Bongo Planes September 2025 Herpa Instagram livestream reaction discussion (1:500)

[Critical Aviator]

Yesterday, BongoPlanes released a video about Herpa's latest livestream. I will provide a link to Bongo's video if you haven't seen it already.
The reason I am posting this thread is because I found some of Herpa's statements and answers to be infuriating even if I am no longer an active 1:500 scale collector.
My first issue is with the constant dodging of Mr. Stephan Külgen, the Herpa Wings product manager, when confronted about Herpa's quality control issues. Despite being told several times and even in person about some of Herpa's issues, his answers in livestreams remains the same and he seems like he is prentending not to be aware about said issues.
My next issue is how the product manager answered to questions about Aether Models and how , like every time he talk about the competition, claims it is illegal because "it's not licensed" . Considering Aether is making models scale 500 collectors have been wanting but Herpa hasn't made, that Aether as responded to a quality control (QC) issue better than Herpa has for bigger issues (at least in recent times) and for now, Aether has better detailing and is cheaper than Herpa, I think what Mr Külgen said is as smart as throwing stones from a glass house. Regarding the imatter of licensing, it doesn't mean a thing. A license owner doesn't always make sure that the model is of high quality and an unlicensed model can be better than a licensed one. If Herpa's reaction is to say they are licensed, what does that say about their products ?
Finally, the box design. A lot of 1:500 scale collectors hate it, yet Herpa's answer remains, once again, the same.
I am interested in what other 1:500 or even any collectors think of this.
I know it may seem like my post is bashing Herpa but credit whrer credit is due, they actually engaged with the community, which is a start but I can't say I find the dialog to be ideal either.

 

[LeoMuse747]

Yesterday, BongoPlanes released a video about Herpa's latest livestream. I will provide a link to Bongo's video if you haven't seen it already.
The reason I am posting this thread is because I found some of Herpa's statements and answers to be infuriating even if I am no longer an active 1:500 scale collector.
My first issue is with the constant dodging of Mr. Stephan Külgen, the Herpa Wings product manager, when confronted about Herpa's quality control issues. Despite being told several times and even in person about some of Herpa's issues, his answers in livestreams remains the same and he seems like he is prentending not to be aware about said issues.
My next issue is how the product manager answered to questions about Aether Models and how , like every time he talk about the competition, claims it is illegal because "it's not licensed" . Considering Aether is making models scale 500 collectors have been wanting but Herpa hasn't made, that Aether as responded to a quality control (QC) issue better than Herpa has for bigger issues (at least in recent times) and for now, Aether has better detailing and is cheaper than Herpa, I think what Mr Külgen said is as smart as throwing stones from a glass house. Regarding the imatter of licensing, it doesn't mean a thing. A license owner doesn't always make sure that the model is of high quality and an unlicensed model can be better than a licensed one. If Herpa's reaction is to say they are licensed, what does that say about their products ?
Finally, the box design. A lot of 1:500 scale collectors hate it, yet Herpa's answer remains, once again, the same.
I am interested in what other 1:500 or even any collectors think of this.
I know it may seem like my post is bashing Herpa but credit whrer credit is due, they actually engaged with the community, which is a start but I can't say I find the dialog to be ideal either.

I completely agree with your statements. As a former 1:500 collector for many years, it makes me sad to see that Herpa simply cannot evolve.
Their current models have NO improvements over models released some 10 years ago, quality control is going downhill while prices are skyrocketing. Aether Models is a very welcome competition in 1:500 scale. I wonder if one day this scale will be interesting again? In the 2000s we had Starjets, Inflight500, Hogan, Aero500... nowadays it seems to be an empty place with only Herpa releasing some crappy quality models.

 

[Charter]

Thanks so much for this thread.
This is what i wrote in another forum ( i remember you i am collecting 1:500 models since 1996):

For me yet another awful batch. Two re-releases, two unuseful (for me) Il-18s already produced, an unuseful B737 MAX10 House colors, a completely ruined Austrian Airlines A320neo with the "stupid" (my opinion) "Yes to Europe" written (we are at the same level of Monarch A321 Will e Kate...). I wonder, holy God, why not to produce a regular Austrian Airlines A320neo, so wanted by me and other fellow collectors???
Really happy about the three A319s, in particular the first A319neo.
1:400 manufacturers make the history of scale models with all the possible CURRENT airlines worldwide, Aether Models 1:500 announced ITA Airways A330-200 and already announced/delivered MONSTER models, Herpa still announces the third KLM B787-9 and the 17th Il-18! Herpa produced 20 E190 models and 17 IL-18, there Is something wrong on their idea of marketing and customers wishes. Also because we are still waiting for the E195-E2 airlines, Wizz Air models and other airlines/models Herpa says to have license.
Really pathetic.
In my opinion a ruined batch.
I really hope and wait for Aether Models first batch of narrowbodies!!!
After about 30 years collecting 1:500 models i can say two things:
1) Herpa is the 1:500 scale models world history and creator
2) Herpa seems to be out of market, with re-releases, awful quality of the models, wrong liveries, wrong shades of colors on the fuselage, flaws and errors, absolutely improbable and out of this world models/airlines/liveries and i am still not able to understand WHO in the world asked for more Il-18s when current civil aviation world is sharing airlines, airplanes and liveries that are making the history of civil aviation (i post the news on the new sticky thread). The monopoly situation has made Herpa lose its mind and so far it has been lucky because all other competitors (Netmodels, 5Stars, Starjets, Sky500, Big Bird, Hogan, C&C, Aeroclassics500, Inflight500) failed or abandoned 1:500 scale. The monopoly situation because the only 1:500 manufacturer caused Herpa to begin to "stagnate": without competitors and with many workhorses and regular clients (Lufthansa, Emirates, Qantas etc.), Herpa started not to care to customers and fellow collectors. I remember when, about Club models, Herpa asked collectors opinion voting among ten models for the production of some of them. A little thing but something meaningful because proving the attention to collectors worldwide. Then even this small thing finished. Now we arrived with Herpa streaming in German language like if, with all the immense respect for German people, German were a worldwide language and known by everyone! And someone told me "well, Herpa is a German manufacturer and it is normal making streaming in German language. You should learn German language so you could understand...". Ahahahahah! Well i always thought that "worldwide" language was English or, maybe, Esperanto! I think that the only manufacturer of 1:500 scale airplane models should speak English language so everyone in the world can understand what they say! It is matter of respect!
So, quality check completely non existing, prices now shameful, very poor detailed models, not so nice moulds, shameful and out of the world marketing choices.
But Herpa continues to produce Ilyushin Il-18, two re-releases, the 20th Emirates A380 (more or less), the third re-release of a KLM B787-9...
This seems really crazy and i start to think that Wizz Air A320neo/A321neo, Binter Canarias and Helvetic E190-E2, Southwest Airlines, easyJet, Ryanair, Neos B737 MAX8, Volotea A319/A320, Jet2holidays B737-800 and A321neo are models wanted just by me, in a desert made by crazy prices, awful announcements, shameful quality of the models. License problems? Yes, ok, true, the law must be respected: but with Herpa the law/license problems are becoming a real wall against crushing!

Aether Models is the future? I hope. The announcements are fenomenal with Norse, ITA Airways, Eva Air, JAL, ANA, Brussels Airlines and i can't wait to see the narrowbodies starting by 2026.

 

[Critical Aviator]

I wonder if one day this scale will be interesting again?

I think it has the potential to.

Herpa seems to be out of market, with re-releases, awful quality of the models, wrong liveries, wrong shades of colors on the fuselage, flaws and errors, absolutely improbable and out of this world models/airlines/liveries

That's very true.

Now we arrived with Herpa streaming in German language like if, with all the immense respect for German people, German were a worldwide language and known by everyone! And someone told me "well, Herpa is a German manufacturer and it is normal making streaming in German language. You should learn German language so you could understand...". Ahahahahah! Well i always thought that "worldwide" language was English or, maybe, Esperanto! I think that the only manufacturer of 1:500 scale airplane models should speak English language so everyone in the world can understand what they say! It is matter of respect!

I agree. It would have made sense if their customer base were all German speakers or streamed on a German speaking only network but not an international network such as Instagram and less so when their customer base aren't all based in German speaking countries. They are not even translating their answers from German to English, which would have helped a lot for non German speakers.

License problems? Yes, ok, true, the law must be respected: but with Herpa the law/license problems are becoming a real wall against crushing!

They sure are hiding behind licensing a lot.

 

[Charter]

Yet another thing that i hate, but REALLY HATE, Is when a manufacturer produces just one special model of an airline! Herpa is useful to make this and i really don't understand the meaning! DAT is an example: MD-80 special livery without "Coca Cola" titles, the MD-80 of DAT farewell flight. I Will be wrong buy, as collector, i WANT regular liveries before and then special liveries. The recent announce of Austrian Airlines is another example: Austrian Airlines is not much loved by manufacturers both in 1:500 like 1:400 scale, in fact even in 1:400 scale there aren't recent models (narrowbodies, i mean). Herpa announces the MOST WANTED - LONG AWAITED - MUCH REQUESTED Austrian Airlines A320neo and in which livery??? "Yes to Europe". Holy God, i still remember the shameful Monarch A321 "Will and Kate", the only model of a glorious Monarch Airlines made by Herpa in 1:500 scale!
(Yes, in 1:500 there are also several B757s regular and Hedkandi made by other manufacturers and a sample A330-200 old livery made by Herpa).
I am not British but i imagine that even my friends and fellow collectors from UK have been really disappointed by the "Will and Kate" bird. Never understood by Herpa: BEFORE regular livery and fleet and AFTER special liveries and, if you must produce just one model of an airline, JUST REGULAR LIVERY!
During the streaming Herpa answered that Eurowings, Lufthansa and now Austrian Airlines "Yes to Europe" are linked to "matter of time" and, about Austrian Airlines, regular narrowbodies liveries will follow: yes Herpa, i am still waiting for DAT ATR-72, A320 regular liveries, for announced (more than a year ago) Binter Canarias and Helvetic E195-E2 and Wizz Air A320neo, A321ceo and A321neo.
So i am afraid that, along with the poor Monarch Airlines A321 "Will and Kate" we will have also a poor Austrian Airlines A320neo "Yes to Europe". Knowing Herpa very well, unfortunately this is the only thing in my mind.

 

[LeoMuse747]

Yet another thing that i hate, but REALLY HATE, Is when a manufacturer produces just one special model of an airline!

Yes, it's so annoying! Herpa have released two special colors of the Azul A330-200 but didn't release the regular!

 

[Critical Aviator]

I will add that even if Herpa makes a standard livery, the choice of aircraft can also be a problem. For instance, they made an Air France A318 in the new livery which to me is fine but an A320 would have made more sense since the A320 is the most common A320 member in the AF fleet and the A318's days are numbered. But the thing is they made the A320 in the new livery...but in 1:200. So why didn't they make the A320 in 1:500 ? Go figure I guess...

Yet another thing that i hate, but REALLY HATE, Is when a manufacturer produces just one special model of an airline!

And the worst part is that by now they must be aware that collectors want special, Herpa knows it but they keep hiding behind the 'that's what the airline wants us to do' excuse.

 

[Charter]

I will add that even if Herpa makes a standard livery, the choice of aircraft can also be a problem. For instance, they made an Air France A318 in the new livery which to me is fine but an A320 would have made more sense since the A320 is the most common A320 member in the AF fleet and the A318's days are numbered. But the thing is they made the A320 in the new livery...but in 1:200. So why didn't they make the A320 in 1:500 ? Go figure I guess...

And the worst part is that by now they must be aware that collectors want special, Herpa knows it but they keep hiding behind the 'that's what the airline wants us to do' excuse.

"Licenses problems" always evergreen for Herpa, are a true problem; more, are like a Matryoshka or Chinese boxes.
After many years i think to having understood the crazy system, at least for Herpa and 1:500 scale (i am not sure if It the same for Gemini, Phoenix, NGModels and so on).
For example, you want to produce TUI Airways B737 MAX8, what to do? Here we are:
- contact with TUI Group and all the things to reach a deal and relative contract;
- ask license to TUI Group (TUI Airways UK, like TUIfly Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, are part of TUI Group that is a giant working in tourism and leading Hotels, Cruise ships, Travel packages, Airlines, etc);
- ask license to TUI Airways for the production of one of its airplanes like scale model and with their registrations (in this example a B757-200WL G-...);
- ask the license to Boeing for the production of this B757-200WL: about Boeing, Airbus and all the manufacturers presents in Herpa archive the license is already payied and renewed, so they don't have to ask for each model produced;
- the deal with TUI Airways: will they sell inflight models? Will they have the option to sell this model in UK gaining the 60% or 55% or 72% or 100% (just examples)? About this point the deal with LOT has been a Shakespeare tragedy: about two years to reach a deal with Polish airline and the problem was the domestic-sell, with LOT wanting the exclusive and 100% of gain in domestic market. Then the deal was ok and after so many years without LOT in 1:500 scale, after the so much wanted B737 MAX8 and the so much wanted narrowbody fleet Herpa produced...what? A pair of E-Jets and a B737 MAX8 "SPECIAL LIVERY"! Since some years we are still waiting for the B737 MAX8 REGULAR LIVERY, but the Il-18 Is sure!!! (But this Is another speech).
- Then there is the "problem" special liveries. Here the situation is obscure because It Is not clear if Herpa asks to the airline the license to produce the model in special livery (like the Leo loved Azul...ahahahah) or the airline allows just the production of a "special livery" model (like happened with DAT, for example).

What is all this? A real horror movie, breaking the wings to 1:500 scale.