I just open the box of my new model, the Stuka dive bomber made by Italeri. Everything is there but there is no swastika decal for the tail. Is this something that the company just refuses to produce? I try to make as close to an accurate model as I can and would appreciate any feed back about Italeri and any other model company that forgets the swastika.
Many thanks,[^]
Ted
Ted,
Italeri doesn’t refuse to make the swastika decal. If the kit is boxed for worldwide distribution (the same box art and contents for all continents), then they must delete the swastika decal, as in many countries the swastika is illegal to display in any form (especially most of Europe). You can understand why.
It’s not a desire to gloss over or ignore history. In many European countries the kits would not be allowed (by law) onto the hobby shop shelves for sale.
Your best bet is to buy an aftermarket sheet of swastikas in lots of different sizes, that way if you pick up a kit with the same problem, you’re covered.
There are quite a number of decal makers who can supply these decals. Maybe Superscale, Aeromaster - or just peruse the ads in FSM - there’ll be something there.
Cheers,
LeeTree
A couple stories from when I was living in Germany - - I attended quite a few model shows. Even though they are illegal to display, most modelers had them on their WW2 era Luftwaffe aircraft. Nobody seemed to bother with it. I myself have a 1/48 Monogram He-111 that I took to shows over there complete with swastikas. Shortly after the Air Force returned me to the U.S., I got an email from a German friend who told me about an incident at the Frankfurt show, which was one of the largest in Germany. The authorities raided the show. Confiscated any models displaying swastikas on display as well as any swastika items that vendors were selling and even arrested a couple of them.
I have a 1/72 Academy P-51D kit that I bought over there. The markings on the model and box art show several kill markings on the form of swastikas just under the cockpit. On my kit, someone took silver paint and painted out the kill marks on the box art and the decal sheet.
All,
Thank you for the feedback. I will look for the aftermarket sheets.
Thanks again,
Ted
Ted,
I have a couple of extra sheets of swastika decals. If you like I can fire some off to 'ya. Lemmee know.
Fade to Black…
They’re easy enough to find. A quick search at Squadron turns up this:
http://www.squadron.com/SearchResults.asp?ScaleList=everything&TypeList=everything&ManuList=everything&Key=swastika&Submit=Go
My beef is that the European law requires the box art to omit the swastika. This results in otherwise beautiful historical paintings by such brilliant artists as Shigeo Koike to be inaccurate. Especially Finnish AF planes, which are painted with a big blue X or just the white circle. Ridiculous.
Tell me about it, I’ve several full size prints of SK’s work that I’d love to matte and frame, but just can’t do it 'cuz of those cursed boxes on the tail. Grrrrrrrr…
Thank ______ (insert sacred holy entity of choice) for aftermarket outfits like AMD.
Fade to Black…
Whats ironic about the whole thing is that by enforcing this ban, the authorities have created a market for decal sheets consisting of nothing but swastikas, and those kits that feature box art and decal sheets with swastikas on them are now going to be keenly sought after collectors items. i remember when Airfix decided to stop using box art that featured war -like scenes… those items are now on every serious collectors watch list.
Airfix didn’t decide, some unelected bureaucrat in Brussels, with nothing better to do, decided. Having to retouch the box art cost Airfix a fortune, money that would have been better spent on making kits
What kills me is that it sometimes seems that ONLY model kits are effected by this swastika ban. I see paperback novels in the supermarket with bold swastikas on the cover. I see ads in TV guide for Nazi-themed movies or documentaries with swatikas in them. I see Hogan’s Heroes on TV Land, I see a full-screen Nazi battleflag closeup in Raiders of the Lost Ark… So, the entertainment industry is exempt from this, but historical miniatures have to be incomplete?
Another screwy thing is that American and Japanese-made models may not include swastikas on the decals, but Huma kits from Germany do!
It really is a very strange business. Last week I was in Toys R Us and noticed a WWII German plane (A Stuka, if I remember correctly) sized to fit GI Joes. There was no swastika on the tail, but there WAS a German cross (rotated 45 degrees!) Go figure.
Just today looking for subject for my first 48th kit, i have found how MPM dealt with this stupid taboo. Here’s this URL:
http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/reviews/kit/mpm_morko.shtml - look at the bottom of the page.
Isn’t this simple enough to be genious?
That’s a great idea what they did to those decals on that kit. there’s always a loophole around every law. thank goodness for aftermarket decals
Yeah, the multi-part swastika decals have been around for quite some time. One of the first kits I remember seeing that had that type of arrangement was the AMT reissue of the old ESCI Hs 129, but several manufacturers have done this at one time or another.
I think it just goes to show how some of the manufacturers feel about the whole thing. After all, some of these companies, like MPM, are run by hobbyists like us and they have the same kinda wishes and desires as we do.
But they also have that added burden of running a financially successful business. The sheet in the Morane kit is a good example of what kind of compromise can be reached on a matter such as the swastika. In cleverly providing the modeler with the choice to mark his model in an historically correct way, if he so wishes, they satisy the main target audience of hardcore builders. By breaking it up in a few pieces on the sheet, they also keep the door open for those who wish to build the model and just not to use that swastika, as they also provide the post-war markings.
The box art, however, has the full markings intact. Perhaps they have a different version of the box art for the European market, as so many manufacturers have in the past? There was one company that would just put black labels over any swastikas on their kits’ boxes!
Oh well, in the end, if we wanna “build 'em right” we have the means available to us to do so.
Fade to Black…
I have that 21st century toys 1:18 stuka and your right…the swastika on tail is gone and the german luft cross replaces it but it’s turned 45 degrees to make an “X”.My 109 has a black “X” on tail.
WW2online pc game has axis and allies but no swastikas so the game can be released in Europe
So tell me, Vermont, is WWII online an okay game? I’ve never tried this one, how is it graphics-wise? And is it as extensive an affair as one is led to believe? Is it one REALLY big game with a ton of players? Just curious.
Fade to Black…
I really enjoy it.First of all remember it is a SIM not a Shooter game.Everything takes alot of planning except for air-to-air fighting…but even then watch your back…don’t fly alone.
Playable map is 1/2 scale of europe…dunno how many times bigger than star wars galaxies but many more.
A couple thousand players online ,only AI is AAA and anti-tank guns (some) everything else player manned
WOW! Yeah, I’d read somewhere that it’s half scale Europe. That’s what I’ve been trying to get going in MOH, actual tactical games. Unfortunately, there aren’t enuff tactical-minded folks out there playing MOH.
And WAY too many kids with attitudes and too much cheating. BF1942 just plain sucks in MP. Heck, it kinda sucks in SP, too!
I’m gonna have to check it out again. I still have the site bookmarked, so I’ll go take a look right now! LOL
Fade to Black…
Gigex has a free 7 day trial right now and a huge patch is coming version 1.9.
Hey…I get a free month if you join up…mention my name…lol
my ww2online screenname is same: Vermont,I play axis
Did Bf-109’s ever have swastikas ? when and what air craft did deside to put them… why did they not put on every plane…BTW in case in some countries the swastika was good and a good luck charm and to bring good fourtine.