Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

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Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:07 pm

In the "modern era", most of the bombers, float planes and transports rendered in diecast form have been in the 1:144th scale as a hedge against profit risks. Corgi has put out a number of British subjects in this scale plus a few U.S. "biggies" ( the B-52, C-130 and B-29 ) and Dragon made a B-17 and a B-29, but that's about it. In addition, the Chinese factories, who are seeking to produce models by the tens of thousands, have worked a number of deals with magazine and book publishers whereby the latter order toolings made for 30-50 different planes at a clip and buy thousands of each at a very low cost for use as subcription inducements; subscribe to the magazine and you get a different model with each issue. This way, the manufacturer's risk is minimized and, once the tooling costs are recouped, extra examples can be cranked out for sale via online vendors, eBay, etc.----- I assume in some sort of profit sharing pact with the publisher or the intermediary who orchestrated the deal. Recently, companies like IXO, Altaya, Atlas, etc. have been sending a virtual deluge of 1:144th scale models to the marketplace in this fashion, providing collectors with replicas of planes that "regular" diecast makers are afraid to touch. Also, the quality of these mass produced models has improved significantly, though silly lapses and design flaws are still evident.

I thought that some members might be interested in seeing representative examples of these models from my collection. So let's start with some U.S. birds:Image
Last edited by Epap on Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:08 pm

More U.S. planes:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:09 pm

Some British planes:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:10 pm

More Brits and some Frenchies:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:11 pm

Some Germans:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:12 pm

Italians and Soviets:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:12 pm

And, finally, the Japanese:Image
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby MichaelB » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:37 pm

Lovely! Quite a collection! Obviously I am out of touch...
Where did that Mariner come from?
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby Epap » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:11 pm

MichaelB wrote:Lovely! Quite a collection! Obviously I am out of touch...
Where did that Mariner come from?
Michael


Thanks, Mike. The Mariner is part of the recent IXO line of WWII bombers. In fact the same line provided the Whitley, Hampden, Stirling, FW-200, HE-115, Betty, Mavis, Emily and many others, pictured above. If you like sea planes, like GR, the last two and, especially, the Mavis, are really worth looking up on eBay.
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Re: Small Scale "Big Bird" Models

Postby grwebster » Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:11 am

ed, i looked on ebay and found a 1:144 Altaya Mavis. I don't know if it is the same as yours but looks like a nice model. seller is cristiantg. I guess he is Cristian Gandolfo who posts as 'Aeronaut' on this site.
Cristian, feel free to use the for sale section here if you want to sell directly to the members.
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