Dragon (DML)

Cliffy B · January 14, 2011, 06:57:11 AM

In 1/72?!

The Wooksta! · January 14, 2011, 07:43:27 AM

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61779

Maverick · January 30, 2011, 02:38:56 PM

Really welcome release of the Neubaufahrzeug in 35th from Cyberhobby.

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=8329

Regards,

Mav

pyro-manic · January 30, 2011, 05:28:14 PM

Cool! Any idea on cost? I'd like one of these, but being Dragon I'm expecting a cringe-inducing price-tag...

Maverick · January 30, 2011, 05:48:19 PM

Unfortunately it's only a 'upcoming release' so there's no price yet, but given it's a Cyber-Hobby release as opposed to Dragon and that CH are supposedly their 'botique' limited release brand, I have to think that the price will be nasty. Not as nasty as a resin kit of the type, but still beyond normal Dragon armour. Perhaps Hobby Boss will release a version too at a much reduced price.

Regards,

Mav

rickshaw · January 30, 2011, 06:27:19 PM

I've never built a Dragon kit. Is their quality as good as their price warrants?

Maverick · January 30, 2011, 07:18:30 PM

Rick,

There's a wide variety of thoughts around the traps. Some people think they are overly complicated and overly priced, others think they are accurate renditions that utilise cutting edge moulding techniques. I personally think that it's more in the middle of those too extremes. The Dragon armour I have built in 35th has been superlative stuff in my opinion with some really interesting subject matter (they were amongst the first to do a large range of post-war Warpac era equipment, for instance). They easily eclipsed Tamiya's stuff in their earliest incarnations and Tamiya has been struggling to keep up every since.

Their figures on the other hand are quite simply superb. Well detailed (almost to a resin kit's level), interesting subjects, anatomically correct dimensions and superlative weapons. Their Quartermaster series of weapons sets are like mana from heaven for a gun-nut like me and once again, they were the first to offer a decent SLR for example.

For my mind, if I wanted detail, accuracy and options, I'd go for Dragon before anyone else. If cost was an imperative or it was something to whiff or something else that required less accuracy, I'd steer away from Dragon as I personally couldn't justify hacking up something of that quality or of that price. As for figures, regardless of the new ranges from some other manufacturers that have soft details, if interesting subjects, I'd almost always go for Dragon.

Regards

The Wooksta! · January 31, 2011, 01:47:39 AM

Their aircraft kits are a pain to build - the Ta 152s and Ar 234s are vile fits. Any UK price tag is likely to be eyes, sockets plus and arm and a leg.

I wouldn't say they're worth the money but then for the UK buyer, NONE of the far east kits are currently worth the money given the extortionate prices being charged now. Certainly Hasegawa or Dragon. Those who say they are have more money than sense.

Maverick · January 31, 2011, 01:58:37 AM

Lee,

I built the Ar-234B back when it first came out and didn't have any problems, but I've frequently seen reviews online suggesting that their 72nd aircraft are bad which was always confusing. Perhaps I lucked out or wasn't fussy... who knows. I've read that their 35th armour is overly complicated, but as an armour builder, I accept a level of complexity for components that wouldn't necessarily be the case in an aircraft. Even though those same 'complicated' reviews were written by other armour builders which I found puzzling.

Regarding prices, Dragon certainly is more expensive for 35th armour than say Italeri or Hobby Boss, but that being said, there are plenty of online shops that offer quite cheap prices even including postage. I bought a couple of Dragon 35th kits from Squadron in the States and the cost of all of the kits bought at that time plus shipping was quite reasonable and competitive with having gone into a store here in Aus. I was also hours away from the nearest hobby store so it gave that convenience too. Ebay frequently has brand-new store sold Dragon stuff at reasonable prices and their figure sets are usually very well priced regardless.

Hasegawa is, on the other hand, ridiculously priced either way given they are sometimes inaccurate and give few if any stores options.

I guess for us Dragon being in China is a good thing for Australia, as is the other Far Eastern companies from South Korea, etc. I've never quite understood why Italeri is reasonably priced, given it's coming from Europe, but that's another story I suppose.

Regards,

Mav

NARSES2 · January 31, 2011, 02:40:17 AM

Quote from: Maverick on January 31, 2011, 01:58:37 AM
I've never quite understood why Italeri is reasonably priced, given it's coming from Europe, but that's another story I suppose.

Regards,

Mav

Strangely Mav Italeri got a bit daft price wise in the UK. Infact the first kit I refused to buy on price grounds was their 1/48th Re 2000. When the £ got silly with the Euro they either got the calculations wrong, hedged that the £ would continue to fall or just got a bit greedy and followed Japanese UK prices. They seem to have seen a little sense now but must admit its not a manufacturer I buy a lot from.

Still as I always say "if you want a kit badly enough you will pay what they want"

Maverick · January 31, 2011, 02:51:15 AM

Chris,

I can believe that. Hasegawan kit are ridiculously priced over here, unless they are seriously old boxings. Even their old moulds that have new decals are marketed as 'new' items and therefore 'new' kit prices. Whilst some of their stuff is great, some of it is absolute garbage to be frank, their F/A-18A/B/C/Ds come to mind.

Italeri has always been reasonably priced over here, although their PRM(?) limited run stuff is heading up there. That being said, I haven't bought Italeri stuff for a few years (except for their superlative human torpedo & motorboat), so I can't really say what their baseline kits are fetching at the moment. The two 35th naval kits were quite reasonably priced and full of extra details and references which certainly gave money for value.

I think it's just a case of marketing 'gurus' deciding to gouge modellers purely based on fluctuations in the money market, but that happens in many cases anyway.

Regards,

Mav

The Wooksta! · January 31, 2011, 04:36:25 AM

The Dragon Ar 234B isn't too bad it's the C that's appalling - the engine assembly is a pain and the fit to the wing is awful. I didn't like the nose to fuselage fit. IIRC, I never finished the first one but the second was assembled with it's wheels up.

rickshaw · January 31, 2011, 05:16:55 AM

A huge factor downunder is the exchange rate. Now we are at roughly parity with the US dollar, most imported goods are getting cheaper - afterall, most international exchange is done in dollars. Oz's dollar has not so much gained in value as other currencies - most notably again, the US dollar, gone down in value. Even the Euro is looking attractive lately. Interesting the Stirling has remained pretty steady against the Oz dollar trading around the 1.5 dollars to the Pound. The Yen has also stayed quite steady.

ChernayaAkula · February 02, 2011, 09:15:17 AM

Some of Dragon's announcements for the Nuremberg Toy Fair: CLICKY!

The usual suspects regarding tanks, but 1/48 gets a D.H. Sea Venom FAW.21 and Blackburn Buccaneer S.2!

proditor · February 02, 2011, 09:27:26 AM

Quote from: ChernayaAkula on February 02, 2011, 09:15:17 AM
Some of Dragon's announcements for the Nuremberg Toy Fair: CLICKY!

The usual suspects regarding tanks, but 1/48 gets a D.H. Sea Venom FAW.21 and Blackburn Buccaneer S.2!

Ah, Cyber-hobby. Thanks to them, the last few months have been pretty decent for 1/700 ships that aren't another $%^&ing Bismarck.