http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/prodd.asp?pid=DRR61008
My bad! It’s a pre-built model, but it has the molded zimmerit that most everyone wants. So why can’t/won’t they do it for their other kits? Obviously they have the technology and they would clean up their competitors. Why do you think they sell so many of their present kits? It’s because they include so many AM stuff it’s ridiculous! “Give the masses what they want and they will come”, or something to that degree. Doesn’t it seem logical that they might take that next step with their kits? Stay tuned.
I wonder how this stuff is undercutting the marketa for the professional buiders whoadvertise in the back of FSM and the like? Boy, nothing is sacred anymore!
Boy, dead thread. [xx(] I was hoping to stir the pot, guess not.
Hey Doog, Tamiya does it too, but their kits come with Friuls and such. Ridiculous price.
Don’t you worry about it. I’ve seen some of this built-up models and they’re nothing compared to what the pros do. Even Tamiya has some of them but I’m really disappointed with.
I do know that in the automotive world (where I work now), when an injection tool is “grained”, (by this I mean when plastic interior side shields and garnish trim are “accented” with graining) it requires the tool (mold) to be stippled by hand. This is a very labor intensive process, adds cost and time to the project. However, it has the advantage of being random. Zimmerit would be a uniform pattern etched into the tool, probably adding a lot of cost, which the consumer would pay for.Maybe that’s it.
I think the biggest hurdle would be offering different vehicle schemes in one kit. The zimmerit would be different tank to tank, I for one would not buy a pre zimmed kit for this reason. The modeler that Dragon is after is a discerning buyer, not obsessed but certainly satisfied by the detailed accuracy that Dragon is now known for.
The other issue is the “put off” factor of a kit that doesn’t allow the builder to apply zimmerit. For many German armor people, this is half the fun and a source of artistic satisfaction, that is, making and applying your own zim.
Just some thoughts Eric, IMHO, I say leave well enough alone, or at the very least, include resin zim in the kit as an option.
Steve
You certainly had me excited with the title of your thread up until the first sentence :).
Pre-made models, be it plastic or die-cast, are pretty neat things for collectors who don’t have the time/skilsl to build one and they may even get some people interested in the world of self-assemble models. That said, I rather build mine myself.