Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Andty Thanks you for the compliments and believe me, you would have no problems with their kits. I still feel they are over engineered, have molding issues and are over complicated; I can only speak as it pertains to the He219. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Hi Carl Much appreciated and I'm making very slow progress but progress at any rate. I was also thinking of leaving the cannon bay panels completely off so that the whole assembly could be seen but once I started painting and looking at what would be seen inside and the assembly as a whole, my excitement diminished very quickly. Part might have been I was comparing it to the bomb bay and Hispano assemblies on the Mossie which had detail everywhere and zero fit issues but in the end, I decided to just close it up. I know the panels can be left removable but I've never been a fan of that. A lot of the molding issues you won't really notice until you start to assemble and clean up the parts but they are there. My first experience with them was on the fuel cell tanks: nasty. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a production issue, as I bought my kit from Volks only a year ago, so the odds are it wasn't one of the first group of production kits. I'm just moving on and expecting the issues with molding and crispness to be throughout the build and what it is, it is. All in all, it still is a kit I've wanted to build and just need to adjust t. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 HI Mark Thank you for your comments and thoughts on the issues I have been discussing. I can only direct my views from the He 219 build, as I have not built any other ZM's kits but do have their Skyraider in my stash. Of course it is unfair to compare most manufactures or any to Tamiya, as Tamiya has been learning and still improving their craft for 50 plus years or more. What it cost a company to produce quality molds is none of my concern nor business, as I haven't a clue as to what their costs actually are. If it takes mold engineers to do it right, then that's what it takes and the list goes on. My observations and experience building the kit so far, based on what the the kit costs, as to the quality of molding, as well as the instructions are how I feel and nothing more. If there is a long term learning curve in producing upper level and expensive kits, then maybe companies should learn to walk before they try to run. Possibly they were over ambitious in what they were able to produce without first perfecting the art. Possibly, less complicated kits at the start would have served them better. All of this has nothing to do with the usefulness of the instructions. The old motto of you get what you pay for, doesn't seem to apply here. I'm well into a $274 kit with the four "ZM Upgrade Sets" I've purchased and even at the kit cost of $174, that an expensive kit. In all my build threads I try to show and discuss what I am doing and my personal thoughts regarding the kit. Most of my builds are OOB, so I'm not cutting up or changing a kit but building mostly what is in the box. If this was someone else build thread and I was looking to buy the kit, would I let it sway my decision one way or another .. maybe. It's just my personal observations and thoughts Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Nessus I am very familiar with Volks and have purchased product from them in the past plus the He 219 kit as well. They have excellent customer service and a very sincere and extremely helpful to deal with. What other kits or resin they do make really has nothing to do with my observations or findings while building the kit. I did Google Dollfie and I can not see what this has to do with the topic of discussion. They seem to create and make wonderful dolls, which again has nothing to do with manufacturing scale model aircraft. It has already been discussed that the He 219 is a 2013 release and ZM's latest two kits are very much better in all departments- which is great. I do not understand why there is a need to come to ZM's defense. I am simply discussing issues I have found while building the kit. Others building the same kit might and can feel differently and will have their own opinions. Like the old saying goes: I paid my money and I have a right to speak about what I paid for. I'm not basing my opinions or thoughts on some ones else's opinions. As it has already been pointed out and discussed, ZM has made significant advancements in their molding and instructions in their two latest kits, greatly raising the bar; I tip my hat to ZM, say thank you for listening and striving to improve your kits. Now knowing this, I will certainly look at purchasing the newer kits in a different light. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 P-T Very much appreciated. I'm planning on finishing the Owl as Scheme A in the instructions. I haven't been to the museum in a very long time and haven't had the opportunity to see their Owl. I have had correspondence about that particular air with both Justin and Rick K and it is a fascinating aircraft. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Hi Dale Just love your comments and keep on the train. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyrosjzmichos Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Great cockpit Peter! Keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Spyros Much appreciated Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucohoward Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Thanks Tom I'm quite glad ZM has listen and is raising the bar and I agree that my comments regarding the He219 are are accurate and what anyone will discover building the kit. I'm an average modeler, with average skills and just feel that when a injected molded kit reaches a certain price point, certain levels of quality and detail are to be expected. Peter Peter, while I admire modesty, you are far from an average modeler. Looking great so far! Jay Joel_W and Uncarina 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessus Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Peter, I was actually referring to b575captain's post which said "small companies like ZM, KH and HK" by saying ZM were huge, just in a different way. In no way was I trying to defend the quality of ZM output. I know what their kits are like, I have several. The suggestion to Google "Dollfie" was to give people an insight into what the parent company of ZM makes for the mainstream market in (primarily) Japan and as you suggest does not relate to ZM proper in any way. And that's it. Joel_W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Jay Very much appreciated and thank you so much for the compliments; right back at you my friend. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 (edited) Nessus I didn't realize that your comments were referring to Marks post. I'm hoping their newer kits keep showing improvement and raising their bar. Moving forward and tonight, all the fuselage panels have been glued in place and moving on. Peter Edited March 24, 2017 by Peterpools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel_W Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 (edited) I can attest to the fact that Pete has really been putting his time in on this build, and the frustrations of dealing with so many constant basic molding issues, does wear one down. I did have a pretty good laugh when Pete tried to pull the " I'm just an average modeler with average skills". Yeah, like anyone really believes that. Joel Edited March 24, 2017 by Joel_W Shaka HI, monthebiff, CANicoll and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Joel, my answer to you about your brothers skills?.... ......Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Thanks Guys ... Got ya. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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