Wingnut Wings perhaps not out? EDIT: no, pretty sure they're out.

[oyoy5]

Bottom line we are much better for WNW being born and treating our WWI obsession to unimaginable heights.  There is no way any of us would have envisioned 20 different  WW1 airplanes being produced in total.  Thank you Mr Jackson for all of the awesomeness you allowed us to enjoy........and possibly keep enjoying.

[Out2gtcha]

I do have to say, having many, many WWI kits myself is due to WnW and WnW only.

Currently having the Mengnut F.1 on my bench atm, I will very much miss their precise and elegant engineering.

[oyoy5]

Wish I would not have swapped my W.29 but who knows when things can come to and end.

[Pup7309]

4 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

I do have to say, my having many, many WWI kits is due to WnW and WnW only.

Currently having the Mengnut F.1 on my bench atm, I will very much miss their precise and elegant engineering.

Just wondering how are you finding Mengnuts Dr1? Up to Wingnuts standard. Just curious as I’m about to start one, bent wing and all Cheers:D

[SimonCornes]

I would be interested to know how the Meng decals compare. I expect Meng would have been making the plastic for Wingnut anyway so I wouldn’t expect and difference in quality or texture but I suspect that Wingnut would have jumped on the banana shaped wings. Maybe Meng will put it right the next production run?

[Derek B]

3 hours ago, Pup7309 said:

Just wondering how are you finding Mengnuts Dr1? Up to Wingnuts standard. Just curious as I’m about to start one, bent wing and all Cheers:D

 

Hi Pup7309 (sorry to sound so impersonal, but I don't know your actual name and you do not sign it in your posts). just curious; have you seen or read Brian's F.1 build? (he explains in detail how he tackled the wing warp issue, which isn't really a stopper at all), but I digress.

 

The last series of posts seem to provided a degree of good perspective, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I am not an avid WW I collector or enthusiast, however, I do happen to have a single WnW kit (which I received as a gift) - I am very impressed with the presentation and standard of the kit, which to my mind, somewhat sets the bar in terms of what can be achieved if the passion and funds are in place, regardless of the subject matter or era - this, I very much appreciate and is something I feel we can all be thankful for.

 

I hope that we do see the WnW kits available in the future, in whatever format, so that they can still be enjoyed by enthusiasts everywhere.

 

Regards

 

Derek

Edited March 1, 2021 by Derek B

[Pup7309]

On 2/28/2021 at 7:44 PM, Radub said:

 

I may be mistaken, indeed. But all I am saying is that if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it may indeed be a duck.

As I already said many times here, WNW as we knew it is gone and may never be back. But WNW is still here in some other form. This "new form" may look "sad" and "disappointing" to some but it is what it is. 

Maybe it will be shut down, maybe the molds will be sold, maybe this, maybe that, but so far none of that has happened. These are the facts that anyone can see. THAT is all I am saying. 

Radu

 

Any point of view can be the right one. If I remember correctly a long while back it was questioned if WNW might be at the end of their run. Naturally it was much derided but actually (unfortunately) proved to be correct. So to reverse this prophecy of doom I believe your prophecy of resurrection may well be the right one, as improbable as it seems now.

 

I’m not prepared to wager hard earned moolah on this theory but if WNW re-opens I vow to spend most of my hobby budget on some of their kits. 

 

Daz

Edited March 1, 2021 by Pup7309

[Out2gtcha]

5 hours ago, Pup7309 said:

Just wondering how are you finding Mengnuts Dr1? Up to Wingnuts standard. Just curious as I’m about to start one, bent wing and all Cheers:D

 

5 hours ago, SimonCornes said:

I would be interested to know how the Meng decals compare. I expect Meng would have been making the plastic for Wingnut anyway so I wouldn’t expect and difference in quality or texture but I suspect that Wingnut would have jumped on the banana shaped wings. Maybe Meng will put it right the next production run?

 

 

IMO, the Meng DR.1/F.1 is a WnW design; without a SINGLE doubt in my mind now. Having built 3 or 4 WnW kits, and having the Mengnut kit on my bench atm, the similarities in fit, engineering and as far as a non-SME can tell, great accuracy, are undeniable. 

 

The fit is like most any WnW kit, extemporarily, and you really have to watch to get any paint on mating surfaces or things will fall out of alignment. That said, I had the entire airframe including all 3 wings and rudder put together with 0 glue and 0 tape save the fuselage being glued, with gravity and part to part tension alone.

 

As Derek mentioned, the wing warp issue is really no issue at all. Heat a pot of water up until right before it boils, dunk the wing in for 15 - 30 seconds and hold in a reverse position to the initial warp and as you are holding it bent opposite to what it was but a bit more drastic, dunk it under some cold running water as you are releasing the bend. Easy, peasy, no more warp.

All three wings now could have come out of one of those glorious gilded WnW boxes.

 

 

Its a wonderful little kit, and I may grab at least 1 maybe 2 more.

[Radub]

4 hours ago, Pup7309 said:

Any point of view can be the right one. If I remember correctly a long while back it was questioned if WNW might be at the end of their run. Naturally it was much derided but actually (unfortunately) proved to be correct. So to reverse this prophecy of doom I believe your prophecy of resurrection may well be the right one, as improbable as it seems now.

 

I’m not prepared to wager hard earned moolah on this theory but if WNW re-opens I vow to spend most of my hobby budget on some of their kits. 

 

Daz

 

It does not matter whether I am right or not because I have no say or power in any of these issues. 

 

but... 

If "WNW is dead", how can one explain the presence at the Wairarapa Air Festival of a stand wearing the WNW name, selling WNW models, staffed by people wearing WNW T-shirts, with a banner depicting Peter Jackson ? This stand bore no sign of finality or even desperation. Prices were the same as usual, no prices were "reduced to sell". There was no sign of "everything  must go" or "closing down sale" anywhere. A lot of time and effort was spent here and elsewhere in pushing the message that "PJ" would not allow his brand or image to be misused by anyone else. How could this stand possibly happen without WNW as a company and Peter Jackson as a person who still cares? The simple existence of that stand is proof of life!

 

Any true fan of WNW should be very happy to see WNW show signs of life. 

 

Radu 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Radub

[Dave Williams]

People apparently have different opinions of what constitutes “dead” as far as a business goes, so arguing the same point over and over is   

 

It is what it is, no matter how people want to characterize it.  All that happened was that a WNW tent popped up at a NZ air show, selling boxes of the more recent kits that weren’t sold out at the time that the WNW site stopped taking orders.  People can make of that what they choose, but to me that isn’t a “sign of life”.  Others may disagree.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Radub]

21 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

People apparently have different opinions of what constitutes “dead” as far as a business goes, so arguing the same point over and over is   

 

It is what it is, no matter how people want to characterize it.  All that happened was that a WNW tent popped up at a NZ air show, selling boxes of the more recent kits that weren’t sold out at the time that the WNW site stopped taking orders.  People can make of that what they choose, but to me that isn’t a “sign of life”.  Others may disagree.

 

Please do not "handwave" the presence of the WNW stand at the show. That WNW stand did not just "pop up". The appearance of a WNW stand months after WNW was deemed "dead" is a major milestone in the story of WNW. We cannot just dismiss it so easily. There are significant questions about who were they, who authorised them to use the WNW name and Peter Jackson image, and where did they get the stock. There is absolutely no indication of any kind that this was not an oficial WNW stand. None! That stand means that, at least as of last week end, WNW was still operational. What they sell is their own business. 

 

Radu 

 

[cbk57]

44 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

People apparently have different opinions of what constitutes “dead” as far as a business goes, so arguing the same point over and over is   

 

It is what it is, no matter how people want to characterize it.  All that happened was that a WNW tent popped up at a NZ air show, selling boxes of the more recent kits that weren’t sold out at the time that the WNW site stopped taking orders.  People can make of that what they choose, but to me that isn’t a “sign of life”.  Others may disagree.

If only there were an emogi for the scene from the Princes Bride where the hero is almost dead but not quite dead.  Because apparently WNW may not be as dead as originally thought.  But considering that they canned their design staff, they are mostly dead but clearly could sell from their existing catalog if they so choose.

[Radub]

1 minute ago, cbk57 said:

If only there were an emogi for the scene from the Princes Bride where the hero is almost dead but not quite dead.  Because apparently WNW may not be as dead as originally thought.  But considering that they canned their design staff, they are mostly dead but clearly could sell from their existing catalog if they so choose.

 

You still did not explain why you think that the WNW stand was not a genuine WNW stand. 

I see the presence of an official WNW stand at an air show as a clear message from WNW that they are still interested in trading. Please explain why you see it otherwise.

Radu

 

[RLWP]

8 minutes ago, cbk57 said:

If only there were an emogi for the scene from the Princes Bride where the hero is almost dead but not quite dead.  Because apparently WNW may not be as dead as originally thought.  But considering that they canned their design staff, they are mostly dead but clearly could sell from their existing catalog if they so choose.

 

 

 

Richard

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, Radub said:

 

Please do not "handwave" the presence of the WNW stand at the show. That WNW stand did not just "pop up". The appearance of a WNW stand months after WNW was deemed "dead" is a major milestone in the story of WNW. We cannot just dismiss it so easily. There are significant questions about who were they, who authorised them to use the WNW name and Peter Jackson image, and where did they get the stock. There is absolutely no indication of any kind that this was not an oficial WNW stand. None! That stand means that, at least as of last week end, WNW was still operational. What they sell is their own business. 

 

Radu 

 

And my take is that there is no indication whatsoever that this means anything with regards to WNW reopening their website, making any new kits, repoping old or OOP kits.  You’ve got your opinion, which you seem to repeat over and over just to have the last word.  I’m done.  This means nothing to me with regards to whether WNW is alive or dead.  And, I’ll “hand wave” as you call it and have my own opinion if I want.