Deino
Alien
Moderator
AW: Kitty Hawk Models
Jungs ... ich glaube inzwischen ist alles 4 bis 27mal gesagt worden !
Ihr beide habt andere Ansichten, unterschiedliche Einstellungen und für beide gibt es eine Berechtigung; ihr werdet Euch nicht gegenseitig bekehren !!
Was aber ganz generell in die Richtung geht, ist eine Erklärung (leider nur auf Englisch ... aber wen's interessiert), die Raymond Chung von Kinetic im Arc-Forum abgegeben hat. Er erklärt sehr anschaulich das Problem dieser auseinanderklaffenden Schere von Erwartungshaltung und Machbarkeit (vor allem aus Sicht des Formenbaus und deren Finanzierung). Das soll keine Entschuldigung für die genannten eklatanten Fehler sein, für die ja auch Trumpeter immer wieder heftig einstecken darf (oder gar muss) ... aber dass es nicht sein, dass Tamiya-Qualität für ein Appel und ein Ei machbar ist, wollen andererseits viele auch nicht wahrhaben oder einsehen.
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=271175&view=findpost&p=2570593
Deino
Jungs ... ich glaube inzwischen ist alles 4 bis 27mal gesagt worden !
Ihr beide habt andere Ansichten, unterschiedliche Einstellungen und für beide gibt es eine Berechtigung; ihr werdet Euch nicht gegenseitig bekehren !!
Was aber ganz generell in die Richtung geht, ist eine Erklärung (leider nur auf Englisch ... aber wen's interessiert), die Raymond Chung von Kinetic im Arc-Forum abgegeben hat. Er erklärt sehr anschaulich das Problem dieser auseinanderklaffenden Schere von Erwartungshaltung und Machbarkeit (vor allem aus Sicht des Formenbaus und deren Finanzierung). Das soll keine Entschuldigung für die genannten eklatanten Fehler sein, für die ja auch Trumpeter immer wieder heftig einstecken darf (oder gar muss) ... aber dass es nicht sein, dass Tamiya-Qualität für ein Appel und ein Ei machbar ist, wollen andererseits viele auch nicht wahrhaben oder einsehen.
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=271175&view=findpost&p=2570593
Schönes Wochenende noch.Therefore, let me explain some little note from a small manufacturer point of view and you can have some more prospect on "how" the model maker works:
1. Tooling Quality
It mainly depends on the tooling equipment, craftsmanship, time and material in the EDM process. We make that simple - let put grade A,B,C,D,E level tooling. Tamiya would be at grade A, Hasegawa may be on B, Trumpeter may be on C or D. According to your description, we may be at grade D or C (for certain item/area).
The selection of the tooling quality may decide from the owner that run the company where "he" wants his brand position. For example, GWH is now position at B+ with their Mig-29 and maybe we are at C- for KFIR and E for our E-2C (because we don't have experience that time).
For modeling market, sometimes the business is not a straight line. It does not mean you invest A,B+ tooling cost, you will have a good result. IMHO, the subject, time of release will determine the success of the project. We are using the same grade D/E tooling on E-2C and grade C-,D tooling for F-16, the E-2C result is 100 times better than F-16. Well in E-2C case, the subject and timing is the critical factor.
GWH Mig-29 is B+ tooling with subject and timing factor, so they made their home run. Let see how their F-15 perform.
For KFIR, we use grade C-,D+ level tooling as the investment return on the no. of copies sold would not be comparable to Mig-29 or F/A-18. That is why we use C- tooling on the fuselage. For coming FOUGA, we use the grade C+ tooling and this time we focus on the small part and runner as well as fitting of it.
For F/A-18 series, since we already have a good product from Hasegawa, the challenge is even more. We need to deliver grade B+ tooling while we need to maintain the price. I heard someone complain the price from GWH F-15 ($75+shipping). Therefore, I think we will also be complained if we put the price $75 for a 1/48 F/A-18... However, this is our job to deliver a grade B+ F/A-18 tooling and sell it for ??? let say $39 ? With cartograph decal, color booklet .... the bottom line - return on investment.
We cannot do such kind of project during first few years, but we think we need to do it on F/A-18 series as this would be a icon NAVY fighter and it would sell for long time as if as other "F" fighter. However, not all subject has the "potential" number that we can invest the amount.
The HARRIER FA2 and other "less than huge demand" subject will using grade C+ tooling to maintain the cost as well as price. For retail price issue, I will explain in below paragraph.
2. The research and study
This is big parts of changes since 2011 within Kinetic, with the leave of the original founder (where he in charge of every research design), we have to find a new "designer" to take over the job. The process is not smooth, but at the end, we "discover" the "workflow" instead of a "designer" to achieve an accurate model. It also proof that running "few talent on the model kit" is not enough nowadays as the communication is so easy, the consumer can "identify" thousand of spots within few second where it takes weeks/month for internal staff to identify the problem. Therefore, why I mention it is "workflow" - a team of array of different expertise work together to spot the design. Therefore, starting from our T-45, F-5A, KFIR, Mirage 2000C, Alpha Jet, we don't experience a "fatal" error on the shape, dimension where the consumer can spot within 5 mins after checking out the kit.
Some other news maker is now use the similar approach on the research and design resources, some still working in the old ways of internal research. Well, this is human operation, some make mistake, sometimes not. But at least, we avoid some fatal failure at our best.
3. The retail price
This has been a long argument of "you should deliver A+ quality for price like this". I can tell all of you. 50%-60% of the price you pay does not goes to the manufacturer. They go to transport, warehousing, retailing. The internet has put a pressure on the traditional distribution model to "compress" the cost, however, it stills present a great amount of the money that the consumer pay.
4. The Sales and Distribution
IMHO, this is "critical" factors for nowadays kit maker. W/o the good sales and distribution, the maker cannot survive no matter how good is the kit designed as well as how good is the tooling grade. We can see it easily from AM's B-25, P-51. They are grade B+ tooling, A+ design, all good input from group modeler "made by modeler". I don't know the story behind AM, but it seems the business plan is not adequate for such investment. However, it is good to see their tooling is in the hands of Academy/MRC and sometimes Italeri rebox their item.
I hope the above note can let consumer like you understand more and help you to decide to make your purchase decision.
Deino