I think the postwar era was great. It was a golden age in terms of popularity and whatnot.
But I think a serious modeler from back then would just be floored at what we got now. The literal bells and whistles are mind blowing, even compared to what I had as a kid in the 90s. Engines creep along and labor just like the real thing. It's awesome! Maybe it's a second "golden age" but I kind of think it's just a totally different age.
I think the market on proprietary stuff will plateau. I think the company that decides to go open source first will attract new tinker-ers. That's what I think is next. Manufacturer encouraged modification via opensource designs. Also, VR or VR helmets could do interesting things. What if you built a layout and then virtually sat in the engineers seat? Big dreams man, big dreams.
