THE FUTURE OF THE WEEKEND KITS
So, onto model kits. The third of December’s
new releases was supposed to be the Weekend
kit of the Bf 109G-6/AS. This was put off until
January. The reason for this has leaked out
thanks to the Distributors’ Leaflet that we send
out, and it brings me to the first news for 2021.
The Weekend line is going through a change as
of January 1st, 2021. It will acquire new packaging by way of the boxart presentation that
will now be consistent with the standard boxart.
The marking options count goes from two to
four, and the instructions will also go through
a slight upgrading. With this, the Weekend line
will go from the oft-perceived poorer brother of
the ProfiPACK kits, and elevate them to a standard you know from virtually all of the other
manufacturers of kits. The price point will not be
different from that of the Weekend kits previous.
The reason, then, for the slight postponement of
the Bf 109G-6/AS Weekend kit to January should
be clear. It just seemed like a shame to release it
in the old format, when it was deemed as ideal
for the new guise. The ProfiPACK line will also go
through a graphic modification. The look of the
boxes will come from the new Weekend boxes,
but will maintain its orange main colour, while
the Weekend line will hold on to its traditional
blue tones.
In January, same as in the following months
and years to come, we will release two new
Weekend Edition kits. The second one of those
will be the P-51D-5 Mustang, and time is deemed perfect for the Eduard Mustang to make
the switch. Within the process of introducing
the new Eduard SPACE line, we will repeat the
offer of a free set. In January, this will be the set
INFO Eduard - DECEMBER 2020
for the P-51D-5 Mustang, and will be added to
every package that includes an order for either
a Weekend or a ProfiPACK P-51D-5. Again, this
will carry a time limit on it, applying only to January orders, and only for orders via our e-shop at
www.eduard.cz. In the following months, we will
gradually build up the catalog of Weekend kits
that will include our most successful releases. In
1:48th scale. For example, this will include the
MiG-21bis, the Spitfire Mk.IXc, the Bf 109G-6,
the Bf 109E, Bf 109G-10, the P-51D, the Airacobra, the Bf 110E, the Fw 190D, various versions of
the Fw 190A, and even the Avia B.534. From the
First World War era, the Pfalz D.IIIa and the Fokker D.VIIF won’t be left out, and we will not be
avoiding the production of decal sets for these,
either…including lozenge patterns. In 1:72nd
scale, we will re-release the Spitfire Mk.IXc, MiG15 and, once the forms are modified and updated, the L-39C and ZA. World War One subjects
will see the release in February of the Nieuport
17, perhaps our nicest 1:72nd scale kit of all.
This will be followed by the Fokker Dr.I and the
D.VII(OAW), Albatros D.V, and others. By the end
of the year, we want to have an attractive lineup
of kits, for an attractive price, and you can bet
that we will get there!
EDUARD SPACE
There have been several references to Eduard
SPACE, so we should have a closer look at this
concept. This new line will be a combination of
so-called 3D decals and photoetching. The 3D
decals will cover details such as instrument panels, side consoles, seat cushions, and the like.
What is meant by photoetched, you already
know, and in this line, the material that is pho-
toetched will be steel. The photoetched is included not because we simply can’t let the stuff go,
but because as a representation of certain items,
no one has come up with anything better or, at
least, anything as convincing. For that reason,
there will be the inclusion of the steel photoetched items, and, of course, these will be pre-painted. In my opinion, this is an ideal combination, offering the best look with easy application.
The Eduard SPACE sets are being released after
a rather prolonged development period of the
decal side of it. Much of the resources were
spent on testing the decal material and fine tuning its behavior and stability with time. This was
a clear problem that needed to be addressed
from the get go, because the decals are made
up of many layers of a hydrophilic material that
absorbs water and expands. We spent a lot of
time finding methods of stabilizing the material
with respect to age, and it would appear that we
have been very successful in doing so. Application of these decals demands a certain amount
of care. This product may look like a decal, and
be applied as a decal, but it differs from your
standard decal. Those that disregard this fact are
in for some unhappy experiences. Because this
decal/non-decal has a tendency to absorb moisture, it has to be left in water for only a short
period of time. What it doesn’t absorb is the
decal adhesive from the backing paper, so it is
a good idea to put a bit of dispersive glue under
it. This product will continue to evolve, of course,
with respect to the fact that, currently, we have
several products that can be combined in various
ways. What is down the road in this regard is still
in the cards.
eduard
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