Seems like the former king of model design and production, Tamiya, has really been left in the dust by upstarts like DML and AFV, and probably Trumpeter. Yes, Tamiya kits still fit the best and have the best engineering, but at what cost?
What have they really come out with lately? Where are they going next to expand their markets, or are they going to take the Hasegawa approach of releasing the same kit in multiple boring iterations?
It seems like all of the innovations have come from DML. Where are they going next?
Trumpeter.....high quality ??? I guess I missed something. Isn't Tamiya putting out a lot of car and motorcycle stuff???? If that is what sells the most, it is likely what they want to produce.
I know that Trumpeter has had different degrees of positive (!) responce, but most of their aircraft kits are pretty good qualiti, with good fit and lots of details. As for the original posters opinion on Hasegawa's many variations of the same basic kit, it's what gives the economy to make new moulds.
Which is why I qualified the original statement regarding Trumpeter. At least they are coming out with new stuff, compared to Tamiya and Hasegawa, with only a handful of new releases every year at best.
This may be true- Trumpeter's quality ranges widely. However, at least they are doing something. What have Tamiya and Hasegawa done recently that was innovative or creative? Do you think a P-51 or Corsair built to the standards of their 1/32 Zeros would be a big hit? Why don't we have a 1/32 Stearman or T-6 out, despitethe fact they are still numerous and were produced in huge numbers?
Tamiya seems to becoming more conservative, and appear to be losing market share to Trumpeter, even though many of Trumpeter's kits are poor. Tamiya doesn't even appear to have a marketing strategy.
Yes, they are producing motorcycles and cars- but what is the worldwide market for these compared to military? Sure, they may have punted on the military stuff in favor of motorsports, but I'm not sure this was a wise marketing decision, since it seems that a quality military kit can have legs- look at the longevity of their half tracks and shermans and 88 that were good kits that sold in large numbers for nearly 30 years! It's only more recently that DML and AFV (and a few others like Tristar) have presented challenges to Tamiya.
Tamiya needs to get going with some new stuff if they are to regain their title of the king of kits.
Hasegawa 1/350 Mikasa and Yukikaze, both an order of magnitude better than Trumpeter's ships. Personally I don't give a rat's ass about 1/32 planes, not my thing.
Tamiya's domestic bread & butter is the RC market, everything else to them is just financial noise. It's that simple.
They're not worried, RC is what makes the bulk of their profits these days.
What's interesting, in my experience the cars that we usually seen built at show etc are AMT/Revell etc releases from the 1970's. Car modelers think nothing of sink marks, ejector pins marks and huge warpage on their kits. These are things that would be totally unacceptable to aircraft modelers, and to a lesser extent to armor modelers. Comparing the number of aircraft releases to automotive releases per year since
1999 to now is an embarassing thought. Car modelers get a fraction of what the plane guys get (and correspondingly less aftermarket stuff too).
Why is this? The manufacturers are scrambling to release yet-another version of whatever had wings... (Luftwaffe '46? C'mon..) but there's no injection molded 1961, 62, or 63 Ford Falcon... (for example)
I'm not one of the car guys, so if you could explain this dynamic, I'd really appreciate it.
I believe the Tamiya Formula 1 cars and the motorcycles sell really well all over the world not to mention the "tuner" cars.
Military modelers sometimes have a miopic view of the whole modeling market. I try to do some of each and I can tell you for sure, their formula 1 cars are a work of art, and yes, I agree about the hugh RC market that Tamiya has. They won't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs just to bring out yet another Zero or Sherman Tank.
Which shows are you going to?? Keep in mind that there are many current and recent kits depicting 1970s cars.
What? I don't think you've talked to many serious car builders... ;)
Embarassing for aircraft builders, maybe. Revell-Monogram, Revell AG, Tamiya, Fujimi, and Aoshima release *many* more car kits than they do aircraft, and AMT (RC2) has abandoned the aircraft market completely.
You really _do_ need to get out more. ;-p
It's not the way you perceive it at all. Again, car modelers are in the vast majority, at least in the US. Just because they don't hang out here on RMS doesn't mean they aren't out there...
So? How many kits of general aviation aircraft are there? Car modelers are like airplane builders in that they want "cool" stuff. Just how cool is a pedestrian 1960s Falcon?? Car builders want muscle cars, pony cars, street rods, lowriders, tuners, and racers (especially NASCAR).
Seriously, lurk for a while on the Hobby Heaven message board and you'll get quite an education. Be sure to click on the "Links" button at the top of the page too...
Heck, I'm still waiting for a '52 Hudson. No, seriously, Hudsons were hot cars back then. They all but ruled NASCAR back when they really were 'stock' cars. And, they did it with inline 6s.
As I said ...in my experience... so all I have to go on are: IPMS Seattle (every year), IPMS Vancouver (every year), IPMS USA (nearly every year), IPMS Milano (1999, 2003), IPMS UK (1996, 2004), and E-day Prague (2006). I guess I don't get out much.
I do concede that I go to IPMS events, rather than car-only events. I believe that IPMS is really an aircraft/armor club, by and large.
Also,in all genres, we know that there are a lot of modelers out there who never come to club meetings or shows. I bet that a higher percentage of car modelers don't attend clubs/shows as compared to aircraft/armor modelers. No basis in fact at all... just a hunch. Any thoughts?
Again, maybe these car kits aren't making it to US shores? From what I see, there are new aircraft kits nearly every week. There are new car kits.... sometimes. Usually re-pops of tired old kits. There have been some stupendous car kits in the last few years, but they seem the rarity.
We always disagree Al! Wanna talk about exit strategy from Iraq? Grins... just kidding.
I'm sure I have enough leftover rod stuff to do several models. The hard part would be the chassis and bodies. There's usually only one of each in a kit and building the Stock version accounts for that. I'll scratch up some stuff for you but I can't guarantee anything to hang it on.
and getting very OT, take a look at Revell's inventory now. they used to have a gazillion
1l32 aircraft offered. now its next to nothing.... for the OOB builder like me, I miss the basic kit w/o all the resin and PE that now is almost basic with Tamiya/Trumpeter, etc....
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.