Monroe Perdu Studios has released their first set of Pilot's Chairs in their well known laser cut card. Besides giving a context to your stand alone pilot figures, the contents of the kit can be used in more creative vignettes as well.The full report on this interesting addition to their range, can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

These look pretty nice. A more fitting name would be Adirondack Chairs though.

I've never seen chairs of this design in Europe, nor in any photos from WW2. Pilots on deckchairs or normal armchairs I've seen lots of - so a pretty unusual choice for 'pilots chairs'- maybe more usable for US dioramas?

I was thinking the same thing but couldn't confirm nor deny that they were used in Europe. I was thinking maybe some US pilots brought them over.

For those who don't know, Adirodack chairs are from the Adirondack Mountains in western New York, USA. They were made by a local craftsman there in the early 1900s (started in 1905) and became popular across America in the post WWII time when camping really took off.

Among other reference used:

The record player and spool look fine. I'm still not sure about the chair. The pic posted doesn't really look like the same style as an Adirondack as is in the kit. If you have other referances though, so be it.

The chair you have produced is clearly an Adirondack Chair, while the chair you have told us was used as ref is clearly not. No one has questioned that it is a chair from that time period, but is their any evidence of this chair design being used in Europe which due to Gino's information the chair is an American deisign which at that time is unlikely to be seen outside of the USA.

Darren, Gino, Everyone,

I am aware of the history ot the Adirondack chair. I am aware it was created prior to WWI. I am aware that it is a relatively simple design and details of construction vary (check Google images). I am aware the chair is constructed as school projects" the world over".
I am aware of the label "Expatriate" referring to a sizeable number of WWI veterans who settled in Paris in the 1920's-1930's. I am aware of the "Golden Age of Travel" that included trips to and from Europe on ocean liners prior to 1939.

Instead of copying precisely one chair in one photograph, I made a conscious decision to offer a style of chair that might have more uses in scenes other than the one described. As mentioned in my news release, this is the first set of Pilot's Chairs. There will be other styles offered.

If you think this style of chair could not have existed in the UK or the Continent prior to the war, you are most welcome to not purchase this kit. If you think the contents of the kit might be useful in any other context, in projects you are planning, I hope you will purchase the kit, despite what I chose to label it.

You will notice the reference photos of the phonograph do not show it sitting on an arifield. I am assuming that doesn't mean it could never have been on an airfield.

While I have no problem sharing my reasoning and process behind the design of my kits, this is dangerous water I'm dipping into on this forum because I won't change opinions of certain people, no matter what I say or what images I provide. I risk being labeled as argumentative and worse.
I have gone through this with my Waterwheel kit, my Windmill kit, and probably a couple others I'm not thinking of at the moment.

I don't want to alienate potential customers by entering into debates I can't hope to win. It's less risky for me to have no communication with the customers.

I design and create kits that are of interest to me. I identify them with titles that I think are suitable. Despite how I choose to label my kits, I believe each one is unique in the market place and uses materials and process' that other companies are trying to emulate.

I may not be able to find a WWII period photo of a wooden cable spool being used as a table, so I hope you will take it on faith that it could have happened.

Mike

Thank you for taking the time to reply Michael.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if some enterprising young Yank, at a base pumped a few of these out from old packing crates to sit on the veranda of the O Club sipping mint juleps in a gentlemanly fashion on a hot summers' night.

That was my original thought too...




Thanks for replying Michael. My only point was the name. I just think they should be called Adirondack chairs since that is what they are.

Hi Gino

I think the reason for not doing so is there may be copyright issues with using a specific name to describe the product.

I have seen actual pieces of real furniture which are very, very similar to "named" items but are called another name to get around this issue. I've also seen the same with fonts, whole collections reproduced with slightly different detail so as to be used without paying royalties.

Funny Dave O'Meara should mention making them out of packing crates, I'm sure I've seen wartime photographs of tea chests (thin plywood packing crates tea used to be transported in) cut open to create crude pilot chairs on an airfield during the Battle of Britain.

Alan