ZM New Old Man Blog is up in english

[esarmstrong]

14 hours ago, ade rowlands said:

Also confirms their intention to use clear parts for the fuselage as they’ve done with their last few kits. Really hope they include some duplicate grey styrene fuselage parts. 

Agree.  Not a fan of the clear styrene parts for outer surface of aircraft.

[ade rowlands]

3 hours ago, esarmstrong said:

Agree.  Not a fan of the clear styrene parts for outer surface of aircraft.

 

Me either, I am almost guaranteed to put pressure in the wrong place and crack it, which results in myriad other cracks and problems. It'll be a no go for me if its clear parts only I'm afraid, same reason I left their Dorniers and Horten alone.

[alaninaustria]

As much as I admire, appreciate and enjoy the ZM Big Boss blog entries and their products - I feel that I have to chime in - I would very much like to see the clear fuselage as an extra in the kit (for those who want it) and a normal grey styrene fuselage provided. I do not like the use of clear plastic as fuselage parts - it’s hard on my eyes to see the detail and any gaps etc. and it is too brittle - PLEASE ZM provide a grey styrene fuselage for those of us who do not like to build with the clear plastic parts!!

I am very much looking forward to this kit!!

Cheers

Alan

[Rick Griewski]

Great large scale planes times indeed.   I forgot that 3 versions are planned for the K-45.  Another vac kit made obsolete unless you reeely like vac kits. 

 

Rick

 

 

[ringleheim]

It is kind of interesting, but I don't think I have ever heard a single modeler suggest that he/she likes clear plastic parts so as to be able to "see" the interior of a model kit.  Not one! 

 

And yet model makers continue to pump this stuff out.  It strikes me as a gimmick that might be enjoyed by a child, but the market for these kits nowadays is not children.

 

Also, I have been building model kits since around 1977 and I never liked the clear "see through" approach even as a kid!  It always struck me a bad idea.  Some model kit makers are great at bringing bad ideas to market in a consistent manner.

 

Enough already! 

[esarmstrong]

Maybe the clear parts are some kind of big deal in Japan.  In either event, why not just make a kit with clear outer skin and then one without the stuff.  That way they get both markets.  For many modelers it is a deal killer to make a model with clear outer surfaces only.

[Troy Molitor]

The clear fuselage and wing panels are certainly used in Japan.  I picked up the new two seat Ho-229 resin set at the Volks store in Osaka last month.  The store actually has an incredible display of ZM stuff along with several other manufacturers throughout the store.  There is a 1:24 scale late Bf -109G on display that is really made up well and yet the builder chose to have a red bikini clad blond woman climbing into the cockpit!   I have pictures of it.  To each his or her own I guess.  The animated markings on some of the ZM stuff was also present.   A different market for different folks.  I simply don’t care.  Ki-45 and an Hs 129 will be coming soon.   Awesome!   

[MikeMaben]

So is the main complaint about clear fuselages that they are too brittle ? 

 

 

[LSP_K2]

49 minutes ago, Troy Molitor said:

The clear fuselage and wing panels are certainly used in Japan.  I picked up the new two seat Ho-229 resin set at the Volks store in Osaka last month.  The store actually has an incredible display of ZM stuff along with several other manufacturers throughout the store.  There is a 1:24 scale late Bf -109G on display that is really made up well and yet the builder chose to have a red bikini clad blond woman climbing into the cockpit!   I have pictures of it.  To each his or her own I guess.  The animated markings on some of the ZM stuff was also present.   A different market for different folks.  I simply don’t care.  Ki-45 and an Hs 129 will be coming soon.   Awesome!   

 

Yep, clear parts or no, I'll certainly try to eventually have one of each. I've developed a real taste for Japanese subjects lately, so this (the Ki-45) is just a great release to really look forward to.

[esarmstrong]

11 minutes ago, MikeMaben said:

So is the main complaint about clear fuselages that they are too brittle ? 

 

 

I think so.  It is the big problem for me.  Grey plastic seems to be a more forgiving and less brittle plastic.  I also understand that the ZM clear stuff is made hazy so that seeing through it is somewhat problematic.  I don't know what effect adding "Future" to these parts clears them up.  In either event the clear stuff is not favored by many (if not everyone) at least on this website.

[ghatherly]

1 hour ago, esarmstrong said:

I think so.  It is the big problem for me.  Grey plastic seems to be a more forgiving and less brittle plastic.  I also understand that the ZM clear stuff is made hazy so that seeing through it is somewhat problematic.  I don't know what effect adding "Future" to these parts clears them up.  In either event the clear stuff is not favored by many (if not everyone) at least on this website.

Hi,

Kindly speak for yourself.  To re-live some history,  many members wanted the clear skins when the Ho 229 was in development, and went so far as to contact ZM and convince them to offer it.   Now we have clear skins  and another set of modelers  complain......excuse me, we cannot say complain today....it's called input, but still a complaint.    I like the clear option and all you have to do is polish it out to see through it or paint it.     Yes, it has different properties than colored plastic so expand your skills man!  You are a modeler!!!

 

 

ok...rant off     

[Darren Howie]

What Gary says.

Mmm clear parts plus one coat of gray primer equals grey parts.

Primed parts and clear gone in one swoop geez that took a lot of thinking...

I mean seriously......

Anyway that Ki45 looks fantastic be in one of those...well two..

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Darren Howie

[CATCplSlade]

If my memories of my pre-teen period of modeling are still accurate after all this time, I seem to recall from my early attempts at painting canopies by hand that most any paint is effective at making clear plastic a thing of the past.

[ade rowlands]

Speaking for myself and myself only, everybody else’s opinion will vary and that’s all good. I know how to turn the clear plastic any colour I choose from the many colour options I have in the paint drawers. No problem there from me. I just find the stuff so brittle and hard to work with, I’ve managed to put many spiderweb style cracks in parts in the past, pressure in just that wrong point when gluing pieces together and whatnot. Of course, some love the option of a half clear fuselage showing the internal detail and that’s great and I yes, I do like to look at the builds showing this detail. I just find the clear fuselage prices a pain I don’t need when building as me being me, I don’t need a whole lot of help in buggering up a build, I’m perfectly capable of that with no help at all from the manufacturer. All I’m saying is I’ve passed on kits in the past because there was no option of a grey styrene fuselage plus a clear for those that want it and I just wish there was the included option of both sets in the box as Trumpeter have done in the past. But, and there’s always a but, I do have a pre order in for the HKM Lancaster which, if I do get the initial run boxing will include the clear fuselage parts I might just be tempted to use them as there’s just so much going on in that nose section. But in that boxing I do believe that if I stuff up I have the option of the Grey fuselage to fall back on, an option not afforded by the ZM kits. Again, my opinion only no attacks on anybody intended. 

[timvkampen]

thanks! They do have some interesting things in the pipeline. I sure hope they are also venturing into jets in 32-scale (yes, the Horten is one, but I mean: F-4s, F-14, F-16, F/A-18...)