Thank you for this video. This confirms some of our worst suspicions. It's one thing to have a part or two have a bad fit, but some of those issues are completely inexcusable. I'm mainly speaking of not using drain holes. Not only do you have to use drain holes for hollow parts, but you must wash the inside and cure it to avoid possible cracking in the future. These are very amateur mistakes. I would also like to know where Michael French is on this project and will also request a refund.
especially if any of these parts make their way into peoples hands that do not know how to safely handle resin. There is a lot of potential health & safety hazards here.
I saw this on Retroblasting as well but it just seemed too good to be true so I never backed it. So glad I didn’t. Michael from Retroblasting constantly accuses the BIG toy companies of constantly screwing their customers. Well, it looks like he’s got egg on his face now.
This project definitely caught my attention when it was first announced and I had high hopes for it but wow after seeing this I’m so glad I didn’t get one. So sorry you gotta deal with all that bs with it. Can’t wait to see your finished project of it.
I’m building my kit as well. Everything you have said is true and then some. I really feel bad for the people who paid a premium for a built model, I can’t imagine what they will end up, if anything.
At one point, they offered a steep discount on the prebuilt version prior to the Kickstarter going live and I got one of those. I'm a little concerned to be honest. In retrospect, I wish I could've just bought the files and printed my own but he wasn't selling those.
I knew that "Mars Industries", crowd-funded, Airwolf project was going to be a total doozy from the off, thus why I never supported it, and never promoted it. I could see they hadn't a clue what they were doing. I wasn't impressed during its crowd-fund, and I'm very glad my intuition was proved correct. Thank you for the great dissection review and it's a shame Mars didn't engage with your disappointment and give you your Refund. At least your videos are a GREAT warning to others to avoid like the plague. Looking forward to your further parts to this review.
In addition to a failed delivery/quality, it's a product of a failed business model. The manufacturer should have standards they use to ensure fit and quality and not ask that of the customer. When you have taken SO long for a rather simple kit, don't have the correct material against what/how it will be used, taken years to develop AND have your customer be the guinea pig for fit and quality issues, you get the 'turd' of a kit like this. Reminds me of garage kits of the 80's...of garage kit makers that failed to deliver a quality kit or ran off with your money. I've been burnt before and feel I've learned from it, hence I avoided this Airwolf kit and am glad I did.
I hadn’t drilled into mine until I saw this video. Drilled it, leaking resin everywhere. Out of the body and the pylons. I’m going to try to let it drain and then try to slosh some alcohol or acetone in there as best I can and hope for the best. I’d already primed it and was ready for paint.
The level of incompetence on the part of Mars Industries is incredible. You’ll want to cure the inside after you drain and clean the resin - there are a couple of sellers on Etsy who sell UV leds connected to battery boxes which you can use or you can make your own.
@@bradlanghorst6269 I used UV resin to smooth coat the body due to the prominent print lines (another issue). The problem I have is getting the light into the body cavity. I don’t really want to cut a huge access hole. I drilled out the thruster holes, hopefully that will be enough.
You wanna hear about resin on your clothes? In the summer of 96, I was working at Streamline Pictures Modelworks in Santa Monica. Long story short, we had fallen behind in production on a kit based on a cover of Metal Hurlant (a.k.a. Heavy Metal) magazine. Carl Macek told us to get going on kits and forego eye protection and NIOSH masks. (I only have one eye, eye protection is NOT an option.) So, we set up an "assembly line" on three pressure pots. I was last in line, my partner and I screwed the lid down and I filled the pot to 160psi. At 150 psi, the seal failed and I was baptized with resin. I had two colleagues hold my shirt away from my skin; as resin cures by exothermic reaction, there was no way we were going to pull the shirt over my head. Not my best day ever.
I've started doing some resin printing for figures/custom parts for model kits. That engine block being crooked could also be the case that they didn't set the supports correctly (one side of a layer can be pulled differently when the arm separates the print from the screen before doing another exposure). Thank you for your review and effort in "polishing a turd". I was a fan of Airwolf as a kid...did build a model kit of it way back when. I've now got a collection of models to build now: looks like an Airwolf won't be one of them. So many other models out that are high quality prints or castings (though I notice this is advertised as a toy: now that the sale price is $450 seems expensive for lack of quality control).
Damn, that's some shit work on Mars' side. They make Viper USA's 1/6 Sherman look like it was competently made. It took 4 months of me calling, getting false tracking numbers and finally reaching out to the USPS and local authorities (in CA) to file mail fraud and other charges to get my replacement parts. Heck I'd rather build a Lindbergh model kit from the 60s/70s than that Mars kit.
I know you indicated this creep Conrad isn’t a scam artist. However, on tonight’s Retroblasting show, Conrad referred to you as “dishonest,” “disingenuous,” and also called you “turd guy.” He also indicated he would like to punch Travis out for asking for a refund. I hope you fully recognize who you are dealing with here, as any sane person would have sent that POS back and demanded his money be refunded.
I was backer 31 and was supposed to get a full color kit no painting so I asked him today and he said he can't produce it in color. He can't even fulfill what I ordered and kept this to himself but can't figure out there's a problem on his end. I asked to be refunded no response
@@SimonPeter611 so I demanded a refund because the product was sub-par what was promised in the Kickstarter. He told me he cannot refund a Kickstarter but I sent him documentation from Kickstarter’s website showing that a creator can refund a backer any time even after funds are collected. At first he ghosted me then I told him I would send the documentation to my financial institution and escalate it. He then told me he issued a full refund and sent me a screenshot showing the refund was submitted to Kickstarter. I have not received my refund yet but according to their website it can take up to 30 days to process the refund. If I don’t receive it after 30 days I will file a dispute with my bank and send them all documentation and e-mails from him.
And to follow up Kickstarter said he never submitted the refund. I have a dispute open with my bank and all documentation including the e-mail he said he issued a full refund and Kickstarter’s response that says he never did.
Now he has issued a statement ranting about these videos and attacking people trying to fix these janky kits that he admits to knowingly and intentionally shipping in the same statement. Seriously can’t make this stuff up…
Remember, anyone who was ripped off in this scam has the full weight of the Federal Government to protect your rights to a full refund as a consumer. Those responsible for this scam better be prepared to give full refunds. Contact PayPal, and contact your banks. You are protected against criminal business practices, and have the right to launch an investigation if you believe you have been ripped off. Save all receipts, any emails which were NOT responded to, and your tracking ID when you return to sender. Do NOT let your hard earned money get stolen by scam artists.
Is this a scam or just a really incompetent person(s) who thought they could make some money and fell flat on their faces due to sheer incompetence? The video shows some really inexperienced, rookie mistakes by the manufacturer.
I'm glad I dodged this bullet. Going to print my own soon. And why is anyone taking advice from French anyway? This so called vintage expert was born in 83 and a baby when things were just getting good with our beloved 80s stuff. I tried to like him and his videos but he's a know it all and shuts down anyone, rudely, that doesn't agree with him or his "knowledge" of the great toy lines WE grew up with. Be your own person and decide for yourself what you want and like. Stay away from the advice of RUclips "experts".
Although he looks likes he was born in 83, I'm pretty sure he's a good few years older than that. He has talked about his childhood toys many times and referenced his time in England, and from that I'd worked out he was born around 77/78?
@@armlesswalrus Working overnights with nothing to do, I found he was born on July 26, 1983, because I'm a petty vain prick. I was born a year earlier and this twat looks way older than I do. Contrary to your insinuation that he looks young for his age, this twat looks older than he is. I am constantly told I look no more than 30.
You would think that a “startup” business would be motivated to get it right first time, and every time, it strikes me that either they didn’t anticipate the demand for the kit and got sloppy with the manufacturing process or they just didn’t have the expertise to do it properly in the first place. For such a large scale model the mistakes are going to be glaringly obvious to anyone, I can’t believe someone thought that this piece of tat was acceptable on any level, especially with such a hefty price tag.
No one should buy anything from Mars. Even if he eventually delivers a perfect kit, he is extremely rude and unprofessional and doesn't seem to care that several of us haven't gotten refunds and tries to blame the banks, even though my bank in particular said HE refused.
this is a clear example of someone who doesn't know what he's doing. he doesn't know about 3D printing, and it's obvious he has no idea how to design in 3D. It's a shame because it's a good idea. but it is poorly executed
Well you summed it up correctly "turd" hope it didn't cost an arm and leg. I've scratch built models by hand haven't done any 3D printing since getting out of school in 2005 long time ago.
Awe dude, I ordered one of these myself later after the initial fundraising had closed. Mine is for the built and painted 🎨 version. Fingers crossed 🤞 Awesome skills and talent you have there! 👍🏻
You'd think Destro would have better things to do with his spare time than trolling people with defective model kits. He has all those weapons to supply to Cobra after all.
If they were going to do this, it should have been made from ABS plastic, in a mold. They could have easily contracted with a toy manufacturer, and made these a 100% real collectible toy for the same price. I am glad that I watched this video, and didn’t lose my money in this crap.
So I wasnt following this at all, and dont know too much about it. Amazingly shonky work to be trying to take peoples money for. But depending on the price, it could still be a salvagable thing. Saying that, Im assuming the amounts paid wouldnt justify buying it as a fixer upper?
Michael French of Retroblasting owes EVERYONE an apology for using his channel to promote and advance this scam. It’s strike 2 for Michael, as strike 1 was his Screaming Eamonn Customs scam.
That would require Michael to spend time in a room with a mirror, pull his big boys pants up, and humbly admit he was wrong. Dont hold your breath - Michael will avoid this like the plague.
Screaming Eamonn, previously heralded by Retroblasting (in a NOW-DELETED VIDEO BY RB), scammed a lot of us out of several hundred dollars a piece on his large-scale GI Joe HQ and Cobra Temple play sets. I had to personally call PayPal to get my money back since Eamonn shut off his social media and wasn’t answering to anyone. Retroblasting is partly at fault for this because he not only made a video shilling for Screaming Eamonn, but he also allowed himself to be recorded chumming it up with Eamonn at the prototype display of the GI JOE HQ. That video has also since been erased.
respectfully disagree. As it is, the 3D printing craze is killing the small hobby business. Hard to sell something given away elsewhere. Selling files the customer can then give away? even worse idea.
As soon as I saw that Retroblasting had this dude on, I cancelled my order. Just a gut/knee jerk reaction. Today for some reason I thought, maybe I was too hasty, I mean, yea Michaels a total ass but maybe not the kickstarter guy. Nope, gut feeling was right.
A case in point for good old reliable injection molded plastic! I would have been rip s..t if I had received this next to useless pile of yuck! I hope for the sake of others that this Mars Industries Co. goes back to the planet they came from! Unbelievable that they have the gall to try and sell garbage like that. If the old model kit makers like Revell, Monogram, AMT and other manufacturers of my time had produced crap like this, they would have been bankrupt within a year!
Yet another stellar "fans are doing the best work" recommendation from Michael French & retroblasting!
TBH you have to take it on a case by case (or creator by creator basis). Vet the seller.
Yeah just like his stellar recommendation for TFSB/Chris Krahn until he was eating crow on that one 😂
Michael was paid that's why he praises them 🤣
@@alphabarret7122 Michael wasn't paid by anyone.
@@theartisanrogue then who encourages him? tell me.
He’s done now. Closed up shop and took that money
Thank you for this video. This confirms some of our worst suspicions. It's one thing to have a part or two have a bad fit, but some of those issues are completely inexcusable. I'm mainly speaking of not using drain holes. Not only do you have to use drain holes for hollow parts, but you must wash the inside and cure it to avoid possible cracking in the future. These are very amateur mistakes. I would also like to know where Michael French is on this project and will also request a refund.
especially if any of these parts make their way into peoples hands that do not know how to safely handle resin. There is a lot of potential health & safety hazards here.
@@thezombiemachinist01 Very true. If someone gets resin on their hands and walks out into the sun, they won’t have a good time.
maybe I am wrong but these sounds bad and headache for something that price.
This is the first video I’ve seen of anyone actually receiving this thing
yeah, i couldn't find any other videos either.
I saw this on Retroblasting as well but it just seemed too good to be true so I never backed it. So glad I didn’t. Michael from Retroblasting constantly accuses the BIG toy companies of constantly screwing their customers. Well, it looks like he’s got egg on his face now.
This project definitely caught my attention when it was first announced and I had high hopes for it but wow after seeing this I’m so glad I didn’t get one. So sorry you gotta deal with all that bs with it. Can’t wait to see your finished project of it.
I’m building my kit as well. Everything you have said is true and then some. I really feel bad for the people who paid a premium for a built model, I can’t imagine what they will end up, if anything.
At one point, they offered a steep discount on the prebuilt version prior to the Kickstarter going live and I got one of those. I'm a little concerned to be honest. In retrospect, I wish I could've just bought the files and printed my own but he wasn't selling those.
Well, hopefully these videos are helpful with the build. As stated, they were never intended as a personal attack.
I knew that "Mars Industries", crowd-funded, Airwolf project was going to be a total doozy from the off, thus why I never supported it, and never promoted it. I could see they hadn't a clue what they were doing. I wasn't impressed during its crowd-fund, and I'm very glad my intuition was proved correct. Thank you for the great dissection review and it's a shame Mars didn't engage with your disappointment and give you your Refund. At least your videos are a GREAT warning to others to avoid like the plague. Looking forward to your further parts to this review.
I got attacked for pointing out inconsistencies in the forums.
What forums are you on? I’m interested in what they’re saying about this
Which forum?
In addition to a failed delivery/quality, it's a product of a failed business model. The manufacturer should have standards they use to ensure fit and quality and not ask that of the customer. When you have taken SO long for a rather simple kit, don't have the correct material against what/how it will be used, taken years to develop AND have your customer be the guinea pig for fit and quality issues, you get the 'turd' of a kit like this. Reminds me of garage kits of the 80's...of garage kit makers that failed to deliver a quality kit or ran off with your money. I've been burnt before and feel I've learned from it, hence I avoided this Airwolf kit and am glad I did.
The guys a arrogant jerk too. Insulting pos and insults his customers
I hadn’t drilled into mine until I saw this video. Drilled it, leaking resin everywhere. Out of the body and the pylons. I’m going to try to let it drain and then try to slosh some alcohol or acetone in there as best I can and hope for the best. I’d already primed it and was ready for paint.
Thats really ridiculous
The level of incompetence on the part of Mars Industries is incredible. You’ll want to cure the inside after you drain and clean the resin - there are a couple of sellers on Etsy who sell UV leds connected to battery boxes which you can use or you can make your own.
@@bradlanghorst6269 I used UV resin to smooth coat the body due to the prominent print lines (another issue). The problem I have is getting the light into the body cavity. I don’t really want to cut a huge access hole. I drilled out the thruster holes, hopefully that will be enough.
Bottom line, Mars Industries products are garbage! Thanks for point out this to us, I was considering buying from them, but not after this
You wanna hear about resin on your clothes?
In the summer of 96, I was working at Streamline Pictures Modelworks in Santa Monica. Long story short, we had fallen behind in production on a kit based on a cover of Metal Hurlant (a.k.a. Heavy Metal) magazine. Carl Macek told us to get going on kits and forego eye protection and NIOSH masks. (I only have one eye, eye protection is NOT an option.) So, we set up an "assembly line" on three pressure pots. I was last in line, my partner and I screwed the lid down and I filled the pot to 160psi.
At 150 psi, the seal failed and I was baptized with resin. I had two colleagues hold my shirt away from my skin; as resin cures by exothermic reaction, there was no way we were going to pull the shirt over my head.
Not my best day ever.
I've started doing some resin printing for figures/custom parts for model kits. That engine block being crooked could also be the case that they didn't set the supports correctly (one side of a layer can be pulled differently when the arm separates the print from the screen before doing another exposure). Thank you for your review and effort in "polishing a turd". I was a fan of Airwolf as a kid...did build a model kit of it way back when. I've now got a collection of models to build now: looks like an Airwolf won't be one of them. So many other models out that are high quality prints or castings (though I notice this is advertised as a toy: now that the sale price is $450 seems expensive for lack of quality control).
Yeah it does look a very amateurish model. Not good at all.
Very informative
Damn, that's some shit work on Mars' side. They make Viper USA's 1/6 Sherman look like it was competently made. It took 4 months of me calling, getting false tracking numbers and finally reaching out to the USPS and local authorities (in CA) to file mail fraud and other charges to get my replacement parts.
Heck I'd rather build a Lindbergh model kit from the 60s/70s than that Mars kit.
I know you indicated this creep Conrad isn’t a scam artist. However, on tonight’s Retroblasting show, Conrad referred to you as “dishonest,” “disingenuous,” and also called you “turd guy.” He also indicated he would like to punch Travis out for asking for a refund. I hope you fully recognize who you are dealing with here, as any sane person would have sent that POS back and demanded his money be refunded.
I was backer 31 and was supposed to get a full color kit no painting so I asked him today and he said he can't produce it in color. He can't even fulfill what I ordered and kept this to himself but can't figure out there's a problem on his end. I asked to be refunded no response
@@SimonPeter611 so I demanded a refund because the product was sub-par what was promised in the Kickstarter. He told me he cannot refund a Kickstarter but I sent him documentation from Kickstarter’s website showing that a creator can refund a backer any time even after funds are collected. At first he ghosted me then I told him I would send the documentation to my financial institution and escalate it. He then told me he issued a full refund and sent me a screenshot showing the refund was submitted to Kickstarter. I have not received my refund yet but according to their website it can take up to 30 days to process the refund. If I don’t receive it after 30 days I will file a dispute with my bank and send them all documentation and e-mails from him.
Well, before making the video, I had asked and of course was ignored. That's when I tried for "let's see what I can do with it."
And to follow up Kickstarter said he never submitted the refund. I have a dispute open with my bank and all documentation including the e-mail he said he issued a full refund and Kickstarter’s response that says he never did.
You taken lad .
Now he has issued a statement ranting about these videos and attacking people trying to fix these janky kits that he admits to knowingly and intentionally shipping in the same statement. Seriously can’t make this stuff up…
Remember, anyone who was ripped off in this scam has the full weight of the Federal Government to protect your rights to a full refund as a consumer. Those responsible for this scam better be prepared to give full refunds. Contact PayPal, and contact your banks. You are protected against criminal business practices, and have the right to launch an investigation if you believe you have been ripped off. Save all receipts, any emails which were NOT responded to, and your tracking ID when you return to sender. Do NOT let your hard earned money get stolen by scam artists.
Is this a scam or just a really incompetent person(s) who thought they could make some money and fell flat on their faces due to sheer incompetence? The video shows some really inexperienced, rookie mistakes by the manufacturer.
not a scam. The fallout from negative experiences doesn't make it worth it.
I'm glad I dodged this bullet. Going to print my own soon. And why is anyone taking advice from French anyway? This so called vintage expert was born in 83 and a baby when things were just getting good with our beloved 80s stuff. I tried to like him and his videos but he's a know it all and shuts down anyone, rudely, that doesn't agree with him or his "knowledge" of the great toy lines WE grew up with. Be your own person and decide for yourself what you want and like. Stay away from the advice of RUclips "experts".
Although he looks likes he was born in 83, I'm pretty sure he's a good few years older than that. He has talked about his childhood toys many times and referenced his time in England, and from that I'd worked out he was born around 77/78?
@@armlesswalrus Working overnights with nothing to do, I found he was born on July 26, 1983, because I'm a petty vain prick. I was born a year earlier and this twat looks way older than I do. Contrary to your insinuation that he looks young for his age, this twat looks older than he is. I am constantly told I look no more than 30.
I just published a video on my channel with my experiences. Thanks to Kessel Run for leading the way.
You lucked out.
You would think that a “startup” business would be motivated to get it right first time, and every time, it strikes me that either they didn’t anticipate the demand for the kit and got sloppy with the manufacturing process or they just didn’t have the expertise to do it properly in the first place. For such a large scale model the mistakes are going to be glaringly obvious to anyone, I can’t believe someone thought that this piece of tat was acceptable on any level, especially with such a hefty price tag.
No one should buy anything from Mars. Even if he eventually delivers a perfect kit, he is extremely rude and unprofessional and doesn't seem to care that several of us haven't gotten refunds and tries to blame the banks, even though my bank in particular said HE refused.
this is a clear example of someone who doesn't know what he's doing. he doesn't know about 3D printing, and it's obvious he has no idea how to design in 3D. It's a shame because it's a good idea. but it is poorly executed
I can hear the TV show's soundtrack now.
@Retroblasting Scam Artist’s words come true, alright.
Well you summed it up correctly "turd" hope it didn't cost an arm and leg. I've scratch built models by hand haven't done any 3D printing since getting out of school in 2005 long time ago.
What about if you went with the fully assembled version? This is very unfortunate.
Awe dude, I ordered one of these myself later after the initial fundraising had closed. Mine is for the built and painted 🎨 version. Fingers crossed 🤞 Awesome skills and talent you have there! 👍🏻
I am disappointed. Was seriously considering getting one. 😢
I’m so glad I didn’t buy this kit. I’ll stick with building my 1/48 scale version.
You'd think Destro would have better things to do with his spare time than trolling people with defective model kits. He has all those weapons to supply to Cobra after all.
It’s one thing for a company to ship inferior parts but it’s awful when their communication is lacking
If they were going to do this, it should have been made from ABS plastic, in a mold.
They could have easily contracted with a toy manufacturer, and made these a 100% real collectible toy for the same price.
I am glad that I watched this video, and didn’t lose my money in this crap.
So I wasnt following this at all, and dont know too much about it. Amazingly shonky work to be trying to take peoples money for.
But depending on the price, it could still be a salvagable thing. Saying that, Im assuming the amounts paid wouldnt justify buying it as a fixer upper?
Was this his first try with fitting parts together?
He (Mars) is clearly in over his head. Still doesn't excuse the money he stole from me.
Your solutions are inspiring, sorry you got a bad build..
Michael French of Retroblasting owes EVERYONE an apology for using his channel to promote and advance this scam. It’s strike 2 for Michael, as strike 1 was his Screaming Eamonn Customs scam.
That would require Michael to spend time in a room with a mirror, pull his big boys pants up, and humbly admit he was wrong. Dont hold your breath - Michael will avoid this like the plague.
Where is French on this?
@@virtusethonos8588 Head in a bucket of sand.
What was wrong with the screaming eamonn customs?
Screaming Eamonn, previously heralded by Retroblasting (in a NOW-DELETED VIDEO BY RB), scammed a lot of us out of several hundred dollars a piece on his large-scale GI Joe HQ and Cobra Temple play sets. I had to personally call PayPal to get my money back since Eamonn shut off his social media and wasn’t answering to anyone. Retroblasting is partly at fault for this because he not only made a video shilling for Screaming Eamonn, but he also allowed himself to be recorded chumming it up with Eamonn at the prototype display of the GI JOE HQ. That video has also since been erased.
Only 3 minutes in and yikes! Too bad since I loved Airwolf as a kid (and still does).
They should sell the STL Files.
respectfully disagree. As it is, the 3D printing craze is killing the small hobby business. Hard to sell something given away elsewhere. Selling files the customer can then give away? even worse idea.
@@kesselruncollecting2179
The stones have put in motion and there is no going back. Businesses will either adapt or go bust.
Watching this has convinced me to request a refund.
Pt 2 will be up before long.
Did you get the refund?
IDK why kickstarter still running.
If I had ever had a son I would have called him ‘Air Wolf’, because it sounds hardcore…
As soon as I saw that Retroblasting had this dude on, I cancelled my order. Just a gut/knee jerk reaction. Today for some reason I thought, maybe I was too hasty, I mean, yea Michaels a total ass but maybe not the kickstarter guy. Nope, gut feeling was right.
You dodged a bullet with this one!
So you are better off just making your own kit from scratch...
A case in point for good old reliable injection molded plastic! I would have been rip s..t if I had received this next to useless pile of yuck! I hope for the sake of others that this Mars Industries Co. goes back to the planet they came from! Unbelievable that they have the gall to try and sell garbage like that. If the old model kit makers like Revell, Monogram, AMT and other manufacturers of my time had produced crap like this, they would have been bankrupt within a year!
Retroblasting having a live update tonight with the creator. ruclips.net/video/SNR6kxJJOhQ/видео.html
I hope you didn't pay a lot for this.