Small Scale Military Headquarters

I now have four models of the Carro Armato, three in metal and one in plastic. The smallest is a 1:76th scale metal kit-build of a Hinchcliff model; next up is a 1:64th scale diecast rendition by DeAgostini, then a 1:35th scale plastic kit build and, finally, the K&C stone "heavyweight". Here's a gr...

I've been waiting for this one for some time and this 1:30th scale crushed stone replica of Italy's M13/40 Carro Armato WWII tank doesn't disappoint. Here's a picture:

The HM F2A Buffalo and the pre-WWII series ---F3F, F4B and P-26-----are also very good to excellent, though the main gear doors were missing on one or two of the earlyF3Fs. The FW-190 is a very good tooling whose potential has been diminished by poor scheme selections, terrible mottling and other sl...

The publisher, GE Fabbri, has launched a line of 1:72nd scale diecast tanks in Russia that includes some unusual Soviet armor items from the 1930s. These are the T-35, a 45-55 ton multi-turreted "heavy" and a somewhat smaller "medium", the T-28, which also features a number of turrets. The T-35 moun...

Thanks, guys. Yes, the Japanese developed two four engined bombers. One was a failed attempt in 1939-40 to copy our DC-4, which resulted in the G5N Shinzan. This was aborted. In 1943- 1944, the Japanese developed the G8N1 Renzan, which was much more capable. It could carry a load of 8000 pounds of b...

With the arrival of a 1:120th scale diecast rendition of the Frances the Hachette Collections Japan has now given me a replica of all seven of the major WWII Japanese bombers. Here's a picture of the complete set:

Just announced on the Hobby Master Collector site is a 1:48th scale HM Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet for later this year with a few very preliminary pre-pro pictures. Should be a popular choice, though I'd much rather have seen a MC-202, I-16, etc.

I agree and just pre ordered one. Barring difficulties with the undercarriage, this should be a big winner. It should be noted that the Storch is quite a large bird, with a wingspan of almost 47 feet so it's not as tiny as some may think.

Nice work, Chunk. No one can accuse you of going in for "the usual subjects" when it comes to scheme selection.

very nice who did you buy this from? Thanks, AG. These models are sold primarily in Japan via bookstores, either individually or by subscription to the whole line. A few are currently being offered on eBay, including a Tojo, but this is a rare event. I get mine by ordering through the Kinokuniya bo...

And, for scale comparisons purposes, here's is a shot of the Hachette Rufe in 1:87th and a Corgi Zero repaint in 1:72nd:

Here's a view of the underside:

Now, a side view:

Since much of the discussion recently regarding the new Warmaster line centered on the Rufe, I thought the members might like to see my 1:87th scale diecast model of the same bird, made for the Hachette Collections Japan series, that just arrived. Here's a view from the upper left: http://i635.photo...

I forgot to mention that a Mig-17 is also shown on the EM catalog page, above. More good news!

According to a post by DAF member, Pauck, who has been to the Nuremburg toy fair, MRC's Easy Model line of assembled plastic kits in 1:72nd scale is planning to release P-61s, Il-2s P-38s, Buffalos, Swordfish, P-47s and more FW-190s this year. While EM frequently makes such announcements but can't k...

I just spotted this picture of a page in the Dragon catalog which indicates to me that the Type 97 tank, mentioned above, is, indeed, going to be the medium, not the tankette. Needless to say, this is very good news----to me, at least. http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu75/Epapazian/20110208-21451...

One last batch:

Finally, I, too, dislike the chore of assembling kits, however built models are readily available on eBay, sometimes at astoundingly low prices. Just use the key word "built" and many pages of such listings pop up. Here are some examples of buys I've made in the past year or so: http://i635.photobuc...

Two models from The Collector's Showcase, another premium line:

Two more. The WWI French tank is from the Old Northwest Trading Co.

More of the same:

Next, some K&C models:

I thought I'd post some pictures from my computer file of my "unusual subjects" in the 1:30-1:35th scale armor range. First, a couple of Figarti Stuarts, the desert "Honey" being a repaint:

In the case of the Figarti and King & Country lines, these are limited run manufacturers, which is part of the appeal for many "high end" collectors. In my case, I buy such models very selectively, for example the Figarti Stuart or the K&C Char B, and mix them in with mass produced models by FOV and...