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ISSUE NUMBER 7 |
HISTORICAL MINIATURES BY GEORGE GRASSE |
FEBRUARY 2010 |
HISTORICAL MINIATURES JOURNAL ISSUE NUMBER 7
PUBLISHED BY GEORGE GRASSE
EDITORIAL
By George Grasse
MILITARY MINIATURES
The worldwide recession of late 2008 continues to hamper the production of new military miniature kits. A few lines have "gone under": Aitna, Le Cimier, to name a few. However, new lines emerge such as Alexandros of Spain and Alexander of Italy. We are in the process of adding Scale Link 54mm World War I figures and equipment to our site and expect British figures to be up and running by the end of March. It is to be expected that the centennial of the beginning of World War I in August 2014 will be a major event for historians, aviators, and enthusiasts the world-over. Presently, we carry the following lines that have a major World War I section: Andrea, Métal Modèles, JMD, and, (soon) Jon Smith Modelbau.
When the current recession turns into expansion, which I expect will start in late 2010, we will begin to see an increase in the number of new military miniature kits including figures, artillery, vehicles, and aircraft. In parallel with this centennial event will be an expansion of World War One printed, CD, and DVD material. This should last a few years, say, from 2012 to 2016.
WORLD WAR I AVIATION MODELING
As with military miniatures, anticipation of the centennial is already realized by last year's Wingnut Wings 1:32 (54mm ) scale injection-molded aircraft kits of the Junkers J.I, the LVG C.VI, the RAF SE.5a, and the Bristol F.2b "Brisfit". With this first quarter of 2010, is expected the release by Wingnut Wings of several more aircraft in this scale, namely the Sopwith Pup and Albatros D.V/Va. Several more 1:32 kits by other manufacturers have, over the years, been released with increasing care taken to accuracy, molding, detailing, and accessories. Companies such as Encore, Roden, Battleaxe, and others continue to develop this 1:32 large-scale aircraft medium.
By adding Scale Link to our line, plus the fact that Wingnut Wings is about to release a line of 1:32 scale aviation figures, allows modelers to build rather large vignettes and dioramas. It's looking good for the future of modeling.
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