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Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk.Ia (Mid), with Mk.I (Early) and Mk.Va announced


John Stambaugh

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You will commonly sell more kits of a topic that has never been covered because most modellers buy a model of X, Y or Z but do not care if the model has that accuracy issue and even if it has one slight drawback or assembly issue.

However, it looks that rule does not apply to other media than injected plastic. Multimedia kits are finally quite obscure and only attracts a very small minority of modellers for various reasons. From a global market perspective, it looks the existence of a vac or resin kit has a very small impact on the sales of a plastic kit.

Otherwise, you need to improve incredibly the level to push the ones who already have a model of the same plane to get another one. One example can be the Revell, Trumpeter and Tamiya Corsair F4U-1. Or the Revell from 1969 and 2022 Kotare Spitfire Mk.1!

 

There are many large scale topics that are not that obscure but that are not really well covered or were simply ignored. They were mentioned quite often on LSP: Defiant, Bleinheim, Do-17, Beaufighter, etc. There are topics that would deserve better treatment but I think that if I was in Kotare's shoes I would wait before competing with existing kits (the Ju-87B being one good example).

 

 

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1 hour ago, Kagemusha said:

There was a strong rumour the next release after the Spitfire was going to be a DH Hornet, as Kotare have stated they're going to produce what interests them. It would be financial suicide to release a kit of a subject where one already exists.

 

If their Spit is what we hope / think it is, then although not cheap it will be the definitive kit to have of an early Spit, hands down.

 

On that basis, I think that with the exception of Tamiya late Spits, P-51s and F4Us, and GWH's P-40, they can go an produce whatever they want and whatever is there already is pretty irrelevant.

 

I'm inclined to take Kotare over anything that anyone else has produced simply because in (WWII) 1/32 there are Tamiya's big 3 (4 if you include the Mossie), GWH's P-40 which by all accounts is excellent and then...not much...just a lot of stuff which varies from good but with heaps of build issues (yes that's you Zoukei-mura), good but super basic by today's standards (Hasegawa), good but basic (ICM)...through to hit and miss mediocrity

i know all that sounds harsh, but I am benchmarking against say a Tamiya F4U, rather than a 25 year old Hassy 190. 

 

Commercially, if it was me, I would stick to mainstream WWII to boost the coffers and certainly wouldn't touch anything like the Hornet, but if they are a "whatever floats the boss' boat" kind of company then none of that applies anyway.

 

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46 minutes ago, nmayhew said:

Commercially, if it was me, I would stick to mainstream WWII to boost the coffers and certainly wouldn't touch anything like the Hornet, but if they are a "whatever floats the boss' boat" kind of company then none of that applies anyway.

I don't know enough about the commercial market for model kits so this is only my assumption. I do know the market is, like nearly every consumer market, full of sub divisions which are at variants with each other (quality/price/engineering/accuracy) with consumers paying for different levels of each. So there's plenty of room for high end expensive kits as well as average kits/average price down to low end low price. If this wasn't the case then you'd see no 1970's kits being sold and built and no kits from all of the current manufacturers. I do suspect that the vulnerable end (from a sales volume/profit view point) of the market is the high end/high priced Tamiya type kits. Otherwise you'd see more kits released at these price points and to this level of quality, but we don't see this. I can only assume that companies like Tamiya know their markets and understand forecast sales volumes and don't release new 1/32 aircraft because they wont sell in numbers to be profitable.  The likes of ICM, Revell or Trumpeter, etc continue to release 1/32 kits at a lower price point with less fussy engineering and acceptable for the average modeller accuracy. These must sell enough to make a profit otherwise they would not release them ??  It's a fine balancing act that Kotare has to tread, I hope they are successful but that will only happen if we continue to buy what they produce, whatever the subject. Really looking forward to this new kit and can't wait for the fleet of Seafires and Griffon engined spits that they will hopefully release later !!

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2 hours ago, Kagemusha said:

There was a strong rumour the next release after the Spitfire was going to be a DH Hornet, as Kotare have stated they're going to produce what interests them. It would be financial suicide to release a kit of a subject where one already exists.

I’ll take a Hornet all day every day if that is what Kotare choose to do. Fast, beautiful, deadly. I am not sure that by doing something that is already out there it would be suicide; after all, there is a Revell Mk1 Spitfire (the 1967 release) and there has been a Hasegawa version and those kits have not stopped Kotare producing what I am confident will be regarded as the definitive Mk1. 

 

I just want Kotare to succeed. 

 

Cheers

Paul

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1 hour ago, thierry laurent said:

You will commonly sell more kits of a topic that has never been covered because most modellers buy a model of X, Y or Z but do not care if the model has that accuracy issue and even if it has one slight drawback or assembly issue.

However, it looks that rule does not apply to other media than injected plastic. Multimedia kits are finally quite obscure and only attracts a very small minority of modellers for various reasons. From a global market perspective, it looks the existence of a vac or resin kit has a very small impact on the sales of a plastic kit.

Otherwise, you need to improve incredibly the level to push the ones who already have a model of the same plane to get another one. One example can be the Revell, Trumpeter and Tamiya Corsair F4U-1. Or the Revell from 1969 and 2022 Kotare Spitfire Mk.1!

 

There are many large scale topics that are not that obscure but that are not really well covered or were simply ignored. They were mentioned quite often on LSP: Defiant, Bleinheim, Do-17, Beaufighter, etc. There are topics that would deserve better treatment but I think that if I was in Kotare's shoes I would wait before competing with existing kits (the Ju-87B being one good example).

 

 

Hi Thierry

 

Your point on ‘a topic that has never been covered’ is logical but none of us have numbers to back that up.  Intuitively I agree with your point however.  I am confident you are right regarding anything other than injected plastic being unattractive to most as the market for any other media appears tiny from the conversations I have had with those at Marsh Models and Lukgraph et al. Many modellers outside of our esoteric little world here on LSP appear terrified of resin for example. Even within our group here we appear to have a majority who would actively avoid resin or vac’. 

 

I agree that there are quite a few large scale topics ignored or not well covered but bear in mind most people on most aircraft modelling websites appear to build single engine monoplane fighter aircraft. So whilst my mouth waters at the thought of a Dornier Do17, a Blenheim or a Hornet I can only wonder whether they would do a twin so early in their existence.  To our knowledge they do not have a big bucks backer like WNW had and will have to be much more market led to stay in business in these straightened times.

 

But, if I can have a Blenheim MkIV because it is on their release roadmap I’ll take it!

 

Cheers

Paul

 

 

 

 

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On 10/3/2022 at 10:19 AM, Archimedes said:

But, if I can have a Blenheim MkIV because it is on their release roadmap I’ll take it!

This is what made me write that below. Yes I know this is TOTAL thread drift and I shall annoy the great and the good by posting this but if the chaps at Kotare had even a shred of human decency they would produce a Blenheim MkIV in French markings like this; 

5MaioT.jpg

Clearly Roy Cross could see what a winner this would be.  ;)

C’mon who would not want one of these bad boys sat next to their Spitfire Mk1a? My totally tenuous link to the Spitfire in all of this is that whilst my grandfather was busy flying Lancasters my uncle Bert was servicing Spitfires but then went to work for Bristol. When asked would he ever fly in one his instant response was ‘No bloody fear!’

 

And now back to our normal Spitfire programming….

 

Best regards,

Paul

Edited by Archimedes
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6 hours ago, Archimedes said:

Clearly Roy Cross could see what a winner this would be.  ;)

I would spend hours studying his pictures of aircraft in the latest airfix catalogue during the 60's and 70's.  That man has a lot to answer for - over 50 years of kit bashing, an intensive love of military history especially WW2, a fascination for all things aeronautical, a massive collection of aircraft books and the list goes on. Those pictures weren't the only influence on me but they were a major part !

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On 10/3/2022 at 2:57 PM, npb748r said:

I don't know enough about the commercial market for model kits so this is only my assumption. I do know the market is, like nearly every consumer market, full of sub divisions which are at variants with each other (quality/price/engineering/accuracy) with consumers paying for different levels of each. So there's plenty of room for high end expensive kits as well as average kits/average price down to low end low price. If this wasn't the case then you'd see no 1970's kits being sold and built and no kits from all of the current manufacturers. I do suspect that the vulnerable end (from a sales volume/profit view point) of the market is the high end/high priced Tamiya type kits. Otherwise you'd see more kits released at these price points and to this level of quality, but we don't see this. I can only assume that companies like Tamiya know their markets and understand forecast sales volumes and don't release new 1/32 aircraft because they wont sell in numbers to be profitable.  The likes of ICM, Revell or Trumpeter, etc continue to release 1/32 kits at a lower price point with less fussy engineering and acceptable for the average modeller accuracy. These must sell enough to make a profit otherwise they would not release them ??  It's a fine balancing act that Kotare has to tread, I hope they are successful but that will only happen if we continue to buy what they produce, whatever the subject. Really looking forward to this new kit and can't wait for the fleet of Seafires and Griffon engined spits that they will hopefully release later !!

Yes I agree. But if that's their physiology which I suspect is after the Wingnut Wings more esoteric WW1 subjects, then I don't think we will see a Spitfire/ Seafire family. 

Possibly a MKVb to replace the venerable 1976 Hasagawa at best.

regards

Jon

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11 hours ago, Archimedes said:

This is what made me write that below. Yes I know this is TOTAL thread drift and I shall annoy the great and the good by posting this but if the chaps at Kotare had even a shred of human decency they would produce a Blenheim MkIV in French markings like this; 

5MaioT.jpg

Clearly Roy Cross could see what a winner this would be.  ;)

C’mon who would not want one of these bad boys sat next to their Spitfire Mk1a? My totally tenuous link to the Spitfire in all of this is that whilst my grandfather was busy flying Lancasters my uncle Bert was servicing Spitfires but then went to work for Bristol. When asked would he ever fly in one his instant response was ‘No bloody fear!’

 

And now back to our normal Spitfire programming….

 

Best regards,

Paul

Absolutely - but in 1/24.

jon

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The Blenheim might be significant enough to kit but is somewhat obscure, I hope Kotare initial releases are kind of tried and true main stream subjects, Spitfire, Hurricane, 109e or P-51B.  Then if they want to do something riskier go for it.  I saw a lot of discussion that they were going to do the whirlwind but obscure post war piston engined fighters just don:t makes sense to me.  If I am going to get motivated it typically has to have a combat story and interesting pilots to go with it.  I have never built a plane just because it had a pretty face.  I mostly consider postwar props to be irrelevant with few exceptions as real development moved onto jets.  We have some notable exceptions like the Skyraider and Corsair during Korea but otherwise I have no interest in post war props.  Maybe there is something wrong with me, but that is where I am at with my builds.  

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