[STARMAN 352ND]

I agree ....well said Louie.
JP

[Shamrock]

You've made some very good points Louie. I got into aviation through reading, movies, and spending my hard earned pocket money on Airfix and Frog plastic models. In some ways I'm trying to recreate the joy of those (halycon) days with diecast.

Some of the Warbirds are superb aircraft that look great with a bit of work;Typhoon, Bader Spitfire, Smik Mk1V Spitfire, Tuck Hurricane, Molders ME-109 etc. With a pilot added and some minor work they are great. IMHO these models would do really well with decent packaging as Legends.

If Corgi want to appeal to the airshow/museum market they could continue to re-issue some of the old/tired aircraft (that most of us have) without all the 'bells and whistles' as they have done in some Warbird examples.

In the case of the Smik and Bader Spitfires, Gillam Typhoon, Molders 109, I would have paid Legend's price and possibly AA.

Upgrade Legends packaging and use their old assets to satisfy the starter market would be my advice to Corgi.

[Celtic]

No pilot, no gear, no fly, no buy...Louie, this is for you

[skysurfer808]

Corgi really did screw the pooch on this one...pardon the pun, but it's what they did. The only reason I can possibly think of on why they released certain ace liveries as Warbirds would be to maintain the collectibility of some of the previously released Limited Edition Aviation Archives. We'd be howling if they re-reased some of them, so I'm sure they took that into consideration. However, Corgi still ought to release many Warbird types as AA's, rather then as Toy like Warbirds and Legends. As Louie said, let em stock toy stores with these things for the kiddies, while reserving historically accurate liveries for us collectors. In many cases they'd do better with Generics anyways. If they wanted to include a History lesson, then give a detailed pilot bio...a la predator. Seriously though, it looks like Corgi really is slipping, and their release of Warbirds serves merely to increase their economy of scale...by producing more models from their existing molds. I only have 1 Warbird, not even in my possession, the RAAF Port Moresby Warhawk, as I do enjoy the history behind that "tomorrowhawk." I'd like to see more molds, and I am sad at their cancellation of some of their newer 1/72 AAs....like the Checkerboard Fw 190, which would have made a great companion to their existing 190 line. Also, how come they've only released a Recon Mosquito as an AA, there's still plenty of after market demand for more 1/72 mossies. In larger scales the demand for some of their 1/32s seems to be high. Anybody try and obtain one of their 1/32 Spits recently. They are commanding top dollar if even available. The Spits, their Mustangs, and their Hartmann 109s all seem to be keeping their value, though their Hurricane and Finland 109s do seem to have a lower value. I think its a case of Aesthetics, some planes just look better on the shelf then others. Their 1/32 Spit, Mustang and 109 are probably some of the best pieces of diecast out there...despite the issues we've discused before.

So Corgi, this is a wake up call for you. Get your act together, or Hobbymaster and Gemini are going to dominate your market.

Skysurfer808

[Andrew]

I could only think that its a way for those who can't afford the ridiclously high prices of their products (stares at my Corgi P-38) to also enjoy this hobby I guess. Not to mention to increase their sales.

[Wespen109]

Originally Posted by Louie

If there are any Corgi employees reading this please pass this question on to the big wigs in the cigar lounge.


Why did you do so many warbirds by famous pilots in the Warbirds line?
Such beautiful planes flown by brave men relegated to models with no swazi's,landing gear,fine stencilling, pilots, and other optional accessories. This is just plain sad.
It is not unheard of but could it ever be that Corgi may do the Graf 190 for example as a regular AA or at least a Legend?

Scratching my head.............................................. .................

I aggree about the Graf FW-190. Somebody should suggest the guys at Flying Mule to do an exclusive. Then it would be a rare'n too that we can all feel smug about owning.

Oh, and I find it outrageous that the "Predators of the Skies" series planes have no pilots. And yet they are some of the most detailed models you can get, have you seen all those bombs and torpedoes you get with the Avenger?

[ZS-VAN]

I'm also dumbfounded by the Corgi strategy. I'd have many of the Warbirds releases as AAs and have previously said as much in similar posts. My interest stemmed from reading War/Battle comics so there was no real history involved. That came later. Even now I've become less fastidious and less critical. For example I pre-ordered the first two Typhoons and still enjoy them regardless of all the criticisms. I just wanted a decent Tiffie.

[DirtyACE]

Please forgive my ignorance on this topic, but could someone please explain to me as to the actual differences between the Warbirds line and AA? Are there certain detail differences (besides the missing pilot)? Why would making these models come in AA packaging make them more collectible?

I ask because I have just started collecting 1/72 WWII planes and Corgi has become my favorite. I'd like to know more of these kind of details in order to be better informed as a collector.

[Louie]

Hi DirtyAce,
in simple terms the AA or Aviataion Archive releases are usually limited edition, have more details like swastikas on the German planes, small stencilling extra guns rockets and drop tanks. Pilots of course and landing gear. If you want a stripped down model with few extras that's a warbird. Nice molds and subjects but NO FRILLS. Wasted some great liveries on semi-non-descript models.

[DirtyACE]

Thanks Louie