Mark Robson

Hi "Tissue and Dope".....sorry I don't know your name?? K32601 is indeed a Limited Edition. We made XXXX resin figures and when they are all gone that's it; no more (at least while I am alive and in charge). We have just batched production so we don't have unsold stock costing money in warehousing. BUT; it's a fair question, and is part of the reason why we have gone to Numbered Limited Edition so everyone knows exactly what they are getting. Cheers Mark Robson Kotare Models

Hi All We are going through our kitset CAD with a fine-tooth comb and comparing it to WW2 images. The vast bulk of the design work has been done by well known CAD guru Radu Brinzan, but local designer Darren Mildenhall is adding his 2c worth. Darren noticed that in many, if not most, of wartime E-4 images where the tailplane strut is visible the upper fairing has been removed. You can see the internal "rod" structure of the strut, which had the ability to move as the tailplane incidence was altered. Looking at hundreds of images, most pics of E-1s and E-3s have the fairing fitted. Does anyone know why it was removed?? Easy access in the heat of battle?? Wear and tear?? And yes, we have asked Lynn, and he does not know.... Cheers Mark Robson Kotare Models

Hi All I can only give my own experience here in New Zealand, but here goes. I was very keen to try to get our kit sets moulded in New Zealand. The first barrier was getting a response from any of the injection moulding companies in NZ. This was 2020, so yes affected by Covid, but I got almost no response to website inquiries, direct email and leaving messages with company receptionists. One company did respond after multiple enquiries. I did as Richard Alexander suggested and sent them some injection moulded parts from Tamiya showing the fine detail required. This was a company used to producing so-called high-detail parts for medical devices. They replied saying they had nobody capable of reproducing such fine detail. So while we might speculate about the skills available in a company that can make aerospace parts or medical device parts, actually producing the level of surface detail and thin edges that we require in kitset modelling is not so easy. Your experience may well be different in your country. One thing that surprised me when we got going; how much hands-on work by craftspeople it takes to create a mould. I thought it was just computers talking to computers but it is not. Cheers Mark

Hi Guys Orders have been very pleasing but there is still some way to go to get to 500 so relax a little if you intend to order but need some time. Here's an interesting question for you all; I have always been pretty lenient when it comes to the order cut off time. If someone orders a few hours after the 500th sale I am very likely to include them in the calculations/draw etc. Is this acceptable?? Would you feel like your chances of a win are unfairly reduced if the 20 test shot builders are drawn from 505 names rather than 500?? I'd like to think we would all allow a little leeway, but tell me if I am wrong. You can email me at MarkRobson@kotare-models.com if you would rather not post publicly. Cheers M

Hi All Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered; very helpful to grease the wheels of international mould payments! Why another 109E people are asking?? Apart from obvious financial reasons (and the B of B collection of course) to me it's all about the nose shape...... Everyone will have an opinion when it hits the market, but use of a LIDAR scan and some rigorous critique will hopefully result in the best ever E nose. And then there are the rivets....... Cheers M

Rafju; I mean the guy who made a flying r/c model. He was using the Airfix kit that I built as visual reference. This was in about 1977. My model definitely did not have the correct dihedral, and I wonder if he had plans to show him how it should look. M

Good grief! What a lovely piece of work! I was asked to build this model when I was about 12 for a local R/C model guy who had plenty of money and wanted something to copy so he could build a flying model. I remember trying and failing to get the dihedral right. I was thrilled though; he was pleased and I could never have afforded it myself. Wonder if HIS model had the correct dihedral?? What a lovely nostalgic trip down memory lane! Thanks! M

Hi Mozart (sorry, don't know your name off the cuff!) That's a very kind offer. But having set the "rules of the game" when we announced preorders, it would be un-British ( did I just say that?) to change them now.... And; thanks for your preorder, we truly appreciate those modellers like you who risk their money to help us accelerate the development of new kits. Cheers M

Hi All Some of you will know that we at Kotare tried something a little risky with our upcoming 1/32 fabric wing Hurricane kitset (or "kit" if you prefer...) 20 names were randomly selected from the first 500 preorder customers to receive a T2 set of parts ( ie second test shot). We are asking said "winners' to build the kit quickly (like WE do) and critique the fit, accuracy and the draft instructions. I have been in touch with every winner, and a few have frankly admitted they won't have time. That's fine, and they will still get their kits, to do with what they wish. But most are enthused and intending to give it a go. Why "winner", not winner? Being asked to build something to a tight deadline ( let's say 2 weeks) is the very definition of a nightmare to most of us! (No painting needed though; just assembly). Why risky?? Hand on heart, I picked up the test shots from the courier depot on Saturday, and repacked them into 20 shipping boxes on Sunday after only a cursory examination. I have no real idea how good these parts are. I THINK they are great but we might be shipping parts with multiple flaws, and all the recipients are encouraged to tell anyone they want to about their experience. This experiment arose partly as a result of some brickbats we got after the 109 K release; some people felt that favoured "influencers" in the modelling world were being hand picked to receive test shots. This way; the FIRST people outside the Kotare team to get their hands on parts are the true fans, people who risked their money on a preorder. All names were drawn randomly. No other test shots are being sent out in the meantime. We are extremely grateful to all customers, preorder or not, and I am betting we will get some real pearls from the modellers who do build the T2 parts. I am very excited about this kit. Yes I know I HAVE to say that, but really, the model looks beautiful... Cheers Mark Robson Proprietor Kotare Models Quote Edit Share

While I am usually reluctant to comment on other manufacturer's products (except to admire them) in this case someone has to mention the dramatically over-scalloped effect on the fabric-covered elevators. Cheers Mark

Great job! Mark

Beautiful build! Felicitations! Mark

Hi All So glad to see this fascinating topic online! Thanks to Chris for opening the discussion. I loved "Bomber", read it when I was about 15, but the one clear memory I have of the book is this precise description; using the flaps to gain height to lessen the chance of a flak hit or interception. It's the sort of trick that you can imagine being whispered about in the mess or pub; probably against "regs" and the crews who might have used it might not have wanted everyone doing it, because then they would just be part of the "herd". Like "viffing" by Harriers and "cobra" manoeuvres from Sukhois; a piece of intriguing aerodynamic "cheating". Cheers Mark

Hi All Darryl Legg will shortly be starting on the box art for the second edition in our PR Spitfire line. PR pilots did their best to avoid leaving contrails, but there are multiple accounts describing such a phenomenon, which no doubt led to to some losses. But do we have any photos of a contrailing Spitfire (or in fact any single seat piston fighter) to show exactly where the contrail was visible vis a vis the aeroplane?? Would there have been something seen coming from the exhausts, or did the vapour only cool enough to be visible further back along the fuselage or behind the aircraft?? The only contrail pics I can think of offhand are of B-17s and B-24s, and I suspect there aren't many that are close enough to really be sure?? Would love to be proved wrong... I think this will tell you; it's me commissioning this painting and I have a yen to see a contrail in this artwork..... Cheers Mark Robson Kotare Models

Wow!!! Great video! What an amazingly smooth airframe; few visible rivets......😊 M