comparison so I don't know exactly), I am sure there would be a following.

What do you think a ready made 1/18 F-14 vs. 1/18 P-39 cost with working features?

FieroDude · Post by **FieroDude** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:05 pm

If you cut back on some of the detail and limit moving features to the canopy, wings, major control surfaces, and landing gear, and offered it as a pre-built, I could see a 1/18 F-14 coming in around $250-$300 on the low end. Maintain the level of detail offered in a lot of the kits, with extensive moving parts, removable panels, rubber, metal, and photo-etched components,, and it would be closer to $450-500.

The P-39 or a comparably-sized aircraft would land in the $150-200 range on the low-end, or closer to $300+ for extensive detail.

Keep in mind that those are my best guesses based on what's out there now and current price trends. And in none of these examples would we be looking at the level of detail or finish quality offered by hand-builts such as hph. You would still have the occasional overspray and paint smudges, glue drips, missing, broken, or backwards parts, etc. that we see with current manufacturers in various degrees.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:10 pm

If trumpeter did that I think they would not hold off on the detail, so I would guess a higher cost would be expected.

ostketten · Post by **ostketten** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:46 pm

What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor in the preassembled way like 21st, bbi, and 21st

LOL...I can remember back in the days when I used to build models from kits and Trumpeter was the "new kid on the block", people in the hobby used to say "Ahh..they'll never amount to anything...Chinese crap" etc. Now they are one of the big players in the industry, and many consider their kits equal to or better than Tamiya. I for one would welcome their entry into our "arena", and competition is usually a good thing and would probably benefit us as a community in the long run.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:25 pm

Doesn't Trumpeter make the 1/16 scale R/C T-34? They price it at about $75. The detail is good. If they switch to a smaller scale 1/18 they could make all of our favorites . Count me in.

KAMIKAZE · Post by **KAMIKAZE** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:42 pm

I double dog dare them to do it!

Mark

1958Zelda · Post by **1958Zelda** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:52 pm

That would be wonderful.

Post by **aferguson** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:42 pm

is there some reason why you picked Trumpeter out of all the various model manufacturers?

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:13 pm

That would work for me.

dcway · Post by **dcway** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:23 pm

Hi All
The thing that will hurt the most will be cost !!!! When you talk about
$100.00 and up !!! Thats going to hit most of us in the wallet hard and i think most of them will collect dust on the shelves before they'll sell.
allso they will probably make stuff that has been made before WWII
items which is getting old fast!! thats my take on things.

Dana

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:35 pm

Rumors and speculations along with some brain storming: try not to read into it…to much

I was talking to one of managers "His job is buying all things related to model kits, model rockets and trains" at my local hobby store this past Saturday, seeing if they will carry Pegasus pre built models along with 1/18 and 1/32 21st century toys items we all like. He told me he was not impressed with them. And called them toys for the most part, I did show him my Avenger and my me-262a from 21st and he was impressed with them. Stopped shortly of calling them toys. I guess he seen the earlier one and was not impressed with those.

But there is a rumor he told me about that we might see more preassembled models from the traditional model makers. just don't know when and from who.

He said for the most part the scale modeling industry as a whole is dying and getting old and new kits are getting harder to find. Since many of the kit manufactures are making less and less of the kits. As a hole the industry is losing a lot of it’s market shares. If the scale modeling companies want to stay in business the will need to do something different.
He states.

Monogram/ Revell models experimented with pre-painted models a few years ago. And offer die-cast cars 1/18th now.

I also Would not be supervised to see Tamiya inter the fry at some point down the road since they already have done it in 1/35 scale and in 1/12 scale with their die cast cars.

The reason we both picked Trumpeter was they have already established them selves on a very limited base’s in making a/c and tanks in a preassembled useing some of thier kits. First with merit and their 1/24 scale and then with their 1/16th scale tanks in R/C form.

As for prices of Trumpeter kits, they are inflated by the distributors and then again by the hobby shops.

As told by the manger, Many of his Distributors have taken special notice in 21st century and Bbi and the 1/18 scale with movable features and have wondered why the modeling companies did not think of that…

In any case he would not carry them. Since they are not conspired model kits….I tried to tell him that there are many hobby stores that carry preassembled kits in either die-cast cars or like military items 21st, Fov, bbi AT, and now Pegasus with some civilian line of 1/18th scale A/C…. His attitude was if you don’t have to paint or glue it then it’s not a model but a toy

Any ways it would not be hard for the modeling combines to make this lead, they have the reference and experience to make their molds they might have to scale them up a bit and make alteration for moving parts and use stronger plastics. When ever it will be, it will be a slow progression, as they don’t want to offend their current customers. T hey will probably start out by making 60 present kits and have 40 percent preassembled…..who knows, just a thought.

This is just a trend he has noticed for the last 20 years now more so then ever, And is sheared by others that he knows In the modeling community. First it was with die cast cars being more like models cars, now it is with military items. Getting more realistic.

One thing he did say about our hobby we are on the cusp of a new hobby that many will be discovering for the first time many years from now.

What we do now and what we demand as consumers will reflect on how this hobby will grow in future.

Yup we are the trend setters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ostketten · Post by **ostketten** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:22 am

But there is a rumor he told me about that we might see more preassembled models from the traditional model makers

I think the evolution of pre-assembled and painted models is a sign of the times. There will always be a contingent of hobbyists that will want to hand make kits, but many people simply don't have the time to invest in making top quality models from scratch, and the quality, detail, and professional looking paint jobs on the pre-made is stuff nowadays is excellent and getting better all the time, you combine that with a price point that in most cases is cheaper than a kit and all the accessories needed to complete it, and it becomes a no brainer.

Gunner · Post by **Gunner** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:48 pm

Don't forget that Trumpeter has already done 1/20 Chinese Type 98 MBT kit (I have one sitting on my shelf.) The detail is pretty good, IMO.

Also, Trumpeter has been doing both kits and pre-builts in 1/72 and 1/700 scales (pre-builts under the "Easy Model" name and kits of the same things under "Hobby Boss").

1/18 might be a logical next step for them, or it might not. I know I'm largely moving "down scale" from 1/6 to 1/18 to 1/72, and US consumers, with lots of space for collections, are becoming a smaller share of the overall global market.

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:32 pm

Thought I would chip in with this:

My dad is a retired POW navy and is a award winning scale modeler from numerious shows. I saw him a few weeks ago and we talk models.

He has seen a "coming soon" list from trumpeter and there is a 1/18 scale Dauntless on that list.

He was pretty sure of the scale, as trumpter has a 1/32 SBD already. I would have no doubts if that is true the AT and trumpter SBDs would be eerrily similiar

Dave

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:32 pm

Perhaps he was mistaken, but he expressed Trumpter. My dad knows kits and companies.

Regardless it can't be 3 companies making a 1/18 SBD.

I did see a 1/18 Me 109 G6 offered on squadron.com by HML from Czech Republic for $600

DH

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:23 pm

those HMP 1/18 kits have been around for years. I wouldn't read anything into that.

1/18 model kits would be tres cool as there would be a better chance of seeing more diverse subject matter, me thinks.

Timbo · Post by **Timbo** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:42 pm

aferguson wrote:those HMP 1/18 kits have been around for years. I wouldn't read anything into that.

1/18 model kits would be tres cool as there would be a better chance of seeing more diverse subject matter, me thinks.

It's hard to say Aferg. Dragon has been releasing 1/6 model kits for about the last year now and all four are of items they've already produced as pre-built items. One would hope that if these are successful then we may see some original items. While this does offer the modeler a chance to really go crazy detailing something from the ground up, the downside is that at least in the case of the kubelwagen the model kit is slightly more expensive than the pre-built version was when it was released.

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What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor?

What if trumpeter started to make 1/18th aircraft and armor?

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