Limited outputs??? You've got to remember that Gemini don't make that many different models - 10 a month. This year AV, NG and Panda have made over 400 models. Gemini have made 101. Airbus and Boeings, which make up the major mould overlap account for 84 of the Gemini releases.
I should have clarified that I was specifically referring to AV400 and Panda. I agree, I will almost always go for NG if I have a choice between them and GJ. With Panda and AV400 I seldom have that option, hence why I find that calling them superior to GJ can be misleading to new collectors as that statement should come with a huge caveat.
Between NG, AV, Panda and now Phoenix I'd say the majority of GJ releases are now being made by those brands - usually on superior moulds. This is clearly apparent here with these GJ future releases. They are all models that will likely be or have been made by NG, AV or Panda. So I'd argue the collector has plenty of opportunities to 'bypass GJ' as you say if they want to.
Again, that is true when talking about GJ vs. NG and modern subjects.
Anyway all I said was that I believe GJ are below the brands I mentioned in the pecking order in my opinion, which you apparently agree with.
JC Wings in my experience seem to have better QC and make less egregious print errors than Gemini. I've been told this is due to different production lines and specific cost-cutting measures that have been taken by GJ. That may or may not be true. Either way I can't recall JC printing cockpits as badly as that recent Copa 737 or EI ATR for example. Or putting massive tyres on Saabs or hushkits on 727s. Mould wise the same applies of course.
My opinions on the merits and demerits of Phoenix are fairly well understood I'd have thought and not really applicable here.
Mmm... maybe; not buying it though. What is the point of the argument to begin with? They rarely compete by releasing the same subjects, so it doesn't matter if JC is supposedly slightly better since there is not going to be an alternative model from them.
It is a pain to look for Sab 340s on the DiMA database, but it looks like it has been almost ten years since they released one, unfortunately. If so, how do we know that theirs would not have suffered from those massive NLG tires as well?
Regarding, the National 722 it does seem that GJ was releasing 727s frequently then as opposed to JC (two AA examples, as I recall). There were huskitted and not huskitted examples among them. Could one of the JC AA examples have been the unlucky one to erroneously receive huskits, instead of the GJ National one? Not trying to be a GJ apologist, as those atrocities should have never reached the stores, but I'm not convinced it is a problem particular to GJ.
I don't buy that many JC models, but the ones I have are also not stellar. 747s with low cockpit windows, 737s with slanted cockpit windows, oversharpened noses, 767s with slightly high cockpit windows, and all with the same unrefined finish that characterizes them nothing nowadays. Oh and I was able to see their KLM ATR in person, and that cockpit was pretty ugly.
You are not wrong Richard, but don't you think you might bending the truth just a little bit to make JC look slightly better here? I mean, it is only fair since they sent you an An-26 recently and all, no? Instead, all you seem to get from those ungrateful folks at GJ are nastygrams.
Cheers bud,