[roowalker]

Yes,C1 is high,but they were my intro. to diecast A/C,and they released 3 of my all-time favorite aircraft,the Dr1,the early P40,and the Dora-9..They exceeded my expectations by a wide margin,all of them ! I wish we had some way of impressing upon others just how nice their products are.THe Hobbymaster Buffalo is the only competitor I have seen,and it is just right along side their P40,but it was half the price,although I would have gladly paid a C1 price to have it. Ishare your hope that they do not lose their market segment due to their pricing,but with the exception of a Fokker DVII,and maybe a P39,I don't see what they could produce that hasn't been done,albeit to a much lower standard.Besides,with C1 models,they make everything else,with a few exceptions, look rather poor by comparison side by side.I wish Frank Dalton the very best of luck with new releases,I will buy them if they fit my limited collection,and if that fails,he could certainly find a market by releasing new schemes for the Tripe,P40,&Dora.. Regards, Mike

[Elmer]

Originally Posted by roowalker

I wish we had some way of impressing upon others just how nice their products are.

I think several forum members are doing what they can to promote C1 models by posting reviews, pictures, and impressions of each model here at MHII. It seems to me that lately, there has been a bit of a resurgence in interest among MHII members in C1's models, as noted by recent posted reviews, pictures, and impressions. Perhaps momentum will continue to build upon this.

Originally Posted by roowalker

He Hobbymaster Buffalo is the only competitor I have seen,and it is just right along side their P40,but it was half the price,although I would have gladly paid a C1 price to have it.

I would also include Eagle's Mustangs and to a lesser extent the new Texans. The Mustangs have several nice features that C1 models lack: metal aerials (instead of rubber), the nicest in-flight display stand on the market, positionable flaps (looks awesome when parked), and no plugs in the gear wells (e.g. C1's P-40, Me 109, and Fw 190).

Originally Posted by roowalker

Ishare your hope that they do not lose their market segment due to their pricing,but with the exception of a Fokker DVII,and maybe a P39,I don't see what they could produce that hasn't been done,albeit to a much lower standard.

I think there are plenty subjects C1 can do. Besides a whole host of WWI aircraft, there are several inter-war aircraft they could model such as Curtiss's P-1, P-6E, and P-36 Hawks, Boeing's P-12 and P-26, and several inter-war naval aircraft. They could also branch out into vintage jet fighters--there are plenty that have not yet been modeled in 1:48 diecast. However, sadly, I don't see it happening any time soon, if at all.

[roowalker]

I certainly agree with you,but some contact with the market beyond this Forum is what I was thinking of.I would personally love to see more inter-war subjects,the only one impractical is the P26,my clumsy fingers would destroy the rigging before it left the box!! The P6E would be a real treat,but is there enough of a market niche to pay for the tooling /production of the less well-known A/C??? Regards, Mike

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by roowalker

I certainly agree with you,but some contact with the market beyond this Forum is what I was thinking of.I would personally love to see more inter-war subjects,the only one impractical is the P26,my clumsy fingers would destroy the rigging before it left the box!! The P6E would be a real treat,but is there enough of a market niche to pay for the tooling /production of the less well-known A/C??? Regards, Mike

No problem, roowalker, just pick up one of the very good-looking P 26's, in 1:63 scale, from MP, and there is no rigging to worry about!

PS: I don't remember doing so, so: Welcome to the Forum!

[stalag8611]

Now that I'm hooked, landed and gutted by acquiring Carousel 1's Baracca Nieuport 11 and Voss' Dr.1, I'd like to know if other forum members, who own one or both of the above, own the "Flyboy" issues. If so, what's your take? A $25.00 delta (35%) is a stiff price to pay for some bracing wires. I'm really looking forward to the Corgi release of their 1:48 WW 1 fighters. If they're even close to the 1:72 Swordfish and Gladiator quality, we're all gonna in pig heaven. (Whoops, sorry Achmud, no offense intende.)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ah, Christmas Eve, and a traditional family Oyster Stew. PEACE

[Tyler109]

I do know that the WWII line is worth the money no doubt about it but hopefully Santa comes through on Tuesday and I get my first WWI model

[ZS-VAN]

I'm angling to get the Dora 9 to go with the HM Spit and EI Mustang in my collection. (Not that I'm into 1/48s) What is the view of their 109s? They just don't grab me like the Fw 190. The Red Rippers Wildcat also looks very good.

[roowalker]

Hey,Stalag! C1 Nieuport from the Flyboy Line-up is most worthwhile...Markings are a bit overdone,following the Film prototypes,but other than the absence of rigging,they stand with the high priced series,just beautiful. Mine is posed with my full collection of their Dr1s as an "agressor" A/C,and is an eye catcher. HTH, Mike

[Epapazian]

I agree with the comments that several have made regarding Carousel seeking out a more selective market for higher priced, but quality product, rather than beating their heads against so many low ball competitors by doing planes such as the P-47, F4U etc. I doubt that as yet unmade "modern" jets like the F-84 or F-80 are the answer. Such efforts could easily be picked off by bigger companies, such as Hobby Master, whose longer production runs would justify lower prices. The inter-war years, however, are another matter. As has been pointed out in several posts, this area might be the best bet. For one thing, it appeals to older, and savvier collectors, who are likely to value quality and not quibble over price...especially since no one else is competing in this category. Here, Carousel's penchant for short production runs makes sense, as the number of collectors is not as great.

The question is how to start. One approach would be to focus on some of the planes mentioned in this thread---almost all of them being American types with limited appeal to overseas collectors. The other is to take the most famous planes---often with strong worldwide appeal-- and see what happens. In this case, the I-15, Fiat CR-32, Claude, PZL-11, Fokker DXXI, HE-51 as well as American entries like the P-26, come immediately to mind. Another advantage is that such planes don't need stands----the lack thereof being one of the ongoing complaints about C1's current line. Moreover, if mold costs and their attendant risk factor is a major stumbling block, why not change scales? I have all of the above mentioned planes in 1:72nd scale and they are large enough to be worthwhile collector's items.

Judging by recent marketplace developments, such as some manufacturers dropping out while others trim back their efforts, it seems clear to me that skimming off the "sure things", such as the P-51s, BF-109s, P-40s, and Spitfires, isn't working anymore. Too many companies have gone this route and there's a glut on the market. Hopefully, Carousel can come up with a new direction that fills evident voids in the diecast spectrum, and apply its quality/low production run/higher prices approach to dominate more selective segments of the market---or, in some cases, to create a market which up to now is latent yet can be developed.

[Elmer]

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

I'm angling to get the Dora 9 to go with the HM Spit and EI Mustang in my collection. (Not that I'm into 1/48s) What is the view of their 109s? They just don't grab me like the Fw 190. The Red Rippers Wildcat also looks very good.

I think the 109s are nice, but not as nice as the 190, P-40, Dr.I, and Nieuport 11. Of the WWII models, I would rank as follows:

1. Fw 190
2. P-40
3. Wildcat / Me 109

The gear on the 109s are very well done. The cockpit is positionable. The paint finish and graphics are superb. I find the panel lines a bit heavy, the recessed areas totally lacking in detail, and no pad printed swazis (but optional decals are provided). If you search other threads, you will find assessments/reviews of the 109. Others on the forum think the 109s are equally as nice as the 190s and P-40s. You will probably have to try one for yourself and make your own conclusions.