SITE UPDATE! As Yahoo! Site Solutions is no longer being updated or maintained after today, Thursday 31 March 2022, IRMA will be moving to a new provider. This will take us some time, so please be patient. We will be listing kit release dates on our new site. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
International Resin Modellers Association ©SM®TM
Zane R Nobbs
405 Old Orchard Drive, 18
Essexville, MI 48732
United States
ph: 001-989-891-1401
fax: 001-989-891-1401
alt: 001-989-465-6241
info
Our Resin Manufacturer of the Year isM Renaud Mangallon ofSharkit, maker of many fine prototype jet aircraft and unusual models of rare and hard-to-find subjects. Please visit the website at:www.sharkit.com.
Renaud made our first kit, the Gloster CXP-1001 in 1/72, possible by stepping in when things were a bit difficult with IRMA at the beginning. He also cast our second kit, the Shenyang JJ-1. There are many interesting new kits coming from Sharkit, which also handles Dujin, Kampffleiger, Mach 2 and IRMA lines.
We at IRMA deeply appreciate him!
The Man Behind Sharkit, M. Renaud Mangallon.
For our very first interview, the producer of Sharkit has kindly consented to answer a few questions for us.
IRMA©®TM: What brought you into resin casting, especially early jet aircraft?
I started by helping my cousin Franky, who was a kit collector and decided to do by himself what he couldn’t find elsewhere, especially missiles and X-planes. By the way he did some molds and started to sell to collector friends.... some classical garage work story I guess! Then Franky got a job as a bush pilot in Africa and went on alone . . . Sharkit always misses him ...
Why early jet aircraft? Because I discovered a kit of the Hörten 229 and this brought me back to modelling, an activity I stopped when I was maybe 17 or 18 years old. What an amazing machine, and its shape . . . organic!! And the period was the good time of many experimentation’s and discovering; you know this unique taste, the taste of the first time . . .
IRMA: How do you select the subject for your next production?
A kind of deep alchemy, but probably the most important vector is encouragement and interest of people. Not in quantity, but in quality.
Also important, the discovering elements: if I discover nothing, if there is nothing to discover to customers, if there is no dynamic imagination and no creativity, I don’t do it. Human beings are not copy-machines.
Ah, also one last and definitively important thing: it must "avoir de la gueule" -being terrific, good looking-; if it’s ugly, no way.
IRMA: How long does a project typically take? Do you do several at one time?
Usually 2 or 3 almost at the same time and 2 or 3 others left very close to the work-bench.
To give an idea, I release maybe one new model each month, sure I do other things, I don’t spend my full day just doing a new model. To make a new model means less time for casting old models: that’s why many old Sharkits are not available anymore, even if new coming customers ask for them. I cannot maintain the full range AND release new models.
IRMA: What kind or research does a project require? How long does it take?
It takes many hours, spanning on weeks, months, or years.... Books, mags, microfilms, personal pics or photos, consultation with specialists... or sometime just bad three-views! It’s a "net" matter.
IRMA: What do you recommend to people that are new to resin kits? What is the best approach to their first time of building a resin cast kit?
First, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid by sanding, dust, putty quantity . . . bubbles. On the internet you'll find a lot of advice and reviews.
But something always forgotten is LIGHT: Each time its possible, use natural light. Our eyes are measure instruments set along million of years for natural light, and no artificial light can match (at least nothing easy to find for the individual).
It’s simple, check your work outside, and you’ll see plenty of defaults unseen with your artificial light.
Fine art painters are always looking for good "lighted" places, isn’t it true? (And is modelling something other than popular art? And are we not, all of us, looking for Light??)
IRMA: Finally, do you have any closing thoughts that you would like to share with IRMA and its members?
Welcome! Willkommen! Bienvenue! Bienvenudo!
Thank you for your time!
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Here is the new Sharkit Douglas D-558-III Skyflash Model 671 in 1/72. This was the original design from the late 1940s that was later superceded by the Model 684 put out by ANiGRAND CRAFTSWORK.
This kit is well researched, parts fit good and there was minimal sanding, filing and filling needed. Landing gear and nose probe are metal with vacuformed canopy.
Below is the Sharkit Sanger-Bredt Antipodal Bomber in 1/72. A hollow resin kit with solid parts and well worth the price, time and effort for this rare aircraft!
Designed by Dr. Eugene Sanger and his wife, Dr. Irina Bredt, in the late 1930s, this aircraft came to prominence with Adolph Hitler's wish to destroy capitalism by bombing Wall Street and communism with the destruction of Moscow. The plan was to launch the aircraft from Germany into space, where it would skip on the atmosphere until reaching the U.S.A. There it would drop a large type explosive on New York City, then proceed onward around the globe until reaching a halfway point such as Guadalcanal. It would be refueled and rearmed in the Empire of Japan then continue on its return to Berlin, dropping a second incendiary device on Moscow along the way. Building had actually begun when the war ended. The airframe was taken by the Soviets.
Model by Zane R Nobbs
The Sharkit Keldysh-Bondaryuk Sub-Orbital Bomber in 1/72 with pvc/resin ramjets makes a very large and impressive model. This required metal reinforcements for engine support.
This was Joseph Stalin's continuation of this project with the aim of reaching the U.S.A. from space where retaliation was deemed impractical. Designer Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh redesigned the engines adding ramjets by Professor Mikhail Makarovich Bondaryuk which would enable the aircraft to make one continuous circuit of the globe, non-stop. The project was cancelled upon Stalin's death.
Model by Zane R Nobbs
This is the Dujin 1/72 F+W Emmen N-20.2 Arbalete "Crossbow" which is available through Sharkit. The first version was tested in the late 1940s as a fighter concept aircraft for the Swiss Air Force. Switzerland was the 10th nation to put its own jet into the air. In addition to the two engines top-side were two below. Very similar to some of the late-war German jets.
This kit is very well moulded, with clean panel lines and extremely detailed landing gear and cockpit interior.
Model by Zane R Nobbs
Also available from Sharkit, the Dujin 1/72 F+W Emmen N-20.10 Aiguillon "Pivot." This was the final project in the N-20 series. The full-sized version re-arranged the four engines side-by-side for a more efficient aircraft. In the end the jet was rejected in favor of a more conventional layout and due to the expense.
Typical of Jean Pierre Dujin and Sharkit models, this aircraft is well documented, nicely detailed and makes a very rare, unusual kit when finished.
Model by Zane R Nobbs
A very special "THANK YOU!" goes to Sharkit for the first IRMA kit of the Gloster CXP-1001 in 1/72. When financing became too expensive to go with our original company proposal, Sharkit was there to help us out!
See the Updates! and New Releases pages for details!
Thanks to Al Maciejewski for taking the photos!
Copyright International Resin Modellers Association©SM®TM. I.R.M.A. (IRMA) ©SM®TM. All rights reserved.
All images on this site are copyright protected internationally. All unauthorized use is tracked and filed. You may use images wtih permission and proper credit given to the site, manufacturer and model builder. Please do not use images without permission.
Any advice, suggestions, methods or recommendations given on this site are taken solely at the visitors discretion, responsibility and risk. The International Resin Modellers Association©SM®TM and any companies, organizations, individuals or other entities listed on this site or associated therewith are not responsible for any actions taken by visitors to this site. Please be very careful when doing any modelling and always remember: SAFETY FIRST! Happy modelling!
Any materials sent to the International Resin Modellers Association© shall remain the property of their respective owners with the understanding that upon receipt of materials, including written, photographic, graphic and any others, permission is granted for their use in any forum and format on this site and includes use by other sites or individuals related to this one. This site is not responsible in any way for misuse or distribution of said materials in or out of its control. This site also reserves the right to edit or format contributed materials for content and context. Materials displayed on this site are copyright by the International Resin Modellers Association©.
Images on this site not created by the International Resin Modellers Association are believed to be in the public domain. If you own an image, can verify it, and wish it to be removed, please contact us.
IRMA reserves the right to change prices for products, services or memberships without prior notice as well as changing site content, format and structure without prior notification.
The phrase and name International Resin Modellers Association is registered, copyrighted and trademarked internationally along with the phrase and wording internationalresinmodellers with a .com, .org or any other extension and also includes the logo and any variations (internationalresinmodeller, internationalresinmodelers, internationalresinmodeler and etc. with any and all extensions). Any infrigement, copying or unauthorized use is subject to an indemnity of U.S. $5,000,000 payable to the International Resin Modellers Association©SM®TM or Zane R Nobbs. And all legal expenses (court costs, attorney fees and etc.) and other expenses will be paid by the perpetrator(s) separately and in addition to the aforementioned indemnity.
International Resin Modellers Association ©SM®TM
Zane R Nobbs
405 Old Orchard Drive, 18
Essexville, MI 48732
United States
ph: 001-989-891-1401
fax: 001-989-891-1401
alt: 001-989-465-6241
info