Small Scale Military Headquarters

Area21 has just posted pictures of the new 32x M-7 Priest armored vehicle. It is aparently deep into production and we should be seeing them early in summer. It looks like it will be a fantastic vehicle, and one of the most detailed pieces of 32x armor yet. It seems we may also get a couple new US tanker crew figures, other than the standard three. I knew that this was being produced and didn't really care for it, but after seeing the pictures of the interior detail...

Wow - very nice.
We need one in 1:18 I eagerly await..

i just saw the pics too.....looks sharp. i agree with digger. 1/18 version please...

I'll 2nd that! I think anything in 1/32nd should be made in 1/18th.
I would like a King Tiger in XD

Wow!! That looks great! Man what I would give to see it in 1:18..... Beautiful! It will definately turn more than a few modeler's eyes....

-Ski

Very nice cant wait to see if they post pics when they have the final paint shots done.

D'OH i guess they are final some of em just not very good pics maybe we will get better ones

I can't wait for this one!!

Where's the new trooper sets and new playsets? We need more buildings.

C2000

The details look very close to the old Testors/Italeri 1/35th scale kit. I built it when I was a kid and I still have it 25 years later. They are a great piece since they served from the first US action in North Africa to the end in Germany. Finally some counter battery fire to use against those 88s...

TJ

Too cool! More allied and Soviet Armor! Please! How about an M7 in Isreali Colors?

David

More allied and Soviet Armor! Please!

I have never understood this, especially the Russian armor, since they had arguably some of the best tanks in WWII, and some nice looking ones too. How about a JS-2 in 1/18th!! Now that would be awesome, or a KV-2, or.... well, I could go on and on, but seriously now, out of the hundreds of WWII tanks and vehicles produced by FOV and 21C there are only T-W-O count them TWO Russian tanks that I know of, and one of them is a re-paint. I dunno, it must be a marketing decision, I suppose they make what sells.

How can they know what sells if they make virtually no Soviet Armor. A JS-2 would be awesome! The Soviets made great looking BIG tanks. And when they do a T-34, they do the WRONG ONE! (Give me a T-34/76 model 41). Have you noticed how oversized that T-34/85 turret is on that hull! I hate to admit it but I'm almost sick of panzers! Why 21st doesn't figure this one out is beyond me. Why are we happy about the M7? Because it's solid green with no zimm to leave off, perfect for 21st Century! I'm not trying to be harsh but the best stuff I have from 21st are my M18, my M113, the 88, PZIIIe, PZIVd. All mono color tanks that are cool for reasons other than the paint job. Just think of the savings if you did a long series of Soviet tanks (like the endless series of PZIV variants). All you would need would be three colors of paint, a lot of green, a little red and a little white Plus you'ld be placing vehicals in the market that NO ONE is doing! That's called a niche. DOOO IT. Don't even get me started on the modern stuff



Pardon while I clean the froth off my screen and go take my pills.



Read You Later
David

Why a JS-2?? It hardly saw any combat whatsoever. Stick with a T-34 I say, hehehehe....


-Ski

Part of the problem is that most soviet tanks are unrecognizable to the general toy buying public, who still buy a large chunk of these prefab models. Another part of the problem is the limited repaint potential...essentially 2, green and whitewashed. American armour sells in the US because it's American and german stuff sells because it's cool looking, lots of paint jobs and it's an adversary for the US armour.

Don't get me wrong, i very much want soviet armour for all the reasons stated in the posts above. Historically hugely significant and cool looking to boot. I've made a 1/18 KV2 (paper model) and it looks spectacular in this scale. I also plan to make a IS2, ISU152, T-35 (yes T35 the five turreted tank), SU100 and several others in the months ahead....tired of waiting.

Teamski wrote:Why a JS-2?? It hardly saw any combat whatsoever. Stick with a T-34 I say, hehehehe....


-Ski

Almost as little as the King Tiger. Are you thinking JS-3 maybe. JS-2 started in production in April' 44. Although an earlier variant may have been in service before this. And over 3 thousand were built (KT about 4-500 units?). It's an impressive model, I have a 1/35 building out in the shed.

Read You Later
David

How can they know what sells if they make virtually no Soviet Armor. A JS-2 would be awesome! The Soviets made great looking BIG tanks. Just think of the savings if you did a long series of Soviet tanks (like the endless series of PZIV variants). All you would need would be three colors of paint, a lot of green, a little red and a little white.

I'm with you all the way brother, I think Soviet WWII armor is an untapped market for companies like 21C and FOV, I don't think they realise what they are missing out on, but I suppose they do market research and so on before they commit to manufacturing a product, at least you would think that they do, I don't know. As for Russian tanks being only in two basic colors, green for summer and white for winter, that may be true to a point, for sure the Russians did not use camo paintjobs for their armored vehicles to the extent and variety that the Germans did, but they did have certain camo paintschemes on their tanks, and in more of a variety than you might imagine. For a nice example of a camo JS-2 look here: http://www.battlefield.ru/index.php?opt ... 44&lang=en Another good place to see what I am talking about is the Squadron Signal Publications "In Action" series of picture books by Zaloga and others. T-34 In Action is one that comes to mind that I have in my library, it has a wealth of general info on the history and development of the particular vehicle, plus loads of period photos, and color plates of camo schemes etc.

Not my fortay, but I was wondering how many pieces of Russian armor are in the Dragon 1/72 collection? I know they have a T-34 but is there anything else? I think it is safe to say that A) Dragon knows what they are doing, what sells, etc...and B) Dragon 1/72 has many more pieces than 21st 1/32, so not seeing various pieces of Russian 32X is not that surprising. I do think both 32X and XD are long overdue for a T-34 though...

Dragon, DML, is out to make money, not make collectors happy. I suspect they not only monitor forums like this one but even more closely monitor sales, both whole- and retail, and produce for profit accordingly.

Teamski wrote:Why a JS-2?? It hardly saw any combat whatsoever. Stick with a T-34 I say, hehehehe....


-Ski

Believe you're thinking about the JS-3. The JS-2 is definitely one of the most overlooked tanks of the war compared to its overall impact.

I like the js-III. I'd love to see one, or five....

I'm having trouble accepting some of the premisses here.

Repaints drive the companies. I see the economic logic in repaints, and that is obviouosly how FOV does business, but to make that work you have to have people ready to by two or three Tigers. I, for one, can't afford to collect repaints. It's a major limitation I've placed on my collecting. Although, based on posts I've read many here do collect multiples of some vehicals (where do you put them all?), I would bet most customers would not buy multiples just for different paint jobs. Also, 21st really doesn't handle their armor series this way, more like reissuing a vehical out of supply (I think Soviet and US armor would best fit 21st as such vehicals would play to 21st's strengths and obviate their weaknesses).

German vehicals are better looking, cooler, prettier, etc. Then why do we see so many butt-ugly panzers!? How long did it take FOV to put out a stug that didn't look like either a trajic mustard factory accident or mustard vanilla icecream? Remember that truely pathetic panzer IVH 21st put out. I purchase from these two companies in entirely different ways. If 21st puts out a tank I'm interested in I have to make a real choice, buy it as is or forget it. There is no repaint coming around. With FOV I simply wait till they get it right. It took several years before I bought a stug from FOV. Similarly with the Tiger waited till I could get what I liked. I bought all of the following immediately without pause (as money allowed), M26, T-34/85, M3 (both),M16. I'll do the same if either company simply RETURRETS their M4A3s to make M4A3(76)s. If the next FOV T-34 has a 76mm turret. Heck, I'll PROMISE to buy THREE JS-2s (espesially if 21st does'm) And how dull is all that modern stuff FOV does, Sand or Forest pattern. Exactly two patterns that are always executed the same way. Let's face it the Forest camo look is very recent, before that uniform Sand.

Dragon/DML Are justifiably famous for Sherman kits, they've made a kit for just about every immaginable variant. They also do a lot of Soviet stuff as well. The JS-2 kit I mention in an earlier post is a Dragon kit. Plus the realities are different when you talk 1/72 scale or smaller. Not only could I afford three small scale Tigers but I would have room to display them. You think repaints are the name of the game for FOV's 1/16th KT. How many are going to buy that repaint! Scale matters.




Man I need my dosage checked, where are my pills?
David

I'll do the same if either company simply RETURRETS their M4A3s to make M4A3(76)s.

Unfortunately the hulls are NOT appropriate for the 76mm turrets (or the 105mm howitzer turrets). The upper hull has to he changed on the FoV, to make a later M4A3, which COULD accept the 76mm turret. The 21C is an M4, so it would need a totally new upper hull to make an M4A1 (cast hull - rounded corners) which could then accept the 76mm turret.

It WOULD be nice if FoV were to re-tool their M4A3 as the M4A3 76mm Wet Stowage, as the conversion freak could use the current FoV turret to make the late version of M4A3 75mm.

binder001 wrote: It WOULD be nice if FoV were to re-tool their M4A3 as the M4A3 76mm Wet Stowage, as the conversion freak could use the current FoV turret to make the late version of M4A3 75mm.

Even Dry Storage the FOV appears to be missing a patch. Did the M4a3 only have ywo hull patches? I can't find my Sherman book But I remember there being three patches on the hull, one port, two starboard. No dry storage M4a3(76)s?

Shermaholics Unite!!!!
David

binder001 wrote: It WOULD be nice if FoV were to re-tool their M4A3 as the M4A3 76mm Wet Stowage, as the conversion freak could use the current FoV turret to make the late version of M4A3 75mm.

Even Dry Storage the FOV appears to be missing a patch. Did the M4a3 only have ywo hull patches? I can't find my Sherman book But I remember there being three patches on the hull, one port, two starboard. No dry storage M4a3(76)s?

Shermaholics Unite!!!!
David

Sorry Double post