Fouga CM.170?

[CRAZY IVAN5]

On 11/6/2023 at 6:33 AM, quang said:

I saw and manipulated the sprues at an IPMS show two three years ago. There also was the multi-lingual instruction sheets in English, Dutch, Chinese and Japanese. I remember my old IPMS friend ranting because there was no French included.
Later I heard from another friend that he received a set of sprues and was building a presentation model, the infamous MT-35 of the Belgian Air Force sporting an unique SEA Vietnam camouflage.

 

So much more than vaporware or even cut steel, the 1/32 injected plastic Fouga Magister exists. Wish I could say that much of the Loch Ness monster. 

You did WHAT to the sprues !? You're despicable! WELL![ breathy nebulous voice].  Seriously though how'd they look? I've been waiting for this to pop for a while now . I did get some of his F-104 stuff [1/48th] and I think it's first rate so I would expect this kit to be in the same league

[Grunticus]

6 hours ago, CRAZY IVAN5 said:

You did WHAT to the sprues !? You're despicable! WELL![ breathy nebulous voice].  Seriously though how'd they look? I've been waiting for this to pop for a while now . I did get some of his F-104 stuff [1/48th] and I think it's first rate so I would expect this kit to be in the same league

 

The look quite good, I'll buy one.

[Kagemusha]

52 minutes ago, Grunticus said:

 

The look quite good, I'll buy one.

 

It's a superb kit, pretty certain its delay is down to astronomical shipping container charges, Danny has a lot invested in the kit, so I imagine he's been more than frustrated over the past few years.

 

I'll definitely buy a couple.

[Violator1991]

We ( ie my company) used to pay about 2k Euros for the freight cost of a 40ft container from China to Germany before Covid. Now we pay 16k Euros!!

It certainly isn't a bright time to produce a kit in China and distribute worldwide. Maybe having the tooling brought back in Europe and producing it here might be a better idea but I guess the owner of the business would know better than I do.

I can only hope it comes out one day and I'll buy many if it ever does.

 

 

 

[thierry laurent]

9 hours ago, Violator1991 said:

We ( ie my company) used to pay about 2k Euros for the freight cost of a 40ft container from China to Germany before Covid. Now we pay 16k Euros!!

It certainly isn't a bright time to produce a kit in China and distribute worldwide. Maybe having the tooling brought back in Europe and producing it here might be a better idea but I guess the owner of the business would know better than I do.

I can only hope it comes out one day and I'll buy many if it ever does.

 

 

 

It would cost you more as the weight of the tooling is considerable and the molds are tailored for the injection machine type. Moreover, the packaging is a fully manual process and the European worker is far more expensive even for such a basic work. So, forget that option.

[quang]

Just my two-cents but I think shipping costs are the least of Daco’s worries.

[Mark_C]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:54 AM, Kagemusha said:

 

It's a superb kit, pretty certain its delay is down to astronomical shipping container charges, Danny has a lot invested in the kit, so I imagine he's been more than frustrated over the past few years.

 

I'll definitely buy a couple.

 

I wonder how Trumpeter, Meng, and so on deal with the charges when they export kits to Europe, the USA, and elsewhere? 

[Violator1991]

10 hours ago, thierry laurent said:

It would cost you more as the weight of the tooling is considerable and the molds are tailored for the injection machine type. Moreover, the packaging is a fully manual process and the European worker is far more expensive even for such a basic work. So, forget that option.

Half correct.

 

European worker is far more expensive for sure, but not everywhere in Europe and not every worker in Europe. Depends on how much you would like to trade off by freight and then there is also the import tax and VAT issues of our dear EU. So that could be a viable option but is totally up to business preferences, as well as anticipated sales.

 

As for the freight cost of the tooling, I would disagree for the freight cost is basically calculated by volume and not weight for containers. 

  

 

[Violator1991]

1 hour ago, Mark_C said:

 

I wonder how Trumpeter, Meng, and so on deal with the charges when they export kits to Europe, the USA, and elsewhere? 

Very good question!

 

The thing is all these brands are subsidized by the Chinese government through export incentives. This was even more so about ten years ago, when everyone was drowning in US dollars and interest rates were at the bottom... which lead to enormous assortment of kits from flourishing manufacturers, but this is not the case now. Money is expensive, return of investment is way too retarded which is why now Trumpeter does not produce a 1/32 kit every new month. 

[Tony T]

My own take is that shipping inflation is just another spiralling cost, which coupled with a slightly overengineered product has just made the Magister venture too much of a potential money pit. How many Fouga Magisters at, say, the original £135 postulated retail price are people really going to buy? What if it now has to retail for £180 to mitigate loss? 

I'm in for one at the former price, but...

With the moulds cut he's in a bind. 

 

I'm equally cynical about the poor choice of mark for Revell's forthcoming Gloster Meteor. But that's Revell; the big league. They can take the risk while designers remain besotted with WW2 subjects, and sell silly concepts. That's just my opinion and others will no doubt disagree heartily. 

 

When you see the polyurethane resin and 3D-printed JetMads Viggens and Draken selling out quickly at £250+, I do wonder if the CAD styrene kit designers are really using their talents wisely. ResKit seem to have the right idea: turn a dog like the Bobbyhoss Vark or Trumpeter SLUF into something way better with upgrade sets. There are quite a few Cold War jet subjects that could benefit from such an approach. 

 

For now, I'm keeping the 1/32 faith with the Red Pills Models F-4B Phantom II and a possible big scale Rye Field Fishbed. 

 

Tony 

[Mr.T]

12 hours ago, Tony T said:

My own take is that shipping inflation is just another spiralling cost, which coupled with a slightly overengineered product has just made the Magister venture too much of a potential money pit. How many Fouga Magisters at, say, the original £135 postulated retail price are people really going to buy? What if it now has to retail for £180 to mitigate loss? 

I'm in for one at the former price, but...

With the moulds cut he's in a bind. 

 

I'm equally cynical about the poor choice of mark for Revell's forthcoming Gloster Meteor. But that's Revell; the big league. They can take the risk while designers remain besotted with WW2 subjects, and sell silly concepts. That's just my opinion and others will no doubt disagree heartily. 

 

When you see the polyurethane resin and 3D-printed JetMads Viggens and Draken selling out quickly at £250+, I do wonder if the CAD styrene kit designers are really using their talents wisely. ResKit seem to have the right idea: turn a dog like the Bobbyhoss Vark or Trumpeter SLUF into something way better with upgrade sets. There are quite a few Cold War jet subjects that could benefit from such an approach. 

 

For now, I'm keeping the 1/32 faith with the Red Pills Models F-4B Phantom II and a possible big scale Rye Field Fishbed. 

 

Tony 

I think you're right. And it is a shame if correct. The Magister was an extremely important postwar trainer that was used by many Air Forces (incl. the Dutch that trained with the Belgium pilots in a Magister - T-33 tandem coop agreement). Also, think of how nice a Magister looks in the colours of the Patrouille de France!!. Let's hope Danny (Daco) does follow through and I am sure 150GBP would still be acceptable to most as it is slightly over engineered and therefore pretty cool looking (engines etc).

T

[Herbert SF]

Really?

 

Shipping cost dropped to normal level since beginning of this year, can´t understand the messages here. We´re doing more than 500 containers a year globally from Germany, and yes, last three years were a night mare. But not this year any more. Even air freight rates are quite affordable now, as belly freight is on full capacity again.

 

I get frequently new low offers from China shippers, maybe I should forward it to Belgium. This is definitely no topic any longer.

 

And yes, I am waiting too.

[geedubelyer]

Scouring through the trader list it doesn't look like DACO are attending SMW this year. 

[Tony T]

4 hours ago, Herbert SF said:

Really?

 

Shipping cost dropped to normal level since beginning of this year, can´t understand the messages here. We´re doing more than 500 containers a year globally from Germany, and yes, last three years were a night mare. But not this year any more. Even air freight rates are quite affordable now, as belly freight is on full capacity again.

 

I get frequently new low offers from China shippers, maybe I should forward it to Belgium. This is definitely no topic any longer.

 

And yes, I am waiting too.

 

This is good news. 

One less screw holding down the lid on the Magister.

I'm sure Daco would love the prospect of selling 500 containers' worth of kits and enjoying the discount prices that go with shipping that bulk.

Does that work also for the little people shifting just half a container load of widgets once in a while? 

 

I do, however, wish to be optimistic. 

 

Tony

[vince14]

10 hours ago, geedubelyer said:

Scouring through the trader list it doesn't look like DACO are attending SMW this year. 

Can confirm, they weren't there this year.

Edited November 11, 2023 by vince14