Alec K
I have been wondering the same. There is a credible box picture of an earlier Legato release from 2004, but I was unable to find any evidence so far. I sent a PM to the mate who has it listed in their stash but never received a reply.

Tony May
Thanks for the reply Alec. Yes, I noticed that Legato kit too once I made my profile on Scalemates. I'd have been happy to source it as a resin kit. However if you look at the box top it even indicates that it was a limited series. Still I wonder how I missed out on hearing about it? I had a friend in both Bulgaria & Czechia at the time with whom I frequently traded or purchased kits through, but I still never heard a word about it. It might've been a REALLY short run & so everyone has jealously guarded their own since? I don't really trade any longer as shipping prices have become ludicrous here in the states, as I'm sure you know. It's often cheaper to ship items from Czechia or Poland to us here at home than any domestic hobby shop.

I did find some more information pertaining to the box art here! It was rumored to have been the box art for a model kit that was planned to be release in 2018 but was pushed back to 2019, most likely with AZ Model. However in the 2020 Nuremberg Toy Fair flier TWO releases of the Aero A-304 were announced as being planned to be released by Kovozávody Prostějov! (One was purely in Czechoslovakian paint schemes & one was for Foreign Operators.)

Source:

britmodeller.com/for..C4%9Bjov-kp-box-art/

I am guessing that the pandemic threw a wrench into these plans? I have an email now sent to the man who runs the new Kovozávody Prostějov, I suspect he also runs AZ Model which would explain the change in plans, to try to fish for answers. I will keep you posted.

Alec K
Great, thanks for the info. I pretty much got as far as you got over the weekend, sans reaching out to Petr Muzikant. Not sure how familiar you are with his story and that of his many brands, but keeping up with announced releases has not been one of his virtues. I am curious as to what he says provided he responds to you). Hopefully you'll finally solve this mystery 👍

Tony May
Hello again Alek & no worries, I was real interested in this matter too. I was not aware of his frequent cases of missing target release dates though. Maybe that's all we're really dealing with? I've had a few good conversations with Mr. Muzikant & learned a little of the ins-outs of the modeling industry. It's not at all the cooperative, mutually respectful, Kumbaya type of environment I always imagined it to be. There's a cut-throat side to it that really left me stunned.

That having been said I've heard similar stories from people stateside whom claimed to have tried to work with model companies in Czechia that went sour, real fast, because they thought they could cut costs & completely cut their American partner out on the business. At the time I just took it as some folks being bitter, because they were talking about one business owner I know pretty well, but now I'm not so sure that's all it was.

Oh! One more thing, which brands does Mr. Muzikant own? I know about AZ Models & Kovozávody Prostějov but that's it?

Alec K
Interesting info, thanks. Yeah, the Czech modeling scene post '89 is a Wild West...

AZ Models also owns the Admiral and Legato brands (both no longer in use, I believe). So technically, AZ and KP are the only active brands under Mr. Muzikant's control.

Daniel Klink
Eduard?

Alec K
Eduard is owned by several folks, but the primary spokesman is Vladimir Sulc.

Tony May
That's really interesting info, thanks for that!

Alec K
Hi Tony - wondering if you have received a response from AZ Models?

Tony May
Frustratingly, no, I haven't... I'll drop Petr another email in a few more days. He might've just been busy as Poland just held one of their biggest modeling events in the country; Chances are good that KP/AZ Model had a stall there.

Alec K
👍