While I am thrilled with JJD's current WW1 releases, and they are really fine, I am beginning to suffer withdrawl symptoms from the lack of recent aircraft releases in the KotS series. The last release was in December 2013 and was the Steinhauser triplane. With the release of the April '14 announcements, we are now looking at a 5 month gap between aircraft, if JJD releases one in May, and I have no idea if one is coming then. I have no idea what might be in the works beyond JJD's announced decision to provide at least one more triplane from Jasta 11 and a Spad that is now quite overdo. I don't believe John is phasing out the KotS, it is too vast a subject and is popular amongst many, but the lack of info on upcoming projects is frustrating. I am convinced it is a factory capacity issue. Anyone else got any knowledge/ideas as to the future course here? -- Al
Knights of the Sky (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MCKENNA77
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Eagerly awaiting the new JJD Poilus. I think they will go very neatly into several different dio ideas. I want to put a set into an Allied airfield scene with the soldiers talking with the JJD Nungesser and my Del Prado Guynemer, next to the Nungesser Nieuport 17. Throw in a JJD hanger and a JJD truck and ambulance and an interesting scene should result. At any rate, the possibilities for French related dios are really expanding with the many JJD releases. We have British and German related airfield personnel, so now a few French and American 'grease monkeys' would be in line. I know I am reaching because John is so busy, so just adding these to the future wish list. -- Al
Doh! I'm sorry Brad. That didn't even occur to me. I knew several people were looking for it so I just posted. Sometimes I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.:redface2: -- Al
lancer, be patient. We don't want to flood the market and besides this lull gives everybody a chance to catch up and also gives dealers a chance to clear out their inventories. They are all sweet looking planes though
Doing my best. I appreciate the lull for the exact reason you state. Plenty of things to stay busy buying.:wink2:^&grin -- Al
rpk
Private 1st Class
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- Jun 15, 2008
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- 207
Does anyone know how long ACE-16 was available? This is the Rickenbacker SPAD. I was sidetracked away from collecting around Christmas for a few months and it disappeared it seems. Not sure if John is doing shorter runs, or if the popularity took off, but the planes in general seem to be selling quicker than before.
ivanmoe
Command Sergeant Major
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- Feb 2, 2013
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Hi Brad,
The pilot half-figures are pretty much interchangeable, the exception being the German pilot from "the duelists" set and possibly the "Mannock-looking" figures from the two British sets (denoted BP in the product ID). For discussion's sake, I'll post some pics below:
ACE-BGD
View attachment 154043
ACE-BP
View attachment 154044
ACE-BP02
View attachment 154045
ACE-GP
View attachment 154046
ACE-GP02
View attachment 154047
If I recall correctly, the second set of British figures were marketed as being "Camel Pilots," but that never stopped me from using them in other models.
-Moe
mestell
Lieutenant Colonel
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- Feb 12, 2008
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- 7,986
Brad, I have used ACE-GP02 in Steinhauser's Fokker DR.1 and it works very well. It should be just fine in Udet's Fokker.
:smile2: Mike
ivanmoe
Command Sergeant Major
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Hi Al,
Do you pass on using them in the Camel models because of difficulty inserting them?
-Moe
Hi Moe. No, not really. I have the pilots that were suggested for the Camels, but even then, I only have one Camel with a seated pilot mainly because they are so far forward under the wing that the figure is kind of wasted as he is so hard to see. I like the figures to be seen and appreciated, which is rather difficult in the Camels. -- Al
ivanmoe
Command Sergeant Major
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- Feb 2, 2013
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That makes perfect sense. The S.E.5a and Albatros showcase the figures very nicely, IMO.
For the uninitiated, a word of caution about the JJD pilot figures...
While they fit nicely in the associated cockpits, it's awfully important not to tip the model too far on one of its axes when the figures are inserted. Not only will the figure exit the model when the "angle of attack" goes critical, they will do so in a manner that wrongfully implies that the darn things are spring-loaded. The figures are made out of metal, after all, and each is capable of doing damage to a toe or a shelf not too terribly dis-similar from what one might experience from the head of a small hammer. Very nasty, indeed! :wink2:
-Moe