Hello All

I got to see the Horsa master at Euro militaire on Saturday, very impresive.
No idea how much but the detail is fantastic, and the fuselage is in Three section so the use for diorama's is there.

Dus

Dus,

I've been waiting for something like this for a long time now, bit but without pictures and/or a price tag it's hard to get too excited.

Anybody got any pictures ?

Hopefully I've found a link to the original thread on this subject!

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/57571&page=1

Gentleman! Please pay attention at the back!

an old post

And the price will be from £170 to £200
Not cheap..but a hell of a lot of model!

Vinnie

The one gentleman in the back frowns and has no clue on what that topic had to do in the Armor AFV forum...... then he lowers his eyebrows and falls asleep again :-)

Hmmm sorry for missing that.

Can I be honest with you guys..... the pictures in the AFV thread don't impress me that much.....I think the completed model will, but I don't think it will impress me enough to justify the £170+

Great courage to bring it out in the market and I hope it pays off !

To be fair..........It is a huge model.....it's all resin, with full interior, and to make the moulds from the resin will probably cost a fortune. I wish him all the success he deserves, it's been needed for a long time. Oh....er...and the thing about posting it in the armour forum.........er.......ah hell, I own up to that one....just feel a sort of affinity to that forum.........I feel sort of strangely drawn there........ :-) :-) :-)

Vinnie

Was the one at the show in pieces like the pics already posted here? I'm waiting to see a fully built and painted version with a few 1/35 guys for reference

No it wasn't painted..there are still some finishing touches to be made. It should be ready according to Simon of Great North Roads, by Telford. He is hoping to have two standing crewmen as well.

Vinnie

I really can't wait to see one of these finished at some convention some day. Long as it's on somebody else's nickle. Meaning that I don't want to be the guy paying for it. Still if I understand the exchange rate, about $250 US, it seems to be a pretty good value compared to other resin kits that aren't nearly as large.

It's a curious fact of life, that every time information is posted about a new resin kit, adjectives like excessive, obscene price etc. find their way into the thread. Let me again, try and explain as it's obvious that many people don't (or choose not to) understand) why they are relatively expensive...

1) These are short-run kits. A mould for a resin kit does not last as long as the (very expensive) mould for plastic injection kits. These moulds are also expensive and have to be sub-contracted by the manufacturer from a third-party.

2) Resin is VERY expensive as a material. Until someone comes up wth as good an alternative at a cheaper price...

3) These are not mass-market kits. No-one is going to buy one of these for little Johnny as a birthday present. The manufacturer will only perhaps sell a few dozen.

4) Researching a new model is not (as some think) a process of putting a designation of a vehicle into Google and out comes a few pics. It is a long, slow process. Blueprints have to be found, scaled down, many miles have to be travelled to measure out a vehicle (or other subject) angles have to be measured, original souces have to be found and then data is finally entered into a computer to use CAD to actually start looking at how to put the model together.

5) Many (if not most) of the AM manufacturers, are not yet at the point where they can work full-time on their companies so therefore they have to spend a considerable amount of time doing the boring, ordinary every day things like working, paying the mortgage etc...

So, next time you start mouthing off against a company which is actually prepared to produce something like the Horsa, just pause for a moment and think. Not everyone will have the money to buy one of these (or the inclination). Please however, show sufficient respect and spare a word of thanks that someone out there is prepared to put in the work... Alternatively, if you think you can do better...Jim

Hi Fella's

I am a bit suprised at the price Vinnie has suggested. In conversation with Simon, the owner of GNR the price suggested was much lower? Maybe the price will be more reasonable, I will bell Simon and see if I can pin him down a bit on the possible price.

I think alot of these kits will probably find their way into museum displays, I don't know if cost is as much of an issue to museums?

Cheers
Dus

I agree completely. When I last visited Accurate Armour and went oooh! and aaah! at their incredible LST, they told me the same thing. There will however be people lucky enough to have the space to display this beast though and i'm damned sure that next year's Euro Militaire will have several in dios.

Slightly , but it would have been nice if someone who had gone to EM would have come back with some news of new releases from the (many) manufacturers who were present...Jim

The bottom text is what I wrote. I really mean it... absolutely no cynical thoughts or whatever...it's from the heart.

I really hope it's a hit and I think it's shows great courage to start such a project... our hobby can't do without people that have the gutts to take the initiative... the people from GNR have those gutts and that can only be admired.

Thankyou Gentlemen. Simon Farrugia, the owner of Great North Roads, is everything you have said. He is indeed very passionate about this kit, as he is with all of his products. He should be encouraged and praised for his courage to follow this one through....I know for a fact that other resin manufacturers have considered it in the past and been scared off.

Vinnie

Danny, it certainly wasn't you I was aiming my comments at - rather it was the doomsayers who seem not to understand the work that people like Simon put in and thanks to people like him, the hobby is where it is today....Jim

Once again, I say, "Bring it on". There's such a grand history behind all these gliders that many modelers would love to bring out in miniature, and, we have had to do too long with two 1/72 scale replicas. And the hamilcar has only been done once, that I know of, and in a very poor vacuform rendition. I personally applaud the efforts of this man to get at least one out for us.

Hi to every one its me Simon of Great North Roads. Thanks for your comments and sorry for any wrong spellings not my best subject.
How can i say this about my Horsa as yet i really do not know what the price will be iam hoping that it want be no more than £150, but as its new to me unlike my buildings were i know what it costs to make. Once i have all my costs in i will be able to short out the price. As i said at Euro it may be around £170???.
But i think even if it works out at £170 it is not alot for the size of this prodject compered to other companys product.
So once i have all the cost i will let Vinnie know straight away.
At the end of the day this is my Hobby Business and yes i work full time for the Aerosopace and i am on shift work too. So when i get home i have to work every night for at less 4 to 5 hours. or every mornings, so you can tell i don't have alot of free time to my self. Apart from my girlfriend my love is for my hobby and iam very proud of Great North Roads and hope that i help you the modelers with my product. and one day do this full time.
I try to keep items as cheap as i can so you the modelers can buy it. So thats why i will try to make the Horsa the right price for every one. There is alot of hidden cost in making resin kits. How ever i always try to make it as cheap as i can.

Simon

Simon,
Remembering conversations that you and I had a few years ago after meeting via TotalModel (yes - there are other modelling sites) and speaking about a building that I'd made, I'm really glad that you and GNR are getting the wider recognition that you deserve.
Some of us realise the hard work that does go into a project like this and I don't think that £150 is too much for a 1/35 resin Horsa - just won't be getting one myself as the budget and available space won't stretch to it. Seeing the pics that Vinnie has posted it would be some project!
Good luck with this and any other similar projects in the future.

Hi Dave and thank you for that mate!!!!!

Simon

I can afford neither the price or the space (not a complaint but a reality) but I applaud GNR for giving it a go. I can't wait for to start seeing dios with this beast. I wish GNR all the successes of being a leader in this model.

No offense to GNR but I hope that this leads to one of the plastic companies seeing the interest in this subject and mass producing one as well.

Go get'em, Simon. You've got at least one customer already.

Hi Simon
I dont know you like some of the members do but i think its very courageous to do what you have done you have had an idea and all cedit to you have seen it through fantastic iam in the same situation with an idea that i have i have had some great advice and feed back, Auburn and teacher thankyou, and thats what its all about this hobby needs people like you and all the others that are on this site.
Yea i dont have the space but i have had a cunning idea(Baldric BlackAdder).
Size and Price have been an issue man i would buy it in a heart beat...however, I think it comes in 3 parts
If a couple of modlers got together local what ever..bought the Horsa between them then had a draw about who gets which part for their dio iam sure with that sort of model painted with vehicles figs etc what ever part you got would work fantastic Verlinden do the mid gunner for the B17 bloody hell they did not build the whole plan,and if required sell sectons of the Horsa perhaps iam talking out of my a---e but whats knew...lol lol lol lol
From a Brit living in the US well done mate and I WANT TO BUY ONE.
Cheers Chris

It's late so just a very quick post. First, kudos to Simon for actually producing this kit for us. Second, I think the idea of selling it in sections is BRILLIANT. Solves both the space and price issues, and I imagine a lot more would sell too - so a better situation for GNR as well

Hi guys

Its all about thinking outside the box..albeit a very big box,...lol.lol sorry simon had to say it keep it going and knock them out...
Chris Edwards

Hi there

Thanks to every one that has put up a message.

Simon