21st Century Toys 1:18 Information Q&A (Area-21 Pres)

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:49 am

Are you going to have Plugs for the Avenger?

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:17 pm

Forget the plugs, let's see the russian exercise videos

DH

KAMIKAZE · Post by **KAMIKAZE** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:59 am

Hey Moth,

I haven't been in Brooklyn for 20 years. Is everybody in Brooklyn as well armed as you. I thought that was just a "Texas thing"

Mark

Moth · Post by **Moth** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:11 pm

Well Armed?

No, I was just joking, all I have is a Crosman 664GT Air Rifle and a Crosman PPK/S Recoil CO2 pistol

Although I am planning to get my gun license sometime soon

KAMIKAZE · Post by **KAMIKAZE** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:30 pm

I was joking too. I think a pellet gun is just fine for brooklyn. If I remember correctly it is a pretty nice place to live.
I have a few relatives there, but have not seen them since I was very young. Maybe I'll make it up there some day with the family so I can show them what REAL Italian food tastes like.

Mark

vulgarvulture · Post by **vulgarvulture** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:13 pm

tko211:

Will there be a second production run of Atlantic Avengers going to W-M any time soon? Or is this it for now (to be followed by Flight 19, then Bush, then another Atlantic run...?).

Thanks.

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:32 pm

I am tying to get details on the Avenger status. Right now I am not going to assume anything, thus if I see an Atlantic Avenger I am just going to buy one. If a better one comes out great!- I will give the older one to the neighbood kids or whatever.

I think we will see Flight 19 next (as in pretty soon.)

-TKO

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:55 pm

Is that a WM confirmed run for Flight 19? As the only Mustang Ive seen at WM was the Ridge Runner, the other 2 repaints nowhere to be seen except online.

In my AO with 4 counties of possible WM's.

As I have 2 on pre order with BCT.

DH

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:11 pm

tko211 wrote:I am tying to get details on the Avenger status. Right now I am not going to assume anything, thus if I see an Atlantic Avenger I am just going to buy one. If a better one comes out great!- I will give the older one to the neighbood kids or whatever.

I think we will see Flight 19 next (as in pretty soon.)

-TKO

In mass retail?

Also, I just got the F-104. Please tell Roy and the rest of the crew that it is a beaut! Man no wonder you guys on this board proclaim it as the best 1/18 aircraft! Though I have a feeling 21st's F-86 and MIG-15 will top it. They simply have more features, but to be fair, 21st designed the F-104 long before the F-86/MIG-15.
The pilot is a HUGE improvement over previous releases. The only thing I still encountered were that the joints were a bit tight and almost stuck, but luckily they were freed after twerking with them. For some reason the plastic likes to stick to each other, I think perhaps it is an inherent quality on the PVC used? The F-104 is great, the spring loaded gears are VERY impressive. Also the PVC pitot tube comes in handy, sure its not exactly straight but hey they included a ABS and a PVC one, and I used the PVC one just so it would have less chance of snapping off. I got the marinflieger one btw.

On with my questions!

1-The springloaded gears and locks impress the hell out of me. Will these be permanent features on all 21st century 1.18 scale aircraft from here on out? Is it present on the Avenger?

2-Corsair was said to be high on the list of those to be retooled. Is it a definite plane for retool for next year?

3-P-51 retooled with gun lockers...will we see BBD before the end of this year?

4-So we have the Korean war era jets covered for the most part. And 21st has been having WWII covered for sometime now. Any ventures into vietnam and beyond for 1/18 aircraft next year? (Not just repaints...sure the F-104 in SEA camo counts but...it was from an earlier era). And plus we have been drooling for some modern and vietnam era birds.

5-IF the Avenger was not sold to walmart, how much would the msrp have been?>

6-Is 21st directly selling stuff to KB toys b&m or are they being sold to them by another retailer on discount?

7-I noticed with the Cobra and my F-104 that when weapons are attached, they really should not be taken off, otherwise it risks breakage. Will this change in the future?(as in swappable weaponry and the sort).

8-Has demand for certain vietnam era/modern jets ever outweighed demand for a WWII warbird?

9-Tigercat? Yey or ney. If 21st can handle the complex iron works beast of the Avenger, then surely they can pump out a tigercat...only question is if they will...

10-Would Russian fighters such as MIGs or Sukhois be hard to obtain licenses for? Sure we have the MIG-15....but the fulcrum...the flankers......the cutting edge of soviet technology...would they be eligible to be made? Do Russian licenses cost more than US licenses?

11-When guaging interest for a potential 1/18 product, where does 21st century look? Do they look primarily at sales charts from model kit stores? online order tallies from etailers? Walmart sales? Forums? Do we factor into it? I realize that though we seem like a large group, its only because this is one of the only 1/18 forums out there and we make up just a portion of the buying population. Are the polls we make or internet debates of interest to 21st? Just wondering since we speculate and wishlist a ton here! And its fun too!

12-Since TRU went under new management in recent years, are they open to 21st coming back to them? Why did 21st leave them anyways? Or why did TRU not sell their stuff any longer?

13-Avengers showing up in va beach is a good thing. heck ANYTHING new showing up in va beach is a good thing! I am very thankful we finally got some new stuff and I was finally able to find an F-104. However some of us in other states are still not able to find stuff. Is distribution something still being worked on? I realize it might be out of 21st's hands, but maybe a gentle push in the right direction might help.After all, walmart wants our money, but can't get it if we can't find any XD stuff.

14-Will we get accurate cobra pilots single carded? My CIA pilot is not want I want stuck in there flying it.

15-I noticed as time went on that many moving features were added to the planes. Was this in response to competitors like BBI bringing up the ante'? Or input from fans? Or Roy himself since he wanted a better toy? It always interested me how they got so much better now then they were when they first started.

Thanks for giving us input tko!

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:23 pm

tko211 wrote:I am tying to get details on the Avenger status. Right now I am not going to assume anything, thus if I see an Atlantic Avenger I am just going to buy one. If a better one comes out great!- I will give the older one to the neighbood kids or whatever.

I think we will see Flight 19 next (as in pretty soon.)

-TKO

I hope the distribution is a little better with the next run. Yes the Avengers have gotten across the country, but compared to the ME-109s, etc. the Avenger's current record in not too great, IMHO. Not that 21c can control that fact, however. It would be great if these planes got to the small retailers ASAP - and that is something 21c can control. I'm keeping my preorder with one precisely because I cannot trust Wal Mart and 21c products... too much store-to-store variation and too many who loose out.

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:47 pm

Let me see if I can get as many of these answers as I can.

For Shin-
1. Spring loaded gears- I am not certain that the spring gears will always be the norm. I think where 21st can do them they will. I agree that the gear on the F-104 are excellent. I don't know if the Avenger has this type of construction.

2. I doubt that the Corsair will be retooled in 07. I think 21st is moving on to all new aircraft that currently do not exist in 1:18 scale yet.

3. I hope we will see BBD before the end of 06 but I am not 100% sure at the moment.

4. looking beyond the WWII and Korean eras... 21st looks at all eras, I think there is a chance that we will someday see more jets... I just dont know for certain what is planned for 07. (which is being worked on right now)

5. I have no idea what MSRP would have been for the TBF Avenger... I imagine that we will all find out soon enough!

6. KB toys... I dunno?

7. Hard to say about the weapons... That is usually worked out on a case by case basis. knowbody knows this answer until the plane goes into prototyping.

8. WWII always sells very well although I think the F-104 is doing very well for 21st too. The F-86 and MiG-15 would not be planned if 21st didn't feel that jets have a place in the collections.

9. Roy and I both really liked the Tigercat when we saw her fly at the airshow this summer. I think the challenge with this airplane is the color schemes. You can have anyone you like as long as you like dark blue or black...

10. I don't know if the russian stuff is an issue of legal stuff... It is more of a "should we really build one of these next issue.

11. 21st has a pretty elobrate system of stats, figures, interest polls, printouts from our posts, hunger strikes, and other top secret things that are considered when looking at models to build. 07 should be fun...

12. Some of TRU is under new management . I would love to see them in TRU more. Perhaps we will see that in the near future as they continue to work out the bugs on thier end.

13. 21st has done more than gently push for better Wal-Mart distribution. Problem is WM does its own thing. Though I think everyone can plan to see this continue to improve as 21st product becomes more and more popular.

14. I would suggest putting StarWars clone pilots in your Cobra. -just kidding- LOL. I have not seen any plans to sell cobra pilots on a card yet.

15. I think it was the other way around... I think 21st raised it's own bar. They continue to innovate and push the edge.

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:17 pm

tko211 wrote:Let me see if I can get as many of these answers as I can.

For Shin-
1. Spring loaded gears- I am not certain that the spring gears will always be the norm. I think where 21st can do them they will. I agree that the gear on the F-104 are excellent. I don't know if the Avenger has this type of construction.

2. I doubt that the Corsair will be retooled in 07. I think 21st is moving on to all new aircraft that currently do not exist in 1:18 scale yet.

3. I hope we will see BBD before the end of 06 but I am not 100% sure at the moment.

4. looking beyond the WWII and Korean eras... 21st looks at all eras, I think there is a chance that we will someday see more jets... I just dont know for certain what is planned for 07. (which is being worked on right now)

5. I have no idea what MSRP would have been for the TBF Avenger... I imagine that we will all find out soon enough!

6. KB toys... I dunno?

7. Hard to say about the weapons... That is usually worked out on a case by case basis. knowbody knows this answer until the plane goes into prototyping.

8. WWII always sells very well although I think the F-104 is doing very well for 21st too. The F-86 and MiG-15 would not be planned if 21st didn't feel that jets have a place in the collections.

9. Roy and I both really liked the Tigercat when we saw her fly at the airshow this summer. I think the challenge with this airplane is the color schemes. You can have anyone you like as long as you like dark blue or black...

10. I don't know if the russian stuff is an issue of legal stuff... It is more of a "should we really build one of these next issue.

11. 21st has a pretty elobrate system of stats, figures, interest polls, printouts from our posts, hunger strikes, and other top secret things that are considered when looking at models to build. 07 should be fun...

12. Some of TRU is under new management . I would love to see them in TRU more. Perhaps we will see that in the near future as they continue to work out the bugs on thier end.

13. 21st has done more than gently push for better Wal-Mart distribution. Problem is WM does its own thing. Though I think everyone can plan to see this continue to improve as 21st product becomes more and more popular.

14. I would suggest putting StarWars clone pilots in your Cobra. -just kidding- LOL. I have not seen any plans to sell cobra pilots on a card yet.

15. I think it was the other way around... I think 21st raised it's own bar. They continue to innovate and push the edge.

Thanks for the answers man! I really appreciate it!

I have to agree with the 21st raising their own bar comment you mentioned. Looking back at their first releases back in 2000, and to where they are now, its a natural progression and evolution. And they DID go way far. I mean back in 2000, I was a junior in high school just astounded@The S1 P-51. Back then that was the most realistic 1/18 scale Mustang out there, and the price was right too...and I debated getting it. I never did. And look at their Mustang now. In fact the only reason I have not bought a new tool Mustang from 21st is because I await the "definitive" version with the gun lockers. That will set it apart from my BBI version.

I would take any Tigercat in blue or black. Would 21st be able to put a glosscoat on it? Now THAT would be awesome! And often, that is what I see on Tigercats.

And if anyone else on this forum is like me, they will MAKE SPACE if there is no space presently. Trust me, I would clear my bedroom for a 1/18 scale F-14. Oh yes. LOL you should have seen me trying to figure out where to put my F-104 in my room last weekend without waking people up and making a mess(I had to rearrange my topshelf). I'm sure the team would have gotten a kick out of it.

BTW an F-5 and A-4 would be GREAT for next year. If 21st can shove the F-104 into the 40$ pricepoint, I'm sure the Scooter and Tiger could be shoved into that box as well. Both are smaller than the F-104, are more popular, and quite possibly have more repaint potential.

jfloresc · Post by **jfloresc** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:23 am

Hello TKO. I am new but have been collecting 1:18 planes for very long time. I remember earlier this year 21st Century Website was requesting feedback on a tall 1:18 plane Tower that stood vertically and held maybe 9 planes or so. I was very excited since it was a convenient way to display/store my large planes without using too much space. What ever happened to that project because I am still very interested despite it possibly costing $100 or so. Any way I can still get hold of something like that?

Sabrefan · Post by **Sabrefan** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:33 am

The F-104 has alot of repaint potential. It was used by several nations, and would look great in just about any scheme. I would really like to see a Japanese version.

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:00 am

Any updates on the 4 for Victory prize? Thanks in advance for any info.

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:53 am

Sabrefan wrote:The F-104 has alot of repaint potential. It was used by several nations, and would look great in just about any scheme. I would really like to see a Japanese version.

It has 3 repaints already, time for a new model. F-105 has to happen, before a A-4! What would be a cool would be a purchaseable 1/18 decal and stencil set of various nationality/pilot schemes so the advanced guys could paint their own favorites.

And let 21C concentrate on standard common themes for new models.

I'm not sure what the majority of collectors do, either buy them all or wait until the one preferred scheme comes out.

In my case I buy them when they come out, and limit to 2,maybe 3 different versions (numerious conditions apply for a 3rd plane) and then ignore all the new repaints and wait until a new model.

On that note, why couldn't the various repaints of the hanomag have a different decal other than 13? 3 repaints all same 13.

DH

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:07 pm

The decal numbering is interesting. The Panzer IV's (if you observe all of the various versions here and overseas) are pretty spread in their numbering and even the colors of the numbers change, but all of the Tigers (even Motorworks) are Red 326.

From 21C's perspective they should even release multiple numbers in the same series. That way the addicts in the crowd (me included) would buy even more hanomags to complete the set.

(Ok, perhaps a bad idea...

Maybe different teams work on different units? Or 13/326 are their lucky numbers? ::shrug::

mack perry · Post by **mack perry** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:23 pm

tko do we have more news on 1/18 stuff or not

SGT. Saunders · Post by **SGT. Saunders** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:15 am

Im sure we will see some pics this month of the new 18 WWII figures that are to come. Still hoping there are British troops in that 18!

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 4:02 pm

Will the Mig-15 have a removable weapons Pod ?
If has one it will be the main reason to buy a Mig-15

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 5:05 pm

Still hoping there are British troops in that 18!

And Russians. I mean, who would the British fight?

scbvideoboy · Post by **scbvideoboy** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:09 pm

There was press release about the Mig and the gun platform

http://www.21stcenturytoys.com/area21/a ... newsID=174

Just saw the press releases on 21C site, sure would like to see that P-51B in 1/18.

DH

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:14 pm

scbvideoboy wrote:There was press release about the Mig and the gun platform

http://www.21stcenturytoys.com/area21/a ... newsID=174

Just saw the press releases on 21C site, sure would like to see that P-51B in 1/18.

DH

SWEET!!!!!!!

Thanks scbvideoboy.

tkjaer21 · Post by **tkjaer21** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 7:36 pm

I wonder if someday all the 1:32 scal stuff will be made into 1:18. Just hoping.