Revell 1/32 armor

ketelone · Post by **ketelone** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:10 pm

I went to my local hobby shop and saw that Revell is reissuing the old 1/32 Monogram vehicles. They were inexpensive too. I have quite a few of the vintage Monogram kits but I think I'm going to buy some of the Revell kits in light of the apparent demise of 21st Century.

Ketelone

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:52 am

My first model tank was the Revell M-4 Sherman. 98c if I recall.

I also built a fleet out of the Revell ships.

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:06 am

I always liked the Sherman calliope tank my brother had one when I was a kid. Is that one being re released too? What was the price at the shop where you saw them at?

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:35 am

Wasn't the Calliope a Monogram model?

ketelone · Post by **ketelone** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:24 pm

These new 1/32 Revell models are remakes of the old Monogram kits. They're not difficult and they're inexpensive: $22 at my hobby shop.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:59 pm

Inflation.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:42 pm

Also.

Are they 1/32 or 1/35? I seem to recall 1/35.

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:13 pm

Some of Monograms early stuff was 1/35 scale. But the later releases such as the Shermans, Grants,PzIVs,armoured cars, etc were 1/32nd scale.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 4:41 am

Oh. It's been a long time.

ketelone · Post by **ketelone** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:15 pm

When Monogram came out with their 1/32 vehicles supposedly Tamiya was going to make 1/32 kits also but they and Italieri went to 1/35 and ultimately everyone else did too. Imagine if 1/32 was THE scale......

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:09 am

I guess the Japanese are just a smaller people.

Was that politically incorrect?

[CAT]CplSlade · Post by **[CAT]CplSlade** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:40 pm

1/32 was supposed to BE the scale for military miniatures (54mm had been the standard for a while) but for some reason I can't fathom, Tamiya decided to switch to 1/35 with the claim that a larger(?) size was needed for the addition of motors to make the models into motorized/RC units. This makes no sense to me seeing as how 1/32 is LARGER than 1/35, unless they were previously working in 1/48 or 1/72, Why they didn't just go with the previously established 1/32 I don't know, unless it is because the average height of a Japanese male is 5'7" and 1/35 figures are roughly 5'6" compared to a 1/32 figure measuring a scale 6'.

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:44 am

Ah, so.

krieglok · Post by **krieglok** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:37 pm

I built the M3 recently. Here are a couple pictures, one with a Tamiya 1/35th version I built almost 30 years ago...

TJ

[CAT]CplSlade · Post by **[CAT]CplSlade** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:27 pm

^ And that is why I won't add 1/35 to my collection.

binder001 · Post by **binder001** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:38 am

[CAT]CplSlade wrote:1/32 was supposed to BE the scale for military miniatures (54mm had been the standard for a while) but for some reason I can't fathom, Tamiya decided to switch to 1/35 with the claim that a larger(?) size was needed for the addition of motors to make the models into motorized/RC units. This makes no sense to me seeing as how 1/32 is LARGER than 1/35, unless they were previously working in 1/48 or 1/72, .

Some of the early Tamiyas were in 1/55 scale or some such (the Crusadrer III and T92 light tank offered by Hawk Models back in the 60s were supposedly Tamiya moldings). People now don't appreciate that many of Tamiya's earlier 1/35th stuff was meant to be motorized. You could buy the "motorized" or "non-motorized" versions of many tanks back in the 70s and 80s. That's why older Tamiya models all had slots in the hulls (on the bottom) for switches and to allow addition of batteries or screw holes for the metal gear box, etc. Oddly a few early Tamiya "1/35th" kits were closer to 1/32nd (the early 70s version of the M4A3 Sherman or their first effort at the M8 armored car). Their M36 tank destroyer was about 1/33rd on the hull and close to 1/35th on the turret.

Funny enough, the early 60s Monogram military models were VERY close to 1/35th, BUT after Monogram introduced their line of 1/32nd armor the older kits were released in boxes that claimed they were "1/32nd" - very confusing for some people.

Back in the 60's Renwal Models had a "Blueprint" series" that was 1/32nd, but they really screwed the pooch on a lot of details. Their series had a couple missle trucks, an M47 medium, M42 "twin forty" and an M62 wrecker truck, and Atomic Cannon - stuff you can't find elsewhere. Revell made a pretty decent series in 1/40th, complimented by some kits from Adams. They were later released by UPC and then by Life-Like. Except for a T34/85 all the Revell kits were US. Aurora went with 1/48th for their tanks - very basic and soft in detail but they had Centurion, Tiger II, and some cool artillery among others.

For many years 1/32nd was a "car scale" then the airplane guys started getting big planes. Tamiya switched to 1/35th and started releasing a bunch of kits, Monogram tried their 1/32nd line but the detail and accuracy just weren't there. After Italeri joined the 1/35th bandwagon 1/32nd was doomed as a tank scale.

Gary

ltcbj · Post by **ltcbj** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:41 am

I mourn 21C.