Hello all,

I am writing this entry to let you know of the process on the stock making of these new GSE items. The day I said I was going to release these by the end of November, I probably wasn’t thinking this carefully enough.

I am literally cutting hundreds of parts to prepare these units and packaging them very carefully to make sure nothing is left, so once I bag parts of a particular item, I do it in its entirely to make sure each bag has the same number of parts.

The AST-1 F600 has around 40 parts, I currently prepared 10 sets, so that is a total of 400 parts bagged. It really is not that time consuming, but considering that stock has to be made of all items, that is what takes me most of the time, if it was re stocking an out of stock item, it would be quicker, but it is the entire catalogue (and some other new items) I am re stocking.

As I said in my previous entry, I am starting with the models that have more parts, so smaller items such as the baggage carts or trolleys will not take that long.

The reason for providing the kits this way is for a very fundamental reason, cutting the parts out of the base to be assembled on the model is something very delicate, I break one while doing so; I have spares, I can also make them again, so what I want to do with this is to leave the items ready to be assembled, this also saves on weight which translates on saving shipping prices and the time to do this is not that much consuming if we think of restocking a couple items, again making the entire catalogue is what is taking me that long time.

This weekend I am starting to bag the belt loader parts, hopefully I can keep up working at full speed every day and have them ready soon.

Thank you all for reading and for the patience, in between stock making and bagging these parts, I am also working on new items, I have done a first test with a retractable passenger stairs for which I plan to make a collection of figures later on.

Wish you all a nice weekend,
Guillem

Hi all,

Just finished the JST-25 version with the cab and advancing more with the stock units.

• Towbarless pushback AST-1 F 600 / stock completed.
• Tow tractor JST-25 without cab / stock completed.
• Tow JST-25 with cab / stock completed.
• Belt loader TUG 660 / half stock completed.
• Houchin GPU C690 / half stock completed.
• TLD 414 GPU / to start stock.
• Baggage carts open / to start stock.
• Baggage carts closed / to start stock.
• LD3 containers / to start stock.
• LD3 turntable trolleys / to start stock.
• Sharklets A319/A320/A321 / to start stock.
• WiFi radome antenna / to start stock.

All in 1/144 first, 1/200 will come afterwards, later 1/72.

Please note that, some items due their tinier size, can be done and stocked quicker, such as the baggage carts, containers, sharklets, WiFi radomes. So basically I am starting the stock with the “harder” items to produce, either by size or quantity of parts.

There are also a couple of new items that will be launched as well, a new smaller and square LD3 trolley set and a set of chocks and cones (small ground stuff).

Stock production is ongoing everyday.

Best wishes,
Guillem

Hi everybody,

Despite I wanted to release the new GSE items around this time of the year, it is still taking me some time to complete everything.

I am however, starting to package the first units, so I am doing all what I can to supply these as best as possible, specially, due their tiny size. It also does take me some time to make the first completed version of each that needs to be used for the product page.

I will be honest, I feel I am starting new with the business I started a few years ago, except that I am very very grateful that customers already know how I work. I compare it to cycling, when you get on the bycicle and you have to do the first pedal, it is harder to get velocity quickly, so this is pretty much what I am feeling, except I am taking the first pedal on a pronunciated slope.

It does not take that much time at all to make units of a certain item if stock of that particular item is 0, however, making units of all of them does take me some time, specially if you make silly mistakes like I did on the JST-25 cab version.

I recently completed the JST-25 truck (photos below), however, when I went to assembly the cab version, I was wondering… wait a minute, this little thing needs driving mirrors, right? Duh… of course it did, so I had to make these, do another test, prepare for assembly… and these silly things can be said almost about any model I made, all of them required of fine tuning and that translates to time, and unfortunately, translates to cost…

This leads me to another subject; I can’t at the moment, continue providing the livery decals. As I said at the beginning and in past entries, this is like starting fresh… so you either focus (and invest) in one thing, or another… so reached this point, I won’t be able to sell livery decals, at least for some time.

I do not take this as a bad thing, in fact, I would have paused it sooner or later due the change I want to do with the silk screen printed details.
I do still have my artworks and in my honest opinion, the best thing to do here is just make a pause, prepare the A320 and A350 artworks to be printed in silk screen, and continue with the B777-300ER decal set.

My objectives are start as I did several years ago; making the GSE items and other airliner detail parts along the way (I don’t forget the 1/12 B737 cabin and the 747-8F/-400F projects) then once I can invest on the livery decals, that is what I am going to do. Even I won’t be printing them at least any time soon, I will certainly be working on the artworks, converting the detail sets to be silk screen printed, which will be combined with the livery itself.

Here are some photos of the JST-25 model, please bear in mind this thing is 2cm, 0,8inch long (1/144 scale).

Figures will be included in the set, you will be able to chose from long/short sleeves, helmet/no helmet.

Despite all the pressure to get things done, I still keep the love and passion for these airliner models, I love creating these things and that others can use them with their beautiful aircrafts, this is a dream that started in my teenage.
This is the energy that keeps me moving to do my very best, I have a lot of enthusiasm to make new things for airliners as these are a big passion of mine.

Work continues, items are being made/packed (PE, decals, resin parts, acetate sheets, braided wires etc…) and I am also going to be completing more vehicles that need to be build for product pages.

Wish you all have a wonderful week!

Best wishes,
Guillem

Hi all,

Continuing on with the GSE models, I have been able to finish checking / testing all the models so far, which are:

• 1/144 Towbarless pushback AST-1 F 600.
• 1/144 Ground Power Unit Houchin C690.
• 1/144 Ground Power Unit TLD 414.
• 1/144 Baggage carts (close/open) and luggage.
• 1/144 LD3 turntable trolleys.
• 1/144 LD3 containers (three styles).
• 1/144 Tow truck JST-25.
• 1/144 Belt Loader TUG660.

This means that I will begin the stock process very soon. In the meantime, I am also going to start the tests on the 1/200 scale models, they will be smaller, so I am sure that some adjustments will be required prior they are ready.

The GSE models in the three scales; 1/144, 1/200 and 1/72 will share the same instructions (with some possible modifications) same decals and same photo etched parts (in some cases, since 1/72 may allow me to make parts actually in resin). This means that the process for 1/200 and 1/72 should be just a bit faster since things are used from the original design when creating for 1/144 scale, still, every single model will be required to be checked in those scales and the list as you can see includes several models.

Another reason for taking a long time is because everything such as the decals have been made consciously keeping in mind that later it should be represented in 1/72. When I designed the models in 1/144 I added as much detail as I can, so although you can’t read the word “Diesel” in the fuel port of the 1/144 or 1/200 GPU, decals have been designed so when they are printed in 1/72, everything reads as per the real 1/1 model.

Since tests for the 1/144 scale are completed, I will start building an example model of each, for product page description/gallery.

I built an 1/144 TLD414 GPU this weekend to check how it looks like when painted.

Photos were taken from a distance which resembles how you would actually see the scale model (it is actually much smaller than what you see on screen), since it is just about 25mm, 1 inch long. Also notice that the wire is short, this was placed for testing purposes/example, but the kit will actually include two and longer.

I also managed to make the figures with helmets:

Can you guess from which airport/country these workers are? These white gloves are a clear hint 🙂

Progress continues so I am not sure I will be able to update the blog next weekend, I prefer to wait till having all the models completed and have something more to share.

Mid-end November is still the date for these to be released, at least in 1/144 scale, I will do my best to have as much as I can in 1/200 and will then start with the 1/72.

Wish you all a very nice week,
Guillem

Hello,

This week has been quite the “software” week. I’ve had some issues that prevented me to do the progress I wanted on the GSE items.
I had issues with my printers, and also running out of space in my hard disk, the cherry at the top of the cake has been a cut on my thumb but without major issue.

In any case, all the issues avobe are being addressed, some seem to be fixed, some seem to require just a bit more work, but all in all nothing that can’t be solved with a little bit of patience as most of you know, sometimes software issues are really annoying, updates, drivers etc.

I have been able to do a first initial test of the LD3 containers. I have done 3 different versions this time, these are; a solid unit, a solid unit with a side door and fork lifting holes and a side tarpaulin door version, all of them based on real LD3 units.

I did have a chance to test the clear resin and I am afraid I may give up that idea. Being unable to cure the resin to avoid the yellowing for that thin thickness is making the cabins way too fragile, so instead I will add a frame on the grey resin versions so that the acetate sheet can be placed from the outside in the case of the front/rear windshields and from the inside in the case of the windows, which is how windshields are placed on the real vehicles. It will be similar as those windows placed on the old catering truck cabin.

Lastly, I am doing the final tests on the belt loader model Tug 660 and finishing the figures, I seem to still have a little issue on the helmets, so I will rework the area.

November is right at the corner and I set that month for the release of the GSE items. Instructions are nearly completed, decals are completed as well except for the belt loader and the LD3 containers, photo etch for the items that require it have been designed and some yet to fit-test.

I know that time will be required to create the stock units since there are basically zero units made yet, however before that I want to fully focus onto the 1/200 GSE models and see if I can have them also available for the global release of both scales in November (around mid-end). If I see that I won’t be able to arrive with all the 1/200 models, I will then release all of what I have in 1/144 scale and release as much as I have for the 1/200 scale models at that time.

Wish you all a nice week and hopefully I can share a bit more on next weekend, before I finish this entry, I would like to wish you all a happy Halloween and a good day for All Saint’s Day. Winter is coming where I am located at, temperatures are more comfortable than those hot humid days, and feels better to stay in the warmth of home, hopefully that can give me more comfort to work and focus with everything as much as possible.

Guillem