Time for the annual Wingnuts speculation

[uncletony]

Kosciuszko Squadron Camel makes an ideal pairing with a Polish boxing Ansaldo Balilla

[PrzemoL]

Kosciuszko Squadron Camel makes an ideal pairing with a Polish boxing Ansaldo Balilla

Absolutely, Bo! And I also have a plan to build SE.5a in the markings from that area It may be a Kosciuszko squadron 2017 for me.

[Isitwindyyet]

My christmas is fulfilled, I know it won't be here under the tree but this is just incredible.  I hope the nay sayers will give it a rest...There is no other company that even compares....

Great bunch of releases here.  I'll finally have an excuse to use the new distribution system for my two or three camels that I will order. 

However this says nothing about the long term of the company.  The camel isn't news, we have been waiting for kit for some time now, and the LVG is just a rebox.  So really there isn't a single bit of new material here.  Even if the company was (and I am not taking speculative sides here) considering shutting down, and they had a new tool waiting to be released then common sense would dictate they would at least try to bring it to market to recover some of the significant tooling costs before shutting the door.  Future announcements and truly new releases will say more about the future than today's announcements. 

Announcements that I am very grateful for.

 

[uncletony]

However this says nothing about the long term of the company.

I just have to disagree. If they were just trying to recoup the investment of the Camel tooling before burning it all down I doubt they would release it in 6 elaborate boxings -- hardly the way to reduce costs!!! Instead they would've slapped it together in one or two boxings, knowing that it would sell like crazy anyway.

Nothing lasts forever, but I think these releases show WNW still going from strength to strength.

[campingbaer66]

However this says nothing about the long term of the company.

I just have to disagree. If they were just trying to recoup the investment of the Camel tooling before burning it all down I doubt they would release it in 6 elaborate boxings -- hardly the way to reduce costs!!! Instead they would've slapped it together in one or two boxings, knowing that it would sell like crazy anyway.

Nothing lasts forever, but I think these releases show WNW still going from strength to strength.

But release it in 6 packages with most sprues identical means no significat higher costs but a lot more sales.
That's just the way Hasegawa is doing for many years now , selling the same kit with slight modifications or only with new decals.

I'm not convinced about the future of WnW.

Peter

[Borsos]

ok, but there's that 'duelist' thing. I know, it's pure speculation, but if WNW would just sell out their stuff, they would have been able to release a Camel vs Fokker D VII set, a Camel vs, Albatros D V set and a Camel vs. Hannover Cl. II set.mThis would sell even better and the moulds do exist, just add one set of decals to each boxing.  I hope that they didn't do that speaks against a dark future for WNW.

[Juan]

Enjoy the ride that WnW has provided us, nothing lasts forever.  I know I will, hopefully for many, many years to come.

[uncletony]

But release it in 6 packages with most sprues identical means no significat higher costs but a lot more sales.

That's just not true! Those 24 page full color manuals, boxes etc all, plus warehousing & distribution add significant cost.

[Hannover]

With the release of the Camels I see there are two more Model Reference numbers that are yet to be announced - 32073 and 32075.

Since these come after the initial number (32070) that was shown when the details of Camel was first announced, I'm wondering whether there are further Camel variants to come or have WnW decided on another two aircraft to produce as kits. 

P

[Isitwindyyet]

ok, but there's that 'duelist' thing. I know, it's pure speculation, but if WNW would just sell out their stuff, they would have been able to release a Camel vs Fokker D VII set, a Camel vs, Albatros D V set and a Camel vs. Hannover Cl. II set.mThis would sell even better and the moulds do exist, just add one set of decals to each boxing.  I hope that they didn't do that speaks against a dark future for WNW.

If they started to repop their existing sold out kits, you'd think that would make them a boatload of cash, and it would.  However it would greatly reduce the value of them selling their molds to another company if they did decide to cease production, and sell off their assets.  If they flooded the market with new boxings of the D VII, then a potential buyer wouldn't be able to sell as many in the short term after the take over.

I would love to see WNW re-release the sold out kits, plus produce new unannounced kits, that would send the strongest message to me about their long term health.  I wouldn't buy any, well maybe one or two, of the sold out kits because I already have all the copies of those I want.

Celebrate what we have, new camels in 1:32.  All the rest for and against is internet noise and opinions.

[macsporran]

Where does all this negativity about Wingnut's future come from

It's pretty obvious, I would have thought. We get an annual plethora of new releases, following on from an initial published list of exciting kits to come - and many more. Then suddenly in 2016 we get the square root of b*gg*r all!!!

Some have cited the huge problems of getting Weta distribution started, but what problems would that pose Wingnuts? All they had to do was provide forward links from their website and send all their stock to Weta. That should not have affected the designers and modellers at all.

We all hope their future is secure, but they have a complete disregard for giving us any insights into where they are actually going. Meanwhile, few of the original promises - figures, deluxe editions etc - appear.

I hope they astonish me, but I wish they would just be a bit more open with all their loyal followers.
S

[campingbaer66]

I respectfully suggest all you nay-sayers order a model and build it! Be happy!

Just would like to mention that I have build nothing but WnW kits the last 2,5 years , which was 14 builds in total , including the last Duellist package with Felixstowe and W29 , I'm a big fan of WnW and there kit. They brought me back to aircraft kit modelling and I really hope they will continoue bringing out great new releases.

But a year without any new kit ( the Camel is not coming out in 2016 ) is not really a good sign.
The 5 Camel boxings looks like making easy money , and I hope they will use the profits to put in in the development of more interesting and none mainstrem kits.

So I can both beeing a big fan and also be a little bit disappointed about what's going on.

Let's see if we see next time a great new surprise release or more only reboxings of Fokker DVII and Albatrosses to make easy money.

Peter

[uncletony]

but they have a complete disregard for giving us any insights into where they are actually going

WNW owes us nothing as to what they are going to do tomorrow or the next day! And really, why would you care so much?

Having been on the inside of this looking out (working with Aviattic on the Balilla project) it is quite obvious to me why they've adopted absolute secrecy...

[Borsos]

ok, but there's that 'duelist' thing. I know, it's pure speculation, but if WNW would just sell out their stuff, they would have been able to release a Camel vs Fokker D VII set, a Camel vs, Albatros D V set and a Camel vs. Hannover Cl. II set.mThis would sell even better and the moulds do exist, just add one set of decals to each boxing.  I hope that they didn't do that speaks against a dark future for WNW.

If they started to repop their existing sold out kits, you'd think that would make them a boatload of cash, and it would.  However it would greatly reduce the value of them selling their molds to another company if they did decide to cease production, and sell off their assets.  If they flooded the market with new boxings of the D VII, then a potential buyer wouldn't be able to sell as many in the short term after the take over.

I would love to see WNW re-release the sold out kits, plus produce new unannounced kits, that would send the strongest message to me about their long term health.  I wouldn't buy any, well maybe one or two, of the sold out kits because I already have all the copies of those I want.

Celebrate what we have, new camels in 1:32.  All the rest for and against is internet noise and opinions.

I stay fingers crossed that they don't sell their molds to anybody else and I don't think so. That would be against that very special philosophy that WNW represents. I am actually not pessimistic and when WNW released their Fe 2b they for me did all I could have dreamed of. And before WNW did it who had thought that there could be a high end Rumpler C IV, a DFW C V or an Albatros B II in injection molded plastic? Not to mention all their other jewels, for me they did more than I would ever have expected any brand would do. And even regarding the Camel (and it's not my most favoured airplane!), I see myself browsing their boxings with a big silly smile and thinking about which of these cool color shemes I'd like to have. Making a boy watering mouth for something that he didn't really think to need at the beginning, that's actually a real talent. Chapeau!   

(BTW: Always trying to improve my English I already learned that "mold" is written without an "u". My dictionary explained me then, what "mould" is ... hihi, no I don't think neither that WNW would sell their "moulds"...)

[macsporran]

(BTW: Always trying to improve my English I already learned that "mold" is written without an "u". My dictionary explained me then, what "mould" is ... hihi, no I don't think neither that WNW would sell their "moulds"...)

Hey Borsos, you were right first time, "mould" is correct English for WNW`s moulds, "mold" is correct American. Take your pick.