Hardcore Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 https://www.google.se/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DyzLT6_TQmq8&ved=0ahUKEwjqx8bfjNPKAhXB1ywKHQ2dAjoQtwIIGjAA&usg=AFQjCNGcYdXC2nsHOEj3h8--Hsboy4EAvw&sig2=BCR4Dde5s5-vuwsd6DVi2g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) I'm honestly quite disappointed about the basic kits. The complexity and inner workings are what made ZM kits stand out from the rest. If I get a ZM basic Fw190, what will separate it from the Hasegawa series kits? I wish they would have engineered it so that one base kit could be built as a full bells and whistles version from one boxing, and that another version could be boxed without all the internals sprues and an alternate construction process to build a no frills version. That would have been great for both types of modelers. Knowing that if I buy a full range of ZM Fw190s... half can be opened up and half can't... that's disappointing. Well ... as I understand it, they're producing these kits in line with some marketing feedback. Which is to say that a lot of that feedback indicates a leaning towards toning down the complexity and thereby reducing the kit price for those not wishing to open up the whole aircraft. I'm in your camp - I like the way ZM kits are - and so are a great many others, which is why we're getting a mix of releases. Given what is released in which fashion and ZM's bent for releasing AM upgrades, it's actually quite a clever marketing strategy - Here's why! First ... Here are a couple of links for 'quick' comparison between the variants - I used these when first studying the aircraft so as to get a handle on the types. http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/11/stuff_eng_fw190_01.htm http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/12/stuff_eng_fw190_02.htm A3 (Basic Series) ... The only market competitor is PCM's A1/2/3 which is not a bad kit, but does have the odd fit issue - which is pretty standard for a short run product and not a slight on the kit at all. I'd expect ZM's offering to be even more detailed. If ZM releases a swathe of upgrades separately, you could probably open it up a bit more using AM - which is designed and manufactured to fit the kit, by the same company who built it! Also check the first of those two links out ... the differences between the A3 and A4 seem to be not that much - you could probably buy the A4 kit and backdate by leaving some parts off?? A4 (SWS Standard Series) ... A kit of a never before released variant (that I'm aware of). No competition, but get's the full SWS treatment anyway. A5/6/7 (Basic Series) ... As you've noted, Hasegawa is the main (if only?) competitor here - Nothing really wrong with their kits at all. I'd expect ZM's kits to have more detail however, even at the lower 'Basic Series' price point - with the option to add extra details through their usual AM lineup. A8 (SWS Standard Series) - With possible F8 upgrades ... Hasegawa and Revell are the competitors here, once again. The difference being that this release will be the typical ZM 'hamburger-with-the-lot' ... as per our wishes D9 (SWS Standard Series) - As with the A8/F8 Above. The upshot? ... For those wishing to built a closed up, highly detailed kit - the option to do so at a significantly reduced price point now exists ... for those wishing to build opened up airframes, showing of all the detail - you'll still have that option, via either the SWS standard boxing or various other means. As I understand it, ZM will be producing the 190 in the standard SWS series as well as the basic series. They'll be doing so alternately as noted above ... The best bit - as I see it - is that a selection of a particular SWS series kit should be able to be modified into one of the variants released only as 'Basic' kits with the minimal amount of work Rog Edited January 31, 2016 by Artful69 Bill Cross and Blenheimboys 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I think Z-M will do well from this approach, for those like me that don't want to spend lots of extra hours super detailing a kit anymore this series is a dream come true! The basic series will very likely compete well with it's competitors out there and a brand new kit of the earlier 190's is very welcome. Let's see how they turn out, personally, I think the concept is a winner! Blenheimboys, mywifehatesmodels and rafju 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanKB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I wasn't aware that you guys didn't get the news. I thought you guys on the West Coast were like our guys on the West Coast...trend setters and news makers Wales is a lot of things - beautiful coastline, beaches, countryside, rain, sheep, rugby - but cutting edge is not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafju Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Rick Griewski and Blenheimboys 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanKB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Interesting concept. I'll not be biting, but it's great to see innovation like this in the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 What?! ZM have taken a look at the market - at the possibilities of producing any number of un-kitted planes in 1/32 - and opted for a bloody Fw 190? I despair. To an extent I share your despair! Sure, we don't "need" more 1/32 Fw 190's, but ZM doesn't make a dime when Hasegawa sells one! ZM did extensive surveys on the "standard series" kits, including one I participated in at the Columbus IPMS Nats last summer. Apparently the results justify their decision. I suspect these Fw 190's will be a major success for them--extremely popular subject, in variants hitherto unavailable from mainstream manufacturers, at a lower price point. Hopefully the income will fund more examples of ZM's specialty, fully-baked renditions of more exotic subjects. It all strikes me as a sort of mini-version of why Porsche started making SUV's, LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardcore Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Can't say i like the box art though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanKB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 To an extent I share your despair! Sure, we don't "need" more 1/32 Fw 190's, but ZM doesn't make a dime when Hasegawa sells one! ZM did extensive surveys on the "standard series" kits, including one I participated in at the Columbus IPMS Nats last summer. Apparently the results justify their decision. I suspect these Fw 190's will be a major success for them--extremely popular subject, in variants hitherto unavailable from mainstream manufacturers, at a lower price point. Hopefully the income will fund more examples of ZM's specialty, fully-baked renditions of more exotic subjects. It all strikes me as a sort of mini-version of why Porsche started making SUV's, LOL... You are absolutely right - it's hardly bad business to kit a very, very famous & popular aeroplane in 1/32 that will sell in shedfulls. I just don't get the Luftwaffe craze. (He says,taking a quick look at his stash & seeing 2 AEG G.IV's, 2 Albatros D.II's, 5 Albatros D.V/V.a's, an Ar196, an Ar234, a DFW C.V, 3 Fw190D-9, 2 Fw190A-8's, Ta152H-1, 5 Fokker D.VII's, 3 Fokker E's, Gotha G.IV, 2 Hannover CI.II's, 2 He 111's, 3 Ju 88's, 1 Ju 188, 1 He 162, 1 He 219, 2 Roland D.VI's, 12 (!) Bf109's, an Me163 & Siemens D.III. 2 Fi-156's, a Fokker Dr.I, a Hansa-Brandenburg W.12, a Heinkel He 51, a Junkers J.1, 2 Ju 87's, 2 Me 262's, 2 Pfalz D.III's, a Pfalz D.XII, a Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 & 2 Rumpler C.IV's.) I feel a little hypocritical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) Excited to purchase my first Z-M kit! No bitching from me. And Rog, thanks for sorting things out for the non-professional. I have the Hase A-6 in my stash with all the AM upgrades, but I am very keen to try a Z-M. Edited February 3, 2016 by Bill Cross moldmkr78 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I'm absolutely in for the Basic Series kit, which seems detailed enough. I already have a few ZM kits; the A-1H Skyraider and the He219 Uhu.Awesome kits but prefer less detailed kits that I'm not working on for 6 months or more. The option is great and I'm all for it any day of the week. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I agree with Peter on this one. The detail on the basic kit seems like what comes in a normal kit, and the stuff that is missing from the basic kits that is included with the SWS standard kits, is detail that would never show up in a build of mine anyway, as even though its their "thing" and I love ZM kits, ive never been an open panels kind of guy...................and that kind of detail would just be wasted on me. mpk and mywifehatesmodels 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Right with Brian I'll be starting a new Skyraider this summer and all the open panels will be closed and all the 'countless hours of details' will never be seen and no reason to even do them. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I'll be starting a new Skyraider this summer and all the open panels will be closed and all the 'countless hours of details' will never be seen and no reason to even do them. Peter, I totally get where you're coming from, but I see building all the hidden details as a way to learn more about the aircraft. The example I always use is the turbocharger system on the Trumpy P-47D Razorback: you can't see it in the final build, but I LOVED knowing it was in there. Would I build it if I did another Razorback? Probably not, but I'm glad I got "up close & personal" with the beast one time at least. Blenheimboys, Out2gtcha, Rick Griewski and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I think ZM are doing a fantastic job: saturating the market with Fw 190's so that other manufacturers (even though those kits make no money for them) can focus on subjects that really might appeal to others like myself. Sorry to be cynical. Enjoy your Wurgers. ZM's 1/48 Phamily might tempt though. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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