A question for Richard or Albert Ross

[hawkonevoodoo]

Why doesn't Corgi make more 1/144 scale WW II models? I find for display purposes that any model, when made in 1/72 scale has a wingspan greater than 9", should also be available in 1/144. Any model with a large wingspan just makes it so hard to display and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that feel the same as me.

I'd love to see a 1/144 B-24, B-26, HE111 and so on, I'd buy at least one version of every WW II plane done in 1/144 and probably more depending on the paint scheme or history. Model Power told me the reason they make all their larger planes in a scale that will give them a finished wingspan of 8" is because their survey of collectors told them that this was the preferred size to display. If this is true, my 9" cut off is pretty close and should work according to them.

Have Corgi sales in the WW II 1/144 scale been so bad that they have forgotten it? I hope not. So far I have one shelf just for 1/144 ( space for about 25 ) with room for expansion. The sad part is that it isn't filling up very quickly with WW II planes. The funny part is, Corgi is the only one making a true 1/144. Others make a 1/140, 1/150 or 1/163 but very rarely a true 1/144. You pretty much have the market cornered in this scale.
Happy collecting!!!

[Agent X20]

They have it cornered in the 1/144 civils... but that dont seem to make any difference...

Plus the fact Mr Fov, they want you to buy all eight if they make eight of one type..!!

C'est la vie.. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Albert Ross]

I don't know what the answer is, so I have forwarded your question to the Marketing Manager. It would seem cost-effective to me that all the work in producing a 1/72nd scale model has been done, so halving the dimensions of everything should be easy to produce 1/144th scale models. Although the scales are varied the '100 Years of flight' and 'Fighting Machines' series are tremendous sellers at £4.99 each, so a constant scale of 1/144th should be equally popular. Watch this space! :rolleyes:

[Agent X20]

Ah well on that basis look forward to a 1/72 Dak and a 1/72 Connie..!! :D

[diecaster]

A 1/72 Dak Agent, haven't you mentioned that before or was it a 1/72 French York you were after :D :D

A 1/72 Connie sounds interesting is that a new item on your wish list :confused:

Diecaster

[Agent X20]

Wish list gets more improbable as time marches ever on.... :D

[raddger]

Ah well on that basis look forward to a 1/72 Dak and a 1/72 Connie..!! :D

Didn't ERTL do a series of 1/72 scale Daks not so long ago? Can't remember ever seeing one out of it's box though... They were selling for around 60 notes which would have put me off for a start....

[hawkonevoodoo]

I don't know what the answer is, so I have forwarded your question to the Marketing Manager. It would seem cost-effective to me that all the work in producing a 1/72nd scale model has been done, so halving the dimensions of everything should be easy to produce 1/144th scale models. Although the scales are varied the '100 Years of flight' and 'Fighting Machines' series are tremendous sellers at £4.99 each, so a constant scale of 1/144th should be equally popular. Watch this space! :rolleyes:
Thanks for the reply, it is nice to know that someone does listen. As to whether or not they will do something about it is another matter.

The way I look at it is, did they make money on the 1/144 WW II models that they have already done? If they did then why not make more?

Happy collecting!!!

[Albert Ross]

Thanks for the reply, it is nice to know that someone does listen. As to whether or not they will do something about it is another matter.

The way I look at it is, did they make money on the 1/144 WW II models that they have already done? If they did then why not make more?

Happy collecting!!!

Okay, here is the official reply from Corgi:=

Let me give you an example -

The Grand Slam Lancaster selling just 1600 pieces in total world wide will generate for Corgi about £75k in revenue. To generate that same level of revenue a 1:144 scale Lancaster would need to sell around 5,500 pieces. The average 1:144 scale Lancaster sells at best 3-4000 pieces. That is on two older models, on a new piece of tooling you're looking at the same thing and to be honest after the B-17 and Lancaster anything else just wouldn't be as popular anyway. End of the day it's all down to economics and we're either going to make our targets by smaller runs on larger price points and slightly few sku's or bigger runs on smaller price points and more sku's. For us the first option has proved to be the more successful and at this stage we aren't going to tinker too much with a largely winning formula. As time develops who knows what will need to change though in order to maintain or grow that position?

[Agent X20]

They gonna sell 1600 Grandslams at full whacko then... that'll keep em on the shelves for a year or two... :D

(£46.87 plus dealer mark up VAt anf other odds and sods.. = £80...)

[Agent Carr]

There is no way corgi can shift 1600 lancs at full price.

[Agent X20]

They could .............over a couple of years.... :D

[hawkonevoodoo]

Okay, here is the official reply from Corgi:=

Let me give you an example -

The Grand Slam Lancaster selling just 1600 pieces in total world wide will generate for Corgi about £75k in revenue. To generate that same level of revenue a 1:144 scale Lancaster would need to sell around 5,500 pieces. The average 1:144 scale Lancaster sells at best 3-4000 pieces. That is on two older models, on a new piece of tooling you're looking at the same thing and to be honest after the B-17 and Lancaster anything else just wouldn't be as popular anyway. End of the day it's all down to economics and we're either going to make our targets by smaller runs on larger price points and slightly few sku's or bigger runs on smaller price points and more sku's. For us the first option has proved to be the more successful and at this stage we aren't going to tinker too much with a largely winning formula. As time develops who knows what will need to change though in order to maintain or grow that position?
Thanks for the information. Since they have no interest in making any more 1/144 I don't see any reason for me to spend my money on procuring these others:
31802
31803
31703
47303
31307
47206
I have 3 1/144 now and I guess I will have to stick them off in some inconspicuous corner so they don't look out of place with the 1/72 that will now get the display area that was going to be for the 1/144.
It looks like I will have to go back to buying just the Dragon WW II 1/72 fighters and forget about the big boys.
Happy collecting!!!

[Albert Ross]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that response from Corgi, as plans change and there are lots of ideas 'in the wind' that are being kicked around. I am trying for more 1/144th models, as I personally only collect two scales 1/72 and 1/144th for large aircraft. Airfix started off the 1/144th trend, I believe, with their range of Skyking airliner kits. Also this scale is very close to model railways 'N' gauge (which I think is 1/160th), whereas 1/72nd relates to 'OO' Gauge (1/76th scale). If you build all the Airfix and Academy 1/144th kits and supplement them with the Corgi Diecast models, you should have a very formidable collection in this scale. Anything smaller and you lose the detail and accuracy, so I ignore all these smaller(and much more expensive!) diecast models available in 1/200th, 1/250th, 1/400th and minuscule 1/500th scales!!

[hawkonevoodoo]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that response from Corgi, as plans change and there are lots of ideas 'in the wind' that are being kicked around. I am trying for more 1/144th models, as I personally only collect two scales 1/72 and 1/144th for large aircraft. Airfix started off the 1/144th trend, I believe, with their range of Skyking airliner kits. Also this scale is very close to model railways 'N' gauge (which I think is 1/160th), whereas 1/72nd relates to 'OO' Gauge (1/76th scale). If you build all the Airfix and Academy 1/144th kits and supplement them with the Corgi Diecast models, you should have a very formidable collection in this scale. Anything smaller and you lose the detail and accuracy, so I ignore all these smaller(and much more expensive!) diecast models available in 1/200th, 1/250th, 1/400th and minuscule 1/500th scales!!

I too only collect 1/72 now, but like you I wanted the large WW II bombers and transports in a more reasonable size for display purposes. When I saw Corgi's 1/144 I said great, now I have a source for the 1/144 scale, rather than buying from another company that has scales I've never heard of before and can only come close to 1/144 on a few models. Unless I know for sure Corgi will make some more 1/144 in the future, there is no sense in pursuing this scale any longer. TOO BAD!!! I just hope that for some reason, whatever it might be, they change their minds and produce another half dozen different models in this scale. Hopefully models of Russian or Italian etc. bombers, any thing with a wingspan greater than 70 feet, or there about.

I used to be able to build plastic models but I now have a pyshical impairment that makes that impossible. I have to rely on die cast now.
Happy collecting!!!

[PH-LKK]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that response from Corgi, as plans change and there are lots of ideas 'in the wind' that are being kicked around. I am trying for more 1/144th models, as I personally only collect two scales 1/72 and 1/144th for large aircraft. Airfix started off the 1/144th trend, I believe, with their range of Skyking airliner kits. Also this scale is very close to model railways 'N' gauge (which I think is 1/160th), whereas 1/72nd relates to 'OO' Gauge (1/76th scale). If you build all the Airfix and Academy 1/144th kits and supplement them with the Corgi Diecast models, you should have a very formidable collection in this scale. Anything smaller and you lose the detail and accuracy, so I ignore all these smaller(and much more expensive!) diecast models available in 1/200th, 1/250th, 1/400th and minuscule 1/500th scales!!Hey, watch your tounge. You haven't seen "minuscule" until you've seen Herpa's new 1/1000 scale!
(See Herpa's website (http://www.herpa.de/collect/collect_d/herpa_df.htm?http://www.herpa.de/collect/collect_d/products_detail_md.asp?ProductID=570015&express=1&CookieTry=1&DoScript=sk_top10_setzen&frame=no&1).) Nobody's minuscule around here. Nope.

[goonybird]

Albert thank you for a frank reply to these posts. As others and myself have said before why not follow? Airfix with two ranges, 1/144th for larger planes and 1/72nd for smaller types. I shudder at what money has been wasted on the Gemini debacle. Just as well I'm not a shareholder!
Note: I have kept the Civil vs. Military out of this as it is not relevent to the
argument.
I just fail to see how corgi can suggest 144th don't sell when they have repeated memphis B17 three times, Op Chastise lanc twice (although probably same lot?), Enola gay twice, BOAC comet twice.
Are you implying that corgi need to generate 75k on any model to get into profit?. Surely production costs are less on a 144th Lanc c/w a 72nd Lanc????? :confused:

More work for me if there is 1/1000th....people won't be able to see the bally things without spectacles. :D

[Agent X20]

What about the BOAC Brit... TWA Connie...

You sure you collect civils Mr G-bird..???? :D :D :D

(In fact the 'milking' factor would appear to be quite rife and no doubt profitable in 1/144....)

So wheres me BOAC 707.....!!!!! (early livery...!!)

[goonybird]

I left the Brit and connie as different schemes. Surely early scheme BOAC was on Conway engined 707-436's only, G-AXGW joined fleet circa 69/70 after Gold Speedbird.
But I stand to be corrected on this as from memory. (Can't be harrised to go and check!)
VC10 be better!

[Agent X20]

Mr G .. I aint too bothered about the accuracy... sure the rivet counters will have a moan.. would just like to see some other liveries...

[Paul Grosscup]

Would be delighted if one of you afficionas would tell me what AA30012 is being reserved for.

[Albert Ross]

I left the Brit and connie as different schemes. Surely early scheme BOAC was on Conway engined 707-436's only, G-AXGW joined fleet circa 69/70 after Gold Speedbird.
But I stand to be corrected on this as from memory. (Can't be harrised to go and check!)
VC10 be better!

Absolutely right about the BOAC 707 schemes. I wanted to do the early scheme, but wasn't told we had RR Conway engines available until too late!

[Albert Ross]

Mr G .. I aint too bothered about the accuracy... sure the rivet counters will have a moan.. would just like to see some other liveries...

...now there's a quote worth passing on to Corgi!!! :eek: :eek:

[Agent X20]

Most probably the truth... I really hadn't figured out that we had Britannias and Viscounts available in Long and Extra Long sizes.. as long as they look right...

I'll take an early scheme BOAC 707 on something that has four engines hanging off the wings.. rather than have NO 707...

Shame about the accuarcy on the Commonwealth Games one..!!

Bring back that BAC 111..!!!!!!