jack41

I've noticed over the last few years that TF and Great Planes have done away with all Axis models. FW190, Zero, etc. I'm not sure whether GP has ever had any, but thier all owned by Hobbico now so I wonder whats up????

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

You guessed it: it's a conspiracy. They are conspiring to make a profit so that they can stay in business.
Axis warbirds just don't sell as well as Mustangs and Corsairs. The 'Iron Dog' (P-39) has been discontinued also, for the same reason.

jack41

Jock, I'd like to agree with you, however CMP, KMP, VQ Warbirds and others sell Axis airplanes like hotcakes! Also in a thread under kit building on this same site most of the bulders responding had a German, Japanese or Italian designed plane at the top of thier wish list! No my feeling is it has something to do with a twisted sense of political correctness. As if some group has lobbied them not to offer these planes anymore. Just my two cents.
Regards, Jack

Tommy_Gun

If thats the truth , it's a dirty shame.

The Top Flite Fw190D-9 is THE BEST flying Top Flite kit I have ever built and flown.

I'm just glad that Skyshark is still around with their unique kit lineup.

jack41

Tommy, I agree, great kits and there 250.00+ if you can find one

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

for the AXIS kits skyshark has them, I am finishing my allied airforce hangar,Spitfire,P-40,Mustang, and P-47 JUG.
I will be working on my AXIS hangar in the next few years I wish TF made some of the AXIS planes still, there prices are great a skyshark kit is 300.$$ twice that of a TF but there suposed to be worth it so we shall see a FW-190A is in my future hopefully.

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Let's talk giant scale for a moment:
Zirolli & Miester both make Allied AND Axis planes/ kits/ plans
when I attand warbird event in my area (within 100 miles or more from Kalamazoo, MI).
My experiences are this:
for every Mustang, Corsair, & Thunderbolt: there is 1 FW-190 (thankfully NOT a Dora). That right there says that for every 3 allied planses, there is 1 axis. Zeros & P-40s for some reason are RARE. even Hellcats outnumber them. Stukas on the the other hand: there's a few of them showing up, sometimes in pairs. There are a few ME-109s also, and an occasional Hurricane and/ or Spitfire. I'm not making any political statement here, I'm just calling it as I see it. And what I think is this: the majority of Americans (in this area anyway) prefer building/ flying American aircraft. That means the British aircraft are not as popular either.

Now for the smaller scales:
I think the VQ Zero has probably far outsold all other VQ warbirds. Personally, I would LOVE Hangar 9 to come out with a Zero, and I would be 1st on their list if they did.
But for whatever reason, I am not seeing the VQ models at warbird events. I DO see some KMP models showing up in the last 2 years, mostly hellcats and Corsairs, even tho THEY make a Zero (actually: 2 Zeros/ 2 differnt sizes) as well.

I think the heyday of kit manufacturers is long gone, taken over by ARFs. While there are many that would prefer to build form a kit, they are becoming outnumbered. That means that kitmakers are struggling. Let's talk SkyShark for a moment: someone here at RCU started a thread about 6 months ago complaining about the increase in prices for the SkyShark kits, which are now well above the Top Flite kit prices. I don't think the owner(s) of SkyShark are trying to scalp anybody, I think they just want to be able to stay in business and keep their heads above the water. And they needed to raise their prices to do so. So if their kits cost more than Top Flite kits: how well do you suppose Top Flite is doing right now? My guess is not very well at all, and they are having to discontinue what is not selling/ is not profitable. I'm gonna go out on a limb here are guess that the Top Flite Corsair has outsold all of their other warbirds COMBINED. Thier second best selling one would probably be the Thunderbolt, then Mustang. But again, for whatever reason: their P-40s are rare.

BTW: the majority of SkyShark planes that I see at events are the Hellcat. Same for Wing Mfg. & Jemco (all 3 made axis planes as well).

Top Flite TRIED to market a Gold Edition Zero a few years back: unfortunately tho, it was based on their AT-6 kit and was in fact a Hollywood Zero, and many of us realized that it wasn't a true Zero so we shied away from it.

So consider it a conspiracy if you want, I think it is profit motivated.

timothy thompson

My Feedback: (1)

bleeding heart liberals! that causes the problem. some wont even put swastikas on the tails. what rubbish.

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

Joe here, the lone conservative from liberal heaven where we import our senators but no clips with capacities over ten rounds. Were McDonald’s take food stamps and it’s harder to buy allergy med’s or kerosene than bullets…….

A number of years ago I got out of line at the fly in’s and started building axis planes because if I brought my p-51corsthud I was one of, and with axis I was the only. Great for when the local hot shot wants to get some airtime and stop the show. Incase you have not noticed it our hobby is experiencing a paradigm shift from bigger is better to small and electric is cleaner and easier. So most of the smart business men will keep their money real close to there vest until the trends settle down.

You will see the axis planes again as soon as flop tite sees the unbiult kit market dri up. They will make a limited run and sell for a good high price and we will be happy because it wont be a kit someone stored in the hay loft of a leaky barn for ten years with all the parts punched out and rubber banded together.

You want to see these planes again start writing Flop Tite telling them you have to have one! I’ll bet they ask what price would you be willing to pay? When enough of use hit the number they are looking for, poof they are available!

If it don’t fly it wont ketch my eye

Joe

dragoonpvw

My Feedback: (7)

nice theories there.
great planes newest products.
Four warbirds.
Allies
One hellcat
others
Zero
fokker
mig (fake)

3 to 1 against your theory.
just a thought
good luck
Paul

jack41

Axis aircraft generally refers to German, Italian, or Japanese warbirds built, used or designed between 1939 to 1945. The allies during this same time frame were, American, British, and Russian designs. My concern relates to scale or sports scale models.
1. A Russian (Miglet), hardly an Axis plane.
2. the Dutch firm Fokker had no planes actively engaged in WWII.
3. A flatty Zero by a company as large and capable as GP could hardly be held as an example of a semi-scale aircraft, but maybe a step in the right direction.
Regards, Jack

andernamen

My Feedback: (3)

I'm sure a lot of kit manufacturers are due to go under - who has time to build anymore when there is such a GREAT selection of nice looking warbird ARF's out there. I personally love kits, but I have three unbuilt Top Flite kits due to no time. I have a Giant P-51, the FW-190 Dora and a P-40. I agree, the dora was discontinued due to lack of sales compared with other models. Mine is for sale by the way if someone is desperate for one. Just my two cents.

P-40 DRIVER

The fact that there is so much available in the ARF market of the airplanes you are talking about may be the reason why Top flite can't sell any kits. Most of the guys flying these day have never built a kit and never will. Top flite seems tobe putting thier effort into high end Scale ARF's these days if you go by thier new releases. I suspect that the main stream kit business will cease to exist as we no it, in the not so distant future. I also suspect that the average RCer will be flying electric also. So you and I and everybody else who looks at this as a hobby and not as a sport will be off in the fringes along with the rubber band and CL guys. Go to a hobby shop these days, not a kit in sight and the electric section is getting bigger by the day. In ten years you will not recognize RC as it is today. Hang on, your in for a bumpy ride. 2.4 ghz and electric technology is going to allow you to do things never thought possible in the past. Imagine, scale props, scale sound, no vibration to speak of, no goo, and even more people who don't have a clue and won't need to either.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I dont understand why Top Flight simply does not take there proven Gold edition kits overseas , have them build and offered in ARC and ARF like there larger P51 .
The P51 sells for $395 in an ARc form , they could easily get $295 for an ARC Gold edition kit .
Just a thought , I know so many people wont even want a ARC but there are also so many that love to make the planes there own .

I would love to see someone do a Douglass SBD3 , simple with the options to add a ton of detail in the 65 to 73 " arc or arf format

SMUGator

It's ok. As long as plans are available, I'll be fine. I'm finding that I don't use 1/3 of the things that come in kits now anyway. The wood ends up in the miscellaneous bits pile and gets applied to other projects. We just built a .25 Pitts from Bipe Flyer's plans using stuff that we recycled from a TF P-47 build scrap pile.

Tom

P-40 DRIVER

Give me a set of plans,a canopy and a cowl and I'll do the rest. This allows me to custemize before I start building using the balsa and hardware I prefer. I always modify to fit my needs, thats half the fun in my book.

Tommy_Gun

I have seen many people state the reason for not building was a limited time issue.

I am not picking on anyone in here as I have no idea as to who does what with their lives.

But, I wonder how many folks would have time if they would pick themselves up off the couch or out of the recliner for one hour each night to do something besides watch the freakin paste eater crap that is on television anymore.

One hour each night is about all I spend in the shop (garage, cold garage). But I see it as a kind of therapy. It's amazing to go out the next night and see that the progress made over the last few sessions is actually causing a plane to take shape. I don't know how to describe it, I just know I get much more satisfaction from flying a plane I "built" and ainted my own self. As opposed to flying an ARF.

Try it guys, just ONE HOUR a night. Besides, everyone should know the joy of chewing glue off their fingers.

Sturtz

My Feedback: (20)

Low@slow,,,, I didn't post your whole quote but it's all true.

My opinion on what the big boys are selling to us and what they aren't is simple. It's just the first hand dealt in a new generation of RC. No doubt about it there are more U.S. based WWII warbirds sold each year at this time. Just like there are more German WWI planes sold. Everybody has a Fokker Dr1 or DVII at the field. This will soon change and I think with the growth of the hobby/sport you'll begin to see more and more planes of all types. Even the odd and rare birds.

As us baby boomers become the old men at the field and the new generation takes our place. So will go some of the loyal resentment passed on by our fathers who fought and died in the war. I know guys who will not buy a FW190 simply because it was Axis. That is their right. And 9-11 didn't help things much. But this will pass too.

2 Spitfires 1kit, 1arf
BF109-E kit
FW190-A4 arf
P-38J-kit
P-51D-arf
Next is either a Zero or a P-47. Can't decide yet. But I bet they'll be some fresh choices coming very soon.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

Tom , dont have time to respond lol , what is a couch ???
Is that the thing in the family roon in front of the eletric box referred to as a TV lol ???
My day starts at 4:45 . ends at 11:00 pm after getting off the ice from two teams with two boys in two separate programs , so yes I could squeeze in an hour at the expense of my kids sports so for now even when I really do agree with you and I love to build , I dont have the time .

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

I perfer to build in my recliner. The problem is getting the darn kids to fetch my tools when I need them. Thier always out living thier own lives. After all i did for them. lol

paradygm shift.

Wait till the guy flying in his back yard (one of those profile electric foamies) starts shooting down planes at the local flying sight.

Joe

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

DAMN: Those folks in sunny CA are ON to US!
Just when we thought that we had the world convinced that only Californians were laid back/ couch potatoes, turns out they know what the rest of us do every night.

No wonder then that they are also on to our conspiracy to eradicate axis warbirds from their beaches. They're much smarter and inciteful then we thought.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

CJ /Joe , great responses , I cant top them !!!!!

jack41

Hi Guys, being from California I resemble that last remark. Keep in mind not all of us out here are tree huggin, global warming beliving politically correct idiots. I'll leave that to some of the younger generation. They seem to believe most of what there told in school,(don't ask me how I know!). We were taught not to take as gospel everything you read, were told, or what was popular at the time. I'm an independent thinker, always have been. Also they don't teach history in school anymore, or minimize it's importance. Most kids could not tell you what axis means anymore, much less the politics, engineering advancements, or even the geography of World Wars I and II. Heres a map of the Northern Hemisphere. I'll wager most kids could'nt identify the following countries in it. A big part of good citizenship requires a knowledge of history, but good citizenship is not even required anymore just compliance to learning what your told and not asking questions!!!
1. Germany
2. Italy
3. UK
4. France
5. Vietnam
7. Iraq

Regards, Jack

Ken Bryant

My Feedback: (10)

Just a thought, some "kit" manufactures have moved into the modern era. These manufactures are using Laser cutting on there parts. If you'll note Top Flight uses Laser on the ARF/ARC however the kit is still die cut. I'm here to tell that I prefer laser far and above die cut kits. There are alot of parts in the P-51 kit that still need to be hand cut from sheets. If kit manufactures want to survive it's time to update the tooling and save the builder some effort.

Just the final thought on this If I want to build a plane from a kit I want it to be a kit. Parts laser cut for me and all. If I want to Scratch build then I can buy the plans and balsa and have at it.

I think people who are getting into this hobby today buy the Arfs, then want to try a few builds, finally they might try scratch building. Things are just a bit reversed at the moment.

Me, I want to see a Giant scale Zero or ME 109 from Top flite. Those would ROCK!

Remember that Top flite still has yet to release the B-25, I know I want to see that and soon!

MANFRED

My Feedback: (27)

I love Mustangs, have 3 or 4 of 'em, but enough is enough! We have to boycott any new manufacturers that release the overdone kits, it's that simple. There are aircraft that in mho would be instant sell-outs. WHy the major manufacturers fail to see the light or even the frequent polls we see is beyond me. How many of us have screamed for an affordable ARF 80" plus FW-190-A, 80" plus bubbletop P-47, 80 plus 109 (love the KMP one btw), or how many of us have wished TF would release their Bearcat in a GS format as an ARF? I say cut back on the number of 1/3 1/2 or 1/4 scale Extras, Yaks, Edges, Katanas, etc and stick to the classics.