VMA131Marine

I just had a package delivered from ModelsUA that was shipped on 7 April and showed as departed from the Ukraine on April 10 before it arrived in the US on May 4. Most of these airmail packages rely on commercial passenger flights not freight only flights. Since airline traffic is down over 90%, the wait for a flight is a lot longer than it used to be.

I absolutely agree with you. I was just trying to think of some explanation for Trumpeter’s mistake that was at least possible let alone plausible. I’m sure it eventually will come down to them copying some less than accurate drawings off the web where the artist didn’t feel like drawing all nine cylinders.

Revell itself might not be in a position to buy WnWs assets, but Quantum Capital Partners, who own Revell, probably are. It’s anybody’s guess if they are interested. My guess is that the moulds and IP sell for a lot less than most people expect; 60+ years of tooling and IP from: Revell, Monogram, Aurora, Renwall, and others, sold for only $2.5 million in the Hobbico bankruptcy. WnW has a lot fewer assets than Revell.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293132700182

There is a 200-400 hp difference in power output per engine and nearly 400lbs difference in weight between the 18 cylinder PW R-2800 Double Wasp and the 14 cylinder Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone, with the PW being heavier and more powerful. Maybe there’s a non-flying museum example where they put in R-2600s because they didn’t have suitable R-2800s lying around and HobbyBoss copied that? I think it’s more likely that whatever drawing they were using as a reference just had the wrong number of cylinders depicted. There are enough other shape discrepancies to make this plausible.

And their sister company Trumpeter has R-2800s with the correct number of cylinders in their 1/32 F4U, F6F, and P-47

A couple of other things about this kit I haven’t seen mentioned: 1/ it has dual controls - these are only appropriate for the Counter Invader or a firebomber 2/ the wheel hubs are most like those on the B-26K. They are not correct for a WWII or Korean War aircraft 3/ there is no provision for the ventral turret seen on WWII aircraft 4/ the gunner’s periscope doesn’t not protrude through the aft canopy as it should. Of these items, the omission of the ventral turret seem to be the most egregious and difficult to correct.

This would depend on how much it cost to buy the moulds.

The entire genre of 1/32 scale WWI aircraft kits is niche! That’s why there’s only company producing these kits in the first place (yes, I know about CSM but they’ve done exactly one 1/32 WWI aircraft kit with some subvariants). When was the last time Roden did a new 1/32 WWI aircraft? Or Revell? Who’s left?

Peter Jackson is the sole owner of Wingnut Wings and is worth some $600 million. He’s not going to miss a couple of million if he decides not to sell the tooling and IP. If the company does shut down it does not sound like it’s going to be in a bankruptcy situation where receivers get called in to liquidate the assets.

The Lancaster tooling must be so close to being finished at this point that it will be a crying shame if the kit doesn’t get released in the end.

Supernatural glue?

I think the point being made is that if WnW is essentially a Peter Jackson vanity project then he may not want to see the moulds being reused by another company. The only way he would be forced to sell them is if WnW went out of business in a bankruptcy. Then the receiver would sell off assets to pay the company’s creditors. If WnW is going to be wound up it seems to be a result of a choice on the part of its sole investor.

The moulds for the Lancaster will make for very expensive paperweights that’s for sure

The video is from within the last week.