cbk57

“As I understand it, several of Tamiya's recent significant airplane kit releases were completely unannounced or anticipated by the modeling community. They caught everyone off guard when they magically appeared at Shizuoka.   HLJ always does a nice job of previewing kits from major manufacturers based on what is known, and then they do a nice job making videos at the shows wandering around and showing us what the different displays look like.” Hobby Link Japan is no longer a very good source, they post some of TAmiya’s “official preanouncements” but not the surprise ones. With the big releases, some Japanese flyers are getting out, I am guessing to distributors and they usually end up on one of the forums or on facebook. But usually a new major release is not a complete surprise. With the Mustang, Corsair, and F-14 there was information out before the show. We were pretty certain about the Mosquito but I am not sure if there was anything before the show that got out. Actually with both the Mustang and Corsair I found Japanese published kit releases and the only thing legible was the scale and the aircraft for example 1/32 P-51, the rest was in Japanese. Believe or not with some hunting we might find it before the show.

To clarify, apparently their first public model releases came out on April 4, 2009. And yes that sounds about right, my first memory was of the Albatros Dv announcement and I went to their website and bought one. I think they had three or four kits out at the point I fist looked them up.

I have done this only once, I ordered the new Border Models Panzer IV for $39.00. The seller communication was great and the model arrived eventually. Obviously it was slow boat for that shipping price.

Hi All I was shocked to see on the WNW fans facebook page that April 4, 2019 is the 10th anniversary of Wingnut Wings. We should all be thankful even if not WWI builders for their arrival in our hobby. They have truly brought us a special product and contributed enormously to the growth of our hobby. So thank you WNW.

I have been thinking exactly along those lines. I think a major 1/48 subject akin to the f-14 would do exactly that. The good news is nothing yet that would say a LSP is out. Of course nothing to say one is in either.

I know that but it is a serious question also, does anyone have any info? To me this is just about the most important thread of the year. The May hobby show is always the one with the big Tamiya releases and so it is the most exciting one for me and I go to every effort to find out what is coming before the show starts. Inquiring minds want to know and I was making an effort to bring things back to the point and summarize what we know now. Who does not want to be the first to know or figure out what or if there is going to a new 1/32 aircraft from Tamiya, at least on this forum? It will be interesting to see where and how we got there if something comes foreword.

Where we stand now: As far as I can tell after 8 pages of mostly wishes and dreams: there are two rumors as to possible Tamiya 1/32 releases, we have one person that says he knows someone who witnessed Tamiya Employees working on a tail boom for a 1/32 P-38 and we have one person who says he has a source for saying a BF-109G6 is on it’s way at some point. Neither can or will tell us a source(not criticism) which is not.unexpected as leaks just don’t come out of Tamiya until they want it to. We also have a credible impression that Tamiya will release nothing. I can find that no one has direct evidence of anything at the moment. If anyone has evidence of a forthcoming Tamiya 1/32 release please post it.

With luck then that person was only learning of a reissue. It is not that Tamiya can’t do a 1/48 and a 1/32, but it starts making me nervous if I find out of an all new 1/48 tool kit that we might not get a 1/32 kit. Keeping in mind they will be releasing upwards of 6 plastic model kits in various jeanres, I prefer to hear nothing regarding aviation releases if it is not a 1/32 kit as silence leaves hope at the moment. If they do an important enough 1/48 kit we won’t get a 1/32 at this show. Also if they do something else big we might not get a 1/32 plane.

As Ronald Reagan famously said “I am from the government and here to help.” His meaning was a bit more sarcastic. Seriously though that is pretty amazing that someone could help you run this down. It is too fashionable to vilify service now if the public servant is not or was not in the military. There are many who serve our country in silence every day and absorb our criticism fair and unfair without public comment.

Where did you find that? Tamiya did one long ago, so it would have to be a new tool kit to be their aircraft release in may. But it is possible. With luck though a Hayate is only one of their releases and not their only major aircraft release. I think it would be a let down as the 1/48 f-14 was really a bigger subject. I checked a few forums in response to your post but have not found anything yet about a new Ki-84. Have you found a Tamiya release list? Please let us know what is on it if you have. In any event the purpose of this thread is to elicit information about a possible upcoming 1/32 release. I personally consider information on other releases and release lists informative on this subject so please share more information. Hopefully someone can find the Shizuoka release list for the show and post it. There are surprise releases sometimes, especially their featured kit but anything we can get is helpful. Even though Tamiya is highly secretive, I believe they selectively release some information in order to generate interest. They just are more subtle about it but we usually see black and white flyers showing kit features on major releases prior to the show. I believe these are purposefully leaked personally as TAmiya has to know they are ending up on Facebook and other forums. Tamiya model magazine and model blog sometimes get some early news out also.

I am not advocating for a 109G, but this is just what makes the most sense to me, especially when you look at the 1/48 kit and the timing of the 1/72 kit. There is something about it, the pattern and the fact that they have not done a German WWII prop in 1/32 that makes me feel this is the one.

I included HK because they are doing aircraft only, focusing on 1/32, and taking on riskier subjects that Tamiya won’t touch, especially in 1/32.

This is a perfect example of the lack of diversity in Tamiya’s aviation catalog. Unless they did a helo in the 1960’s or 1970’s in an odd scale like 1/50 or 1/100 they have never done any type of helo. It is not just they have not done a Huey they have not done anything. I hope they announce something interesting in May. We will see but when you look at Tamiya’s Catalog they have only issued around 40 distinct aircraft types. After that most of their Catalog are variants. I don’t count any kit they partnered with Italeri which they have released several more. I count the Corsair, Zero and Me-109, FW-190, F-16, F-15 only once in that count. I don’t mean this as criticism only as observation that Tamiya is about quality and diversity throughout a much wider variety of products. For all of our obsession with Tamiya they really are not a leading Aviation model company. At present several other companies would share in that honor including WNW, ZM and HK. Tamiya leads in quality and innovation but other companies are our real meat and potatoes.

Yes there is one, I think it is Great Wall. Took me a minute, I was thinking Kitty Hawk but pretty sure Great Wall is doing it. I have not seen anymore on it but I hope we see it on the sale by December. It was shown at the end of year Hobby Show in Japan but was really crude so very early in development. Looked like they just threw something together to go with the announcement. However, I think Great Wall have done some nice kits so far so I am hopeful they will get this right.

I see above the usual comments, why doesn't Tamiya do something off the beaten track in 1/32. In relation to this discussion, I took a fresh look at the Tamiya Catalog in the following scales 1/100, 1/72, 1/48, and we all know the 1/32 stuff they have done. Really when you look at their existing releases, they have a pretty shallow catalog even in 1/48. When you take out sub variants like three versions of the Corsair and 6 or seven versions of the Zero they don't have near the depth in Airplanes the Hasegawa and maybe some other makers have. In 1/48 Tamiya have released a few off the beaten track kits but not that many really. Maybe 10 of their releases would be kind of left field. My point is Tamiya is just not that adventuresome when it comes to Airplanes. You are more likely to get something obscure from their Armor releases. They have done a few unique French and Japanese kits that were pretty obscure. In 1/32 their kits are and are going to be bucket list planes. Whether a 109G or a P-47, if they release something it is going to be a kit that many will complain "we don't need another ..." I don't know what the point of complaining about that is or even wondering why they don't release a Fairly Fruitbat Mk I or whatever your personal favorite is. Please understand I am not advocating for a specific plane. I am only entering into the discussion what I think is coming and studying the replies to see if someone actually does pop up with real information. Hopefully in April we will see a leaked Flyer like we have seen now and then with Early design features. I am mainly hoping they release a 1/32 plane and then we can debate how horrible their choice was. There won't be much fun though or much friendly fire if they release a 1/12 SF71 celebrating Kimi Raikonens last wing(At least for you LSP guys, I would be quite pleased).