The year 2021 is drawing to a close and it is time for a small summing up. As in the majority of families, the pandemic really threw our plans into disarray. Let us take a look at what we managed to achieve and what we can possibly foresee for the coming year.
Per Aspera Ad Astra – The Model of the Mustang
We overdid it with the Mustang model. Simply put, it has too many subvariants available straight out of the box, and thus it contains way too many parts and its instruction is perforce complicated. We wanted one kit to cover all available options, which would allow you to make any version matching your decals. The P-51 B/C Mustang™ Expert Set has standard American and British nationality markings. All that you need are numbers, codes and personal insignia in order to make any humpbacked Mustang with a Merlin engine!
The division of the tail section raised some doubts during planning. I desperately wanted it to also be available in a version with the fin in front of the vertical stabilizer. Luckily, an opening for the fin can be made easily and simply by cutting from the inside with a fresh blade kept parallel to the longitudal section of the fuselage. It is equally easy to make an opening for the radio direction-finder and the cameras
As you may have noticed, the model contains a different type of masking than that used hitherto. Unfortunately, the Japanese masking paper, kabuki, was not available and we were forced to use a replacement. We will return to this material as soon as possible. The metal plates for the model were a long time coming: in November, the post needed four weeks to get them in from the Czech Republic.
That the kit made it to the market at all is a miracle of sorts. Despite constant interruptions, quarantines and changes of contractors during the production process, we managed to get it to the shops before the end of the year. The model was available before Christmas and, thanks to you, became an enormous success. Please accept our thanks for your comments, reviews, and critique – both positive and negative. You have caused our model to gain immense popularity, encouraging many modellers to make a pre-Christmas purchase.
Many of you have asked about the plastic frames, the so-called “overtrees”: why weren’t they available at the première? The decision was taken when there was still no certainty whether the model would indeed be available in shops by year-end. We asked Michał, our head of shipments, if it would be at all possible to send the kit to modellers before Christmas. He replied immediately that “perhaps yes – if there are no overtrees”. Additional frames are an immense complication for mass packing, while without efficient packing there is no speedy shipment. This recently found confirmation during the packing of the very popular FM-1/FM-2 Wildcat™ Deluxe Set. An additional person was employed for this very purpose but mixed up the moulded pieces, placing two FM-1 frames in a few dozen boxes, without the FM-2 frames (we are sending the missing frames free of charge, see the link).
Thus, the overtrees will be available, however when everything calms down; hopefully when we commence marketing of the Mustang™ Mk III (see our announcement further on).
Production Plans for 2022
It is difficult to reliably announce any new models for the coming year. We still have no certainty as to the abilities of the tool shop and the limitations that will be imposed upon us by the pandemic. As I have already said, we have a few on-going projects. If these proceed smoothly, we will have a surprise for you. I will not make any promises today, as I do not want to cause commotion when nothing is certain.
I will, however, confirm that existing projects will be continued, and hope that the following models will make it to market in 2022:
- Hurricane Mk IIc on a scale of 1/48 in the first half of the year
- Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat™ and P-51 D/K Mustang™ on a scale of 1/72 in the second half of the year.
The F4F-4 Wildcat™ Model Kit 1/72 scale will be available in January. This will be followed by the P-51 C Mustang™ Mk III Model Kit in February, the F-6C Mustang™ in April, and the P-51 B/C Mustang™ Model Kit in June. Successive boxes of the Hurricane Mk II are also planned, starting with the Eastern Front and the Mk IIa versions (also on a scale of 1/72).
English translation by Maciek Zakrzewski
See also:
- P-51 B/C Mustang™ Expert Set kit in Arma Hobby webstore link
Wszystko co chcecie wiedzieć o Mustangu z Arma Hobby i nie boicie się pytać
Instrukcja montażu modelu #70038 P-51 B/C Mustang™ Expert Set
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I received my Mustangs a couple of days ago. What a wonderful kit!
Regarding over doing it, I think not! What a amazing package! To have all the necessary parts in one box, to be able to just take it off the shelf and build the variant desired is a wonderful thing. No wandering the internet and auction sites or what ever to find an obscure boxing or a rare resin conversion or other bits needed!
I hope very much that you take the same approach with the D/K Mustangs expert sets. It truly is a superb way to go.
I also hope that as you add other iconic aircraft to your catalog that you take this approach. A few more parts, a bit of complexity in the instructions opens up so many doors for us builders.
Wishing all of you at Arma a Great 2022. I’m waiting for the 1/48 Hurricane. Take your time and get it right and I think you’ll be stunned by it’s success. When you’re wondering what to invest the profits into I’ll mention the Ka-25 Hormone in 1/48.