Patti,

Amazing work! I was lead here by Brad's Spitfire thread. I just answered all the questions I posed in his thread about his pilot by reading through thread start to finish. I really enjoy the creation process and seeing how you are refining both the process, the product and the business plan to make these offerings a success. Too often in this hobby, the talented efforts of many fail to endure to the point of producing a sustainable product. This is, of course, due to the many hardships, costs, and as you put it "learning experiences" along the way, associated with development. But it is also due to the relatively small market of modelers who will actually pay for such fabulous work.

However, I think you are on the right track and deserve a congratulations. In the interest of seeing you succeed (and my selfish desire to own one), I wold like to see a product develop that can endure long beyond the possible future of your own personal desire, drive and stamina - your passion for it all. Therefore, I would like to offer some thoughts, suggestions, as well as emphasize the things (in my humble opinion) you're doing right. For what it's worth.

What you're doing right:

1. The soft, lightweight, fully poseable, molded bodies in assorted scales. Spot on... No one is making them, everybody wants them, and these should be easy to replicate in quantity and therefore affordable to a greater market. (And as you identify, marketable to other doll makers).

Suggestion: The bodies should be offered for sale separately...probably as your first product offering and as soon as you feel settled with the design. Ramp up production based on the percentage of airplane models of various scales that are sold... I think other modelers would agree, 1/6 is the most affordable (and sold in the greatest quantity) scale of warbird/scale plane, sold by everyone from ESM to Topflight in arf form as well as kit. If you offer a reasonably priced 1/6 scale body figure, with or without a custom head...$50 worth of BBI will supply a head, a full uniform and accessories. They'll fly off the shelves...and could probably be purchased and offered for resale, in quantity, by US distributors. Remember that as the scale increases (1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2) the quantity of models and modelers decreases. However, there are no competing products in these larger scales either. Keep this in mind when determining production runs and inventory...and where you put your time and effort.

2. Recognizing that DESIGNING uniforms and accessories, and more importantly researching, creating patterns is worthy of your time and effort and produces a replicatable product in itself. Whereas sewing uniforms by hand, yourself does not. You are right on recognizing that sewing should be relagated to the Chinese or some modeler's better half if he/she lacks the skill. No one can pay you for sewing what your time is worth in the development of kits.

Suggestion: Again considering the above statements I would put all uniform effort into 1/5 scale and up...while BBI RAF pilots are hard to find, except for the (dessert uniformed Donald southerland) I would develop the larger scales...1/5 especially...these guys are buying expensive kits or scratchbuilding and would appreciate the subtle detail...later if you discover a highly sought after uniform that's selling well in large scale (like the RAF uniform you did for brad - which is awesome) and want to offer it in 1/6 scale...so be it. In fact, I guarantee that particular uniform, sold as a kit in 1/6, would sell, as it is virtually impossible to find the BBI doll anywhere. As for 1/7 scale (which is also a popular scale) or smaller...this is where clothing becomes ridiculous and painted pilots excel...above 1/7 your statement about average clothing versus average painted figure holds water...but 1/7 or smaller...an average painted pilot is better han nothing. Later down the road, an assorted collection of your custom heads, reduced to 1/7 or 1/8 scale, developed as lightweight full figured busts or full body, painted or unpainted, could certainly be an easy ally-oop. (A little off topic, but no pilot ever looks right in a "60" size warbird arf or a "40" size warbird...and the mfg's never tell you what the actual scale is...though I know it can be figured out from wingspan. It would be great to see a pilot collection marketed as "60" size...)

3. Producing custom heads...fabulous! Seeing Brad's head come into shape was incredible... At the end of the day, the uniform of a pilot of the RAF is the same for every pilot...but it is the face that makes a pilot unique. Concentrating on offering a stock of authentic pilot heads, modeled from the wars great aces and notables...the finishing touch to the modeler who has gone to great lengths to copy this famous pilot's plane. Either way...seeing a different mug in the cockpit other than, as one post stated, "the aces of iron guy" in the cockpit of every plane you own, is fantastic. The idea that you could have your own semblance? Really fun.

Suggestion: I know you're still in the RD phase and working out the kinks...but consider this (as I'm sure you have...or are starting to) I have only one comment: "facial expression." Most of these pictures of famous chaps that you are modeling from have them smiling and saying "cheese" for the camera... not the right look for a dog fight. Consider the facial expression and the eye line or line of sight - what is the pilot looking at, what is he doing? Part of the popularity of the aces of iron pilot is that he looks like he's engaged - two o'clock high or some such... Personally, a variety of head positions, expressions, and line of sight would be incredible...if you're going to model several actual RAF pilots as an example...set them up in different head positions, with different expressions...or better construct the head so it can be swiveled like the BBI offerings. ie..Make a standard neck/shoulder mold with a socket, and make the head with a neck that terminates in a mating ball.

As for your suggestion that the bodies be anatomically correct (which no one else seems to be commenting on...but I'm not so bashful) I think most pilots would agree...one size would be good enough...and that would not be a "small."

I wish you both the best in your venture...Hope to see a website, pricing, and the like in the near future....And I for one would like an RAF 1/5 scale "Rick" pilot...like Brad's...let me know how to go about it in a PM. We will all talk you up in the forums for sure...But too much press too soon could be a disaster.

Lastly, sorry for the long post...I could have PM'd but I'd like others to have a chance to second my opinions or contradict...sorting out all of our thoughts and opinions is the best market research you can get... for free.

Best

Rick