Educate me on planes... (1 Viewer)

[mikemiller1955]

Is John one of the first or the only one...of the "big" metal manufacturers to do planes...

I don't follow the 20th or 21st century wars...so I'm asking...

does K&C...Wm. Brit...or do any of the larger metal manufacturers that have forum threads on Treefrog produce aviation pieces...

I have not seen them before but then again...I really don't follow these eras...

is this a "breakthrough" in manufacturing in the toy soldier industry...

I know there are plastic model kits from numbers of manufacturers...I have seen them since I was a child...

I know the kits are not new...but have any of the metal toy soldier companies explored this direction before...

I'm just curious...is this a new untapped direction from the larger toy soldiers companies or am I just unaware of these type pieces...

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Michael, they sure do.

K&C has the Warbirds series, if I'm not mistaken. 21st Century Toys produced airplanes in 1/32 but even better, in 1/18. Figarti has a 1/32 B-17.

The others will certainly know more. I don't collect aricraft or ordnance from the toy soldier makers, my preference is to build scale model kits instead.

Prost!
Brad

 

[thebritfarmer]

I think K&C is the only major player.

Britains did make a couple of glossy planes for their WWI series a few years ago under the RC2 label.

Here are the Britains planes

http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/BRitains/1998/slides/tn_14.html

http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/BRitains/1999/slides/tn_16.html

 

[jazzeum]

Mike,

K & C and Figarti are the only players in this game from a 1/30 point of view.

K & C in the 1990s made wooden planes only, plus a couple of polystone planes, but then got out of the market. In fact, you couldn't give the polys away. Today, the poly Me 109 fetches hundreds on ebay. Go figure.

A few years ago, a few collectors, prominently Louis, convinced Andy to go back into the plane business and he started making the wooden planes again but much better made, light years away from what they had been back in the 1990s. However, they are expensive and they are made in limited numbers.

Here's a link to the wooden warbirds made by K & C, both the old and new varieties.

Last year, Andy started making polystone planes again at a much less expensive price and they have been a big success with collectors.

Figarti has made a few planes but not many: the "Shock and Awe" B 17 and two versions of the Storch. They are made of resin. They are coming out with another one soon.

Regarding the Jenkins planes, I'm curious to see what they're made out of. I'm assuming some kind of resin, not polystone. Also, as this is going to be a WW I line, I think it will prove to be a big success. K & C has announced that they will be coming out with WW I planes. I also expect that John, at some point, will make planes for his Spanish Civil War line.

If you have any other questions, please ask away

 

[Phantom Warrior]

K&C has produced very limited 1:30 or 1:32 scale wood aircraft models for years. They have been limited to 5 - 20 pieces and been $800 plus. Last year they started producing 1:30 polystone aircraft like the Hurricane, Spitfire, FW 190, Me109, Mustang, Thunderbolt etc. in the $200 range.

TGM has just started producing 1:30 scale aircraft. The first one is an FW190, but has not hit the dealers yet. It may be polystone or a combination of lighter materials. They plan to produce more.

Figarti has also produced several 1:30 aircraft over the last few years and will produce more, but they don't seem to be in it in a big way.

The problem with larger aircraft in polystone is the weight of the plane and the unsupportable weight of a big airplanes polystone wings. The difficulty with producing a bi-plane are the very thin wings which would be impossible to make out of polystone.

JJD is using resins and other light materials to make the wings on their WWI planes and as far as I know, is the only producer of 1:30 WWI aircraft.

Terry

 

[jazzeum]

Until we actually see a Thomas Gunn plane I would say we have intentions only.

 

[lancer]

Corgi also makes some 1/32 scale aircraft as well as a large selection of 1/72 in die-cast. They are excellent. Corgi also has a 1/48 scale line of WW1 aircraft. Franklin Mint/Armour has a very large selection of 1/48 scale die-cast aircraft, mainly WW2 but many modern aircraft as well. There are many other die-cast manufacturers of aircraft and armor as well. I know they are not TS makers but they are an example of what is available. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Forgot to second what the Baron said about the 21st Century planes. Those were excellent, very well made. Forces of Valor I believe also makes some very good planes and, to my knowledge, Andy used them in dios.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Brad, Brad, Scott, Terry and Al...thank you for the replies...

Jazz...wow...I looked at the link you sent...from a couple of hundred to $1,400...some with tiny runs of 1 or 2 pieces...

I had no idea as I don't recall seeing many posted on the forum...but then again...I don't follow the WWI and WWII threads too much...

I don't understand the small limited editions on them...that baffles me...why even do it if you only produce one...

were these commissions...

also...can anyone explain resin and polystone with pros and cons to each...strength, price, difficulty in material, etc...

anything of relevance a newbie would ask...

Terry already mentioned the weight factor...

thanks...

 

[Phantom Warrior]

I know you can get more detail with resin than with polystone. And with the lower weight can make much bigger and much thinner parts like bi-plane wings and wings of larger aircraft like the Stuka and torpedo bombers. Sounds like it is fairly strong but have no idea of the relative costs or what other drawbacks there are to using resin.

Terry

 

[jazzeum]

Mike,

Regarding the small amount of runs, there is a workshop in the Phillipines that produces these planes; I think it's made up of no more than three people. K & C doesn't want to overtax them. Secondly, the price is expensive. There are only so many people who are going to plunk down serious cash for these planes, plus we are in a recession. For example, they made a Westland Whirlwind a couple of years in two different schemes, 10 of each. One is still available. That is why they keep the numbers down.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Mike,

Regarding the small amount of runs, there is a workshop in the Phillipines that produces these planes; I think it's made up of no more than three people. K & C doesn't want to overtax them. Secondly, the price is expensive. There are only so many people who are going to plunk down serious cash for these planes, plus we are in a recession. For example, they made a Westland Whirlwind a couple of years in two different schemes, 10 of each. One is still available. That is why they keep the numbers down.

That may be because it's a Westland Whirlwind.

Terry

 

[lancer]

That may be because it's a Westland Whirlwind.

Terry

LOL. It sure ain't Johnnie Johnson's Spitfire. -- Al

 

[Phantom Warrior]

No offence to the people who bought one, but it is an unusual aircraft that probably would appeal only to the UK market. I doubt if very many people on this side of the Atlantic would have any connection to that plane or would even know anything about it.

Only just over 100 were produced from a pre-war design. It was a twin engine single seat fighter which went through development problems and was exceeded in performance in it's roles by the Spitfire and Bristol Beaufighter.

I don't think there have been any diecast models of the aircraft made.

Terry

 

[jazzeum]

Disagree on that one. It was a very early warbird made by K & C (AIR 023) and there was great interest in them at that time because the K & C wooden warbirds was a relatively recent phenomenon, plus the other scheme quickly sold out. All together, they sold 17 out of 20 which is not too bad but shows that 20 of any expensive wooden airplane is probably too much, considering the limited number of customers for it.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Disagree on that one. It was a very early warbird made by K & C (AIR 023) and there was great interest in them at that time because the K & C wooden warbirds was a relatively recent phenomenon, plus the other scheme quickly sold out. All together, they sold 17 out of 20 which is not too bad but shows that 20 of any expensive wooden airplane is probably too much, considering the limited number of customers for it.

I think if they were 20 hurricanes or Spitfires flown by Bader or Deere they would have sold out fairly fast.

Terry