Artful69

Wait ... So there are 2 different Revell castings?? ... Now THAT, I was not aware of!!! I'll have a dive into Thierry's tweek lists to see what's what ... So what's the deal with each of these - the newer moulding is dodgy - but the old one is just ... old?? Rog

Ok ... so I'm thinking Quinta Studios IP's for the Tamiya E or EJ kit ... also AM seamless corrected intakes and nozzles. RAAF decals. All with either - A bunch of sprues with a C/D kit ... OR ... An EJ or an E kit Is that about it?? Rog

Thanks buddy … I have included that one in my ad … I THINK that there may be a couple online for sale also … TY Carl … I’ll do a deeper dive this eve!! Rog

Thierry … Have put a notice in the traders board for an E or an EJ … THANKS for those sprues!! - are they the only ones needed / different from the C/D?!? … Decals are readily available and so is a C/D … I will wait a few days and see what the ad brings! thanks again - very much Rog

Thierry … What would be the difference between the C/D and the E kit … is it the wings (I can buy separate Tamiya Sprues off eBay for the E … or would it be easier to back date a J ?? Rog

The RAAF once leased 25 F4-E Phantoms. I would like to build one in 1/32 (having enjoyed the RAAF F18A experience! ) I can see a 1/32 Academy F4-E for sale via an Aussie store … but some of the reviews I’ve seen are less than enticing … I have heard that the Tamiya F4-E is decent … but it’s now OOP … any thoughts?? Conversions for available Tamiya kits etc?? … Rog

I thought the rule was - if you live in USA you can only order from Volks USA - or a “friend” shop … Volks Japan handle local and international orders for everywhere else. Rog

A re-release of the G-14 kit, for sure ... but not of the limited edition Eric Hartmann boxing, complete with figure etc Rog

Local suppliers in Aus have ordered the limited edition ... they just haven't arrived yet ... we are told maybe early September - this is because of shipping and customs delays from point to point, nothing more ... I will collect my limited edition when it arrives on shore. Rog

When I first got back into modelling, I wanted to display a representation of equipment used in a particular campaign and was very frustrated to find out that that there were 2 different ‘large’ scales for armour and aircraft … I was so annoyed with it at the time - that I considered switching to 48th … … of course I just sucked it up and went with 2 different scales anyway - near enough is good enough … I’ve often wondered who would be able to influence a change of scale - and while I always thought that there were far too many aircraft kits in 1/32, by too many different manufacturers, to change the aircraft scale … the only major influencer in the large scale armour modelling until the late noughties was Tamiya … BUT … then Dragon started pumping out very well engineered, detailed and accurate ‘all-in-one’ kits - to the point where it became ridiculous - at a rate of several new releases every month!! Dragon missed an opportunity here to change the scale … backed by Revell/Monogram and Airfix already making 1/32 armour, Dragon could have become a main influencer of scale change. Instead they reinforced the status quo … Will Border be able to start a new trend for AC in 35? … I’m quite sure that, if the Stuka and Bf.109 weren’t selling well enough, we either wouldn’t be seeing CAD of another kit at all OR at least something less esoteric than a Kate!! … Whether the trend lasts will be up to several factors - not the least of which include build quality, detail clarity and accuracy - it’s hard enough to break into an existing market, let alone create a brand new one!! Rog

Definitely a left-of-field choice for a 1/16 scale kit ... but on the other hand smart logic in engineering - considering a Das Werk 1/16 StuK 40 L/48 (detailed and from China) already exists in the StuG.III Ausf.G kit ... take the gun and the pre-existing Pz.Kfpw.I Ausf.B Takom kit ... and there'll be just the adaption bits to tool ... makes me wonder though if we may yet get a PaK.40 ... or a Pz.Kpfw.IV from Takom? ... definitely nowhere to store ammo on this thing as the loading occurs on top of the engine deck and the shells would be too cumbersome to store and retrieve from the front of the vehicle ... and yes ... Dragon (who do/did great research on their kits) have one in 1/35 to reference and judging by the colouring on the box art (DRA 6781) it looks like its a quick one off adaption rather than a purpose built example ... looks like Takom have upscaled one of the Dragons' included crew figures also Rog

In the sense that a lot of the sprue-work is the same as in the earlier H-1 kit ... it IS the same ... However ... Since the H-1 was only the second kit that ZM had produced ... and their design, engineering etc, while good ... was still developing into top notch gear ... The H-0 had some re-engineered sprues (copies of the originals - only better) inserted along with any changed sprues (for corrected parts or variant changes) The TLDR is that the H-0, being a later release and benefitting from SOME better tooling/technology = same kit, better quality! Rog

Thanks for the response! It's obvious that you've had a fair bit of input into the research here with types and features - and this has flowed onto kit engineering and sprue design ... I definitely understood the reasoning behind the '1-cannon-per-boxing' rationale - once the sprue engineering layout became clear - an independent sprue for the cannon ... Thanks also for clearing up the idea behind the inclusion for the other bits and pieces - very clever to allow for limited variant options without too much wastage!! - I think you also mentioned (somewhere) that there was the ability to make different variants directly from the Bf109-G14 boxing also? ... It's a great insight into 'behind the scenes development' that we don't normally get access to ... so thanks for taking the time to explain this to those of us that don't get to walk through this process. Rog

There's a LOT of things 'included' in various kits out there that don't make sense - one version to the next ... Including the HS.129. I don't understand why a centreline rack for bombs would be included in a kit designed to carry only a Mk.103 and maybe wing mounted bombs? ... or B-1 styled engine cowls? ... but there they are, regardless! It's obviously some sort of engineering decision in sprue design WAY above my understanding of these things ... However I understand the decision to 'separate' the cannon versions ... not only better marketing in the end - but better cost efficiency in production! (given the separate sprue) - I was just surprised in the initial marketing description didn't make this clear - but I knew the Old Man would have set us straight somewhere along the line Rog

Annnnnnd here’s the ZM amendment to the original release schedule!!! … I found it earlier today posted years ago on my Facebook page for some reason … 3 versions to be released … * B-2 / R3 (RIII) - (Mk 101 or bombs) * B-3 - (Bk 75) * B-2 / R8 - (Mk 103) Rog