Model Forum / General / Models / March 2006

Frank

The BE.2C was researched before I came on board, so I don't know who
did the research.

John contacted me before the first kits were announced. I named the
company and provided hundreds of hours of assistance in packaging
design, art work research, instruction sheet design,  decal research
and the like. His phone bill must have been astounding.

Unfortunately, John had a serious problem with reality. He got irate
when someone else came out with one of "his" projects. Instead of
concentrating on producing the best possible kit he ran around plotting
add-on items, padding the catalog, starting a "club" where members were
the only ones allowed to purchase certain kits, screwing around with
multi-media kits like the Caproni Ca.3 and the like. By the time he
managed to getthe SPAD and the other later WWI kits out he had already
ruined his reputation, destroyed his marriage and his health and
essentially ruining all of the work that several people had put into
the effort. He died owing me and a few others a good deal of money. His
widow had to endure sheer hell disposing of the tons of stuff that he
had hidden from her over the years.

All a very sad experience. The few really good Meikraft kits and all of
the poor ones have been superceded by kits of far better quality with
few exceptions.

I am far more pleased with the kits that we produce under the MAI
label. Our new Beech Super King Air 200 is a great experience. It would
be nice if MAI and ESM 72 made money, but as a hobby it's not too
expensive and it's a lot of fun.

Tom