1/18th Scale A-10 Advanced Planning Stage Input Needed ! !

[Birddog]

You know I'm stil in it for a few Matt. The only ones that seem to be speaking out the most against it are those that would rather see another WWII project. Have to keep in mind how many sat on the fence with other projects from manufacturers because of price, like the F-14, until they were available. Even with it's flaws, people changed their minds. Besides, the market isn't just those who are on this board.

I don't believe you would get any different results from members on this board if it was a 1/18 B-25 you were asking about. If anyone thinks you could do that plane for $500 with the detail they would want, they are highly out of touch with reality.....

[gouchy]

I'm one of those wishing for a 1/18 A-10

but call me naive, I was hoping for a price lower then that. At $500 unpainted kit (plus overseas shipping for me) you can't blame people (whatever painting skills or financial situation they are in) for taking a step back and wondering if you really could or should take a plunge on it.

I'm sure there are some who are on the fence right now, with many uncertainties and other factors influencing their decisions. They could make life very much easier with regards to this project for Pickel if they could just commit but its also not very fair to come down hard on the fence sitters or those who've decided to give this a miss.

The best bet for this project to move along is to broaden the horizons and see if there are interested parties who are interested and can commit on it, say from other boards or Ebay or webstores or brick/motar shops. But Pickel (bless him ) is still just a busy one man show, with a regular job too, so maybe some members could help put the word out to see if there's any interest?

[TankAce]

I don't collect airplanes,but if i was in to it.. I feel the price is just about right in $500.00 because of the size and complexity putting up a kit this size. A 1/16 Forces of Valor Tiger 1 tank cost $700 this days on ebay. The a-10 will be more limited and more larger than this tanks.
Not every aircraft deserves to be made in 1/18,but the A-10 has a bad @$$ reputation and i can understand why modern aircraft collectors want it.

[A-10LOADER]

I am still interested.


Steve

[B-29]

I am very interested, and if this moves forward I will certainly try to save up the money. Although between tuition and textbooks I won't guarantee anything.

[Jolly Roger]

I love the A-10, and Pik is a amazing artist, but for that price point, I'll wait for a manu to come along and produce one, or never.

I want a out of the box A-10, just like the F-16 and F-18, and it can be done for 300, just like the F-14, the tomcat is so much more pieces.

I refuse to believe that Merit will never do it, they will, at some point, and I'll be waiting.




a 500$ toy to me looks like a finished, painted, lighted, articulated monstrosity.
Not a kit, that's just my opinion, there's love, and then there's obsession, 500$ for an A-10 is obsession IMO.

[Birddog]

I would love nothing more than for Merit or another manufacturer to step up to the plate with a 1/18 A-10 that would hopefully be at the price point the majority of collectors would agree on, but after going on 10+ years of being lead on and watching continued missed opportunities by manufacturers for whatever reason, I'm not passing up the chance to get behind someone that is listening to collectors and is willing to step up to the plate.

It would be nice if Merit would let us know their true interest in doing a 1/18 A-10. It's not like anyone is going to run in and scoop it out from under them. The only two players left outside of Merit are bbi and JSI, both of which Merit seems to have close ties with and seems to communicate and work with. I also noticed on Aviatornut's Facebook page he recently stated that bbi and JSI are both not interested in producing a 1/18 A-10 due to size and cost. So if that information is current, Merit should feel safe to state their true position on the A-10 as a 1/18 scale project. I say true in the sense of what they are REALLY going to do and not one of those empty ended statements we've been given that leaves collectors lead on and holding nothing in the end. The "buy this product and it will lead to this" sort of game.

I'm sure the investors behind the 1/18 A-10 project Pickel is getting involved in would appreciate these manufacturers being up front and honest with their plans so that they don't do the following:

1. Invest their money in a project that is going to be duplicated in the hobby. Think of other projects they may be willing to get behind with their money if they knew what was going to happen with the current players.

2. Have the time and resources of those involved in a project that is eventually going to be duplicated tied up. The current players seem to be working together to stop any duplication. They should extend that effort of communication into the private manufacturers like Pickel's efforts as well.


I have a feeling that this project will be the only way anyone that wants a 1/18 A-10 is going to get one.



It's up to the manufacturer's or anyone in the know to prove me wrong..........clock seems to be ticking quickly now as February is just around the corner...........

[A-10LOADER]

Well said Birddog.

Steve

[[CAT]CplSlade]

You're in no danger of being wrong, I'm afraid.

[Long Time Luker]

I'm still good for one. Sorry I haven't had much luck directing folks this way. Both of my A-10 type contacts are currently PCSing

[Coreyeagle48]

Greetings:

Interesting reading all the replies about the 1/18 A-10. I think one thing most everyone can agree on is that the A-10 is an incredible aircraft that deserves to be made in a larger scale than is currently offered by any manf. in prebuilt or model form. I think we can also agree that Pickelhaube is an artist with his custom work and that his projects are truly unique. Without Pickelhaube, we may never have had some of the stuff we do now. Although I do not own any of his projects, he helped me out with a part several years back and I know he is a standup guy with talent and makes quality products.

I feel the lack of enthuasism for the A-10 is due to several factors. Some of which I will outline here. These are only my opinion but are trends/thoughts I have noticed recently.

1.) The prices in 1/18 and across the board have gone up dramatically since this project was first proposed way back when. I'm not saying Pickelhaube's $500 price point is unreasonable, for I know some of the projects he has done have actually cost him money to complete, but I think the market dynamics have changed. Prices for the old pieces have gone up, the repaint pricing is up and there are many more releases in smaller scales. People may just be pinched on cost simply from trying to fill gaps in their collection, their current economic situations and other factors.

2.) Despite new releases like the Dauntless, I think interest in this scale has fallen off in recent years. People have either been priced out of the hobby, ran out of room or went to other scales. Although there is still a 1/18 following, it is not nearly as healthy as it has been in the past. I think the strongest evidence of this has been the decline of posting on this forum, which was bustling in the heyday of the scale and the fact a highly anticipated new plane (the Dauntless) which was expected to sell out quickly...can still be bought all over the place.

3.) People may realize now just how large this project would be. As much as I'd like to have one I know I just don't have the room for it. I have two Franklin Mint 1/48 A-10's and they are big enough. This is a plane only some people could display and have room for and depending how it is made, might be tough to store unlike our prebuilt stuff which is easily disassembled and returned tothe box if needed.

Again, this is not a knock toward Pickelhaube or his fine work. I just think these are some contributing factors as to why this project may have stalled out.

Corey

[snake]

Well said Corey, and completely agree.

The dynamics of the 1/18 hobby have changed, and priced many out of the market. But many of these "collectors" wanted the crazy Walmart clearance prices to continue forever. Something that just wasn't going to happen, or be sustainable. Think that many got into it because it was so cheap, and when reality sets in, many have left.

Personally, I have no issue spending $150 for a well built and detailed Dauntless in 1/18, but sales on even this have been less than what I thought. And this is what was overwhelmingly asked for, by a mostly American fan base.

The buzz around an A-10 has been present on this forum for quite some time, and Pickel has stepped up to the plate, yet again. He is willing to do this project, but needs to have his time and effort compensated. We all saw what he went through giving us the fabulous Horten.

Is the A-10 expensive? Yes. Should Pickel do it for virtually nothing. No. I think his charity work ended with the Horten.

Matthew has obviously put some time into getting this project off the ground already, and has generously offered his services to get a 1/18 Warthog done.

But he obviously needs to do a certain number of units to get the cost per, down. There are a few members here that are willing to pay some good money to get a fabulous large scale A-10, but not nearly enough to start this project.

A shame for those diehards that really wanted this.

[Kroll777]

I most likely would buy 3. I personally think $500 is low. Sorry guys, some tomcat repaints have gone for as much $1200.00. A good 1/32 scale kit can cost close to $200.

Do it Pickle! Do it !

[Long Time Luker]

Pickle

If there really is this little interest, maybe you all could re calculate with the firm takers you have and see how much it would be for each plane. No one is expecting you to work for free, but I'd still be in if the costs doesn't go too high

[morguhn]

Has anyone thought of trying to fund projects like this via kickstarter?

I support multiple projects on that site, usually in the lower $$$ range, but it's a good way to gauge support and draw additional outsiders in that may make it more viable. Heck, maybe if you hit a large enough goal you can do it in plastic instead of resin? I certainly do not know those logistics, but it's a possible avenue to take.

If you don't hit your target (hint aim high!) then no biggie, you cancel the project (or get a real nice group of insiders that make it work small scale.

[granch]

The room needed to display the A-10 is probably a disturbing factor more than the PH price, no one wants to pay and finally needs to keep the masterpiece in the box or put away many other models to make anough place. The Tomcat seems to me the limit, the Avenger has also an impressive wingspan, even with some interest, the MIL MI-24 Hind is very big and doesn't seem to happen...
I'm not in the Vietnam War era, but I think a smaller project could be more successfull. They are severall, not prestigious airplanes like the Cessna O-2 (seen in a movie with actor Gene Hackmann) that could wake some interest.
But the small Skyhawk, with its very long carreer, could make a buzz. No anachronic display side by side with the Sabre in the fifties, or much later with the Tomcat or Hornet... and (utopia?) with a JSI rebirth of the 21st's project Phantom II. But I'm sure we will never see any 1:18 F-4: too big again, and after all the problems and the dissuasive price of the Tomcat, who would start again such a BIG bird... The A-4 could have better chances.

[Beeavision]

If size is an issue there is always the AV-8B Harrier II.

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

I could go for a bae Hawk...

[Black_Dragon_One]

If size is an issue there is always the AV-8B Harrier II.

i agree

[pickelhaube]

Yes the Harrier is a cool plane and I would love to have one as well.

But it is no A-10.

[The_Helicopter_Pilot]

Yes the Harrier is a cool plane and I would love to have one as well.

But it is no A-10.

The A-10 would be a dream come true, but on this board I think it's just to soon, I'm sure some people would buy it, but it's not going to be anywhere close to your last aircraft build..

[[CAT]CplSlade]

pickel, have you been getting any nibbles from other boards that have an interest in things A-10?

[jmd250]

I'd love one. I would probably even do the $500.00 if it were built and painted, but I don't think I have the skill to paint it like I would want and I'm not interested in spending $800.00 to $1000.00 on one toy. I do hope it gets made by someone though.

[dcway]

I too have been waiting for an A-10 for along time my favorite plane of all times !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really want to see one built !!!!! God i want one bad !!!!!!!!!!!!!! if i had my way i'd have 3 from each wing painted in special markens ..... The thing that pisses me off is at this time i'm living from check to check so at this time it won't happen for me >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. I will be watching with hopes it will happen !!!!! Dana

[Beeavision]