Small Scale Military Headquarters

Make the grab if you ever wanted this (not my auction).
http://cgi.ebay.com/FORCES-OF-VALOR-1-3 ... dZViewItem
First Edition Panther cheap.

That is incredibly cheap for an S1. I've seen people go absolutely nuts about these - last time I looked them up (last summer) they were getting up into the $75-100 range.

I'm not too keen on the build quality of that particular release anymore - but hey, if there are still 1:32 collectors out there without one, jump on it!

Got it

I'd forgotten about the S1 FOV Panther, and how good it looks. Much better than the S2 version. Very nice price as most Enthusiast vehicles go for $5 to $15 or more at regular retail, never mind ebay. He also has a T-72 and Pershing. Didn't some members want those?

Would have gotten it myself , but I'm happy with my Befehlspanther. That was an extremely rare find, if I do say so myself.

Befehlspanther? I must have missed that one. Could you post some pics?

Kevin

My own custom .
Can't post pictures, because the camera won't cooperate.

Got the panther the other day... and I thought the original 21c Cold Steel version was great The FOV Panther is awesome

Does the S1 have the same problem with the gun mantlet as the S2 ?

I bought that one along time back and its pretty nice indeed.

The mantlet's most likely messed up too, since it wasn't re-tooled.

I have long wanted one of these.

How exactly is the gun mantlet messed up? I see where it could be on upside down as it looks like the scope/rangefinder port is perhaps upside down on the right side of the mantlet, with the MG port on the other side... If this is indeed the defect, it is not too noticable to me and I'm not going to worry about it. The tank is still a winner in my book

The mantlet is upside down and therefore backwards as well.

While the defect is, in itself, quite minor and only significant to (many of) those who are willing to spend the $30-$50 for what amounts to a toy it is both the principle of the thing and the general lack of quality control in FoV creations that really bothers me, personally.

First off these (FoV vehicles, especially the enthusiast series) are presented as miniature 'replicas' and as being highly realistic. Their price point implies high quality in both research and manufacture. Then we find that there is some glaring error, such as this reversed mantlet, or an actual manufacturing defect, as in the StugIII where the 75mm wouldn't depress adequately (if I recall correctly). I have a Tiger with two rear deck cables for the port side. No big deal except that after paying $40+ dollars for a "made" item you have to work on the model yourself to make it 'right'. I have seen unopened M-16s (the quad-50 1/2 trax, not the rifle) with the 50-cals all twisted, straight from the manufacturer.

Just another example of poor quality control in the manufacturing process. Clearly, here we have a reasonably researched tank that was simply put together wrongly. It suggests a lack of concern on the part of the maker. Especially if it goes uncorrected.

It becomes unforgivable if they have not corrected the error in subsequent manufacturing runs. Have they?

I think it depends on the error and the price involved. For a $20 Stug III from Target I can live with a gun depression error. For $80 online for an Elefant it had better be pretty darn accurate. At $400 for a 1/16 piece it had not only be spot on but also perform some household chores while I am at work.

I haven't bought an enthusiast grade FOV release in about three years due to the rising cost but this morning I was looking over the older pieces I have and they are absolutely fabulous. Given 21Cs slow down and possible demise I may have to play catch up with FOV. (Wallet groaning as I say this)

Agreed. That Elefant had better be AWESOME, for that much cash, and that much waiting time. At least it has Zimmerit, and it's a vehicle never before rendered in 1/32. Lightning, did FoV send you photos of the real thing yet? By this time I should think that the prototype would have been photographed and sent.

Again, as I see it, the Panther defect is minor and the tank is still well worth the normal retail price. Mantlet aside, its quality if far superior to any of the 21c versions in terms of the sculpting and detail and has a better paint scheme except for possibly the S1 "Cold Steel" version in the ambush pattern. That said, however, with the rising costs of these products, accuracy had better be good. Still, if a small detail is not quite where it should be on the Elefant, for example, but the tank looks like it should over all, then I will still be happy

I just bought the S2 panther and fixed the mantlet problem in about ten minutes with a screwdriver and an xacto knife. All you need to do is unscrew the multitude of screws that are betweeen you and the mantlet, unscrew the mantlet, rotate it, and if your gun was also rotated all funky like mine, you can unscrew it too, hack off the guide nub inside the mantlet that makes the gun insert at an askew angle, then screw everything back on. Good as, well, new I guess (or better actually . )

Kevin

PanzerArm wrote:I just bought the S2 panther and fixed the mantlet problem in about ten minutes with a screwdriver and an xacto knife. All you need to do is unscrew the multitude of screws that are betweeen you and the mantlet, unscrew the mantlet, rotate it, and if your gun was also rotated all funky like mine, you can unscrew it too, hack off the guide nub inside the mantlet that makes the gun insert at an askew angle, then screw everything back on. Good as, well, new I guess (or better actually . )

Kevin

Done the same with mine last week

Don't know if this is a "common" problem or not, but my Panther's muzzle brake fell off right after the tank left the box. Took 30 minutes to find it, and had to repair it twice with superglue since. Anyone else's Panther have this problem?

AND the mantlet was upside down...Yes?

This is the kind of major and minor crxp that has turned me off to FoV.