Small Scale Military Headquarters

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<b>Unimax Strikes Back</b><br>
In a move aimed at stealing back much of their thunder, <b>Unimax</b> today revealed pictures of some of their upcoming products. Several product photos were posted to their site, among them their 1:32 scale Elefant tank destroyer (#UNI80052H), M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (#UNI80053H), 1:72 scale panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank (#UNI85051H), 1:72 scale M3 Lee tank (#UNI85211H), 1:72 scale King Tiger with soldiers (#UNI85701H) and 1:72 scale German halftrack with Pak40 anti-tank gun (#UNI85210). In the air, look forward to a 1:72 scale AH-64D Longbow attack helicopter (#UNI85208H). Its not clear if the maker of the highly popular Forces of Valor line will continue to upload additional images to their site for some of the other products debuted in their most recent brochure....<i>[posted 1/14/2008]</i><p>

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

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1st Issue: German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer - Italy, 1944 (1:32 Scale)

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/ ... 53H-2T.jpg">

US M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle - Stryker Brigade Combat Team 1: 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Iraq, 2003 (1:32 Scale)

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/ ... 51H-2T.jpg">

1st Issue: German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. J Medium Tank -Germany, 1944 (1:72 Scale)

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/ ... 11H-2T.jpg">

1st Issue: US M3 Lee Medium Tank - Tunisia, 1942 (1:72 Scale)

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/ ... 01H-2T.jpg">

German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. A Heavy Tank with Soldiers (1:72 Scale)

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/ ... 08H-2T.jpg">

US Army McDonnell-Douglas AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter (1:72 Scale)

[+] > "Elefant" looks to be neat w/ zimmermit and can't wait for this one but .....

...... * where's the Deuce & a 1/2 promised us ? ... + I hope to see the (S-3) Matilda scheme too , like their Action Series one , w/ that ugly "mustard-yellow" , "olive and chocolate-brown" camo. *


Mitch v MG

Hi,
I believe the Deuce is on track to release later in the year, likely in the third quarter. I'm sure the company will also be posting pix of their repaints soon.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

* Thanks Marc ! * +


Mitch v MG

Thank you for posting the pics, Marc. I noticed that the new items are now posted on the Forces of Valor website - no repaints yet though.

Now I know for sure that the Elefant, Stryker, Mark IV and Lee have to be mine.

Elefant and stryker look sweet! I'm disapointed that I can't see any pics of the deuce and a half though, that is the vehicle I am most looking forward to (its long overdue).

Hi,
I'm still hoping the Stryker will come with the bird cage armor designed to defeat man-portable RPGs. If its on display at the upcoming show, we'll snap some pix and post 'em. Likewise on the other vehicles, especially if the Deuce is on display.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

The Elefant and PZIV look great, I can't get enough PZIV's! The Stryker looks bad-ass as well. I may have to break my no modern rule!

Birdcage is a must on the Stryker though. If it doesn't come with it I will probably pass.

The Stryker bird cage may not only be difficult to manufacture but would be awfully fragile as well. Think Pz IV skirting and that is much more substantial. My concern is if the beef this up enough for strength it will look awful. This may make a great custom if it comes without though.

Elefant looks great!

Didn't the PzIV-J have wire skirting?

olifant wrote:The Stryker bird cage may not only be difficult to manufacture but would be awfully fragile as well. Think Pz IV skirting and that is much more substantial. My concern is if the beef this up enough for strength it will look awful. This may make a great custom if it comes without though.

Yeah you might be right.

It promises to be a good year for FOV stuff if they do in fact come out. Hopefully the 1:18 line will see expansion as well.

Hi,
The wire grills, or Thoma, were found on the J variant. My guess is that this is an H variant, which was clad with the Schurzen skirts.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Marc - only late production Js had the "Thoma shields", so this new release could be a J. There are very few other differences (manual turret traverse, cast rear idler and steel return rollers) between the H and J anyways.

I wonder if the Elefant will come with 1 or more figures.

MG-42 wrote:[+] > "Elefant" looks to be neat w/ zimmermit and can't wait for this one but .....
...... * where's the Deuce & a 1/2 promised us ? ... + I hope to see the (S-3) Matilda scheme too , like their Action Series one , w/ that ugly "mustard-yellow" , "olive and chocolate-brown" camo. *
Mitch v MG

The Flying Mule has a picture of the Deuce & a 1/2

Birdcage is quite easy to duplicate using hobby mesh found at most craft stores (Michaels/Hobby Lobby etc). Pastruct modellers styrene products are used for the framework, and again it's very easy to duplicate.

WGP Klaus wrote:Birdcage is quite easy to duplicate using hobby mesh found at most craft stores (Michaels/Hobby Lobby etc). Pastruct modellers styrene products are used for the framework, and again it's very easy to duplicate.

Well, yeah, for you an expert duplicator such as yourself, but what about the rest of us?



MV

Perhaps he will allow us to stare?

Hi,
Unimax has confirmed that the upcoming 1:72 PzKpfw IV will be a J version, not an H as previously speculated. Apparently, some of the Js had schurzen side armor skirts while others were fitted with the Thoma side grills.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

That is awesomely nit picky of them. A "J" would be unique and "special" with the wire skirts. With the solid skirting it might as well be the "H" as the "J".

Wow, I might have to break my new no 1:72 rule for that J model!

Well, whenever someone gets that J, we'll all just have to examine the return rollers & rear idler to see if it is indeed an early- or mid-production Ausf J as Unimax says it is! That'd be about the only other way to tell... because 1:72 tanks don't exactly have interiors you can examine, thus you can't see whether or not it has manual turret traverse and an additional fuel tank

Another detail that distinquishes the "J" from the "H" is the omission on the "J" of the small muffler to the left (as you face the rear of the vehicle) of the main engine muffler. This muffler was for the small engine that traversed the turret. Pz IV J's apparently had manual traverse. This omission should be fairly obvious on even a 1/72 scale vehicle.