Dear all,
Now that we are reaching the end of the year, I wanted to dedicate this entry which will probably be the last of the year, to give a special thanks and to comment on what I expect to make next year.
I am immensely grateful for all the support I’ve got throughout the year by everybody, I really mean it. I could have never imagined if somebody told me that I would have friends and communicate with people all around the globe.
To me, this is incredible, to communicate, share and write to so many people from so many different places makes me feel very special and fortunate, it feels a part of me, of my efforts, is around the world.
For this and for all the support, I sincerely thank you all very much.
All this support allows me to go on, to continue with energies and happiness and to give my best in every project, with enthusiasm and attention to detail.
The recent items released did very well and this allows me to invest even more in order to produce more efficiently and in the end, to keep things running and to keep things available as often as possible.
This leads me to mention what I expect to make on 2021, where are the directions I will go, which roads I will take slower and which aspects I would like to focus on the most.
The GSE in 1/200 scale has not been as productive as I thought it would be unfortunately, this saddens me a little as I started the business with an 1/200 scale model that did do quite well.
This matter always leaves me wondering what the reasons may be, either too small and therefore too difficult to build, lack of availability of 1/200 airliner model kits and therefore having less market, maybe 1/200 diecast collectors would prefer to purchase a finished GSE rather than assembling it.
It is a bit difficult for me to find the reason, but it may be a little of everything. I also assume a big part of this as I think that I have not advertised those 1/200 models very much.
This is something I will think about for next year, maybe the 1/200 scale would be something to sell assembled and painted having in mind diecast collectors, but that would also represent facing possible damages on shipping and such as well as the time that will be required to assembly and paint each unit.
Definitely I wanted to equal the catalog to the 1/144 scale, but seeing the results of the 1/200 belt loader, I may slow down that way and produce these a bit more sparsely. I would still like to continue with them as I do enjoy the 1/200 scale, these are smaller models that can fit in most places. I just wish that Hasegawa kits were more available or accessible.
The 1/144 scale is probably the scale I will focus on the most, it is actually the base for me.
Livery decals; a very very long project that has been in so many different situations, I am glad that they will come back next year, I am still finishing the artworks, it has been a very tedious work as I practically made the whole artwork new again, I really used very little from the first one, (basically dimensions/shapes) but yet the whole set will include more details, specially on the A320, so many details that you may be able to detail 2,5 A320’s combining different decals from the set (although the main elements will be designed for one A320/A320N/A321/A321N).
I hope to have them printed next year, first the A320 (A320, A321, A320N and A321N) and the A350 (A350-900, A350-1000). If things go well, I would very much like to go on with them and make decals for the B787 (B787-8/9/1000) and B777-200/300 and maybe B777F.
Airliner galleys and cargo holds: Making the galleys of the B787 has been a challenging experience, but more importantly, it has been my learning start point on this subject. I have been able to see things in a different perspective and at the same time this allowed me to fix issues that I had on a previous project, the B747-400F/-8F.
After the B787 cockpit/forward and center galleys, one of the first projects I will make next year is going to be the B787 rear galley so this way I can have the whole galley stations of this model prior moving to a different one.
The other galleys I plan to make are those of the A320/A321 and A350-900/1000, further galleys are those of the B737-800 and B777-300, but I am not sure yet if these last two will be a 2021 or 2022 project.
Regarding cargo holds; this is something I am very interested in making too, specially with all the cargo related elements and it is definitely going to be my “training” for the bigger project of the B747-400F/8F.
For this reason I will start with the B787 cargo holds which I may try to make prior the A320 and A350 galleys, again, as to have the “whole” interior of the B787 done. Chances are I will start them right away once I finish the rear galley.
Making the B787 cargo holds is something that I will be doing alongside the B747-400F/8F main deck set for which I will apply the methods of the previously learned experiences.
The B747-400F/8F will be started again for the third time, hopefully this time will be the right and last time. A quick reminder; this project will consist on several parts to make a fully opened B747 Freighter, meaning, nose door open, side door open, cargo bin doors open and thus detailed main deck as well as cargo holds. Attention to detail will be placed in several areas and even the aft bulk head will be created.
For the cockpit I am still considering what to do, but I may make it completely new as I did for the B787.
I will be providing a version for both the Revell and the Zvezda kits. Where I live, the Zvezda 747-8i model seems to be more available than the Revell 747-8F so I think it would be nice to make a freighter out of a passenger aircraft no matter which model kit manufacturer to use as a base.
GSE models: Before starting a new GSE project, I will be making the double sill for the cargo loader which could be purchased as an accessory, the bridge may require a design modification, so this double sill accessory would include this new bridge (adapted for the double sill), sills and photo etched handrails/ladder so that you can swap sills/platforms from the loader (note that the cargo loader instructions point this out during the assembly process, so you can leave unglued the two pins that go on the body pivot points).
The two center GSE projects for next year will be the catering truck, which I will base in the Mallaghan model and an hydrant fuel dispenser which at first, I will base on the Meteor version.
There will be “smaller” projects in between that I would also like to make; a towbar pushback tractor, a container transporter and some utility vehicles such as van (to do something more natural that can create a realistic scene). The van for example will be a “test” for me to make vehicles with doors open, this can be good for the hydrant truck or catering truck.
Figures: There will be new sets of figures, I would like to make crew of the B787 cockpit/galley, cargo operation figures (for the Commander FMC15i for example) and other different set of passengers, ramp workers (in general situations) and other variant of the baggage workers.
For the 1/72 scale I have a big curoisty as it is a scale that will allow for details to appear, such as nuts and bolts on the rims etc.
I am already starting the first tests with the GPU TLD414 and results are very positive, so I will be starting to produce this model in January 2021. It will be the first one in 1/72 and others will follow as well.
And of course, I save the biggest project of all for last, the B737 cockpit project. This is definitely the most hardest project I will take, although I put it here the latest one, this is a project that will be ongoing for the whole year, I will continue with it step by step, and although I may not have it finished by 2021, I expect to progress with it much more than I did in 2020.
A last thing I was forgetting… I would like to “tackle” a little bit the maintenance scenario, I was long ago inspired by many of the photos from the All Nippon Maintenence Center, so maintentance hangar stuff is something I would like to do; besides equipments such a ladders, I have always had the idea of doing something for the airliners, such as APU’s, engines opened etc, but that is a bit more technical and so I also will need time to learn and gather ideas.
Lots of projects and dreams for 2021, but I am sure that with dedication and passion, it will all be possible.
That is all for this year 2020 that we leave behind, hopefully 2021 can be the start for a better time, for sure I think that this situation has shown and put ourselves in perspective, we learn to treasure and appreciate more the little things, things as simple as go out for a walk.
I wish you all best of health and happiness, I see you all in 2021! Stay safe and stay optimistic!
Guillem