It sure would be nice to get a 1/32 LEM or the new proposed Lunar Lander in a large scale. Do you have to get the rights from Northrup Grumman, or whoever else designed them?

It sure would be nice to get a 1/32 LEM or the new proposed Lunar Lander in a large scale. Do you have to get the rights from Northrup Grumman, or whoever else designed them?

Yes you would need permission. But Im not so sure those kits would be worthwhile. Realspace models appeal to a pretty tiny audience. They have never been profitable for the big companies like Revell, Monogram, etc. The old kits bring some good collectors $$$ on eBay, but all new ones might not sell enought to be really worthwhile. I imagine the market for Realspace stuff to me much smaller than sci fi, retro, monster kits. Thats where some of the niche resin companies can do it...

There are already kit companies scheduled to do these subjects. Boy, do you need rights. NASA's lawyers must train for Paramount. Check out the Yahoo Space Modeling group to keep up with everything real space related.

They have never been profitable for the big companies like Revell, Monogram, etc.

I don't know if I buy that. They have repopped their Apollo-era stuff many times over the years. If they didn't think they would make money, Revell would have never reissued the 1/96 Saturn V (multiple times).

I've been following this link for a while now. Their updates are a little slow though, I guess they're very busy. I have not seen any mentions of costs yet either so one can only assume, costly!

http://www.customreplicas.com/index.htm

I don't know if I buy that. They have repopped their Apollo-era stuff many times over the years. If they didn't think they would make money, Revell would have never reissued the 1/96 Saturn V (multiple times).

If you notice they arent regular year after year issues. They are limited run, one time shots. Actually Revell hasn't reissued the Saturn V in ages. The last two reissues were paid for by Stevens International, along with the 1/32 scale CSM kit. Revell themselves has had little interest in issuing or reissuing their aging space kits.

If you notice they arent regular year after year issues. They are limited run, one time shots. Actually Revell hasn't reissued the Saturn V in ages. The last two reissues were paid for by Stevens International, along with the 1/32 scale CSM kit. Revell themselves has had little interest in issuing or reissuing their aging space kits.

Oh, I don't disagree about that. I was disagreeing with the idea that they have "never" been profitable to the big boys.

Oh, I don't disagree about that. I was disagreeing with the idea that they have "never" been profitable to the big boys.

During the Moon landing era? Sure. Since about 1980? Not so hot.

I've been following this link for a while now. Their updates are a little slow though, I guess they're very busy. I have not seen any mentions of costs yet either so one can only assume, costly!

http://www.customreplicas.com/index.htm

Has this company ever finished anything they started?
:confused:

During the Moon landing era? Sure. Since about 1980? Not so hot.

True. They were too busy selling space shuttle models by then.

Again, I don't disagree that the market is pretty dry right now (there is much more going on in the paper model realm for real space). And I'm not in any way advocating that anyone start producing new or reissued real space styrene kits (although I wouldn't mind if they did).

But they have been popular (and most likely profitable) in the past. The original post I responded to said that they had never been profitable for Revell and Monogram. I just disagreed with that idea.

That's all I'm sayin'.... :)

But they have been popular (and most likely profitable) in the past. The original post I responded to said that they had never been profitable for Revell and Monogram. I just disagreed with that idea.

That's all I'm sayin'.... :)

The Schiffer books on the history of Revell and Aurora state the space/missile/rocket kits were poor sellers and usually just ran a year or two back when they first came out.

There is no real Space in Moebius plans at this time.
I don't see that as a segment of the market that we are interested in pursuing at any time in the forseeable future.

Dave

There is no real Space in Moebius plans at this time.
I don't see that as a segment of the market that we are interested in pursuing at any time in the forseeable future.

Dave

Moebius is doing fine with what they are doing. It's the past everyone has waited 40 years for. :thumbsup:

I never once imagined that Moebius would entertain the idea. I just felt it would be great, as I put together the landing gear of my LIS Pod, that it would be fun to have this kind of engineering and detail on a "real" spacecraft model.