Origin of the name
The Ding-Hao Hobby logo is formed with a thumbs up inside a shark’s mouth – the distinctive nose art of American Volunteer Group (AVG) P-40 fighters which were victorious against Japanese fighters in China between December 1941 and July 1942. Chinese civilians and soldiers often greeted the pilots by giving a thumbs-up and exclaiming, "Ding Hao!" This phrase, meaning "The Best" or "The Ultimate," was a heartfelt expression of respect for those fighting on behalf of China. The AVG pilots quickly adopted both gesture and slogan, often using the thumbs-up and saying "Ding Hao" when interacting with locals. Hobby Fan use "Ding Hao" for their ultimate range of mixed media kits with plastic and resin parts, rated 18+
About the kits
Mixed-media kits allow the manufacturer to offer advanced modellers niche subjects that are not viable using conventional injection moulding. Resin components are produced using short-run hand-casting techniques. Resin moulds (usually silicone) are costly and have a short lifespan. A silicone mould might last 20–40 casts before degrading, sometimes only 10–15 for parts with very fine detail. Unlike automated injection processes, resin casting requires each part to be poured, degassed, cured, removed from the mould, trimmed, and cleaned by hand. Skilled labour dominates the cost, and the resulting limited-run kit reflects the low volume and substantial work inherent in this approach.
