Eduard Model Accessories is a Czech manufacturer of finescale model accessories and plastic model kits. As of 2006, Eduard's product line contained some 30 plastic kits and more than 800 individual photoetch detail sets. To the plastic modeller community at large, Eduard has become a household word in the field of photoetched parts, and their products are available worldwide. Eduard Model Accessories was formed in 1989 in the basement of co-owner Ctirad Kuraks house in Most, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). Two years previous, Mr. Kurak and Vladimir Sulc had started making photo etch for themselves and had decided that it was possible to sell to shops, so in 1990 the first photo etch, a 1/48th scale Su 25K, was produced for sale. In that year many more sets were made and sales were so good that they moved into a proper office and opened up a production line in 1991.
There was a great demand for other scales as well and so 1/72nd and 1/35th were added and a few years, ships. In 1993 our first two models came out, a Sopwith Schneider and a Sopwith Baby, both in 1/72nd scale. The production of plastic models necessitated another move into a larger office and more staff. 994 turned out to be a very good year with the first 1/48th scale kit, a Fokker E III, selling very well and an award in Nuremberg for our photo etch line. By the end of 1995 Eduard had 10 kits on the market and lots of photo etch and had also set up a co-operation with Jules Bringuier of Classic Airframes to produce his models.
In 1996 Eduard purchased a new building in the town of Obrnice and began renovations and also brought out a new process for moulding models. This was called LTM and significantly improved our kits. Since then Eduard has continued to improve our technology and is now using full metal moulds which produces tens of thousands of kits from a mould, making us no longer a short run manufacturer.
Eduard also started producing models and photo etch for other companies including Revell-Monogram and Smer along with many smaller but no less important companies.
Eduard aircraft scale model kits range from World War I to the present-day. Some notable ones include: most of the famous World War I fighters in 1/48 and 1/72 scales, P-40, P-39 and Fw 190 fighters, the Dassault Mirage III, and most recently, a Bf 110C/D, all in 1/48. Their older kits are of good quality, but the newer releases such as the Fw 190s and MiG-21s in their "Profipack" releases (including a brassin set, photoetched detail set and painting masks, along with other goodies) are acquiring a reputation as good as or better than the newer Tamiya and Hasegawa kits.
Product Range, Eduard Editions
ProfiPACK is our basic, high standard plastic kit edition. Each ProfiPACK kit contains a complete plastic model kit with additional items for various subvariants, photoetched sets Eduard masks and a large decal sheet covering four to six markings options with stencils. The ProfiPACK kits are produced in 1/48, 1/72, 1/144 and 1/32 scales. This line is easily recognizable with its orange accented box, and with more recent releases, the addition of the ProfiPACK logo. The older ProfiPACK kits had a black box and also carried the ProfiPACK name. ProfiPACK kits are designed for all moderately experienced modelers.
The Limited Edition kits offer plastic from Eduard runs, as well as of those of other manufacturer’s. The plastic is then brought up to the ProfiPACK standard with the inclusion of PE sets, masks and large decal sheets, and are further complemented with other accessories such as resin details (exhausts, engines, wheels etc.), figures and/or supplementary publications. Many of the Limited Edition kits are offered in a Dual Combo packing, containing two complete kits. They are produced with the serious modeler and collector in mind. Most of these have historically sold out in a matter of weeks.
The Weekend Edition offers a simpler and less expensive alternative to the standard ProfiPACK kits. They provide a top quality injection molded kit at an incredibly competitive price. The Weekend edition kits contain all parts in injection molded plastic, and build one specific variant. They contain no additional accessories, and have a single marking option for which the boxtop serves as a guide. These kits are designed for those modelers that don’t require or want all of the ‘bells and whistles’ of the ProfiPACK kits, and are ideal for beginners and quick turnaround modelers. These kits still can be upgraded with separately available accessory sets as, and if, desired.
The name Royal Class is pretty self explanatory. The distinctive black box typifies the top quality nature of the kits, and contain two complete kits (though three have also been included in some subject matters). The decals offer 10+ marking options with stencils, a very extensive assortment of PE and masks, and an extra large instruction booklet. Special bonuses are included in the form of 1:1 replicas of medals and insignia, large scale instrument panels, supplementary publications, resin parts, or pieces of the actual aircraft relevant to the subject. These kits, although not cheap, are unique in the hobby and target very discriminating modelers, collectors and aviation enthusiasts.
Scale Model Brands: Eduard
Source: www.scalemodelmuseum.com
没有评论:
发表评论