1/144 "Zero Aces" Wing Kit Collection from F-Toys
Coming this Autumn (2013) a new series of Zeros from F-Toys, to be honest I can't quite discern if this is to be a range of Zero Aces, a range of aircfrt for Tetsuzō Iwamoto, or just another batch of Zeros with this being the most notable? More information will be presented when I find it.
However there are '12 themes' which probably translates into a combination of Model Types and Decals, unless F-TOys are going to produce the Zeros series of the century.....
The machine featured in this promo inmage is a Model 52, Serial 53-104 which was the mount of the Tetsuzō Iwamoto (岩本徹三) the top scoring IJN Ace.
Source: F-Toys Blog
HORAY!!!! More Zeros!
ReplyDeleteAnother boxset to ignore..
ReplyDeletewaste of tool and plastic..
The zero in the picture is a model 21 rather than a 52 I believe.
ReplyDeleteThe discerning collector will look forward to these, as the tools are in many respects the best A6M's in this scale. The engines, cowling and separate exhausts are much better than the ones offered by sweet. An experienced hand could combine both to make truly beautiful model.
No, the Zero in the picture is a type 52.
ReplyDeleteNot overly excieted about this set but i'll take what i can get. Nobody else is making anything in 1/144 these days. The glory days are gone, with still a lot of gaping holes still needing to be filled (beaufighter, me 410, p-11c, reggianes of all types, fiat g 50 and 55, macchi 200, f9f and on and on).
Here's a real Model 52, as evidenced by the more bulbous cowling, improved exhaust system, protruding wing canons and relocated intake under the cowl.
ReplyDeletehttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitsubishi_Zero-Yasukuni.jpg
F.Toys made 2 years ago a set of US
ReplyDeleteCentury fighters including 3 planes : still waiting for second
half of this collection with such
interesting planes as F 101,102,104Also waiting for ALL MODELS of US
carrier fighters of the '50s. Sure these would be top sellers. That new Zeros set is really bad joke to all 1:144 planes collectors !
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that F-Toys will be producing items with the domestic Japanese market in mind. This means that whilet these may have limited appeal outside of Japan they will probably do very well inside Japan.
It may be famous last words, but often the reason why the second half or follow on part of a series fails to appear is due to it being a poor seller in Japan.
Ah well, it'd be a cold day in hell before any western company even attempted half of the subjects Japan has already produced. Count our blessings someone has given it a shot, eh mates?
ReplyDeleteF.Toys is not a japanese public service producing exclusively for
ReplyDeletedomestic market. I expect their main goal is to sell maximum of models the world over. And it is well known that US plane models are
the most sought after : just look at manufacturer's catalogs. For the price of a resin kit Panther, you can have full set of 10 F.Toys Zéros. I mean the market is strong
this way, but I do not believe you could sell a Zero kit for that price. You can also see on EBay that japanese sellers often ask more $ for an american model than for a japanese one.
I would like to thank all Japanese
manufacturers of painted and built
models for extreme pleasure I have
to fill my shelves with their truly
fine models ; that doesn't prevent
me to tell them when I think they
are doing mistakes. In french,'Qui
aime bien chatie bien'
I just think they insist in same plane.. to much..
ReplyDeleteThey also loose comemorative years..when they could release for exemple Sea harrier/Gr3.,Mirage III EA and Super Etandart...boxset due 20 years of Falklands/Malvinas.
If want atract japanese... in Korea war..several jets was active in Japan.. F-80,F-84 thunderjet,F-94 starfire...
The primary focus for F-toys is the Japanese market as that is the bulk of the sales. With some sales in SE Asia? Its almost impossible to find them retail/over the counter in hobby shops in Europe/USA - even with BC toys in the US importing they appear scarce in the US.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Japanese Ebay sellers sell US planes on eBay for more as they are aiming at the international (and in particular US market), and know that the international market will pay a premium for products they relate to.
If you check the Yahoo JP auctions you will see items go for much less as there are more of them circulating domestically and its easier for more Japanese to sell locally on that auction site due to language etc.
As others have said. We are still lucky that we have had so many issues that Revell, Trumpeter and others have not even looked at producing.
I think we all agree that they could be braver, or choose more varied subject matter.
I can't recall if F-toys has ever really sought distribution in the west in any deliberate way. Mostly it seems specialty stockists have sought them out themselves and bought at Japanese retail prices, then marked them up from there.
ReplyDelete