I had a great exchange of e-mails with Richard Alexander here is some of the info he shared with me.
". . .Our models are designed and researched by passionate professionals utilising original factory drawings whenever possible, historic and contemporary photos and information supplied by some of the worlds leading experts in their fields. We also work closely with The Vintage Aviator Ltd
http://thevintageaviator.co.nz, which gives us access to full size airworthy examples of many of our subject aircraft. We have also had great support from various museums who have given us access to aircraft and engines within their collections. . ."
Their focus is to design models to be a pleasure. From what I have seen they have a drive to provide accurate, detailed, 1/32 scale WWI aviation models that are ". . .as enjoyable to build for both the experienced and novice modeller alike. . . " I was told that they are making kitls the way they have always wanted models to be made. They feel that average modelers are intimidated by WWI aircraft models and have designed tooling and instructions to assist them in every way possible. They also seem to be drived to get colours accurate when possible. I asked about the software and was enlightened even further.
". . .For their time these aircraft represented the cutting edge of technology or in terminology of the day 'the cat's whiskers' . It is not surprising that we use the latest in 3D Computer Aided Drafting /Computer Aided Machining software and tool making techniques available to us to ensure that modelers receive only the highest quality product. . ."
While this was not mentioned directly the success of the LotR movies has given them such great advance in software we may yet see products we haven't even dreamed of.
". . .We have 6 more releases to follow, and we are well underway with our first two years of scheduled production and tooling for many more kits during this period. You need to tell people that we are not a market-driven company, but rather a group of passionate individuals. This has taken us up from the "safe and popular" WWI subjects and allowed us to focus on two-seaters and bombers, as well as many yet-to-be-modeled fighters. If we see enough to cover costs, we will keep going!. . ."
Now ask yourself what have we wished in our dream of dreams that we wanted to see. Let your minds wander. I know what I would wish for. How about you?
