More changes at Freightdog for 2017

[Freightdog862]

Hi everyone,

Back in December 2015 I started a thread about changes in my running of Freightdog, recently things have changed a bit more, so I thought I would post an update. After just over a year working back in aviation I have moved on to a better job. This improvement in circumstances allows me to put Freightdog back to more like the hobby it once was, before I needed to make a full time income from it. I am hoping it will allow me to follow projects more for enjoyment rather than having to worry about every idea selling successfully, which in many cases over the last few years did not! Future projects will still need to cover their costs and make a bit to invest in the next idea at least. This decision was made after I committed to a new and rather expensive website, but my old one is really past its sell by date so that is not such a bad thing. It should be up and running hopefully by the beginning of March.

During 2017 I hope to attend some shows subject to my shift pattern. My first show this year will be at Peterborough on 5th March, next I will be at Cosford on 2nd April, and hopefully Milton Keynes on 23rd April. This year I will not be trading at Southern Expo due to day job commitments. I am hoping to do Coventry in June and a few shows in September, and of course Telford but I have not finalized everything yet.

You will be pleased to hear that new stuff is on the way, as we speak Mr Lucas is adding (hopefully) the finishing touches to a new project, a complete kit of an obscure subject that I should be able to announce by Cosford, with a view to having on sale at Coventry. Production will be outsourced to CMR which might slow the process down. Production costs continue to increase with resin and packaging both coming from mainland Europe, but increases in my retail price will be kept to a minimum. 
             
Once again I would like to thank you for your custom in the past, I look forward to supplying you with new items in 2017. Before you ask that does include the (very) long awaited Westland Wasp and Jon is threatening to pass me the completed masters when we meet up in April, but I have said that before!

Colin

[Gondor]

Thanks for the news, I shall start saving my pennies for a Wasp or two if it's to be in 1/72.

Gondor

[deathjester]

Glad to hear things are going better Colin - we'll see you at the P'boro show then!

[NARSES2]

Sounds like good news all round Colin, great to hear 

[Weaver]

Glad to hear things are on the up Colin.

Here's an idea for a relatively simple product you could make: accurate war-shot Matra pods.

The Matra 155 pods seen in most kits, with open-fronted tubes, are only in peacetime practice configuration (at least on fast jets) loaded with smoke rockets. With wartime HEAT rockets, the nose of the pod was fitted with a thin fibreglass cover, and a metal fairing that repeated the hole pattern, thus giving the impression that a) the tubes had individual oval covers and b) that the nose cone was slightly wider than the pod body. The fibreglass cover couldn't be used with the smoke warheads because they'd break as they hit it, spilling the smoke chemicals into the pod. The HEAT warheads on the other hand, positively needed the cover to protect them from aerodynamic heating at high speeds.

Here's a good pic of a war-shot pod:



Information from this thread on Britmodeller: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234987002-color-of-matra-type-155-rocket-launcher-pod-on-hawker-hunters/&page=2

[zenrat]

Ooh yeah.  I'd go for some of them.

[Thorvic]

Glad to hear you have moved to a better job now and are you are effectively back to where you were when Freightdog really started as a side line for you. Sounds interesting what Paul might have lined up and I hope it proves to be popular. Will be glad to finally see the Wasp finally appear 

[KiwiZac]

Wasp - yeeeees!

Proper Matra pods - yeeeees!

[PR19_Kit]

I've been waiting for a 1/72 Wasp kit for literally DECADES!

Back in the early 70s I made one from an Airfix Scout and with the aid of one of the late Alan Hall's conversion articles but I wasn't as extravagant as he was in the use of other Airfix bits. He used FOUR Hudson tailwheel legs and FOUR Provost nosewheels!  I used Caravelle main wheels and scratchbuilt the legs etc.

Somewhere I have a white metal C Scale Wasp conversion kit too, but these ideas all suffer from the very fragile Scout rotor bits, I must have repaired my conversion 4-5 times by now.