1/32 Tamiya Mosquito (Merged)

[LSP_Ray]

I have merged both topics on the Mossie. Hopefully I haven't made it even more confusing, but at least we only have to go to one thread...

[Anthony in NZ]

Awesome, thank you Ray......

[Kagemusha]

I'm sure Vingtor will do Norwegian decals for it.

 

I wouldn't count on it, they haven't reprinted either of their previous Starfighter sheets post Italeri release.

[Darren Howie]

People saying Tamiya will blow away HK I don't think have seen the 335 in person.

I was blown away at the HK 335 for several reasons.

First quality of product.

Second level of detail.

Lastly thoughtful engineering easing the build.

It was so good I bought a second.

i love Tamiya and have a huge array of their kits but anyone claiming HK will be wiped or blown away by the Tamiya name need to go and look closely at the HK kits they are very very good.

The good thing is the price pressure that will work in everyone's favor to keep prices lower than an individual release.

If Tamiya don't include rocket rails etc it leaves the door open for HK as well.

Great deal for everyone but I will be getting a HK one as well as Tamiya and expect the HK one to easily stand up to the Tamiya one based off the 335..B-25's and B-17.

[Artful69]

Ahh! ... The tale of two mosquitos

 

... Tamiya must be better than HK, right? ... HK must be panicking, right? ... HK are going to lose a ton of sales, right?

 

Ridiculous thinking! ... Just because most of us are only becoming aware of Tamiyas latest foray into 1/32 now, doesn't mean that HK had no idea during the design stages for their kit ... companies investing large sums of money in any venture, do so with the knowledge of whats going on around them, what the market is like, who their main competitors are and what their customer base want.

 

Neil is no muppet! I'm sure that even if grapevine gossip hadn't reached him and his team ... the "guess what?!?!?" on FB over a year ago would have caused him and his team to have a re-think of marketing strategy ... The fact that've gone ahead with their investment regardless just goes to show that they don't care what Tamiya are doing ... probably because it doesn't matter for their sized market. Remember, they are still growing ... in so many ways.

 

A similar thing happened with the He.219 a few years back ... A much less popular subject than the Mosquito, I'd guess? ... Revell released one and ZM released one ... The Revell one was much cheaper - but had only minor detailing and a fair number of errors ... requiring large doses of AM and some scratch building to fill out the details and correct it. The ZM one was heavily detailed and highly accurate and overall a much better package. 

 

I bought a couple of the ZM product and left the Revell kit in stores to gather dust ... only it still sold!!! - and reasonably well too, I'm led to believe.

 

So lets look at the facts:

 

* We've all seen the new HK product ... anyone think it's of poor quality? Lacking in detail? Badly engineered? Have many (if any noticeable) errors?

* We haven't seen the Tamiya kit yet - but lets face it, we're all more likely to win the lotto (solo), get struck by lightning (twice), have Thor drop in from Asgard for a pint ... and all while getting chatted up by a super model at the same time - than it being anything less than the normal Tamiya standard.

* The HK Mosquito will probably retail at about 2/3 the price of the Tamiya kit (at least that's what it looks like from here)

* Both companies are entering the market with different variants - each of which are popular.

* The overall subject is so popular that both companies will sell enough product, no matter which variants they produce, to (in all probability) more than satisfy their profit expectations.

* As Jennings pointed out ... HK are going to be quicker getting their complete product series to market ... and they are lining up a few more variants! Tamiya are notorious for milking out expectation with releasing one kit per year. It may even be that HK have all their product to market before Tamiya release their next variant ...

 

Personally ... I think it's awesome to have both kits out on the market ... I also think that HK won't be surprised or put out or suffer in any way because of Tamiya's "Official" announcement ... I'll have one of each, thank you!! ...

 

What I can't wait for ... Is a side by side build thread and review!!!

 

Rog

Edited April 15, 2015 by Artful69

[Guest Peterpools]

For my two cents, both will sell very well, as it's a huge market and certainly room for both kits

Peter

[DeanKB]

Ahh! ... The tale of two mosquitos

 

... Tamiya must be better than HK, right? ... HK must be panicking, right? ... HK are going to lose a ton of sales, right?

 

Ridiculous thinking! ... Just because most of us are only becoming aware of Tamiyas latest foray into 1/32 now, doesn't mean that HK had no idea during the design stages for their kit ... companies investing large sums of money in any venture, do so with the knowledge of whats going on around them, what the market is like, who their main competitors are and what their customer base want.

 

Neil is no muppet! I'm sure that even if grapevine gossip hadn't reached him and his team ... the "guess what?!?!?" on FB over a year ago would have caused him and his team to have a re-think of marketing strategy ... The fact that've gone ahead with their investment regardless just goes to show that they don't care what Tamiya are doing ... probably because it doesn't matter for their sized market. Remember, they are still growing ... in so many ways.

 

A similar thing happened with the He.219 a few years back ... A much less popular subject than the Mosquito, I'd guess? ... Revell released one and ZM released one ... The Revell one was much cheaper - but had only minor detailing and a fair number of errors ... requiring large doses of AM and some scratch building to fill out the details and correct it. The ZM one was heavily detailed and highly accurate and overall a much better package. 

 

I bought a couple of the ZM product and left the Revell kit in stores to gather dust ... only it still sold!!! - and reasonably well too, I'm led to believe.

 

So lets look at the facts:

 

* We've all seen the new HK product ... anyone think it's of poor quality? Lacking in detail? Badly engineered? Have many (if any noticeable) errors?

* We haven't seen the Tamiya kit yet - but lets face it, we're all more likely to win the lotto (solo), get struck by lightning (twice), have Thor drop in from Asgard for a pint ... and all while getting chatted up by a super model at the same time - than it being anything less than the normal Tamiya standard.

* The HK Mosquito will probably retail at about 2/3 the price of the Tamiya kit (at least that's what it looks like from here)

* Both companies are entering the market with different variants - each of which are popular.

* The overall subject is so popular that both companies will sell enough product, no matter which variants they produce, to (in all probability) more than satisfy their profit expectations.

* As Jennings pointed out ... HK are going to be quicker getting their complete product series to market ... and they are lining up a few more variants! Tamiya are notorious for milking out expectation with releasing one kit per year. It may even be that HK have all their product to market before Tamiya release their next variant ...

 

Personally ... I think it's awesome to have both kits out on the market ... I also think that HK won't be surprised or put out or suffer in any way because of Tamiya's "Official" announcement ... I'll have one of each, thank you!! ...

 

What I can't wait for ... Is a side by side build thread and review!!!

 

Rog

 

I don't like this stuff, the criticism of a £30 Revell kit compared to a £150 HK kit. Downright writing off of the Revell kit as "requiring large amounts of AM and scratch building to correct it", as if it's an incontrovertible fact.

 

You also miss the point in it's entirety - there is a set market for new tool 1/32 Mossie's, give or take. Instead of having that market to itself, HK now have to share it, and do so with one of the very best model manufacturer on the planet. This will in all probability see it losing sales compared to previous projections.

 

That point did not involve any criticism of HK or Tamiya, more a realisation of basic economic. There was really no need for you to come in and criticise Revell's He 219, as it's of very limited - if any - relevance to the thread.

 

This snobby, superior attitude is not one I've seen so much on LSP previously. 

[nmayhew]

Sorry but the stuff on the Revell He219 is actually spot on; the Z-m kit is accurate in many shape areas where the Revell one is simply not.

 

That doesn't mean the Revell kit is rubbish, it's not; I think it is great value and has its place in the market.

 

But please don't dismiss as 'snobby' a fairly accurate assessment of the kit's accuracy / failings.

[cbk57]

Just on the style of the kit design there are those who will not like the Tamiya kit.  If the HK and Tamiya kit were the same version of the Mossie there would be a market.  Many people do not like the extras that Tamiya puts into their kits where the HK will be pretty much all plastic.  I am expecting a number of working features in the Tamiya kit where those won't be in the HK kit.  At the same time the sprue shots show that the HK kit is an amazing kit in its own right with a lot of innovation in the fuselage and wing design that will help the builder reproduce an authentic looking Mossie.  I am not a Mossie enthusiast but I love a great looking kit and know one when I see it.  Both of these will have their place in the market.  Many builders on this page clearly want the glass nose version while others want the Fighter Bomber.  Both are covered by two different makers.  To me what is not to like.  I won't say one is better than the other unless we see a clear qualitative difference in the final results when the kits are released.  I suspect both are going to be great but both will have a little different approach to the subject.

[Out2gtcha]

I guess Im failing to see where anyone is wrong in this thread.  I think we all realize there is a place for both kits in the market, and no one seems to be saying they hate either one.

[Artful69]

I don't like this stuff, the criticism of a £30 Revell kit compared to a £150 HK kit. Downright writing off of the Revell kit as "requiring large amounts of AM and scratch building to correct it", as if it's an incontrovertible fact.

 

You also miss the point in it's entirety - there is a set market for new tool 1/32 Mossie's, give or take. Instead of having that market to itself, HK now have to share it, and do so with one of the very best model manufacturer on the planet. This will in all probability see it losing sales compared to previous projections.

 

That point did not involve any criticism of HK or Tamiya, more a realisation of basic economic. There was really no need for you to come in and criticise Revell's He 219, as it's of very limited - if any - relevance to the thread.

 

This snobby, superior attitude is not one I've seen so much on LSP previously. 

 

Not snobby ... and not superior ... and I was simply stating actual "incontrovertible facts" - which I got, incidentally, from reading more than a few in-box reviews, build reviews before deciding on my purchase - since I know so little about the subject myself. That's called "knowing my limitations and staffing my weaknesses accordingly" I'm sorry if you chose to take the point and twist it all the wrong way ... It wasn't meant to offend ... simply to point out a similar situation of two kits being released at the same time ... and though, being drastically different to each other in terms of quality, the cheaper one STILL SOLD WELL!

 

The "relevance" of my points to the thread is to counter the idea that there is intense competition now and that HK are somehow at a loss (which, after lambasting me) ... you pointed out ... agreeing with others! I take the different view - the competitive situation between two quality products with an abundance of market demand is benign to the point of being negligible ... for EITHER party.

 

Quite obviously - you saw the point about the Revell He.219's flaws and nothing else ...

 

Rog

[32tragic]

personally I think all this talk of one blowing the other away totally misses the point they are different versions. one the B.IV the other the FB.VI

I for one will no doubt get both, just can't help myself, it's tragic

Edited April 15, 2015 by 32tragic

[Out2gtcha]

Im not really sure anyone is saying one blows the other away.

[Out2gtcha]

I think there are good points to both, and they will both sell. Tamiya will sell for obvious reasons, and the KH Mossie has engineering that cant be beat, along with a version not being offered by Tamiya, so I think everyone (at least all Mossie lovers) will have a place and a model to buy.

 

There is a ton of good info in this thread people, lets not get the Loctite out (<read here  "thread lock" )  because we disagree about what we are disagreeing about.

[Guest Peterpools]

Ernie's point are so very well taken. For Revell's price point, they offer exceptional value for the modeler looking to be close enough and enjoy a kit. The point really being, we have choices and that's what counts.

Peter