HISTORICAL MINIATURES JOURNAL ISSUE NUMBER 5

PUBLISHED BY GEORGE GRASSE

EDITORIAL

By George Grasse

MILITARY MINIATURES

I've noticed of late an ever-increasing number of miniature kits in 54mm and up devoted to the Fantasy theme and, to some extent, romanticized Ancient warriors.  This is all well and good for shows but not for my collection.  I understand the demand.  Purchasers of these kits grew up in the fantasy gaming world and it interests them to have a three dimensional representation of these characters.  Apparently the demand is so great, that substantial resources are devoted to developing, sculpting, and producing these "things".

Of note is the increase, or should I say "spread", of 75mm figures.  This is a good thing.  All that are available now are recently sculpted and are artistic at just the right size.  Relatively speaking, the cost of a 75mm metal figure is, millimeter for millimeter, a better buy than a 54mm metal figure.  These smaller figures have soared in price and are typically priced according to weight.  So, if they include a ton of base material such as portions of walls, tree trunks, ground work, and so on, you pay for that.  Some of the scenic materials provided are quite nice but at $40.00 to $50.00 a kit and up?

WORLD WAR I AVIATION MODELING

The big news is the release of the Wingnut Wings 1:32 (54mm) scale aircraft kits of the Junkers J.I Infanterieflugzeug, the Halberstadt C.VI general purpose two-seater, the Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a fighter, and the Bristol F.2b two-seat fighter or "Brisfit".  There are quite a few more kits from this New Zealand manufacturer about to be released including an incredible 1:32 scale Gotha G.IV twin-engine bomber.  These kits are well-engineered.  From comments around "the net", many first-time World War I modelers are now "jumping in".  Truly, this is a landmark event.  It will have repercussions throughout the aviation modeling industry for all scales.  Hopefully, my favorite, 1:48 scale, will see more enhanced engineered products.

My only regret in World War I aviation is the nearly absolute devotion to fighter aircraft and fighter pilots.  So, who did all the work, anyway?  Who got the photos, who spotted for artillery, and who performed reconnaissance?  If you look at any one manufacturer's line of World War I aviation kits in any scale, the vast majority are fighters.  Then there are those manufacturers who design and produce a specific fighter, such as the Fokker D.VII, and then re-release the kit a thousand times with only a decal change and new box art.  All of these efforts are at the expense of the few of us who prefer the "workhorse" aircraft, namely the two-seaters and bombers.  Then there's the side issue of not enough supporting accessories such as airfield equipment, hanger kits, vehicles, and ground crew. 

GO TO?

© Copyright by George Grasse