Artful69

Heya Albert When I first got back into the hobby ... My buying decisions were near awful ... the most dodgy kit of a particular subject on the market - and paying top dollar for it too!! So my thoughts: ... * Pick a subject first ... My stuff is mostly focused toward European/Mediterranean Theatre WWII ... but I did collect some Pacific Theatre stuff later - and these choices came out of my desire to have a go at building a kit made by particular manufacturer. Some people really like WWI subjects (and some have grown to like them because of WNW) ... others like Vietnam Jets ... others Cold War - or more modern ... Soviet, British, American ... the list of possibilities is endless. * Google research ... "1/32 XYZ" ... How many different kits are there out there?? The LSP data base can help ... so too, Scalemates. Look for detailed reviews on the various manufacturers kits - preferably those reviews containing a build (rather than just 'in-box') ... This will give you a good idea of what sort of pitfalls you may be setting yourself up for in the build, the amount of effort or skill required, scale accuracy - against the real deal, fit and finish, quality of kit engineering etc. * From there it's pretty much a Bang-for-buck decision ... how much are you willing to spend (or the budget will allow) - and what are those $$ going to buy you. * if you've gone through all of this and are still unsure ... pop a query up on the forums here ... there's a bucketload of knowledgable people that can clarify on various points. * My personal suggestion ... try at least 1 Zoukei-Mura kit at some point ... a relative newcomer (in the last decade) ... fast learners and the last 3 or 4 kits have been top notch! The kits go together in a very unusual (and I think - entertaining) way. The Ki-45 just released a few months back and the Hs.129 due out later this year both look amazing. Rog

Andy is good value .. I'm subscribed and notified when anything new is up Rog

That's not fair! ... the hairstyles always vary! *** Edit ... found it ... It's Macross Delta!! Rog

Oooooo which anime is that one? Rog

Well ... when it was first announced ... that was my thought too ... I mean it's not like their WWI kits are anywhere near cheap ... These guys operate at the Tamiya-esque / Zoukei -Mura end of the spectrum. But I distinctly remember that someone representing WNW (who? I can't remember) commenting that the RRP they were aiming at would be comparable to the HKM kit. I just thought: Well if that's the case, I might finally get a WNW kit and see what all the fuss is about ... since I won't ever get a WWI subject. Hey ... If the WNW kit is significantly more expensive ... it just means I get the HKM offerings instead. TBH I'm still not 100% sold on the oil canning of the WNW version anyway ... Rog

A bit simplified ... but essentially - yes! ... The Nashorn (1942) concept was an evolution of the earlier Marder vehicles ... a creation designed to mount a larger anti-tank weapon than could be fitted to the currently produced panzers - onto tracks - instead of a towed wheeled carriage. The early Marder's were cobbled together from obsolete panzer Chassis' (Pz.I, II and 38(t)'s) and captured Russian 76mm's. As it became clear that the Russian 76mm was both highly inaccurate and mechanically unreliable ... German high velocity 75mm (later used in the StuG.III and Pz.IV) were adapted to fit. Of course the obvious anti tank piece that all Germans wanted on a tracked vehicle was the 88mm ... and the only chassis in production at the time that could carry it was the Pz.IV. And so the Hornisse was born ... and later renamed Nashorn ... By 1943 the ever reliable chassis was being used again for artillery ... first for the 10.5cm Howitzer and then for the 15cm Rog

I was thinking the same thing ... my first AM "go-to" is always metal barrels or tubing (Master, Aber ... take your pick!) ... As for the IP ... personal taste as always I guess ... but I'm wondering if it would be a waste of a fair bit of work ... and cost ... for something that has the glazing covering and distorting the view anyway? ... It's not an 'open' cockpit like a fighter A/C. I guess on something this big you might look at G-Factor landing gear (if and when available) and AM (resin) wheels? - an obvious area that stands out ... or AM masks / decals? In other words ... Pretty much exactly the same gear I'd look at with the WNW kit anyway. For mine ... I thought the early news was that the WNW kit was going to be comparable in price to the HKM kit ... so we have recent news that it's going to come out at a lot more now?? Rog

Considering that WNW are going for the stressed skin/oil canning effect ... I'd be tempted to go HKM for the Dambuster and WNW for the standard bomber. I very much doubt the 617 Chastise Lancs had stressed skin with the amount of flying they did. Rog

Correct ... circa 2012/2013 ... Super Hobby (online retail) has them on their stock list as a future item in 2012 and they're in the LSP Database with the same description as at 2013. No indication of when Hannants posted the kit to their inventory as a future release either?! IIRC the reviews I've read on the Hobbycraft kit weren't all that bad ... so it would be nice to see them re-popped ... as by the time I went hunting for pre-P.51D offerings, they were scarce as rocking horse poo. Rog

The 32' Beau is one of the first kits I bought ... right in with the Hasegawa Bf.109E and Revell Bf.110C-4 (which were, by ALL definitions - accuracy, fit, finish - complete dogs of the soul destroying nature!!) ... Though the others were deposited in the round filing cabinet, the Beau, strangely, I could not let go of. I agree with Rick ... in that the current canopy clarity won't allow much view of the innards (a newer clear resin replacement might change that opinion!) ... so I'd tend to focus on externals ... and what's there is sparse to say the least. definitely exhausts and props need some TLC, perhaps undercarriage too? ... I'd leave the panel lines as they are. If the AM ever became available - I'd want to mod up something like a D-Day RAAF 455 Sqn kite ... underwing rockets (available elsewhere), big angled tailplanes, observers defensive weapon and masks/decals etc Rog

Def'o into this! I'll need some new nacelles too ... I have one of the original sets but am a Vac-o-phobic Thanks for the update John ... Rog

The Sheridan is a new tool ... I think the decals bit was referring to the comment about the 'new' A-6A Intruder from Trumpeter? I agree - I'd rather they'd picked a different subject ... Like a Pz.Kpfw.III or StuG.III ... when that chassis finally gets released in 1/16 I'll be all over it!! In relation to the OP ... I don't think Tamiya doing (or not-doing) anything now will have any bearing on what is done in the future ... I've been hoping for a while that they'd upscale their Mk.1 Spit or their Bf.109G-6 ... ... But we've seen nothing in 1/32 for quite some time and rumour has it that they've taken a breather in that scale. Rog

For the uninformed ... what is sprue N ?? Rog

As much as I'm happy to see a few of WWII bombers being kitted in IM ... including the four engined Heavies currently in production ... or slated for release in the near future, I'd have to say I agree! ... The main 3 most popular (4's) Lanc, B.17 and B.24 are now being kitted ... There's probably room, popularity wise, for between about 3 and 6 larger twins in IM ... and even then the demand for these in IM is debatable (Wellington, Do.17 or 217, B.26 etc) Don't get me wrong ... I'll shell out the cash for the Ju.52 when it appears as well as any of the above with the exception of the B.26. But there has to be a point where the market as a whole just says "are you kidding? - Nope, not for me" Rog