Time for the annual Wingnuts speculation

[PrzemoL]

And BTW, George, if your stash is getting too big, you can always remember the needy......I'll be 62 1/2 on August 22 and I guess Prze is not going to send me the AEG he doesn't want to build.

I would very much like to, Michael. But I still did not get it.  On the other hand, I have just acquired DFW C.V Late, but this one I plan to build... I am so sorry.


And to join the wish-list company, here are my choices based on what could be build in Polish post-war colours, sequence does not matter:

1. Friedrichshafen FF.33E
2. Lubeck Travemunde F2/F4
3. Albatros D.III Oef
4. Bristol F.2B Fighter with Hispano Suiza
5. Breguet 14
6. Hansa Brandenburg NW

[macsporran]

Hey Prze, you'll need the new Camel then to build as F5234 Kosciuszko or one of the F1s donated to Poland by King George V?
Sandy

[PrzemoL]

Hey Prze, you'll need the new Camel then to build as F5234 Kosciuszko or one of the F1s donated to Poland by King George V?
Sandy

Yes, I do need it.  But it is already announced so I did not include it in my list.
Besides, I prefer two-seaters, except for the Kosciuszko Squadron pack - Camel announced by WNW, Balilla by Aviattic and the last missing is Oeffag. 
BTW, no reliable documents exist to prove, that we had here anything more than the one Camel, brought by Kenneth Murray - that F5234. It was in autumn 1920, too late to take part in Polish-Soviet war.

[macsporran]

If it helps to track them down my Camel File tells me that another, F5243 also most likely with 110hp LeRhone 9J went to 7th Kosciusko.
According to Sturtevant, KG.Vs gift included 5 or 6 Camels but a dock strike delayed delivery from March to August 1920. He says "Polish sources" quote a total of 10 Camels in service including one flown and written off at Lwow in 1922 by General L Rayski who injured his face!
HTH
Sandy

[PrzemoL]

I do not know, which Polish sources are referred to in your materials, but I have several books, majority unfortunately in Polish, (by Kopanski, Morgala, Goworek, etc.) which indicate just one Camel in Poland (not counting the fuselage, now in Polish Aviation Museum in Cracow, which came to Poland much, much later). This is the current historical version, supported by many historians. And there is indeed no trace of further Camels in numerous photos of Kosciuszko Squadron aircraft from 1919-1921 period.

And Rajski crash in Lwow in 1921 involved the F5234, which beforehand was bought from Murray (it was his private mount).

[macsporran]

Oh well, Ray S has gone to the big squadron in the sky now so we can't ask him for his sources I'm afraid. Sounds like you've got it all covered anyway. Look forward to seeing your K Sqdn.
Cheers
Sandy

[Doug Mace]

Any list that's top-heavy with Austro-Hungarian ships is an excellent list in my book... glaringly absent from the 1/32 world, they be. And yes indeedy, finish of said list with all sorts of Nieuports....(and resin figures).

[Pgtaylorart]

To tally up this informal poll, it looks like the Friedrichshafen FF.33E wins with the most votes, with hair follicles coming in a close second! . So, Sir Peter, if you're reading this, get right on that! The people have spoken!

George

[Des]

My wish list is very short but I believe the aircraft are worthy of being kitted by Wingnuts.

Be.2
Avro 504
Curtiss Jenny
Short 184

That's it, short and sweet, but those four aircraft if produced as 1:32 scale kits would really make my day 

Des.

[GrahamB]

Some interesting choices out there (yours Des, plus some A-H subjects) and I'm all for some cheaper single-seaters or smallish 2-seaters. The NZ dollar has tumbled substantially (about 30% in a couple of months) and the AEG GIV is now $NZ346 or so - hideous! I might, just might, get myself one as a 60th birthday treat coming up at the end of September. It is a pain in the arse that we NZers have to pay US dollar prices - and subsidise all you lot for your expensive foreign postage too. I only live 50 km away!

Grumpy GrahamB

[Des]

We here in Australia have suffered the same fate Graham, our dollar has dropped to a ten year low so that negates any overseas purchases for me, but I would still like to see WnW produce the four types I mentioned, they would look really cool sitting on my display shelf.

Des.

[RAGIII]

Well I guess if Des is in I will throw in my 2 cents worth:
1. Sopwith Dolphin
2. Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter
3. Fokker EV
4. BE 12
5. SPAD XII

RAGIII

[Dave W]

Tapping into the issue of exchange rates and how the poor Aussie/ Kiwi dollar is performing against the US, it would be interesting to know just how big the US market may be for Wingnut sales as opposed to sales to other parts of the world where the local currency is performing poorly against the US dollar.

Without wanting to inflame the issue or start a flame war, the fiscal reality is that US customers are probably the only ones who buy a Wingnuts kit for the list price - everyone else is at the whim of their local currency against the US dollar.

So how big is the US market to Wingnut's sales? Anyone care to speculate? And don't bother asking Wingnuts. There's no way they would divulge this sort of information.

The Aussie dollar fell below US73c today which casts another pall on buying WnW kits. As of today a $US99 Wingnuts kit would cost me $A135.62. That kind of exchange rate must affect sales to non US customers?

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

[coyotemagic]

 Des, Dave and Graham, I truly feel for you guys.  It wasn't too long ago that the US$ was pure rubbish against damned near everything else.  Being a 1/48 scale modeler, most, if not all, of my kits came from Europe where everything was priced in euros or GBP.  The pound was 3 to 1 against the dollar and the euro was nearly 2 to 1.  Even buying kits from sellers in Canada and Australia was rough.  For a kit going for 100 Australian $, I'd pay $116 US or from Canada, $112.  Give it time fellas, it'll swing back. 
As for why WNW prices in US dollars, I'm betting it's based on population.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population
  The US is ranked 3rd behind China and India and can you imagine Sir Peter pricing his products in yuans or rupees?  I'm pretty sure US modelers are buying an awful lot of those kits.  Hell, I had no interest whatsoever in 1/32 scale until I saw several WNW builds on the 'drome.  Beeza and Umflaumotor were the first to sell me on 'em, but now I have one built and 18 in the stash, including that beastly Felixstowe.  So don't be mad at us, guys.  We're with you on this and hopefully things will stabilize soon.  But not before I buy the Copper State Big Ack.

[lcarroll]

The Aussie dollar fell below US73c today which casts another pall on buying WnW kits. As of today a $US99 Wingnuts kit would cost me $A135.62. That kind of exchange rate must affect sales to non US customers?

.......as well as the NZ dollar, and here in Canada we are at .76. That's a big factor for all of us "Colonials"! The Camel would tip me over the edge into impulse buying mode but, for now, my orders are on hold!
Cheers,
Lance