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the original Gavia kit.
4. Wings: the only change is the joining of
the upper halves of the wing into one piece,
otherwise the mouldings are identical.
5. Horizontal tail surfaces: minor changes in
engraving, otherwise the mouldings are identical.
6. Landing gear nacelles: mouldings are
identical in shape and surface details.
7. Engine nacelles: mouldings are identical in
shape and surface details.
8. Interior (dashboard, floor, fuselage
bulkheads, seats, seat bases): the mouldings are
identical, only the floor of the KP kit is modified,
it is cut, while the floor of the cockpit is moulded
separately.
9. Small parts (propeller blades, propeller
sleeves, propeller covers): the mouldings are
identical.
In my assessment, upon comparing the two
sets of mouldings, it becomes quite apparent
that the KP mouldings are derived from a copy of
our (Gavia) original 1997 mouldings. Throughout
my career, I've developed numerous plastic kit
prototypes and encountered various instances
of more or less disguised copies of plastic
kits. However, in this instance, I must conclude
that the author of the KP kit either exhibited
significant laziness or lacked the capability
to conceal his process. Essentially, he utilized
our original mouldings without making any
substantial alterations or attempting to mask
the fact that he copied mouldings from a kit that
is 27 years old.
Following the release of the kit, testimonies
from associates of Mr. Muzikant surfaced online,
admitting to the method used in creating the
KP kit. Among other claims, they assert that
Mr. Muzikant “corrected and improved” the
original Gavia mouldings. Upon examining the
KP mouldings, I must assert that the mould from
which they are produced exhibits considerably
inferior technical parameters than our mould.
It fails to produce mouldings as clean as those
still achievable from the original mould of our
kit, which was created 27 years ago. There is no
room for discussion regarding any improvement
or correction of our original work.
I never anticipated that a manufacturer
of plastic kits would engage in evaluating
competitors' products. However, in this
particular instance, I feel compelled to provide
a brief assessment of the L-410 Turbolet 1:72 kit
marketed under the brand Kovozávody Prostějov:
I am utterly dismayed by Mr. Muzikant's
approach to creating his L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.
Not only does he show blatant disregard for our
rights and shamelessly exploit our work for his
personal gain, but he also deceives consumers
by claiming to offer a completely new kit made
from new moulds. While the moulds may indeed
be new, the resulting product is far from being
a genuinely new kit. It is, in fact, a low-quality
imitation of our own product, a kit produced by
our company, Gavia.”
Dear modelers and traders,
We implore you to carefully weigh the added
value of purchasing a KP kit and to contemplate
whether you wish to support an entrepreneur
who unscrupulously utilizes copies of others'
kits without the consent of their authors and
owners to develop his own products.
To scale modelling journalists and reviewers,
we request not to shy away from reviewing KP
kits. We urge you to truthfully and accurately
depict the distinctions and resemblances
between Gavia and KP kits in your evaluations.
Equally, we encourage you to candidly describe
the disparities in quality between the two
products.
Thank you for your attention and for adopting
a responsible approach to reviewing both kits!
Michal Vláčilík and Petr Podvala, owners of the
former Gavia company and authors of the Gavia
L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.
Pavel Vandělík, owner of the toolmaking
company Pavel Vandělík, creator and owner of
the mould for production of plastic parts for the
L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.
Vladimír Šulc, managing director of Eduard,
company with the rights to use the mouldings of
the L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.
Gavia KP
KPGavia
2. The similarity in the shape of the windows on the fuselages of both kits provides a clue for assessing whether the KP mouldings are a replica of the Gavia mouldings.
These windows were individually shaped by hand on the Gavia kit mould, each possessing a unique shape. Replicating these shapes precisely becomes nearly impossible,
but it appears that the positions and shapes of the windows on both kits are identical.
3. However, the KP kit features technically primitive holes for affixing the windows to the fuselage, accompanied with distinctive flashings. This aspect, on one hand,
complicates the comparison of the fuselage parts of both kits, albeit it is not impossible. On the other hand, it renders the task of cleanly affixing the windows to the
fuselage essentially impossible. The presence of flashings on the parts serves as one of the indicators of a poorly executed copy of the original Gavia kit.
4. Wings: the only change is the joining of the upper halves of the wing into one piece, otherwise the mouldings are identical.
ARTICLES
INFO Eduard
35
April 2024