Kotare Models - a New Venture from Former Wingnut Wings Staff

[Model_Monkey]

Cost is important and hopefully Kotare's new kit will be well within most modelers' budget.  Not everyone can afford Tamiya.  IMHO, for example, it's great to have both a Revell 1/32 Mk.IX and a Tamiya Mk.IX to choose from.

 

A Mk.I is very attractive.  Like so many of you, I hope a Mk.V will follow.  The markings possibilities for Mk.I and Mk.V are terrific.

 

Wishing Kotare (and Tamiya) all the best.

Edited September 18, 2021 by Model_Monkey

[Panzerwomble]

Ah .....so they will release one new model ...maybe ....if they can fund the tooling ..of a somewhat saturated subject ........apart from the 200 or so they will sell to people on this forum if the detail is good ...I'm kinda concerned that's not going finance a new business much . Bear in mind a lot of folks / average buyers  will be happy with a $20 Revell Spitfire .

 

Not wishing them ill but feel it's all a bit ....

 

 

...still keep the wish lists coming that's all part of the fun . 

[Out2gtcha]

For sure. LSP is a very small niche market filled with very exacting modelers usually with very specific likes and dislikes.

 

[LSP_Mike]

VERY specific, except when vague.

[adameliclem]

So many experts on business models, so few new model businesses...

 

It is a puzzlement.

 

Adam

[John1]

14 hours ago, MikeMaben said:

 

" relaxing and rewarding hobby "

 

Remember when you built models as a kid ?

 

Yep.  The relaxing part was building it with foul smelling, potentially addictive model glue, then slopping on some paint, followed by decals with NO gloss coat. 
 

The rewarding part was then taping an M80 to it and watching it perform a “rapid disassembly”.  

[KiwiZac]

I'm listening to the latest episode of the Australian podcast On The Bench (link - do yourself a favour* and skip to 30min from the end) and they have an interview with Richard Alexander. Some bullet points regarding the Spitfire:

 

- not at test shots stage yet otherwise would be more concrete with release schedule

- when asked about oilcanning etc Richard said surface detail "makes" the real aeroplane

- no indication of PE as the kit should be able to be built OOB, maybe some ancillary accessories later but too early to tell

- an engine adds a huge amount of complexity, there is a market for that but it cuts out people who want to just do one they saw

- number of decal options has been decided on but not ready to say, except Kiwi as on box art

- multiple boxings? "Want to milk it for all it's worth"!

- at the moment no wheels-up option but as part of the design process modelled compressed and uncompressed oleos and retraction to see how it fits

 

*I'm not a regular listener, this is the second one I've downloaded - the first was also for a Richard Alexander interview. Interesting how the hosts have a light-hearted whinge, and are always surprised, about Richard not telling them about what's next....almost as though they were unware of Wingnut Wings (and now Kotare) policy!

Edited September 19, 2021 by KiwiZac

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks for the summary, Zac.

 

Kev

[John1]

On 9/18/2021 at 9:36 AM, Jennings Heilig said:

I feel pretty sure these folks aren’t just jumping into the deep end without having done a lot of market research and without having a very solid business plan. LSP isn’t the be all and end all of active large scale modelers in the world.

How do you know this?   WNW certainly didn't.  It doesn't appear that WNW's P&L ever factored into what they put out on the street.  You also referenced in another post that Tamiya simply releases kits based on the whim of it's owner.     But in the case of Kotare, you are confident they did a lot of market research and have a solid business plan?  Just curious...

[Kagemusha]

The explanation for the choice of subject is there in the podcast KiwiZac kindly posted.

[Fritz]

For me, I kinda hope Kotare do these kits like the Hasegawa 1/32 series. Good detail at a reasonable price.

 

[LSP_Kevin]

25 minutes ago, Fritz said:

For me, I kinda hope Kotare do these kits like the Hasegawa 1/32 series. Good detail at a reasonable price.

 

 

I'd say that's a fair summary of what they're aiming for. Though to be honest, I feel that Hasegawa kits are overpriced for what you get in the box these days.

 

Kev

[Bradleygolding]

Good news all round I think.

 

Listening to the podcast I think we should expect the first few releases to be in a similar vein to the Spit, just to get some funds in the bank. Whether we will ever see a WWI machine I don't know. WnW did a reasonable coverage, but in my opinion missed out on four obvious good sellers, Avro 504, BE2, Jenny, and Standard J1. All of the trainers had significant inter war lives as well. Maybe Roden will take them on?

 

Steve

[Gazzas]

3 hours ago, Bradleygolding said:

Good news all round I think.

 

Listening to the podcast I think we should expect the first few releases to be in a similar vein to the Spit, just to get some funds in the bank. Whether we will ever see a WWI machine I don't know. WnW did a reasonable coverage, but in my opinion missed out on four obvious good sellers, Avro 504, BE2, Jenny, and Standard J1. All of the trainers had significant inter war lives as well. Maybe Roden will take them on?

 

Steve

 

What you guys think will sell well in Commonwealth countries will be snoozers in the important markets:  China and Japan.  As for Roden...  they just had a chance to do a WNW to the Spad...   But they just released the same old stuff with a couple new sprues.  They've obviously no interest in raising the bar.

[MikeC]

3 hours ago, Bradleygolding said:

... in my opinion missed out on four obvious good sellers, Avro 504, BE2, Jenny, and Standard J1. All of the trainers had significant inter war lives as well. Maybe Roden will take them on?

I seem to recall that Roden did announce an Avro 504 a little while ago.