A visit with the folks at Revell

All these prognostications have one thing in common. We can expect kits to continue getting more expensive.

Amen!

Bill

warshipguy

I was simply referring to the lack of will to engage in competition with the manufacturers from overseas.

I don't really see that, more that the higher costs of doing it here means that it's more of an investment for less net profit. Revell released the 72nd Gato, the 48th PV-1, Mobius did the 72nd Skipjack (If I gotta stay on ships) and a bunch of science fiction kits, Merit has the PTs, OSA, and CV-5 kit (you may count these differently because it's an American distributor hiring an chinese company for design and molding).

If, by "lack of will" you mean bringing out similar subjects as asian manufacturers, well, even the asian manufacturers are trying to avoid that other than Trumpeter. Academy is now out of the ship model business after Trumpeter released two subjects that were similar to theirs. The other manufacturers I have talked to are very conscious of pent up desire for a subject and will target ones where there is no competition first to maximize their revenue.

Tracy,

I understand what you are saying.  And, yes, I am talking about ships.  It was Revell of Germany that originally produced the 1/72 USS Gato; Revell/Monogram simply repackaged that kit.  True, Mobius did produce the 1/72 USS Skipjack, but has yet to produce anything else in the years since then.  Merit is a Chinese company that is illustrating my point.  While Mobius manufactured the Skipjack several years ago, Merit is or has produced the USS Yorktown, USS Enterprise, and USS John F. Kennedy.  Trumpeter has also been a most prolific ship model  producer.  Dragon will soon be releasing a 1/350 USS Pennsylvania.  Lindbergh's repackaging the old Eaglewall and Pyro kits hardly bears comparison.

I am simply saying that the American companies seem content to simply repackage kits that over half a century old. Mobius might be an exception, but, to date, they have only released one ship kit that is now several years old.  I am not saying that American companies should simply manufacture ships already released by other manufacturers; on the contrary, I would like to see them jump back into the market with something fresh, something not yet manufactured. But, they seem to be shunning competition with foreign manufacturers instead of jumping into the market and competing with new products. It would be nice to see a new American product!

Bill Morrison

Yesterday I purchased the kit at a local Hobby Town; box has a sticker that says:

" with over over 90 percent US parts."

Which kit?

Bill

OOPs.

I was starting to reply to a post about the AMT Akron / Macon kit but neglected to add the quote about the kit.

Hi Proff ;

Listen , the " Hot Rod Hydroplane " was a very early MONOGRAM kit . It came out at the same time as their  1/32 scale Rubber powered ski Boat ( guessing the scale on this one ). They also had the U.D.T boat not long after . Looked good next to LINDBERG's  L.C.V.P. This was in 1958 or thereabouts . At the same time they had the " Midget Racer " and the " Offy " powered Indy Car !     T.B.

Thats bad news about Academy leaving the Ship Model genre. I really do like the kits that they made, and they tended to be as good as and more affordable than Trumpeter's offerings.

Airfix has done some nice new stuff in 1/350 ships. I do wish that Revell would follow their lead and do some new tool 1/350 ship kits. Or maybe some larger scale kits of smaller craft.

warshipguy

True, Mobius did produce the 1/72 USS Skipjack, but has yet to produce anything else in the years since then.  Merit is a Chinese company that is illustrating my point.  While Mobius manufactured the Skipjack several years ago, Merit is or has produced the USS Yorktown, USS Enterprise, and USS John F. Kennedy.  Trumpeter has also been a most prolific ship model  producer.  Dragon will soon be releasing a 1/350 USS Pennsylvania.  Lindbergh's repackaging the old Eaglewall and Pyro kits hardly bears comparison.

I am simply saying that the American companies seem content to simply repackage kits that over half a century old. Mobius might be an exception, but, to date, they have only released one ship kit that is now several years old.  I am not saying that American companies should simply manufacture ships already released by other manufacturers; on the contrary, I would like to see them jump back into the market with something fresh, something not yet manufactured. But, they seem to be shunning competition with foreign manufacturers instead of jumping into the market and competing with new products. It would be nice to see a new American product!

Merit is an American distributor that has hired a Chinese company. So, while the design and molding work was done in China, it was American capital and risk and therefore I included them. Mobius' Skipjack is a classic example of jumping into the market and competing - sometimes you bring a new subject to market that "under performs" and hurts your return and leaves you with less money to use on the next project. They also contracted out to a Chinese company for the CAD and molding. Airfix has their kits molded elsewhere and I believe that they also contract out the CAD, but I'm not as sure about that. Really, the new model is to hire out, unfortunately.

That 1/72 USS Skipjack is an excellent kit! As a retired submariner, I really appreciated their effort here.  However, it suffers from a lack of mass appeal that a new company should strive for with a new product.  Let's face it, the most popular subjects for warship modelling seems to begin with battleships and carriers, perhaps destroyers come in 2nd, cruisers 3rd, escort ships 4th, and everything else last.  That is what I would consider if I were starting a new model company.  

Bill

That was an excellent read.  Awesome!

I saw a post you made in March 2015 & wanted to follow up.  I have a new non-American 1:96 USS Constitution Revelle model with molded plastic rat lines.  I read you may have sets for sale.  I need a full set for the model.  Bowsprit, foremast, mainmast and mizzenmast, all three levels each.

I am interested in the "oiled" line rat lines as was on the original model.  

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

Charlie

Charlie,

Who among us are you asking?

Bill

Hello Dr.Tilley !

 The " HOT ROD " Hydroplane and the U.D.T boat were both Late fifties model releases .The " Hydro " By REVELL , and The U.D.T boat from MONOGRAM. Both were basic and reasonably fun .I took the U.D.T boat and built a four cylinder Grey Marine engine for it .

    It also was the basis for many different small workboats till it dissappeared in about 1965 . The "hydro " has been in and out of production for about forty years total now .

    I hope this clears the air for you .  T.B.      P.S. Sorry Folks . I have had physical technical problems that resulted in hospital  ,  Please accept my sincerest apology . and electronic problems that left me confused about what I did or did not reply to . Thank You T.B.

Tanker - Builder

I have had physical technical problems that resulted in hospital

Damit, you get yourself out of the clutches of the medicos and get better!

I did not make it to O-6 and not get to abu-er-exercise my priveledges.  And, be warned, if you use this hospital thing as some sort of excuse to skylark and goldbrick, I'll bring this to the attention of my MYMC (the kids claim he's the one what warned Farragut about the torpedoes in Mobile Bay).