Complexity could be ruining our hobby - why model aircraft need to be simpler!
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The market forces will sort it out.
If a specific type of product sells → make more of it.
The manufacturers will find out the hard way if they make something the “almighty market” doesn’t want or is not willing to pay for.
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I think Takom/Das Werks decided to test the market place and see if that premise holds true with armor modeler’s. Their new 1/35 SuperBlitz Panther G is ~180 parts, costs ~$25.
According to reviews it can be built in about 3 to 4 hours by a motivated modeler to a high standard. Basic painting and weathering however is as much as the modeler wants to put into it.
If the SuperBlitz does well in sales, we might see additional Super Blitz style kits.
I think the comment “build a dissection” is on the mark, lot of models with opened panels showing additional details lose aesthetic appeal.
Plasmo’s FW190 is a model building accomplishment in a technical sense but it’s incredibly ugly and unappealing to my eye. So many panels open that it isn’t interesting to look at because it’s almost unrecognizable as an aircraft.
It’s like a pizza that should be tasty that just has too much salt and is too over seasoned to taste good. However, a lot of modeler’s think that sort of build is the bees knees and manufacturers want to please them with more complex one up kits.
Of course YMMV and everyone should build what they like and enjoy, even if others are luke warm to the aesthetics of the project.
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Hatches shut saves on work and aggro.
That’s the way I roll …
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Yes I agree, but it’s also true for vehicles. Some of the latest kits almost duplicate the parts build up of the original vehicle, yet mould making technology is improving all the time so surely this is unnecessary and just creates more fodder for the carpet monster. Some of the assemblies could easily be in one piece using slide mould technology and in some cases will look “tighter” and better than a load of tiny parts you struggle with. If you lose one, that’s it you’re sunk.
My favourite bugbear is PE when it isn’t really necessary; I don’t really like it anyway, but when there is no plastic alternative offered it’s a real turn off, to the point that I won’t be making any more Gecko kits in a hurry. Why? Individual chain links in PE for the tow hitch? Pleease! IMHO PE is not a suitable medium to depict chains anyway, try - chain!
For this same reason I have also been making a lot of ICM kits lately and avoiding MiniArt. I think Tamiya get it about right, but if you feel you need more detail, there are plenty of AM parts available. The hobby is supposed to fun after all!
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Viva la difference I say, surely there’s a place for the simplified and the complex. I’m surprised aesthetics are that high in the pecking order of desirability – don’t we love ugly-looking stuff too? I might buy that Me109 for two reasons (a) diorama of April ’45 abandoned Luftwaffe airfield maintenance area/hangar (b) as the basis for a crash-landing vignette. But yes fairly niche, Plasmo’s probably unlikely to sell shed-loads of them.
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Diorama idea:
My mother and the other kids used to sneak around those abandoned aircraft.
The Perspex (windows) was a useable replacement for coal in the kitchen coal stove.
Coal was hard to find and expensive, Perspex was free …
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