I really poked a stick into an ants nest here ! And I'm very pleased to get
so many responses, since I think its necessary to keep pushing our WW1
barrow if we are to keep Eduard, DML and the like interested.
As Steve says,
Rigging, reference, range and rotten struts. I think his is a very good
summary of what I suspect is the reason I never see most of the WW1 models
my pals buy.
I particularly concur on what I call the "fondle factor". I bet most of us
are guilty of buying models which we sometimes pull down to admire the sheer
artistry of the toolmakers, but which join the poly pile never to be built
(lottery wins notwithstanding) My unbuilt pile includes such very non-WW1
subjects as a Tamiya Wildcat (wonderful moulding) and an Airfix Buccaneer
(great airplane) for just that reason. I suspect Steve is right in that
many of the great unwashed majority (non WW1 modellers ) do exactly the
reverse.
Doug is deadset right too. At the same show as our competition, the local RC
clubs have stands. The Mustangs and Cessnas outnumber the bipes about 10 to
1.
Erik hits it another factor centre too - time. Apart from a Hurricane I
built over an 18 month period (lunacy) my WW1 models take at least 3 times
as long to finish at something like my competition standard. No biplane
ever gets done quickly. It takes real patience to finish one and not
everyone wants to wait so long to get their kicks. This may also explain
why every WW1 modeller I know has a stack of projects on the stocks at any
time - if you get fed up, work on something else.
I don't want to monopolise this thread, so I'll stop here and shut up.
Interesting mail from everyone, thanks.
Shane