Strana 4
Dear friends,
We launched the new August arrivals on our
webstore on Friday, 31 July. As usual, we announced
the launch on Facebook and Instagram. As usual,
we received a barrage of hate comments on these
platforms, asking why we keep releasing the same
things over and over again.
I really do love this favorite reaction to practically
every new release we announce, and I mean that
from the bottom of my heart. In case you haven‘t read
or heard anything similar before, it goes something
like this: „How about doing something new? Why
yet another P-40?“ The question changes slightly
depending on the release. For example, when we
released the P-40K, people asked, „When‘s the
P-40F coming?“, only for the same objection to be
raised when the P-40F was announced: „Why not do
something new? Why another P-40?“ followed by
„And when‘s the P-40B coming?“ There are countless
variations on this theme. My favourite is: „A 1/48
P-40B? Where‘s the 1/72 Su-7?“ I‘d love to kill for that
one, and I‘d enjoy committing the murder so much
that not even Quentin Tarantino would be ashamed
of it.
I understand that our release schedule may
initially give the impression that we are constantly
releasing the same types of aircraft kits. However,
if someone takes a closer look, they’ll realise that
the kits actually differ from one another, even if they
are of the same type of aircraft. For example, the
Bf 109 F-4 and the Bf 109 K-4 are not the same
aircraft. While they may sound similar — both
aircraft were manufactured by Messerschmitt
and are based on the same design — they are not
identical. There was a time when it didn’t matter.
In the 1970s, for example, nobody bothered with the
difference between the P-40E and the P-40K, or the
Bf 109 F-4 and the Bf 109 G-2. In fact, the difference
between the F-4 and the K-4 was even discussed
back then – even if the differences would have been
obvious to everyone. Today, we live in a different era.
We have almost unlimited access to information, and
this shapes what we do. It’s no longer enough to
produce two basic kits of the main variants of a given
type – the P-40E and P-40N, for example – and keep
re-releasing them in the same two boxes. This isn’t
feasible for two reasons. One is the aforementioned
level of knowledge in society and the ability to share
it. This gives rise to customers’ expectations of
manufacturers. As customers are now familiar with
these variants, they expect us to provide them. The
days when modellers either ignored the differences
between variants or resolved them themselves
are long gone. Today, perfection and thorough
resolution of variant differences are required of kit
manufacturers. Of course, not every manufacturer
complies with their customers‘ wishes. Many do
not, for various reasons. Some have been releasing
a single box for 50 years and believe that this is the
right way to do things. Others are reluctant because
it involves a lot of work, with no guarantee that
all versions will sell. However, we believe that our
customers are serious about this and genuinely want
the different versions of these famous aircraft types.
Our sales figures prove this belief to be correct.
So, when we release the P-40K, it’s a valid question
if someone asks us when the P-40F will be released.
I don’t yet know exactly when we’ll release the
P-40F, but we’re tentatively planning for the second
half of next year. We will release it because that’s
how we work: we release entire development series
of aircraft. These are often extensive: the Spitfire
and Bf 109 families comprise dozens of versions
of these aircraft, so it’s a project that takes years.
It’s important to accept that this approach is geared
towards customers who are building comprehensive
development series and are therefore on the same
wavelength as us.
I understand that there is another group of
modellers who have different objectives. To them,
it may seem as though we are constantly releasing
the same thing. However, I’m sure you’ll understand
that we have to choose one approach over the other.
We cannot cater to both schools of thought.
Therefore, I would ask the representatives of the
opposing group to be tolerant and to have a sense
of perspective. If you don‘t want the Spitfire Mk.XIV
to be Eduard‘s twenty-fifth Spitfire, simply ignore it
and leave it to those who do. I would also ask those
who do want it to be patient. I realise that it’s been
13 years since Eduard released its first Spitfire, and
this one won‘t be released until sometime next year.
But it really can’t be done any faster. Firstly, we are
not physically or technically capable of doing so, and
secondly, even if we were, releasing all the Spitfire
variants within three or four years would make it
monotonous and wouldn‘t hold the interest of even
the most die-hard Spitfire enthusiast.
Nevertheless, in the first eight months of this year,
we have released model kits of thirteen different
aircraft types in 1/48 scale, six in 1/72 scale, one
in 1/32 scale and one in 1/144 scale across various
product lines. I count several versions of the
Bf 109 as a single type. If anyone finds this formulaic,
I would be grateful if they could explain why. As for
our August range, the 1/72 scale Bf 109 F-4 is the only
kit of this type that we sell — we do not stock any
others. Similarly, the other new release, the P-40K,
is the only P-40K kit available from us. You won‘t
find any alternatives in shops either. Put simply, no
other manufacturer in the world produces or offers
any other 1/48 scale P-40K kit. The 1/32 scale P-51B
kit is the only kit of this type in our range and is
being released for the first time. It really is a brand-
new product – we’ve never released anything like it
before.
The second reaction, mentioned in the introduction,
„P-40B 1/48? And where’s the Su-7, 1/72?“, highlights
a slightly different issue. It’s quite logical that
modellers would want aircraft kits that they like,
and which are either missing from the market, or
whose kits are really old and have long since been
surpassed both technically and in term of design.
It makes sense that modellers would want
these. However, from our perspective, some of
these requests are, at first glance, somewhat
uneconomical, whilst others are downright crazy.
For example, in response to the August release of
the Wilde Sau Episode 3, one modeller asked why,
instead of more Focke-Wulfs, we didn’t produce
twin-engine Bf 109s. He was probably referring to
the Bf 109 Z. There are, of course, brave companies
that will fulfil such requests for model-makers.
We, however, are generally not among them. I, for one,
would never dare to make moulds for the Walrus in
1/48 scale. I’d be willing to buy 3,000 sets of moulded
parts from someone who dared to make the moulds,
and I’m sure we’d sell them. In fact, I reckon we’d
even sell 5,000 of them. But making the moulds for
that is in a different league altogether, and I wouldn’t
dare attempt it. I’d be afraid we wouldn’t survive such
a bold move. You know what they say: the graveyards
are full of heroes.
The second reason is technological. We have
achieved a high standard in the production of our
kits. We simply cannot compromise on the quality
of our work. However, we can re-release something
old from our catalogue that doesn’t meet today’s
standards as a reissue or in the Heavy Retro range,
and that’s fine. Our customers will understand that,
at least those who follow us. However, if something
like that falls into the hands of someone who doesn’t
follow us and isn’t aware of our practices, it could be
disastrous. We’re left with a disappointed customer
who bought the aeroplane kit they wanted, saw that
it was published by Eduard – a reputable company
– but were disappointed when they opened the box.
We also lose a potential customer. The same
EDITORIAL
INFO Eduard4
August 2026