forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => What's New => Topic started by: Dave W on June 18, 2020, 07:55:34 PM
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Chinese model company Meng has announced a new 1/32 scale Fokker Dr.1 kit, which may be the unreleased Wingnut Wings tooling.
Meng announced it's DR.1 on its Facebook page which is intriguing enough but our sources say Meng was the company which did the DR.1 tooling for the never completed Wingnuts kit. If so, mystery surrounds whether there has been a deal done to issue the WnW kit under the Meng brand.
As usual not a word from Wingnuts or whoever is running the place now.
In the meantime, Meng has posted images of its new kit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xTwQnQ47/83527621-3079891408790829-964427881803896165-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VNRPqCkQ/104163737-3079890998790870-8659575457596379136-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZqZhvcZx/104297084-3079891298790840-4939422674501917756-o.jpg)
Also an apology for removing the earlier thread regarding this release. Links here to Large Scale Planes are discouraged due to a very unpleasant bout of trolling and flaming I received from members and some moderators when a well meaning forum member posted my recent article there on the closure of Wingnuts.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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Maybe MENG was the company that also did the tooling for the mighty O/400-100? Lets pray that the bomber will be released by MENG.
In any case it is great news that a respective model company expands its range on WW1 aircrafts.
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I welcome the kit very much, I'm not sure I welcome the stuff about WNW in this announcement. I fear that is going to overshadow this excellent news
Richard
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Maybe MENG was the company that also did the tooling for the mighty O/400-100? Lets pray that the bomber will be released by MENG.
In case it is great news that a respective model company expands their range on WW1 aircrafts.
Meng wasn't the tooling company that was doing the HP's...
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Unfortunately „the masses“ won't bother...
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Unfortunately „the masses“ won't bother...
Then that would narrow me down to the few who have a conscience. I can live with that. Anything else is pure hypocrisy.
Cheers,
vB
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Meng have a history of excellent ww1 tanks. So i’ll buy at least two of these. As to legit, presumably we mean not copied or stolen molds. Well wnw fired most of there staff with no warning and shut down... so who in this case is it hurting...
Additionally if the rumour mill is correct, Meng were used for the mold tooling and in the future presumably production, so its a bit of a grey area, did they buy the mold, not get fully paid etc...
Ray
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Very interesting news.
If Meng was the tooling company, then a deal must have been struck. To simply rip this off so flagrantly from a partner? Surely not.
/Mikael
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OH BOY OH BOY !
I will be adding this one to the stash when it is released . I have built a few of the WW2 aircraft kits and they are very highly detailed . With a few more in the stash for future builds . So not only do we have Roden , CSM , SH we now have Meng jumping in ...happy days indeed !
Terri
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Yep! I'll be adding one of these to the stash.
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Folks...let's go easy on the speculation regarding the Meng Fokker DR.1. Meng is a very respected model company with high quality products.
It is quite possible the Wingnut owners may have done a formal deal with Meng to take over the uncompleted Wingnuts DR.1 projects. We simply do not know so let's not assume otherwise.
Also it's worth noting Meng are saying their kit will include three options in the box - the Fokker F.1, Dr.1 Early and Dr.1 Late.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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Folks...let's go easy on the speculation regarding the Meng Fokker DR.1. Meng is a very respected model company with high quality products.
It is quite possible the Wingnut owners may have done a formal deal with Meng to take over the uncompleted Wingnuts DR.1 projects. We simply do not know so let's not assume otherwise.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Fair comment, Dave :)
vB
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Fantastic, A whole new chapter in WWI AC modeling could be opening!
Well done Meng.
Ryan
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Also it's worth noting Meng are saying their kit will include three options in the box - the Fokker F.1, Dr.1 Early and Dr.1 Late.
Dave Wilson
Now that's a welcome change from the WNW policy IMHO.
Buy one kit, but build any variant: perfect for AM decal providers.
I remember asking Dave if he could send me the ailerons to alter an Albatros D.V to a D.Va but they weren't available separately at that time and I'd have to buy a whole new kit. (The Jasta 5 trilogy eventually gave both choices of course, as did the last-gasp brown boxings.)
P.S. Possibly a spare cowling to upgrade that old Roden Dr.I in the stash?
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Gret news, Dave! Thanks for posting.
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I am out of the loop for one Day and this happened! I am hoping that this will be a good thing 😎
RAGIII
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It's all my fault. Sorry chaps. I just finished modifying two Roden kits parts and aquiring all the aftermarket for them. Rich, stay online please, it's too dangerous for my wallet when you drop out. Regards, Pete in RI.
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Pete,
But look on the good side, the Roden ones are still a pretty nice Kit, and no doubt less hurtful to the Bank Account! Also, now you get to have several Tripes in the cabinet! ;) :)
Cheers,
Lance
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Also it's worth noting Meng are saying their kit will include three options in the box - the Fokker F.1, Dr.1 Early and Dr.1 Late.
This is a really nice feature - I really like having a single boxing that covers the slight variants.
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Terrific news, now we have another contender entering the WW1 aircraft ring, this is gonna be interesting!!
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Lovely! Come to Daddy.... Sounds like my predictions regarding joint production on another thread was right... Just so surprised (and delighted) that it came so soon... These are the Golden Years of modelling! Regards, Marc.
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Fantastic news! Here’s hoping the quality of the kit is right up there. (http://)
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P.S. Possibly a spare cowling to upgrade that old Roden Dr.I in the stash?
If Meng is including options for all three versions in one kit, then there should be at least one each of the Fi and Dr.1 style cowlings in the box. Whether or not they'll fit on the business end of the Roden fuselage is a different issue.
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Having build their Renault FT-17 and their Whippet, I can say Meng produces some fantastic kits which are of the highest quality. So I am keen on seeing that Triplane released, keeping my fingers crossed that it won’t be the last WWI release from Meng and that the tripe will be released at all. They once announced a great looking Ford-T British ambulance (British, so completely different from the ICM kits) and they sadly never released this.
Andreas
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Don't forget 'Aviattic' have a replacement cowl, rudder and PE for the existing kits,
Mike
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Well this is surprising and very welcome news.
I'm going to assume this kit is the WNW project. It almost has to be. And if that is true, it begs the question of what other WNW projects we might see from other companies, or maybe even Meng exclusively.
As an armor modeler, I can tell everyone here Meng is a very good model company who makes nice kits.
Even if this is somehow not their own effort (I find that hard to believe) that would be equally good news.
A new kit from Meng concerning just about any subject matter is cause for enthusiastic interest.
Meng's M2 Bradley IFV is honestly one of the best kits I've ever made. Great detail, great fit, it fell together. Basically Tamiya but with much better detailing.
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EDIT: Taken from Meng's Facebook page regarding the announcement of the Dreidecker Eins:
"We know that you have been waiting for a carefully studied large scale Fokker Dr.I model kit with precise details for a long time."
That's their nod to the WNW project IMO, combined with a little wink.
Stated as "Coming soon."
Can't wait!
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Great news, very intriguing too. I will be one the many buying one of these.
I can't help but wonder if Meng will be releasing a 1/32 Lancaster soon too. ;)
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Now I'm digging out my MVR Albatros D.V kit and having a look at the DR.I decals they included with that.
Will they work with the Meng release?
🧐
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Scalemates seems to think it's the WNW kit. Note the timeline.
Of course Scalemates could just be expressing wishful thinking too! :D
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-qs-002-fokker-dri-triplane--1291609#
Eric
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You are right Lance, the Roden kit is nice and there is no such thing as too many Dr1's! lol
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Interesting, my Red Baron figure will be able to choose his mounts :).
So, the HP's and Lanc's weren't moulded by Meng, going to be interesting to see if the others show up under different manufacturers. I guess I will hang off buying that HK Lanc for awhile....
I'm doubtful we'll see WNW\Weta re-run kits in the foreseeable future if ever. Who actually does own the moulds? So far everything matches what was released by Dave's initial posts (don't want to dwell too much on the point, but the amount of toxicity without any debate from a number of sites and groups online was eye opening in negative way).
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
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Great news, very intriguing too. I will be one the many buying one of these.
I can't help but wonder if Meng will be releasing a 1/32 Lancaster soon too. ;)
That I don't think will happen. That was at another tooling company along with 1/32 HP's. But you may never know, I didn't expect this one coming!
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I am thinking it will be around the US$65 mark. The instructions will be interesting to see, if they have used what was/has been laid out by WNW or go with their own style. The box states there are 3 decal schemes.
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Would you not base your decision upon the quality & pricing of the Meng kit, rather than whether it was a previous WNW mould?
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I'd be shocked if this were anything other than the WNW kit.
Just makes no sense otherwise, unless you believe in coincidences.
The Roden kits are available at around £25-£30. They will still offer great value for money, even if this trump's them technically.
Pricing will be interesting. How close to $79 will it be!?
Had a quick look at LSP, and it continues to treat WNW as some kind of nasty, to be avoided virus. Very, very odd. I used to enjoy it there, but no longer - Some time ago I was encouraged by a moderator to go elsewhere to discuss WNW & it's demise.....
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Great news, very intriguing too. I will be one the many buying one of these.
I can't help but wonder if Meng will be releasing a 1/32 Lancaster soon too. ;)
That I don't think will happen. That was at another tooling company along with 1/32 HP's. But you may never know, I didn't expect this one coming!
I wonder how many others were tooled by Meng - and which ones...
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I'm glad it's here, and have read enough to be convinced where the moulds came from. I'll buy one or two... I am most concerned about decals. Hopefully the sheets will be as comprehensive as WNW's. I've come to love all of the dials and stencils that came with a WNW kit. Their 5 color lozenge didn;t look right... but there isn't any on the Dr.I.
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Can't wait! Seems like the release is not to far off. I guess WNW was that close to releasing the kit before the plug was pulled.
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Scalemates seems to think it's the WNW kit. Note the timeline.
Of course Scalemates could just be expressing wishful thinking too! :D
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-qs-002-fokker-dri-triplane--1291609#
Eric
They may well be correct, but Scalemates can be edited by anybody with an account, so I'd not read too much into that.
I still personally think they are correct, though!
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Their 5 color lozenge didn;t look right... but there isn't any on the Dr.I.
No Loz?? What?? You haven’t seen The Blue Max??? ;)
To me, the best news is that Rowan, Sabine, & Co. have an incentive to complete new 1/32 Dr.I sheets.
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Would you not base your decision upon the quality & pricing of the Meng kit, rather than whether it was a previous WNW mould?
That all depends on how the moulds came to Meng. If there is a deal between WNW and Meng, I will happily add the DR.1 to the stash. I will leave the other scenarios at the door.
Let's wait and see where this goes.
vB :)
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That all depends on how the moulds came to Meng. If there is a deal between WNW and Meng, I will happily add the DR.1 to the stash. I will leave the other scenarios at the door.
Let's wait and see where this goes.
I agree, absolutely. If this does indeed turn out to be an instance of "possession is 9/10ths of the law" and the molds have been hijacked by Meng rather than with the blessing of WNW, then I'll stick with my Rodens. However, if these are indeed the same designs that WNW was developing and there's been an affable arrangement between Meng and WNW to bring them to fruition under the Meng label, then I'll be happy to buy a half-dozen. And I'll still plan on building the Rodens.
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Wow, that post got all weird. I tried to quote Bob's Buckles and it looks like I quoted myself. LOL
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Their 5 color lozenge didn;t look right... but there isn't any on the Dr.I.
No Loz?? What?? You haven’t seen The Blue Max??? ;)
To me, the best news is that Rowan, Sabine, & Co. have an incentive to complete new 1/32 Dr.I sheets.
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I am thinking it will be around the US$65 mark. The instructions will be interesting to see, if they have used what was/has been laid out by WNW or go with their own style. The box states there are 3 decal schemes.
Was it perhaps Trumpeter that did the Lancaster tooling?
I'm hoping Meng did the tooling for some of the engines. Particularly the Le Rhone 9c. I don't fancy the prospect of trying to scratch build one for my intended next project
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Great news, very intriguing too. I will be one the many buying one of these.
I can't help but wonder if Meng will be releasing a 1/32 Lancaster soon too. ;)
That I don't think will happen. That was at another tooling company along with 1/32 HP's. But you may never know, I didn't expect this one coming!
I wonder how many others were tooled by Meng - and which ones...
As far as I recall there was one other kit with Meng that has not been announced. Everything else has been released or near release (Dr.1)
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I am thinking it will be around the US$65 mark. The instructions will be interesting to see, if they have used what was/has been laid out by WNW or go with their own style. The box states there are 3 decal schemes.
Was it perhaps Trumpeter that did the Lancaster tooling?
I'm hoping Meng did the tooling for some of the engines. Particularly the Le Rhone 9c. I don't fancy the prospect of trying to scratch build one for my intended next project
There was no Trumpeter factories used, so I highly doubt that you will see an ex-WNW Lanc in a Trumpeter box.
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I have found a detail both in Meng and WNW's renderings that convinced me about it being the same model: The doubled stacking bumps in the leading edge of the wings. Early and late DR.1s had them in different positions, so you will have to sand off the outboard or inboard ones... but that's an easy to forget detail when designing a model. Also the non standard installation of the flare pistol is the same in both models. But the WNW model has a wing mounted anemometer not featured in Meng's render. Anyway there are too many frequently overlooked details that are the same to think they are different designs.
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Would you not base your decision upon the quality & pricing of the Meng kit, rather than whether it was a previous WNW mould?
That all depends on how the moulds came to Meng. If there is a deal between WNW and Meng, I will happily add the DR.1 to the stash. I will leave the other scenarios at the door.
Let's wait and see where this goes.
vB :)
To be honest, I never even thought of that.
That would surprise me greatly. After all, WNW had such good relations with its suppliers that we never knew a model was even being developed. That is made through strong personal relationships, which I believe Meng has utilised to take over the moulds.
Far more likely than being blatantly purloined.
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I hope it's legit. If not, no DR.1 for me.
vB
Would you not base your decision upon the quality & pricing of the Meng kit, rather than whether it was a previous WNW mould?
That all depends on how the moulds came to Meng. If there is a deal between WNW and Meng, I will happily add the DR.1 to the stash. I will leave the other scenarios at the door.
Let's wait and see where this goes.
vB :)
To be honest, I never even thought of that.
That would surprise me greatly. After all, WNW had such good relations with its suppliers that we never knew a model was even being developed. That is made through strong personal relationships, which I believe Meng has utilised to take over the moulds.
Far more likely than being blatantly purloined.
I would like to hope there was some deal arranged and nothing fishy has happened. I don't think that latter would be the case, but I have seen companies in the past recoup costs on items. Maybe the owners abandoned them, and they are recouping costs. But I don't think that is the case here.
I am just looking forward to seeing them released, I know I will be getting 2 or 6 :o of them!
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Wow I didn’t check for a day and saw this, 4 pages can’t wait to read it right now!
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Have to agree with multiple variations in same box. There were only 3 things that grated me about WNW this, only able to pay in USD and thin mail boxing. But there were probably 97 things they did right including unequaled research and quality
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I think WNW set the bar with instructions. But maybe they bought the intellectual property?
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I'd be shocked if this were anything other than the WNW kit.
Just makes no sense otherwise, unless you believe in coincidences.
The Roden kits are available at around £25-£30. They will still offer great value for money, even if this trump's them technically.
Pricing will be interesting. How close to $79 will it be!?
Had a quick look at LSP, and it continues to treat WNW as some kind of nasty, to be avoided virus. Very, very odd. I used to enjoy it there, but no longer - Some time ago I was encouraged by a moderator to go elsewhere to discuss WNW & it's demise.....
No idea seems strange Wingnuts would close with a money maker ready to go.
From personal experience your comments re:Large Scale Planes are spot on
Maybe Meng or someone will announce the next money maker people want, a SPAD?
It would be nice to see the Handley Page come out maybe with 2 both variants in the same box?
Maybe the Lancs will come as a movie tie in as mentioned by another member.
If this is the WNW kit I’m ready to put a deposit on a few now. If it’s a Meng I’ll wait for comparisons with the Roden
Cheers!
Potentially awesome news Dave! Thankyou times 1000
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I have found a detail both in Meng and WNW's renderings that convinced me about it being the same model ...
For a wistful comparison - an early Ming CAD to an early WNW test shot .The WNW shots were taken at the 2019 IPMS USA Nationals.
(https://i.imgur.com/R2QHGLI.jpg)
Not much to contrast since a Dr.1 is a Dr.1, but the Meng rib treatment in the CAD stands out as not very good. I assume that will be fixed in the final run.
(https://i.imgur.com/3tQXw5a.jpg)
The Meng announcement, WNW molds or not, is so right!
Gene K
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Scalemates seems to think it's the WNW kit. Note the timeline.
Of course Scalemates could just be expressing wishful thinking too! :D
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-qs-002-fokker-dri-triplane--1291609#
Eric
scalemates knows exactly as much as the modelling community. it's basically a wiki, we edit it. that said, ex-Wingnuts people saying a) Meng did the tooling and b) it looks like theirs sure got my attention.
if they are the WNW molds i doubt we'll find out how the molds landed at Meng.
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Scalemates seems to think it's the WNW kit. Note the timeline.
Of course Scalemates could just be expressing wishful thinking too! :D
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/meng-qs-002-fokker-dri-triplane--1291609#
Eric
scalemates knows exactly as much as the modelling community. it's basically a wiki, we edit it. that said, ex-Wingnuts people saying a) Meng did the tooling and b) it looks like theirs sure got my attention.
if they are the WNW molds i doubt we'll find out how the molds landed at Meng.
The molds were already at Meng. They were the tooling factory for this project.
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I think WNW set the bar with instructions. But maybe they bought the intellectual property?
One thing that annoys me about WNW instructions: I have to repeatedly go back the the page with the color callouts. Zoukei-Mura's instructions are nearly equal to WNW's, and each page lists all colors required on the steps addressed on the page. A nice touch in my book!
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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You are very well informed Dave ;)
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
doesn't trigger any fomo in me, i'm sticking to 1/32... so i'm a bit relieved. one less thing to cry myself to sleep over.
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I wonder how much a Meng Dr.I will cost? I imagine a Wingnut kit would have cost $79/£79 and the Roden Dr.1 costs £55.The CSM Nieuports retail at £67 so where will Meng be? Especially as this kit is going to include all of the bits in one box? I'm guessing between £50 and £65 based on their prices for aircraft kits and AFV's. That would be fine! But will we get a Wingnut style instruction sheet? And what about decals where Wingnut would have given us markings for 5 alternatives? All very interesting!!
I think WNW set the bar with instructions. But maybe they bought the intellectual property?
One thing that annoys me about WNW instructions: I have to repeatedly go back the the page with the color callouts. Zoukei-Mura's instructions are nearly equal to WNW's, and each page lists all colors required on the steps addressed on the page. A nice touch in my book!
True that- I was thinking more of the research photos etc. I haven’t tried a ZM kit yet, they do look delicious!
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Gosh. Dr1 etc, maybe, as long as it was nothing bigger than that!
Oh well. The only thing I’d like to have seen in addition was a Red Baron crash scene, like in the Omaka museum, with him laid out and AIF souveniring
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Hi all,
Has anyone noticed the box art serial number for the kit?
'Quetzalcoatlus Series QS-002'
Strange naming covention - a pterosaur from the late Cretaceous period.
But what got my attention is that this kit is the first by MENG, so why serial number 002?
Could there be a 001?
Mike
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Fascinating stuff, Dave.
Unfortunately it's almost a perfect lesson in how not to run a financially viable company IMHO.
Millions going out the door on future projects, while many of your most popular lines are sold out so far less money coming in than could have been available.
They built a gold standard brand image - comparable with Apple - with a similar brand loyalty, but insisted on a limited edition policy and omitted so many products (Dr.1, SPAD etc) that the customers really wanted
I love the whole WNW ethos and will miss them immensely, while regretting what could have been achieved had all PJ's millions been invested with a better business plan.
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Forgive me if I you have already seen them but there now appear to be some sprue shots of the DR.1 on Mengs Facebook page. Look pretty much like WnW moldings to me.
I'll be getting one whatever.
Cheers, Mark
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Hi all,
Has anyone noticed the box art serial number for the kit?
'Quetzalcoatlus Series QS-002'
Strange naming covention - a pterosaur from the late Cretaceous period.
But what got my attention is that this kit is the first by MENG, so why serial number 002?
Could there be a 001?
Mike
Meng's 001 kit is the Me-163 Comet. Their only other release in 1/32 to date. I checked on the Hannants website.
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Meng has uploaded more images of its forthcoming 1/32 scale Fokker Dr.1 kit on its Facebook page.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bvJm0WJq/104376087-3082843678495602-4165951215002565655-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1zCYLPTg/104180469-3082843738495596-5550173933885172408-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6Q5mjTHJ/104303933-3082843665162270-4589127208029541476-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/L8VW3j33/103843302-3082843745162262-6131188549496996115-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hv78ZqWq/104699229-3082843935162243-8475124764833869062-o.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Qtzkqdzb/103857004-3082844055162231-2222681729161510983-o.jpg)
No release date is announced but the kit was virtually ready for release in its Wingnut Wings incarnation.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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I hope they still have time to correct the PE Spandau jacket. If they can't... there are many aftermarket alternatives.
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Boy, I get distracted by other shiny things and all this happens!! If its all above board I'm in!
Steve
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Those moldings look beautiful.
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I hope they still have time to correct the PE Spandau jacket. If they can't... there are many aftermarket alternatives.
Oddly, the Spandau jackets seen in Meng's CAD image of the complete model look correct. But you're right about alternatives. Master Model Spandaus are superb.
Eric
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It does look very nice. Sigh though - I have a couple Roden DrI and all the trimmings from aftermarket already. Maybe I should try a quick "double-build" to clear space in the stash for this new kit....
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Wow those sprues are high quality. Control stick looks amazing.
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I hope they still have time to correct the PE Spandau jacket. If they can't... there are many aftermarket alternatives.
Oddly, the Spandau jackets seen in Meng's CAD image of the complete model look correct. But you're right about alternatives. Master Model Spandaus are superb.
Eric
I must admit that I have a fondness for Gaspatch machine guns!
Simon
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
If true, that goes some way to explain why WNW ceased trading.
I really can't see many people, having heavily invested in 1/32 WNW kits, deciding to fork out yet more money for the same kits in a larger scale? Yes, some will, but from what I know about modellers, not many.
It's just financial suicide. They have numerous sold out lines that obviously have untapped demand remaining, which they could tap by running more batches at a lower marginal cost, since all the development costs are already sunk.
They could have reduced the number of boxing's, by including late/early parts in the same box, like many manufacturers do, thereby reducing costs.
They could issue just a single version of unpopular/expensive kits, like the DFW & Felixstowe's.
They could have opened the market potential by providing special edition kits to sell up, and Eduard style overtrees kits to sell down.
But no, let's start up an entire line of 1/24 kits, based upon - I assume - PJ's desire to model them. Just crazy.
At some point, an accountant looking at the books, the budgets and the projections, must have seen the writing on the wall in the form of large losses that got larger as WNW did more kits, and flagged up the figures to PJ. Even multi-millionaires have a limit, and it seems WNW crossed that red line, given a push by the coronavirus nibbling away at his wealth.
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For those who think this kit isn't the WNW kit...
I just grabbed several recent WNW kits off the shelf and compared the sprues to the new images of the Meng kit.
Sprue geometry, choice of number font, etc., are identical.
PS: That's really interesting news about a 1/24 line. I would have definitely bought those kits. Maybe we will see them under future Meng releases.
1/32 scale really isn't all that big for a lot of WWI aircraft, such as the DR.I or a Camel.
1/24 would be that much better. More impressive on the shelf.
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
If true, that goes some way to explain why WNW ceased trading.
I really can't see many people, having heavily invested in 1/32 WNW kits, deciding to fork out yet more money for the same kits in a larger scale? Yes, some will, but from what I know about modellers, not many.
It's just financial suicide. They have numerous sold out lines that obviously have untapped demand remaining, which they could tap by running more batches at a lower marginal cost, since all the development costs are already sunk.
They could have reduced the number of boxing's, by including late/early parts in the same box, like many manufacturers do, thereby reducing costs.
They could issue just a single version of unpopular/expensive kits, like the DFW & Felixstowe's.
They could have opened the market potential by providing special edition kits to sell up, and Eduard style overtrees kits to sell down.
But no, let's start up an entire line of 1/24 kits, based upon - I assume - PJ's desire to model them. Just crazy.
At some point, an accountant looking at the books, the budgets and the projections, must have seen the writing on the wall in the form of large losses that got larger as WNW did more kits, and flagged up the figures to PJ. Even multi-millionaires have a limit, and it seems WNW crossed that red line, given a push by the coronavirus nibbling away at his wealth.
The 1/24 line doesn't strike me as that crazy, as long as it was done in moderation and used for the most iconic aircraft of the Great War. I think they would have sold just fine.
Clearly, what killed them is not producing enough bread and butter kits like the DR.I (earlier) or the SPAD XIII, etc.
On top of that, the killer surely was getting bogged down in excessive development time for hugely complex, large, and expensive kits that were doomed to poor sales numbers from the start. And I'm pretty sure we all could have known which kits those were going to be before they even went into development.
As I have mentioned before, the Felixstowe is a good example. Those kits have been available for below retail for a long time; they are just too big, too complex, too much rigging, and require way too much display space to be financially viable.
Still, the development of maybe one of those sorts of kits probably could have been offset by lots of good selling popular kits.
But the ratio of complex/crazy kits to iconic/bread and butter kits was all wrong.
This jibes with our Dave and WNW's Dave in their respective podcasts suggesting WNW could have been financially viable had they gone a different route.
WNW's efforts at creating good rigging instructions were always rather insufficient.
I think the largest factor in keeping a lot of modelers away from WNW products was the rigging. Had they done a better job at making that process much easier for the modeler, it may have helped.
The simple diagram they include in the instructions could have been much more elaborate; I always said they should have had a second instruction manual just for the rigging, walking the modeler through the process stage by stage just like the other aspects of the kit. The idea being to make the process less intimidating to the uninitiated.
It's all water under the bridge now!
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I'd be shocked if this were anything other than the WNW kit.
Just makes no sense otherwise, unless you believe in coincidences.
The Roden kits are available at around £25-£30. They will still offer great value for money, even if this trump's them technically.
Pricing will be interesting. How close to $79 will it be!?
Had a quick look at LSP, and it continues to treat WNW as some kind of nasty, to be avoided virus. Very, very odd. I used to enjoy it there, but no longer - Some time ago I was encouraged by a moderator to go elsewhere to discuss WNW & it's demise.....
Your post here could have been written by me, both in terms of the Fokker having to come from WNW, and the LSP comments. Bizarre/odd indeed.
I have said as much over at LSP, and indeed, I too was invited to go elsewhere.
Regarding the pricing of the Meng DR.I: the economics going into the release by Ming aren't going to be the same as they would have been for WNW. They might offer them at a price below what WNW would have done.
Then again, they probably feel they can move them at a unit cost of $79, or maybe a touch more, so we'll have to see.
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As much as I liked WNW, I was always surprised they made such off the wall products as the last 2 Gothas. I also had a tough time deciding how best to spend my dollars, since being retired and on a pension made buying a very selective process. I was fortunate enough to get a few "mainstream" models before the company went under and looking at what E-Bay resellers are charging I'm glad I did. Looking at the Dr.I from Meng I also think it's the WNW that was announced. I'd like to get a couple once they come out.
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Hi all,
Has anyone noticed the box art serial number for the kit?
'Quetzalcoatlus Series QS-002'
Strange naming covention - a pterosaur from the late Cretaceous period.
But what got my attention is that this kit is the first by MENG, so why serial number 002?
Could there be a 001?
Mike
That's a Meng thing. They have some armor kits that are part of the Tyrannosaurus series, etc.
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Hi all,
Has anyone noticed the box art serial number for the kit?
'Quetzalcoatlus Series QS-002'
Strange naming covention - a pterosaur from the late Cretaceous period.
But what got my attention is that this kit is the first by MENG, so why serial number 002?
Could there be a 001?
Mike
That's a Meng thing. They have some armor kits that are part of the Tyrannosaurus series, etc.
Yep, I actually have a copy of Quetzalcoatlus 001 in the stash - it is a very nice looking kit though I have heard it may be a tricky build
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Meng has uploaded more images of its forthcoming 1/32 scale Fokker Dr.1 kit on its Facebook page.
No release date is announced but the kit was virtually ready for release in its Wingnut Wings incarnation.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Those sprues look absolutely gorgeous, tahnks for sharing. I'd say one of the finer efforts of WnWs (Meng) to date. Earlier today members of a certain fan page were ranting about how they looked wierd and sub standard? Very strange. Seems hard to plese/convince some. I would have thoght this was exactly what everybody wanted – another modelling company stepping in and taking over where WnW left off. Will probably get one or two. Wou'nt paint any of them red though...
/Mikael
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1/24th scale isn't that big a jump over 1/32nd and if a manufacturer gets up to 1/16 or 1/12 in Great War aircraft then we're at the point where in my opinion plastic no longer fools the eye and the kit might as well be made of wood, aluminum, and fabric with painting masks for all of the markings except perhaps stencil data and propeller logos. I've never summoned the courage to buy one of the big Hasegawa kits like the N.28 or Dr.1 and I'm not sure what I'd do with one if had one. Like the giant 1/32nd WNW kits, it's fun to see them built by others yet I have no inclination to add one to my stash.
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Just to ramp up the intrigue surrounding Meng and their tooling work for Wingnut Wings, I understand that as well as the 1/32 Fokker Dr.1, Meng were also doing the tooling for a Wingnuts 1/24th scale Fokker Dr.1.
Yes, it seems Wingnuts had plans to launch a whole new range of 1/24th scale kits. As well as the Fokker Dr.1, the line was intended to include a Sopwith Camel and Albatros D.V/a. If only….
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
Fascinating stuff, Dave.
Unfortunately it's almost a perfect lesson in how not to run a financially viable company IMHO.
Millions going out the door on future projects, while many of your most popular lines are sold out so far less money coming in than could have been available.
They built a gold standard brand image - comparable with Apple - with a similar brand loyalty, but insisted on a limited edition policy and omitted so many products (Dr.1, SPAD etc) that the customers really wanted
I love the whole WNW ethos and will miss them immensely, while regretting what could have been achieved had all PJ's millions been invested with a better business plan.
Thats a great summary
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As much as I liked WNW, I was always surprised they made such off the wall products as the last 2 Gothas. I also had a tough time deciding how best to spend my dollars, since being retired and on a pension made buying a very selective process. I was fortunate enough to get a few "mainstream" models before the company went under and looking at what E-Bay resellers are charging I'm glad I did. Looking at the Dr.I from Meng I also think it's the WNW that was announced. I'd like to get a couple once they come out.
As a bit of a WWI Aviation Historian of the armchair variety, I appreciated most of the Sir Peter's selections. For example the DFW C.V was actually the most numerous German aircraft at the front. We just do not hear much of it, though it does pop up in stock WWI footage (e.g. skull & crossbones 2-seater). The AEG is a very interesting and important design. It will be a beast to build. I agree with most, while I like the Felix and the G.I; I would have put the development money into a SPAD XIII and an Albatros D.III series (German and Austro) and the D.II.
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I'd be shocked if this were anything other than the WNW kit.
Just makes no sense otherwise, unless you believe in coincidences.
Had a quick look at LSP, and it continues to treat WNW as some kind of nasty, to be avoided virus. Very, very odd. I used to enjoy it there, but no longer - Some time ago I was encouraged by a moderator to go elsewhere to discuss WNW & it's demise.....
Your post here could have been written by me, both in terms of the Fokker having to come from WNW, and the LSP comments. Bizarre/odd indeed
I have said as much over at LSP, and indeed, I too was invited to go elsewhere.
Sounds like 1/2 a dozen of us at least have had this experience, maybe from the same individual (will refrain from naming). Reactions to WNW posts as you say were nasty and bizarre. Then other mods just piled in with lame justifications. Bloody unprofessional. The site is ok shadowing and members are helpful for tips and techniques but I find it’s best to avoid feeding the trolls in the discussion section. Anyway that’s thankfully in the past for me now.
This site is more respectful, open minded and a better place to discuss WW1 modelling in that sense. I’ve also had some good interactions with guys here, once again won’t name them but you know who you are! Dazlr
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I just hope this isn't just a one-off. I hope that Meng finds this as a decent potential revenue stream.
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Yes Gaz,
Could be good things for the future. Roden, CSM, maybe Meng
I hope a few WNW kits resurface in some form- I’m not paying $500 for a Se5 or D7, $400 for a Roland Vi, or $1000 for a Gotha.
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Yes Gaz,
Could be good things for the future. Roden, CSM, maybe Meng
I hope a few WNW kits resurface in some form- I’m not paying $500 for a Se5 or D7, $400 for a Roland Vi, or $1000 for a Gotha.
Are you on Facebook? There is a site called Wingnut Wings Fans I belong to. Sometimes people there ask for a kit, and I reckon they usually get responses.
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No doubt this release will be very welcome news for the after market business.
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I think, we will never get back the times, that a little company influenced the model market in such a short time, like Wingnut Wings did it in the past 11 years. Their artwork, design of the plastic sprues, the whole webpage, the clients service, all these is gone forever. And I'm really sad about that! No other company, will do it like Wingnut Wings and their fantastic employees...
... But I'm verry happy, that another company will publish some (hopefully) new kits with this historical backround. Better some models from another company, than no models!
Let's push our thumbs for more 1/32 scale aviation kits in the future.
Have a nice Weekend,
Martin
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Hello everyone,
I have had to remove some posts as they were highly speculative, as well as attacking and making derogatory comments towards manufacturers not even related to this thread. I kindly ask that you all avoid speculation and take this announcement for what it is - a new kit.
Keep it civil folks.
BC
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I have removed a Post from this topic at the request of the originator. These are trying times, people, however let's continue to "keep it clean", constructive, and in the spirit of the Forum please. :)
Cheers,
Lance
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Thank you Lance
Richard
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Hi all,
Has anyone noticed the box art serial number for the kit?
'Quetzalcoatlus Series QS-002'
Strange naming covention - a pterosaur from the late Cretaceous period.
But what got my attention is that this kit is the first by MENG, so why serial number 002?
Could there be a 001?
Mike
Perhaps Meng have a sense of humour, as both are extinct flying machines?
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already was a QS-001. it's just what they do. quirky, but not that interesting and no interesting clues for anything.
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I just hope this isn't just a one-off. I hope that Meng finds this as a decent potential revenue stream.
Hey Gaz...
The most encouraging thing about this announcement is that it sets a precedent (I hope) for WNW entering into similar agreements with other companies they have worked with in the past, or even just Meng itself, for other stuff.
Sounds like Meng has been used as the mold maker for past WNW projects and we have learned none of the toolings are in NZ. They're all being held wherever the molding was done.
So I'm guessing there are other WNW molds sitting around at Meng in China.
Maybe they will reach for some others as well and pop out a run of other kits.
We can only hope.
I'm just overjoyed that we are getting the DR.I, after thinking for sure this was close to dead forever.
It's my favorite WWI aircraft!
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Folks.. I have removed a post which refers to speculation on another forum about the legitimacy of the Meng Fokker DR.1 project.
I will again ask members not to indulge in such speculation and especially not to just repeat claims from other sites. Any such posts will be deleted.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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The Meng Fokker is announced as Meng Model (ex Wingnut Wings) att Hannants. It doesn't necessarily mean that everything is alright with the ownership, but it might hint at that.
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My apologies for posting in reference to another forum. No harm meant, I was just staggered at the nonsense being rolled out around this new kit.
Sorry! :-[
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My apologies for posting in reference to another forum. No harm meant, I was just staggered at the nonsense being rolled out around this new kit.
Sorry! :-[
Most of the commentary that I've seen on non-WW1 sites has been absolute drivel.
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QS-001 is a very good 1/32 ME163.
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Yes the conversations I’ve seen at other places quickly turn into a farce and are badly moderated. ‘Nuff said
These Dr1s are the Wingnut kits and I can’t wait to get cracking on one or three. But I just had a thought- are they 100% complete to WNW standards? I’m sure they’ll be fine if only 90% perfect. Guess we’ll have to wait and see...
Also makes me wonder if the Handley Page might have a chance?
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Yes the conversations I’ve seen at other places quickly turn into a farce and are badly moderated. ‘Nuff said
These Dr1s are the Wingnut kits and I can’t wait to get cracking on one or three. But I just had a thought- are they 100% complete to WNW standards? I’m sure they’ll be fine if only 90% perfect. Guess we’ll have to wait and see...
Also makes me wonder if the Handley Page might have a chance?
I Am looking forward to seeing (and probably having) Meng's WNW Dr.1, but I also am afraid that none of the WW1 aircraft kits that Meng might issue will be „complete to WNW standards“, even though the plastic was designed by and produced for WNW. At least that is true for me, who enjoyed the whole, if not „wholistic“ package WNW used to offer: Thorough research, great design, best production, true box-„art“, good instructions, enjoyable and So very informative website, great customer-service and on and on... That is what I am missing now with the demise of WNW. The true modelers, the real kit builders amongst us,will probably or hopefully be happy with Meng issuing WNW's plastic, as Meng stands for quality and as they, the modelers themselves will make their piece of art from any kit. And I am really looking forward to seeing their built Fokker Dr.1 here on this great forum!
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Just a little side note, Meng´s boxart is not 100% to WNW standards: the Oberursel is not rotating ;)
But me too I‘m looking forward to Meng´s/WNW Dreidecker.
Jörg
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It’s funny - I wasn’t to bothered about buying a Wingnut Dr.I because I have a couple of Roden boxing’s - yes I’ve noted the comments about build ability! - but now it’s going to come in a Meng box I’m intrigued and will certainly but a couple. I wonder if we’ll get the 5 marking options the Wingnut ‘early’ version and 5 from the ‘late’ version in one box from Meng? It’s possible but, being cynical, I doubt it. It could be we only get markings for one machine - a red one - and Meng leave Aviattic and a Pheon to fill the gap? Regarding instructions, no doubt Meng will have been privy to the basic Wingnut paperwork but I very much doubt we’ll get all the reference photos and Ronnie Barr artwork but, heh, I could be wrong!! The thing is, how many months will we have to wait before it hits the retailers? This year or next??
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I wonder how the engine will be done? It’s not part of the dr1 moulding. Meng would need to get WNW engines or tool their own.
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ME: i'm not that excited about the WNW Dreidecker, even less so now that it's Meng and lacks the Steve Anderson box art
ALSO ME: i'll need at least 5.
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Interesting point regarding the engine sprue - maybe Meng tooled that as well for earlier kits and got that mould in the deal?
If the kit engine is "all new" work by Meng and it is not up to snuff, at least there are aftermarket alternatives. Meng does good work though on their other kit subjects so even if the engine is all new I don't see much reason to expect it to be bad (though seeing the box art with the non-moving rotary engine depicted does give a little pause that they may not understand the subject matter all that well....)
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It’s funny - I wasn’t to bothered about buying a Wingnut Dr.I because I have a couple of Roden boxing’s - yes I’ve noted the comments about build ability! - but now it’s going to come in a Meng box I’m intrigued and will certainly but a couple. I wonder if we’ll get the 5 marking options the Wingnut ‘early’ version and 5 from the ‘late’ version in one box from Meng? It’s possible but, being cynical, I doubt it. It could be we only get markings for one machine - a red one - and Meng leave Aviattic and a Pheon to fill the gap? Regarding instructions, no doubt Meng will have been privy to the basic Wingnut paperwork but I very much doubt we’ll get all the reference photos and Ronnie Barr artwork but, heh, I could be wrong!! The thing is, how many months will we have to wait before it hits the retailers? This year or next??
Obviously some type of agreement has been reached by Meng and whoever is left conducting business in the name of WNW.
We don't know the terms of that agreement, so who knows regarding things like decal schemes. It's quite possible all the artwork for the decals has also been transferred to Meng for the kit release. Or maybe none of it has, and Meng's in-house people will bang out some decal schemes to include in the box.
There are lots of crappy model kit makers in the world, but Meng isn't one of them.
I have no reason to think they won't give us the usual amount of decal diversity and they should be solid enough.
The aftermarket is going to go crazy with options here as well.
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Hm, I‘d say let’s see first what we get before we complain about what we maybe won’t get... ;)
Andreas
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Here is all the evidence of a lovely model about to be released - a Dr.1 Triplane, designed, quality controlled and tweaked by WNW and about to be released by Meng - a company with a great reputation, and there are problems! No ways, don't give me them negative vibes! This is great news, and completely legit ... (is there any crook you know who goes on a massive ad campaign to advertise their future international crime??) So, we know the provenance of this kit, we know that Meng has done tooling for WNW in the past... but what else? Also we know that tooling for WNW was done by at least two Chinese companies and one Korean company at the very least .. but not a lot of further information... We are left to piece the evidence together ourselves, and there is some.. Can you allow me a little of your valuable browsing time to give you my synopsis and review? I will try to stick to evidence I can show... not prove, that is left up to you and the future to reveal... But if we try to predict, surmise and deduce we may just get a response from those who know just a tad more, so if the moderators will tolerate this, can we proceed...
(https://iili.io/JLDBFR.jpg)
This photo may not mean much to you, but to me it shows two different companies tooled these sprues, one for the Camel, and one for the Pup. Note the different diameters for the runners, the different diameters of the runner radii at the corners, the different lettering and particularly the number 1, and even the logo has differences! Maybe a bad day by the toolmaker, I don't think so! Bear with me, this has relevance....
A few ex-employees of WNW have stated, quite correctly, that many of the engine sprues are generic, and were used for many years for many models. The Mercedes engine particularly. But the Dr.1 has an Oberursel Ur.2 engine, and this seems to be a unique sprue, but it is the same engine as the Le Rhone 9J (and the J is important). The only other WNW kit I am aware of that has a production run with this engine is the Camel... And on carefully looking at the other Camel sprues, many of the other engine choices are already older sprues produced by WNW.. except the Bentley Br1! And if you have a careful look at the sprue differences on the WNW site (like I demonstrated above) it is quite obvious that the Le Rhone 9J sprue and the Ur2 sprue were produced by the same manufacturer and completely different to every other WNW rotary engine! So I looked carefully at the Camel sprues, just a bit different to other WNW tooling... We have heard, little noises, that Meng was responsible for other WNW toolings, could it be the Camel or just the engine? There is some rumour that there is at least one as yet unannounced WNW tooling by Meng for a future release... This is all great news! (but for sure not the H-P or the Lanc). I did a prediction on another thread that we would see the toolings used again... yes, the packaging, decals and instructions may not be the same in the future, but nothing we, as modellers, cannot improve on if need be and utilize...
I need to reiterate that we are in the golden era of WW1 aircraft modelling, and it isn't over yet, not by a long shot!
Regards,
Marc
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This photo may not mean much to you, but to me it shows two different companies tooled these sprues, one for the Camel, and one for the Pup.
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Hi Marc,
You kind of took the long way around to determine that. :) Just look at the box sides - the Pup says "Manufactured in China", the Camels (at least the two I have) say "Manufactured in Korea". So definitely two different manufacturers. Interestingly, the Camels are the only two kits out of the 30+ in my WNW stash that are from Korea.
Cheers,
Eric
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So, to summarise:
It's 100% a new tool 1/32 Dr.I.
Meng are releasing it fairly soon;
It's 100% the unreleased Dr.I kit WNW were working on & marketing;
Meng 100% tooled the WNW kit & maybe got the moulds in lieu of payment, but not 100% confirmed;
We don't know the price;
We assume it'll be roughly around the WNW $79 price point;
WNW have 100% ceased manufacturing new kits;
They are completing the orders they were contracted to;
And probably selling off existing stock to retailers as new stock has appeared, but not 100% confirmed;
No definitive word on what WNW will do with their existing moulds;
Nor what they will do with their Lancs & HP's that were in development;
But the optimistic amongst us hope they'll be sold & re-released under new ownership;
Or at least the popular ones will;
Whereas the Lanc & HP's may not be commercially viable.
Have I missed anything?
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This photo may not mean much to you, but to me it shows two different companies tooled these sprues, one for the Camel, and one for the Pup.
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Hi Marc,
You kind of took the long way around to determine that. :) Just look at the box sides - the Pup says "Manufactured in China", the Camels (at least the two I have) say "Manufactured in Korea". So definitely two different manufacturers. Interestingly, the Camels are the only two kits out of the 30+ in my WNW stash that are from Korea.
Cheers,
Eric
HB W-29 is Korean, as is the RE.8
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
Academy is one I know of.
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
According to a list on Wiki, Academy is the only one.
I've just looked at the boxes in my stash, and they all say China. That's Fokker D.VII's, Albatros D.V's, HB W.19, Roland C.II, Hannover Cl.II and Halb. Cl.II.
I haven't compared sprues, yet.
Still I am hopeful that the other money makers get re-released.
I'm down for at least two of these new Meng kits. I don't often try to replicate the aircraft of the aces. But I think the Werner Voss has lots of character.
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
Academy is one I know of.
There are a couple of Model Producers in South Korea, but that is the incorrect question that is being asked. You should be asking how many injection mold/tooling companies in South Korea are. Any Tooling company can produce good kits if the know-how is there.
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Thanks for the clarification, Dave!
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
(http://www.mchost.gr/thumb/a1158154df/51700.jpg) (http://www.mchost.gr/v/51700)
Spyros
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Excellent. The question really is this, will we see all of the aircraft kitted by Wingnuts again in the future? I believe it will depend on how the molds are sold off. If they go individually, I doubt it. If they go as a group, then probably yes. What I think we can count on is a more pragmatic and austere way of marketing to reduce overhead and maximize profit. This won't be someone's baby any longer and we'll see the difference. But who needs the bells and whistles anyway? As long as they are available, more work for the aftermarket folks!
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Gentlemen, many words have already been written about the origin of Meng's Dr1, surfing on the net I saw on the website of IMPS Germany the photos taken at Nuremberg toys fair 2020 when comparing the sprues from wnw and those of Meng they are identical giving the origin of the kit.....
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I may be mistaken, but I think Gallery Models / MRC is from Korea. I have a helicopter model that is the best in the box injection molded model I've ever seen. The packaging is unbelievable. Every sprue in its own bag with foam rubber sheets between, clear sprues packed in foam rubber, etc. I have started putting some of the parts together but haven't gotten very far yet.
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anyone seen a place to preorder this yet?
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anyone seen a place to preorder this yet?
Hannants: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MMQS-002 (https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MMQS-002)
Richard
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Kitlinx has this kit as a preorder for $89.00.
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
According to a list on Wiki, Academy is the only one.
I've just looked at the boxes in my stash, and they all say China. That's Fokker D.VII's, Albatros D.V's, HB W.19, Roland C.II, Hannover Cl.II and Halb. Cl.II.
I haven't compared sprues, yet.
Still I am hopeful that the other money makers get re-released.
I'm down for at least two of these new Meng kits. I don't often try to replicate the aircraft of the aces. But I think the Werner Voss has lots of character.
I'm starting to get curious as to what aircraft markings/decal options might be available in the Meng boxing.
We should get some help from the aftermarket in this regard, for sure.
Once I get the Meng Dr.I, the first thing I am going to do is play with the Dr.I decals that WNW included in the Albatros D.V MVR boxing. I bet they will work OK with maybe slight modification.
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
Not sure if I want a bust of MvR. But I plan building 3 kits. The artwork makes me sigh but if the kit inside is good and not much more than Roden’s I’ll definitely bite. But I guess they still have to materialise:D
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Today AviationMegastore near Amsterdam announced this kit with a price tag of 69,95 Euro's including VAT. So in the price range mentioned here before. I have never gotten a WNW kit for such a low price before. When ordered in NZ, after import dues and VAT it almost always has been above 100 Euro's.
regards,
Ivo
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
Not sure if I want a bust of MvR. But I plan building 3 kits. The artwork makes me sigh but if the kit inside is good and not much more than Roden’s I’ll definitely bite. But I guess they still have to materialise:D
i'm definitely gonna give the statue a miss. the box art is awful, and riddled with errors, but it looks like the price will be rather nice. i'm not too concerned about decals either, i expect the Pheon and Aviattic to go nuts on Dreideckers. i've also got both Cutting Edge Richthofen Bros sheets in stash.
main thing though i'm hoping this is a sign that more WNW molds will show up. i'm pretty much sorted for the old stuff (except for D.VIIs and Junkers D.1) but i have a faint hope a Paralyzer may materialize somewhere.
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Here is one I prepared earlier.
I took a meme, reworked it and applied my own text.
You're welcome ;)
I'll be BACK!
(https://i.ibb.co/1bXyp68/mENG.jpg)
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
"Wolfie" would agree.......
Should have been PC 12.... obviously
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lolololololol nice one VonB.
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Here is one I prepared earlier.
I took a meme, reworked it and applied my own text.
You're welcome ;)
I'll be BACK!
(https://i.ibb.co/1bXyp68/mENG.jpg)
Anyone using PC 10 on a Dr.1 should be dead. Everybody knows it was PC12 on the Dr.1...
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After all this, I've decided against getting the new Meng kit. I've 4 Roden Triplane kits, plus Encore's kit, plus loads of AM.
I just cannot justify buying it. It might be better than the Roden kit - will be better - but I'm trying not to fall for the "chase for perfection" thing. The Roden kits are GOOD ENOUGH, for me at least, especially as they're less than half the price & I already have 4!
In that vein, I'm flogging 2 SE.5a's, as I have 5 of the Roden kits. And my Gotha G.IV is going as well. And an RE.8, a Felixstowe, LVG, W.29 & W.12. Pfalz D.IIIa, Pfalz D.XII, Taube, Junkers J.1 & D.I.
My illness has changed my plans, and suddenly modelling has become far less important to me. Plus, my financial plans have changed & the money is more important.
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I have ordered 3 today.. can we sort out whether I should use PC10 or PC12 please??
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I have ordered 3 today.. can we sort out whether I should use PC10 or PC12 please??
Looks sort of greenish to me:
(https://thevintageaviator.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/screensize/public/images/sopwith-triplane-replica/soptripe_029_fly.jpg)
Richard
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Nice one Richard! But the crosses on this one look more like crosses..
(https://iili.io/JZB5EQ.jpg).
ATB, Marc ;D ;D ;D
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I do wonder why Fokker didn't just make a load of Tripehounds
Richard
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Here is one I prepared earlier.
I took a meme, reworked it and applied my own text.
You're welcome ;)
I'll be BACK!
(https://i.ibb.co/1bXyp68/mENG.jpg)
Hilarious! Much better than the one I did in response to the Eduard lozenge decals way, way back in the day:
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Hilarious!
So we can assume Meng will crank out these in infinite numbers?
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Hilarious!
So we can assume Meng will crank out these in infinite numbers?
The Richthofen version with the Bust is a limited edition: 1000, the other Who knows but I am fairly certain sales will warrant continued production.
RAGIII
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The irony here is just unbelievable.
WNW spend a decade creating a gold standard brand and establishing a new golden age for WWI modelling, but keep refusing to listen to customers clamouring for them to release the single most widely popular subject of the period. Instead we get huge models that most of us can't afford or display or dull subjects like the DFW that are pretty low on our wish lists.
Finally, as financial reality closes in, they acquiesce and start to tool up for this plane (which would sell in shedloads), spending another hefty sum on moulds etc. Then the bean counters call time on the company.
Out of left field, Meng (who had the moulds) announce that they will release the model, benefiting from Wingnuts hard-worked-for reputation for quality, R&D work, investment, etc.
Given the response of the modelling world so far, it's quite possible Meng may sell more (WNW) Fokkers than everything else ever created by PJ's team added together! Even modellers with no interest in The Great War, will likely give The Red Baron's model a try, especially in legendary WNW quality at Meng's price. (....and no rigging!)
WNW do all the hard work but exit stage left. Meng invest very little but will probably make a fortune.
(Maybe PJ's empire will get a commission back on each one sold, but the profit should have been going back into the now thanklessly dispersed Wingnuts team IMHO.)
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Nah, the DFW was very high on my wishlist. Much much higher than every dull red Dr. 1.
And given the importance of both planes... some four thousands of DFWs doing the crucial work of artillery spotting and reconnaissance (being a joy to fly and a formidable opponent even when attacked by Allied scouts) versus some 320 tripes that were copies, arriving too late on the frontline (time of the rotary was gone, even Richthofen had waited for the Fokker D. VII...) .... Nah....
Andreas
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How many model producers are in South Korea?
According to a list on Wiki, Academy is the only one.
I've just looked at the boxes in my stash, and they all say China. That's Fokker D.VII's, Albatros D.V's, HB W.19, Roland C.II, Hannover Cl.II and Halb. Cl.II.
I haven't compared sprues, yet.
Still I am hopeful that the other money makers get re-released.
I'm down for at least two of these new Meng kits. I don't often try to replicate the aircraft of the aces. But I think the Werner Voss has lots of character.
I'm starting to get curious as to what aircraft markings/decal options might be available in the Meng boxing.
We should get some help from the aftermarket in this regard, for sure.
Once I get the Meng Dr.I, the first thing I am going to do is play with the Dr.I decals that WNW included in the Albatros D.V MVR boxing. I bet they will work OK with maybe slight modification.
Thats is my plan also.. I will be using the set included in the Albatros boxing. Can't let them go to waste!
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
Not sure if I want a bust of MvR. But I plan building 3 kits. The artwork makes me sigh but if the kit inside is good and not much more than Roden’s I’ll definitely bite. But I guess they still have to materialise:D
I wasn't impressed with the bust either. Maybe they should offered a figure instead? I am not holding my breathe that the schemes will be researched well either, nor Fokker Steaking Decals. Main thing is that the plastic will be good!
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The DFW was the most numerous aircraft in the German air service. This was a point that was not promoted with the kit. I also do not recall any on-line or magazine builds but that does not mean anything other than I did not see it.
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The irony here is just unbelievable.
WNW spend a decade creating a gold standard brand and establishing a new golden age for WWI modelling, but keep refusing to listen to customers clamouring for them to release the single most widely popular subject of the period. Instead we get huge models that most of us can't afford or display or dull subjects like the DFW that are pretty low on our wish lists.
Finally, as financial reality closes in, they acquiesce and start to tool up for this plane (which would sell in shedloads), spending another hefty sum on moulds etc. Then the bean counters call time on the company.
Out of left field, Meng (who had the moulds) announce that they will release the model, benefiting from Wingnuts hard-worked-for reputation for quality, R&D work, investment, etc.
Given the response of the modelling world so far, it's quite possible Meng may sell more (WNW) Fokkers than everything else ever created by PJ's team added together! Even modellers with no interest in The Great War, will likely give The Red Baron's model a try, especially in legendary WNW quality at Meng's price. (....and no rigging!)
WNW do all the hard work but exit stage left. Meng invest very little but will probably make a fortune.
(Maybe PJ's empire will get a commission back on each one sold, but the profit should have been going back into the now thanklessly dispersed Wingnuts team IMHO.)
Yes! One can only comment with sarcasm, what's happening here. Sad.
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The DFW was the most numerous aircraft in the German air service. This was a point that was not promoted with the kit. I also do not recall any on-line or magazine builds but that does not mean anything other than I did not see it.
Have to admit I passed over the DFWs and Abatros B11 - from a modelling point of view there’s only so much time and money. Wingnuts did a lot of multi- seaters which is great and I got quite a few. But 2 boxing’s of the DFWs whilst is great from a historical viewpoint, not so much from a financial one. Just an opinion. I support modelling diversity and after getting an Eindekker in the end of world WNW fever buy-out it’s slowly growing on me. Might even pick up a DFW now they are going the way of the Dodo!
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Nah, the DFW was very high on my wishlist. Much much higher than every dull red Dr. 1.
And given the importance of both planes... some four thousands of DFWs doing the crucial work of artillery spotting and reconnaissance (being a joy to fly and a formidable opponent even when attacked by Allied scouts) versus some 320 tripes that were copies, arriving too late on the frontline (time of the rotary was gone, even Richthofen had waited for the Fokker D. VII...) .... Nah....
Andreas
Yes, from your viewpoint, Andreas, that makers much sense - but you are a WWI specialist, whereas most modellers have never heard of a DFW and would never buy one.
Many of the guys at my club were intrigued by the quality of WNW but put off by the rigging on a biplane and never built one. Two or three actually said they'd buy a Tripe if they ever did one.
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The DFW was the most numerous aircraft in the German air service. This was a point that was not promoted with the kit. I also do not recall any on-line or magazine builds but that does not mean anything other than I did not see it.
Have to admit I passed over the DFWs and Abatros B11 - from a modelling point of view there’s only so much time and money. Wingnuts did a lot of multi- seaters which is great and I got quite a few. But 2 boxing’s of the DFWs whilst is great from a historical viewpoint, not so much from a financial one. Just an opinion. I support modelling diversity and after getting an Eindekker in the end of world WNW fever buy-out it’s slowly growing on me. Might even pick up a DFW now they are going the way of the Dodo!
I think a lot of folks passed on the Albatros B II. Ironically, it is one of the best kits WNW has knocked out to date, IMO.
If WNW ever opens up their web store again, or if they unload the contents of their warehouse such that these kits become available again at MSRP for a short time, I would encourage anyone reading this to try the Alb. B II, unless they just don't like the aircraft. It's a great kit.
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I went ahead and ordered the triplane with the bust. If I can't do it justice, I'll add a little Sculpey to the cheeks and turn it into Chairman Mao.5
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The DFW was the most numerous aircraft in the German air service. This was a point that was not promoted with the kit. I also do not recall any on-line or magazine builds but that does not mean anything other than I did not see it.
Have to admit I passed over the DFWs and Abatros B11 - from a modelling point of view there’s only so much time and money. Wingnuts did a lot of multi- seaters which is great and I got quite a few. But 2 boxing’s of the DFWs whilst is great from a historical viewpoint, not so much from a financial one. Just an opinion. I support modelling diversity and after getting an Eindekker in the end of world WNW fever buy-out it’s slowly growing on me. Might even pick up a DFW now they are going the way of the Dodo!
I think a lot of folks passed on the Albatros B II. Ironically, it is one of the best kits WNW has knocked out to date, IMO.
If WNW ever opens up their web store again, or if they unload the contents of their warehouse such that these kits become available again at MSRP for a short time, I would encourage anyone reading this to try the Alb. B II, unless they just don't like the aircraft. It's a great kit.
Thanks good to know. The wood decals and other features looked nice. It’s a pleasant looking bird. Should have got one when they were heavily reduced at WNW sale or Weta
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"The DFW was the most numerous aircraft in the German air service. This was a point that was not promoted with the kit. I also do not recall any on-line or magazine builds but that does not mean anything other than I did not see it."
Actually, I remember when WNW teased the next release by calling it "The most important German aircraft of the First World War" (without saying what it was). When they released the DFW kits, that phrase was repeated as the first sentence of the history on the first page of the instructions. It may have been technically true, but a lot of people may have been like me. I already had the LVG, Junkers J.1, Hannover, and Rumpler C.IV. Compared to those, the DFW just didn't do anything for me (in spite of lovely builds by Des and others). Other 2-seaters I bought were the Albatros B.II, and the Stahltaube. In this case, historical importance wasn't enough to interest me.
I was a little surprised that the Rumpler didn't seem to be as popular as some others; it's a very sleek, good looking plane (especially with the early spinner, even though the plane was slightly faster without it).
I was not among those clamoring for a WNW Dr.I, until they actually announced the kits. Now I'm glad that Meng is releasing the kit, and looking forward to it.
Pete
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Also a 1/10 bust of MvR will be included in a limited edition release of 1000 kits, as per the latest MENG post on their FB page. More surprises!
Not sure if I want a bust of MvR. But I plan building 3 kits. The artwork makes me sigh but if the kit inside is good and not much more than Roden’s I’ll definitely bite. But I guess they still have to materialise:D
I wasn't impressed with the bust either. Maybe they should offered a figure instead? I am not holding my breathe that the schemes will be researched well either, nor Fokker Steaking Decals. Main thing is that the plastic will be good!
Thought the same - a full length figure even one bigger than 1/32 would have been fine. A bust is a bit different but it’s really a niche within a niche within a niche. Oh well, ordered one will keep, sell or maybe have a crack at painting!
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The thought of Richthofen's bust doesn't do much for me, I'm afraid.
Beyoncé on the other hand........
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Many of the guys at my club were intrigued by the quality of WNW but put off by the rigging on a biplane and never built one. Two or three actually said they'd buy a Tripe if they ever did one.
Yes, same here, of course. I just pointed out how it should be.... :)
Andreas
P. S.: They couldn’t have chosen a less appealing add one than a bust for me. Don’t like busts at all.
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P. S.: They couldn’t have chosen a less appealing add one than a bust for me. Don’t like busts at all.
agree. if it's not Julius Caesar, Augustus, or Chopin, don't talk to me about a bust.
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P. S.: They couldn’t have chosen a less appealing add one than a bust for me. Don’t like busts at all.
agree. if it's not Julius Caesar, Augustus, or Chopin, don't talk to me about a bust.
...Hadrian, Mozart, Beethoven...
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The thought of Richthofen's bust doesn't do much for me, I'm afraid.
Beyoncé on the other hand........
:D
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A few places around the world are taking pre orders on the Meng kit already. Hard to resist. But I’d like to see some reviews. Hoping it was 100% completed before Meng started production.
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A few places around the world are taking pre orders on the Meng kit already. Hard to resist. But I’d like to see some reviews. Hoping it was 100% completed before Meng started production.
I'll give you an in box review once I get it, Daz. Then I'll ruin it on a build thread...
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I can volunteer to do exactly the same, Gaz.... ;D :D :o
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Thanks guys!
I did something ‘unprecedented’. I ordered from China. So I may get it real soon or never! If a world first I’ll post photos. I’ve got a feeling it will be at least a few weeks though.
Cheers, :D
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stuff is shipping OK *from* China, but how long it takes may depend on where you are. i'm in Asia so it's fast. if it goes through Germany or Belgium that may still be a nightmare, but it's improving. i had a package from the USA routed through Germany took two months.
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Items shipped from New Zealand to here(Canada) at the end of April - still not here.
Steve
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I ordered two lots from Hannants and Gaspatch, both got to Rhode Island in the usual 10-12 days.
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I order stuff from China & it arrives within 2 weeks, sailing serenely past HMRC.
Although I did order a Tamiya F4U-1d from China a few months back. It arrived in 3 weeks, but the box had been shaken around so much, when I opened it all I had left to do was paint it.
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I just saw pictures posted that show the Meng Dr.I assembled without paint. Also shows a MvR bust sold with it. Looks great although the cowl doesn't hold a candle to recent masterpieces shown here.
Not sure if it is ok to post the URL. Someone LMK if it is.
sp
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From the Meng Facebook page today, here are some images of a test shot of the Meng/ Wingnuts Fokker Dr.1. This is unpainted and the plastic used is not the type likely in the release kit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QCBh0QFf/107426247-3138653526247950-8345297183128469379-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/NFWYVKTB/107824487-3138653952914574-9006288735457670049-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CMtFdQ2X/107362495-3138653599581276-347252866154148031-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bNtqnRcJ/107185409-3138653712914598-5559395530172148314-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mgWByFBS/106988613-3138653799581256-3737641022959568052-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/T3jG7YPv/107143860-3138653892914580-6959405515884070292-n.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hGSnHWJz/107497695-3138653669581269-867816381673677196-n.jpg)
The kit is due for release at the end of July/ early August.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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That's them.
I will be buying one once they come up for sale.
sp
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i've got plans for 5, but i'm not dumping my Roden/Encore either. it does look good though.
but i'm in no hurry to buy, the priority for any incoming resources goes to first a Gotha UWD, and then CSM Nieuports (3x 17s, 3x 21s, and a 23).
meanwhile i'll continue to fantasize about an infinite magic bank account and some free time at the bench...
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„meanwhile i'll continue to fantasize about an infinite magic bank account and some free time at the bench...„
You are not alone, Jeff!!
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I've got two on pre-order. One from Luckymodel and another from a local friend. It'll be interesting to see which get it to me fast. But there are a lot of empty shelves in Australia usually filled with stuff from China. So, who knows...
BTW.... is it me, or do the guns and other added parts outside the cockpit (like the flare gun and holder) look a little underdone?
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[/quote]I've got two on pre-order. One from Luckymodel and another from a local friend. It'll be interesting to see which get it to me fast. But there are a lot of empty shelves in Australia usually filled with stuff from China. So, who knows...
BTW.... is it me, or do the guns and other added parts outside the cockpit (like the flare gun and holder) look a little underdone?
I've seen a few comments in some of the facebooks groups about that, they've also pointed out the distinct lack of rivets on that cowling as well...hmm ::) it is only a test shot though, I hope.
Dave Rickard
Rockhampton QLD
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Looks like a DR.1 to me. I' ll take 7.
vB :)
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The pictures show an aeroplane with all the whistles and bells fitted, so it looks like there will be a lot of alternative parts in the kit
Should be plenty of material left over to upgrade Roden kits!
Richard
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I will be interested in seeing if the cowling and rudder are the same as the Aviattic items. I have the various items to improve a Roden Dr.I.
I am very happy to see this kit come to the market. Early in in this, I was critical of the WN parent for closing WNW just before what could be their most popular kit was released. If nothing else, to get some return on the investment. So, I am very grateful that Meng saw this opportunity.
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Presumably there’s at least 2 cowlings in there for the F1 and DR1
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Interesting that MENG are not adopting the WNW strategy of releasing "very early/early/right in the middle/a little bit late/almost late/very late/too late" boxings, but rather look to put all the required parts in the one box, leaving it up to the modeller to decide quite what kit to build. I like that.
I think we can rest assured that this kit is going to be no different - at least the parts - in terms of quality from a WNW kit, because that's essentially what it is.
I'm afraid I ordered 3 from Luckymodel, using the $8 shipping route.
I have no willpower. None whatsoever.
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He he I got the last Pheon decal set for the Dr1..
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Interesting that MENG are not adopting the WNW strategy of releasing "very early/early/right in the middle/a little bit late/almost late/very late/too late" boxings, but rather look to put all the required parts in the one box, leaving it up to the modeller to decide quite what kit to build. I like that.
This aspect pleases me as well - though the different box arts and marking options were nice, if a subject is near identical between versions I would really prefer an "all in one" kit. If the versions differ in major ways (say a longer fuselage or something) sure multi boxings are understandable.
Given that with the MENG release, I am not particularly caring for the box art, and as yet we have no idea what all markings even come with it (and with the amount of aftermarket decals I have for DrI I don't even care) so even MORE happy they chose to go this way with a single boxing (well there is the alternate release with busty Manfred I suppose....)
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As for the rivets about the cowling.. I have commented on this before. The rivets are not really prominent, but appear more readily on photographs of the early Dr1's... as the triplanes became more decorated in squadron service, those rivets appear much less prominent... it appears to me as the cowlings were overpainted and often redecorated the rivet impressions disappeared... Indeed the manufacturing process may have become much neater..... Just my opinion... Marc.
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Interesting that MENG are not adopting the WNW strategy of releasing "very early/early/right in the middle/a little bit late/almost late/very late/too late" boxings, but rather look to put all the required parts in the one box, leaving it up to the modeller to decide quite what kit to build. I like that.
This aspect pleases me as well - though the different box arts and marking options were nice, if a subject is near identical between versions I would really prefer an "all in one" kit. If the versions differ in major ways (say a longer fuselage or something) sure multi boxings are understandable.
Given that with the MENG release, I am not particularly caring for the box art, and as yet we have no idea what all markings even come with it (and with the amount of aftermarket decals I have for DrI I don't even care) so even MORE happy they chose to go this way with a single boxing (well there is the alternate release with busty Manfred I suppose....)
The box art is plain awful - the static engine whilst the rotates is ridiculous, whilst the overall quality & attention to detail is pretty bad.
Having said that...at $39.99 a box, they can leave it blank or draw Snoopy & I'll still buy 'em. Perhaps WNW were paying too much for their box art, and MENG decided to save every penny by getting an intern to do the art.
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Interesting that MENG are not adopting the WNW strategy of releasing "very early/early/right in the middle/a little bit late/almost late/very late/too late" boxings, but rather look to put all the required parts in the one box, leaving it up to the modeller to decide quite what kit to build. I like that.
This aspect pleases me as well - though the different box arts and marking options were nice, if a subject is near identical between versions I would really prefer an "all in one" kit. If the versions differ in major ways (say a longer fuselage or something) sure multi boxings are understandable.
Given that with the MENG release, I am not particularly caring for the box art, and as yet we have no idea what all markings even come with it (and with the amount of aftermarket decals I have for DrI I don't even care) so even MORE happy they chose to go this way with a single boxing (well there is the alternate release with busty Manfred I suppose....)
The box art is plain awful - the static engine whilst the rotates is ridiculous, whilst the overall quality & attention to detail is pretty bad.
Having said that...at $39.99 a box, they can leave it blank or draw Snoopy & I'll still buy 'em. Perhaps WNW were paying too much for their box art, and MENG decided to save every penny by getting an intern to do the art.
Yep, a blank box would be fine at he price. I am sure I will get one more when released to go with My pre order!
RAGIII
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Yeh having multiple versions in the same box is great the trade off is the instructions and box art.
Noticed one kit from China still hasn’t been sent. Will give it a little while longer before cancelling.
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Possible scenario comes to mind...
Boss: "We need some box art... yesterday"
Assistant: "My neighbor's kid does wonderful digital art."
Boss: "When you get home tonight, give the kid 10 bucks and tell them we need it in the morning."
Given the quickness with which Meng announced the Dr.1, right on the heels of the WNW closure, it seems that they rushed the box art. I suppose that working with Steve Anderson to use his artwork wasn't an option once they decided to include parts for more than one version in the kit. I'd have been thrilled to see some more from Steve Anderson, but I share the above sentiments- a plain white box with the words "Meng" and "Fokker F.1/Dr.1" might've been better than rushing that particular image onto the box top.
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After I've built the kit, the empty box usually goes in the bin. I'm sure the guys in the bin lorry aren't offended by inaccurate box art.
As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
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As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
Since you are taking a survey: I care.
Gene K
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After I've built the kit, the empty box usually goes in the bin. I'm sure the guys in the bin lorry aren't offended by inaccurate box art.
As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
For that is in my mind also. ;)
Yes, I would love to see Steve Anderson's art splashed all over the box, but that won't happen.
The box is just a vessel. A vessel that will end up in my recycling bin along with all the other cardboard. The kit on the other hand will be built, painted and enjoyed for ( I hope) many a year.
vB
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After I've built the kit, the empty box usually goes in the bin. I'm sure the guys in the bin lorry aren't offended by inaccurate box art.
As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
For that is in my mind also. ;)
Yes, I would love to see Steve Anderson's art splashed all over the box, but that won't happen.
The box is just a vessel. A vessel that will end up in my recycling bin along with all the other cardboard. The kit on the other hand will be built, painted and enjoyed for ( I hope) many a year.
vB
I don't think we are the intended target for the box art. We will buy them in any kind of box
That red triplane is aimed at casual buyers looking for presents
Richard
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As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
Since you are taking a survey: I care.
Gene K
I like to second that !
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I don't think we are the intended target for the box art. We will buy them in any kind of box
That red triplane is aimed at casual buyers looking for presents
Richard
Absolutely.
WNW kits are premium products for the collector/builder
The Meng box art is just enough to say ‘this is one of the most iconic aircraft ever, buy me now’
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I don't think we are the intended target for the box art. We will buy them in any kind of box
That red triplane is aimed at casual buyers looking for presents
Richard
Absolutely.
WNW kits are premium products for the collector/builder
The Meng box art is just enough to say ‘this is one of the most iconic aircraft ever, buy me now’
These good points show why MENG has managed to get the kit to market at a much less price than WNW's kits.
It's priced to sell at volume, across the entire retail sector, with some marketing beforehand & no money "wasted" on superfluous box art.
I'm sure MENG are doing a bigger production run than WNW would have, and I'm also sure that, if MENG sell out, they'll waste little time in simply making some more, rather than putting the "sold out" sign up and moving onto some obscure German 2 seater, available in two boxing's....
Whilst this approach - which I term "making a profit" - will ensure MENG don't do a WNW and run up too much in losses & fold, it will ensure the end of the cross subsidy of kits, meaning no more DFW. C.V's, or 4 boxing's of Fokker Eindecker, or three of Felixstowe's, or numerous other types that modellers were not screaming out for.
As somebody who bought pretty much every kit WNW offered, this is a little sad, but my attitude is that it was great whilst it lasted, and from now on we can look forward to solid, popular choices, rather than PJ favourites.
I hope. I'm assuming the demand for 1/32 WWI aviation is sufficient to see kits continue to be kitted......
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What the people at Wingnut Wings did was a labour of love. What Meng now does and pretty much all the other model companies do is a business. I have to admit, I have bought a lot of WnW kits simply because EVERYTHING about them was beautiful (yes, I also have a Gotha G.I!), so I am not the average mass-customer a Company has to aim at if it wants to make a living out of producing plastic kits. I am quite sure that we won't see many more WW1 airplanes from Meng, except maybe, if they should acquire WnW's Camel moulds. Copper State Models were the ones we could put our hopes on and they truly were a worthy successor of WnW's, but they need more capital - and unfortunately I am not ready to buy 5 or more of their (beautiful!) Nieuports to help financing their Starstrutter... THEY should have made a Fokker Dreidecker!
I am sure, our Golden Age is over, but there's still hope for a Silver Age to come.
Cheers, Richard 😊
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Folks... I have deleted another post which speculates about the possible reissue of WnW kits by other than Wingnut Group- the official owner of the moulds. I have previously asked everyone to stay away from this touchy issue please.
This thread is about the Meng Dr.1 release. Any posts speculating on unauthorised use of the wnw moulds will be deleted.
This is the third time this has arisen. I dont want to lock the thread but it is an option if necessary.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
Since you are taking a survey: I care.
Gene K
So you would rather pay 99USD for an F.1 or a Dr.I with Steve Anderson's admittedly beautiful box art than 39USD (LuckyModel price) for a combined F.1/Dr.I kit with the same plastic parts (and presumably same quality brass, decals etc) but in a poorly decorated box?
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In an ideal world I’d want one of each! One to collect, one to build.
I would pay more for WNW but as they don’t exist I’ll take the Meng offering 100%
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I don't think we are the intended target for the box art. We will buy them in any kind of box
That red triplane is aimed at casual buyers looking for presents
Richard
Absolutely.
WNW kits are premium products for the collector/builder
The Meng box art is just enough to say ‘this is one of the most iconic aircraft ever, buy me now’
These good points show why MENG has managed to get the kit to market at a much less price than WNW's kits.
It's priced to sell at volume, across the entire retail sector, with some marketing beforehand & no money "wasted" on superfluous box art.
I'm sure MENG are doing a bigger production run than WNW would have, and I'm also sure that, if MENG sell out, they'll waste little time in simply making some more, rather than putting the "sold out" sign up and moving onto some obscure German 2 seater, available in two boxing's....
Whilst this approach - which I term "making a profit" - will ensure MENG don't do a WNW and run up too much in losses & fold, it will ensure the end of the cross subsidy of kits, meaning no more DFW. C.V's, or 4 boxing's of Fokker Eindecker, or three of Felixstowe's, or numerous other types that modellers were not screaming out for.
As somebody who bought pretty much every kit WNW offered, this is a little sad, but my attitude is that it was great whilst it lasted, and from now on we can look forward to solid, popular choices, rather than PJ favourites.
I hope. I'm assuming the demand for 1/32 WWI aviation is sufficient to see kits continue to be kitted......
As long as the contents are accurate and the box is sturdy, who cares if they've kept the price down like this.
Since you are taking a survey: I care.
Gene K
On thing you need to take into consideration that Meng doesn't have the overheads that have gone into production of this kit... They haven't had to invest in the R&D of Triplane, all that was done WNW. So there could be a few factors that in play that are keep in the costs down...
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So you would rather pay 99USD for an F.1 or a Dr.I with Steve Anderson's admittedly beautiful box art than 39USD (LuckyModel price) for a combined F.1/Dr.I kit with the same plastic parts (and presumably same quality brass, decals etc) but in a poorly decorated box?
That's an absurdly skewed question. :o
Gene K
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Exactly, Gene. Nobody sensible would care that much.
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With the cost difference, i can get some 'non-red' drI decals and other upgrades if needed
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Folks... while the markings options for the Meng Dr.1 are yet to be confirmed ( obviously MvR is one) we can address the question of the kit instructions.
While the Meng Dr.1 is the Wingnuts plastic, I understand the Meng kit will not have the Wingnuts instructions booklet with it.
The instructions were not completed when the company was closed down and so their status is in limbo.
Ray Rimell is working on an Albatros special publication to model the Fokker Dr.1 and this publication will be the definitive title to get the best from Roden and Meng Dr.1s, plus those in other scales.
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
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Thanks Dave
Shame about the instructions, but looking forward to Ray Rimmel’s publication. Daz
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"While the Meng Dr.1 is the Wingnuts plastic, I understand the Meng kit will not have the Wingnuts instructions booklet with it."
Thanks for the confirmation, Dave. I had assumed they would print their own instructions and decals as these would not have been part of the Wingnuts/Meng moulding contract.
So.... I am ignoring box-art, instructions, decals etc and regarding this as a way of buying the complete Wingnuts over trees set for a Triplane at less than half the cost a fully-released Wingnuts kit. I don't think you can go wrong if you approach it this way. If the Meng book and decals are any good it's a bonus! I have three on order from LuckyModels at around 135USD including shipping all-in. So, I can add Ray's book and Pheon/Aviattic decals and still be quids in.
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Ray Rimell is working on an Albatros special publication to model the Fokker Dr.1 ... .
Dave,
Excellent, thanks!!
I assume this https://tinyurl.com/ydauqr9t (https://tinyurl.com/ydauqr9t) is the best site to track progress and availability? Also, do you know if Albatros does Pre-ordering (Add To Cart is not yet active)?
Gene K
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Or, you could watch for updates under Albatros Productions in the "Hobby Shop" section of this very site. I'm sure Ray will keep us well-informed of progress.
You should also browse his site to find many (perhaps too many) other useful titles he has available. I've purchased many times direct from Albatros, and service is always excellent!
Pete
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Thanks, Pete.
I'll check out the Hobby Shop section here. Bought from Albatros in the past and my experiences have also been positive like yours.
I'm anticipating the book as much as the kit!!!
Gene K
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All of the parts in one box will be a decided advantage at the cost of this kit! As mentioned earlier extra parts May be of use for enhancing the Roden kit. If I have things correct we should get. F1 Ailerons, Early Ailerons, late Ailerons, F1 Tailplane, Dr1 Tailplane,F1 rudder, Dr1 rudder, and two axle wings. ( Not to mention the other small items like the telescopic gunsight). I would assume the instructions will indicate which parts to use for the included schemes. My concern is for those of us who May not use kit markings. In particular the Narrow and wide chord Axle wing. Is there a source that indicates a particular block number where that change occurred? I don't recall it mentioned in Alex Imrie's book or in Greg van Wyngardens Fokker Dr1 Jadgestaffeln book. Thanks for any referrals!
RAGIII
PS: Funny thing about the Axle wing is I never worried about it until WNW designed two versions ::)
PPS: I wonder if the Windsock book will cover the Axle wing question? Ray?
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It'd also be a bonus if there's more than one windscreen to be used on the Roden.
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Just pre ordered one without the bust for £69.99. The price is right, I reckon the plastic will be too.
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I'm always late to the party but, and I know it's a test shot, is that top wing warped on the facebook build ala the first batch of 1/48th Dragon Dr1's back in the day?
Steve
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I'm wondering if it will come with WNW-designed photoetch...
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I'm always late to the party but, and I know it's a test shot, is that top wing warped on the facebook build ala the first batch of 1/48th Dragon Dr1's back in the day?
Steve
?! Really I’ve pre ordered so I hope not!
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I'm wondering if it will come with WNW-designed photoetch...
No it won't, Meng did post an image of the PE that will be coming with the kit, but I can't seem to find it now. The PE was fret-less and the parts were mounted to paper/card.. But the Spandu jackets are incorrect, but the correct on the WNW Plastic.
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As mentioned I did something unprecedented and ordered from a Chinese seller on EBay. I got cold feet after a few weeks in case it was a scam ( it showed ‘last one’ even after being sold!) so asked to cancel order. Apparently it’s been sent to the post office and I’ll be getting a tracking number in 48hrs.
So assuming they are not just blowing me off it’s on it’s way. So if this is true a Dr1 is making its way to me, let’s hope it doesn’t take months. D
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As mentioned I did something unprecedented and ordered from a Chinese seller on EBay. I got cold feet after a few weeks in case it was a scam ( it showed ‘last one’ even after being sold!) so asked to cancel order. Apparently it’s been sent to the post office and I’ll be getting a tracking number in 48hrs.
So assuming they are not just blowing me off it’s on it’s way. So if this is true a Dr1 is making its way to me, let’s hope it doesn’t take months. D
I hope so, Looking at HobbyEasy and Luckymodel they haven't received stock as of yet, normally they are pretty quick to get once its available.
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Just got message saying posted - be here by October 21st- hmm I won’t hold my breath...
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FYI i've never tried luckymodel but i've always gotten terrific service from hobbyeasy. only downside is they ship untracked and don't communicate much (hardly at all).
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First video unboxing of the beast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4jyzjPpUXE&feature=emb_title
Enjoy!
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Should have mine within the next week. Pre-ordered from Sprue Brothers who has announced the kits should be in their warehouse later this week.
Eric
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Should have mine within the next week. Pre-ordered from Sprue Brothers who has announced the kits should be in their warehouse later this week.
Eric
The downside of ordering from Lucky Models is that mine May Not arrive until October. That being said ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen 8)
RAGIII
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Should have mine within the next week. Pre-ordered from Sprue Brothers who has announced the kits should be in their warehouse later this week.
Eric
The downside of ordering from Lucky Models is that mine May Not arrive until October. That being said ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen 8)
RAGIII
Yes could be at the departing airport for a while...
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... ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen .
Why did you have to say that?? Let's see ... [typing] ... www.spruebrothers. ... . ;)
Gene K
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... ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen .
Why did you have to say that?? Let's see ... [typing] ... www.spruebrothers. ... . ;)
Gene K
Lets see, there are 395 normal ones available and 183 ones with the bust on Sprubros. The busty one is a fair bit more expensive, but I was under the impression only 1000 would be produced as a special limited edition (although can't find the number anywhere again lol).
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I just received an email from Sprue Brothers saying my Meng Dr.I pre-order has shipped. The USPS tracking link does not show anything, but the Sprue Brothers message says that the tracking link may not show data for 24 hours. We'll see, but it looks like this kit will be out sooner rather than later!
Best regards,
Bob
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I just received an email from Sprue Brothers saying my Meng Dr.I pre-order has shipped. The USPS tracking link does not show anything, but the Sprue Brothers message says that the tracking link may not show data for 24 hours. We'll see, but it looks like this kit will be out sooner rather than later!
Best regards,
Bob
Me too! Yes, give the tracking link a day to become active. Just because a tracking number has been issued doesn't mean the item is physically in the hands of the shipping carrier.
SB had posted earlier this week on their Facebook page that the Dr.1s were on their way through customs in Chicago and they'd be on hand later this week. Very exciting!
Eric
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Nice! I pre-ordered yesterday.
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Got shipment notification, Sprue are usually good at shipping the day they issue tracking. Mine is set to deliver on the 19th, but that can change a day or two once its in the system
Anyone else get the one with the bust? I also pre-ordered an ordinary one from Andys.
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The downside of ordering from Lucky Models is that mine May Not arrive until October. That being said ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen 8)
RAGIII
Fingers crossed, Rick. I ordered three of them at Lucky Models' ridiculously cheap price expecting an October delivery, but checking today, I see they are in "Packing". Might be earlier than expected!
Sandy
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The downside of ordering from Lucky Models is that mine May Not arrive until October. That being said ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen 8)
RAGIII
Fingers crossed, Rick. I ordered three of them at Lucky Models' ridiculously cheap price expecting an October delivery, but checking today, I see they are in "Packing". Might be earlier than expected!
Sandy
I Hope so! On the other hand there is that SLOW BOAT from China ;D
RAGIII
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My 2 copies arrived on Friday from Sprue Brothers. While it does not have the beautiful, authoritative instruction booklet or the Steve Anderson box art, it is the WNW kit we wanted. The decals are not my pick of subjects, so I will be looking for more options and hope that new ones will be out soon. The kit does have both the round and square access panels, 3 types of cowlings, 3 propellers and 2 sets of ailerons so nearly any F1/Dr.I can be made from the kit. The big issue will the availability of decals for the aftermarket, which I expect will materialize shortly.
Highly recommended. Now, would Wingnuts allow any of their projects and nascent research, drawings go to other companies? (HP, Hanriot)
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Seeing what the kit looks like I was going to wait for a supplier here in Canada , but I couldn't wait and I order one from Lucky Models , first time ordering through them . I opt for the EMS shipping at 3 days , it will take longer them that so we wait and see .....
I do hope in the future the molds will resurface ....I still need a Pfalz D.12 !
Terri
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The downside of ordering from Lucky Models is that mine May Not arrive until October. That being said ordering a second from Sprue Brothers Might happen 8)
RAGIII
Fingers crossed, Rick. I ordered three of them at Lucky Models' ridiculously cheap price expecting an October delivery, but checking today, I see they are in "Packing". Might be earlier than expected!
Sandy
I Hope so! On the other hand there is that SLOW BOAT from China ;D
RAGIII
Seeing as people were getting their kits from Sprue Brothers and Andy's HHQ, I cancelled my order from Lucky Model and ordered one from SB and my local Hobby Shop in Tempe. I did receive confirmation of a refund.
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First video unboxing of the beast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4jyzjPpUXE&feature=emb_title
Enjoy!
Nice video, but strange how the shot of the box lid off at (0:12) shows the mid-wing piece, that those who have received the kit find broken, is in fact broken off.
Yet afterwards it's magically reattached at (0:20) - cunning even for Meng ;D
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First video unboxing of the beast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4jyzjPpUXE&feature=emb_title
Enjoy!
Nice video, but strange how the shot of the box lid off at (0:12) shows the mid-wing piece, that those who have received the kit find broken, is in fact broken off.
Yet afterwards it's magically reattached at (0:20) - cunning even for Meng ;D
Didn't notice that, good catch. On the other hand I have seen a few posts that said there kits arrived unbroken and without sink marks. Hopefully just a glitch in some of them!
RAGIII
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Nothing broken in my copy, just some warpage with the wings that I think wont be too hard to correct.
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I haven't seen the kit, just going by those on FB who seem to have had the same part broken off the middle wing.
Maybe just the unlucky ones posting there.
Mike
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I haven't seen the kit, just going by those on FB who seem to have had the same part broken off the middle wing.
Maybe just the unlucky ones posting there.
Mike
Like I said, I have seen several posts on FB that said their kit was fine with no broken parts. Those kits that are broken are really Easy fixes. IMHO.
RAGIII
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I haven't seen the kit, just going by those on FB who seem to have had the same part broken off the middle wing.
Maybe just the unlucky ones posting there.
Mike
Like I said, I have seen several posts on FB that said their kit was fine with no broken parts. Those kits that are broken are really Easy fixes. IMHO.
RAGIII
Yeah I was having 2nd thought on the China order. At least with the local store you can get an exchange on damaged goods. Fingers crossed!
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So there’s no number on the limited edition kits. Only 1000?
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Yeah I was having 2nd thought on the China order. At least with the local store you can get an exchange on damaged goods. Fingers crossed!
[/quote]
It is a very small attachment point on the port side and takes seconds to fix and as seen on the video an invisable mend. Would not personally bother returning to a model shop for that. And in view of the £20 to £30 cost-saving have our club order for 6 on way from Lucky Model.
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So there’s no number on the limited edition kits. Only 1000?
I believe that limited edition was only for the kit containing the MvR bust.
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I just received my Mengnut Ming kit. Its definitely WNW quality in the detail dept for an injection molded kit. The fragile wing part is just hanging on by a few threads. I don't care - I've glued pieces back together before. The wing tapes are very small - narrow with just tiny circular dots - not rib stitches. They do protrude up from the wing surface a fair amount. No sink marks that I have found yet. Some parts and rigging points are labeled (molded into the plastic) 'DR1' or 'F1' for the different variations. Control horns are molded into the elevators but separate on the other flying surfaces. The PE pieces have molded plastic alternative pieces. The instructions are very WNW-like but maybe not as thorough and detailed (who looks at the instructions anyway?).
Overall, an excellent kit.
I think most complaints I've heard about are from nitpicking whiners.
My biggest gripe - its not molded in bright red plastic!
Guess I'll have to paint it.
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I just received my Mengnut Ming kit. Its definitely WNW quality in the detail dept for an injection molded kit. The fragile wing part is just hanging on by a few threads. I don't care - I've glued pieces back together before. The wing tapes are very small - narrow with just tiny circular dots - not rib stitches. They do protrude up from the wing surface a fair amount. No sink marks that I have found yet. Some parts and rigging points are labeled (molded into the plastic) 'DR1' or 'F1' for the different variations. Control horns are molded into the elevators but separate on the other flying surfaces. The PE pieces have molded plastic alternative pieces. The instructions are very WNW-like but maybe not as thorough and detailed (who looks at the instructions anyway?).
Overall, an excellent kit.
I think most complaints I've heard about are from nitpicking whiners.
My biggest gripe - its not molded in bright red plastic!
Guess I'll have to paint it.
I don't know if you follow FB but Richard Alexander posted some Pretty Convincing photos showing that the rib tapes were NAILED! News to me for sure! That being said going by photos readily available the tapes "seem" to disappear with the streaking. So I will need to see just how raised they are and decide if I am going to make any adjustments. Thanks for the Mini Review!
RAGIII
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Would love to see those pics from FB but I do not facebook sadly.
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Would love to see those pics from FB but I do not facebook sadly.
I will see what I can do about saving them to My computer and posting here.
RAGIII
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I don't have access to the FB images, but here are the links to the WNW images on the website. The direct links were taken down, but the pages are still in place.
Late DR1
http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/productdetail?productid=3205&cat=1
Early F1 and DR1
http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/productdetail?productid=3203&cat=1
As mentioned you can't get to these directly, but if you use the product ID from an existing model like the rumpler or Camel and then add numbers you can also get to the o/100 too. Also the mystery model and StarStrutter. The Mystery is still a mystery lol
Ray
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I had seen some of Richard's posts about the covering nailed on the ribs. That's why the rib tapes are very narrow. My impression is that they are somewhat prominent but its a judgement call. I probably wont do anything to them.
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So there’s no number on the limited edition kits. Only 1000?
I believe that limited edition was only for the kit containing the MvR bust.
Hi, yes that’s what I was pointing to. There is just 1000?
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On closer examination I have found another thing to be corrected. The wings are molded as one-piece items. Not the usual top and bottom half. In my kit, the sprue that contains the wings is warped, making the wings have a dihedral bow. The top wing appears to be the worse, with about 1/8" (3mm) of bow in the middle vs the tips. This will have to be fixed. This will vary from kit to kit, depending on how the sprue was handled when it was still hot out of the mold. The thick wing will take a while to cool down coming out of the mold and would be prone to this issue.
Still, I am very satisfied with this kit. It just has its own idiosyncracies.
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On closer examination I have found another thing to be corrected. The wings are molded as one-piece items. Not the usual top and bottom half. In my kit, the sprue that contains the wings is warped, making the wings have a dihedral bow. The top wing appears to be the worse, with about 1/8" (3mm) of bow in the middle vs the tips. This will have to be fixed. This will vary from kit to kit, depending on how the sprue was handled when it was still hot out of the mold. The thick wing will take a while to cool down coming out of the mold and would be prone to this issue.
Still, I am very satisfied with this kit. It just has its own idiosyncracies.
Good to know. That's not unusual in Wingnut kits either. I'm currently working on a WNW Albatros D.Va and all three wings (one-piece upper and both lower) were slightly bowed. Gently bending them while running hot water over them took care of that.
Cheers,
Eric
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I think most complaints I've heard about are from nitpicking whiners.
That's cold!
Gene K
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I just checked My Lucky Models order. It was shipped on the 16th. It also said it was coming via Airmail and should arrive in 7-11 days. I guess I know why I paid a LOT more for shipping than others did now ;D That being said the way things are with My postal delivery it May be a longer wait than estimated :(
RAGIII
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Hello,
If someone is very interested, it is available in the AK store in both versions. (Both in stock)
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On closer examination I have found another thing to be corrected. The wings are molded as one-piece items. Not the usual top and bottom half. In my kit, the sprue that contains the wings is warped, making the wings have a dihedral bow. The top wing appears to be the worse, with about 1/8" (3mm) of bow in the middle vs the tips. This will have to be fixed. This will vary from kit to kit, depending on how the sprue was handled when it was still hot out of the mold. The thick wing will take a while to cool down coming out of the mold and would be prone to this issue.
Still, I am very satisfied with this kit. It just has its own idiosyncracies.
Solid wings are more the rule than the exception to the rule with WNW kits.
Drop your wing in hot (but not boiling) water and let it soften gently, and then you can fix as you see fit.
You can achieve the same results with a hair dryer, but be careful, you can melt styrene with a hot setting on a hair dryer quicker than you might think! Ask me how I know! LOL
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My kit arrived from Sprue Brothers yesterday! Everything appears to be in order, i.e., no observable problems upon cursory inspection under the box lid. It is now in the stash. ;D
Best,
Bob
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I received my pair from Spruebrothers today. The sprues appear to be indistinguishable from a WNW product and the booklet and decals look nice. I think this initial correction- to the box tops- will probably be the only one I'll have to perform. ;)
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I think most complaints I've heard about are from nitpicking whiners.
That's cold!
Gene K
Guess it's meant to be taken tongue in cheek but I see where he's coming from.
I've seen people whining about how the bix art is crap, how the instructions aren't as good. Remember people it is not produced by WnW, Meng have just used the molds. Also it's a lot cheaper than if it had been in a WnW box not to mention the fact that without Mengs intervention the kit would not have seen the light of day.
On the other hand though broken parts are not acceptable but thankfully they look an easy fix.
I'm still waiting for Hannants to get their stock in, I have one on back order.
Off topic I received Eduards Mk.1 Spitfire kit, The Spitfire Story on Monday and one side of the exhausts as some decent sink marks.
Am I complaining? No! I'll get the filler out, after all, we're modellers aren't we?
I wonder if we will ever see the perfect kit where not one person can find an issue with it? Some how I doubt it.
Ducks to avoid the returning flack 😀
Keep modelling, Mark
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I wonder if the broken part isn't a packing issue. Would the kits have the same issue once WNW put them in the box?
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It looks like a pretty fragile piece to begin with and wouldn't take much jostling to cause to break. I would wager that once installed on the model, it would be an easy fix.
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I've got plenty of WNW kits with bits broken in packing/transit.
Also plenty of crappy decal problems.
They were great, yes, but occasionally there were fit problems or warped wings, or the Albatros spinner shape, or the J.I aileron gaps - to name a few.
Stop slagging the Mengnut, it is a WNW moulding with all that's good and maybe a few tiny faults.
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The Meng box has the same dimensions as the WNW pursuit types, so it doesn't mess up the uniformity in the stash. Also, there's plenty of head space for the contents- unlike the WNW Fokker D.VII which requires some creative sprue stacking to truly fit in the box without the risk of pressure on the parts from kits above it in the stash.
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I've got plenty of WNW kits with bits broken in packing/transit.
Also plenty of crappy decal problems.
They were great, yes, but occasionally there were fit problems or warped wings, or the Albatros spinner shape, or the J.I aileron gaps - to name a few.
Stop slagging the Mengnut, it is a WNW moulding with all that's good and maybe a few tiny faults.
Add to that numerous errors in their instructions - wrong part and decal numbers, conflicting color callouts, vague part placements, and nearly useless rigging diagrams.
No WNW was not perfect, but we still love them so! :)
Eric
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Two of them just showed up at my door (8 p.m. Pacific Time), no broken bits, looks like WNW but has Meng written all over the package. Has enough bits to do either a late production orfrom SN 101 through 103. This one should sell pretty well and I got them both for 140 USD, probably a lot less than what WNW would have charged.
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Got mine yesterday and I was surprised how the photo etch was packaged. Love the fact you don’t have to cut pieces out but just remove tape covering. Anybody else like it too?
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Got mine yesterday and I was surprised how the photo etch was packaged. Love the fact you don’t have to cut pieces out but just remove tape covering. Anybody else like it too?
I didnt notice that - it is definitely interesting. I remember the first photoetched brass parts I ever received many years ago came all stuck onto a black rubber-like sheet - there was no "tree" or sprue to cut you just peeled them off or soaked the part with backing in acetone and it would separate off....
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There is no Airmail out of HK at the moment to NZ (same with Aussie) so I am will be waiting for mine for a little while, unless its shipped Surface or Express. This is fine as I am in no rush for them at the moment. Give all the AM guys time to release decals etc for it, as I think the options were pretty boring!
A local store in NZ had a shipment of them arrive and their RRP is NZ$139.99, which includes 15% Tax (US$92 to those that aren't familiar with Kiwi Peso)...
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I’ll be waiting for mine for a bit longer. The tracking indicated processing in my city so I expected it any day. Now tracking says it’s in another State capital which also happens to be in Covid lockdown - go figure?!!!
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Some good News today on My DR1 order from Lucky Models. The USPS tracking number now shows it headed to their facility in CA. So perhaps another week or so 8)
RAGIII
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The first of the 9 I have on order has landed from lucky Model (Not all mine to save on postage and VAT we did a club order) luckily customs missed them. All have a small amout of warping on wings, and a small amount of flash but nothing broken. Instructions are no where near as good as Wingnuts and some good refferances will really help and dowload of the colour notes from the Eduard 1/48 scale kit instructions from their web site for painting guidance will be a help.
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I got my order in the mail today for LuckyModels , nothing broken and really no wrapping in the wings . All is good :)
Terri
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The delivery from MENG is already flooding the EU ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iJpzsbsD2M&t=5s ;D
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The delivery from MENG is already flooding the EU ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iJpzsbsD2M&t=5s ;D
;D Good one! Long way to go, wouldn’t want to be an Re8 in front of that lot...
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RE8? Pithey and Rhodes would've sorted those bar stewards out!
S
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Received mine from Artscale today. Thru no fault of theirs, however, the box was wet and rather crushed with a few damaged parts.
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That’s very bad luck. I hope that you tell Artscale?
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I did, however, there was not much they could do except state that I should not have accepted the package when delivered in such a state, even though, it was found on my front porch in that condition; so there is no way to prove that I or someone else caused the damage at any point in its time from point A to point B. Something in the insurance regs.........
Live and learn.........bummer.
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I smell BS there!! Sadly it suggests that Artscale don’t care about their customers. All they have to do is send you another with a prepaid postage label, you send the kit back, they claim off their insurance, everybody’s happy, but they put up the ‘No’ sign, because it’s easy. I’ll make a note not to buy from Artscale then!!
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Thought about (and still considering) sending it back the way I received it and cancelling the credit card payment........... :-\
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Received mine today from Lucky Model. Bowed wings, part broken from center wing, (oddly, the opposite side everyone else is showing), prop shaft broken from engine face, control horns on F1 elevator bent over. All repairable, but still disappointing.
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Mine arrived from Lucky Model today. No damage but box slightly crushed. Came packed in a cut down single wall cardboard box. Twin wall would have been much better I think!
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I think things may be getting a bit out of hand?
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I think things may be getting a bit out of hand?
Safety in numbers? Looks like they made it intact?
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I think things may be getting a bit out of hand?
oooh - Jasta 11 lineup?
(https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/media/fokker-dr-i-of-jasta-11-1918.25998/full?d=1533599856)
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I'd say it looks completely in- hand to me. A quality stash is important....
Steve
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I have two in hand and seven on the way.....it's completely in control on my end...