Artful69

Heya Ern ... 1st up - thanks for giving us a good look at the plastic that has emerged from the vapourware of years gone by. I have one on my order list with my hobby store in the east to help complete my Midway collection ... Also waiting on my store to acquire the Infinity Val ... (absolutely gutted about the Kate though and praying some enterprising company will pick up the slack there!) In relation to the first part of the above comment ... Not necessarily so! ... This kit was conceived about the same time as the Avenger, Dauntless and Wildcat ... All of which turned out to be good representations of the original. If this kit was put together by the same team that put the other stuff together (especially at design stage!), there's no reason to doubt that it will be a fairly accurate kit. Add your Quinta stuff for that huge expanse of open internals along with some detailed gun barrels and you're probably where you want to be. Trumpeter (as opposed to HobbyBoss) are, of course, very hit and miss in the accuracy department - as an example, their Bf-109's are quite woeful in external shape accuracy ... yet in most other aspects, the kits themselves usually represent good bang-for-buck ... The boxes are sturdy, with items well packaged. The fit and finish of most of their gear is exceptional, with lots of included detail (even if some of it is suspect) ... Although the 2x 109's I built of theirs were difficult to look at afterward, they were actually fun to build! The remaining kits serve as paint mules for testing new techniques. Trumpeter cop a steady stream of unfair abuse in my opinion ... Their 1/32 Me.262's were considered the best in any scale until Revell released theirs (some years later!) and the differences making the Revell kit the new 'star' were so minuscule it was meh! While their P.47's cop the odd drive-by, they are fairly close to where they need to be - their only competition being the Hasegawa kits ... which had their own list of imperfections. I went with the Trumpeter kit ... again - choose your poison ... bang-for-buck! I am looking forward to snagging this one with both hands!! Rog

I arrived back to Perth to find a couple of parcels waiting for me ... One from my favourite Japanese retailer via Fed-Ex and one out of Hong Kong ... Lets open that one first ... a small box with 2 sets of the same 3D printed AM ... This is a 1/16 KwK 37 - 75mm L/24 (main armament of early Pz.Kpfw IV's) - designed for the Heng Long RC vehicles ... and will be specifically, in this case, acting as a conversion set for my Trumpeter 1/16 F2 to back date it into an F1 Detail is good enough in this scale ... The MG barrel has snapped off the other one - but it doesn't matter as they will both be replaced by turned brass items anyway. It comes complete with mantlet, view port covers etc ... and the radio antenna guard ... No instructions though!! Minimal clean up required ... although this detail inside the barrel doesn't look like rifling?! Next ... I was back to that Japanese store I bought a few kits from previously ... The big box was well stuffed with packing paper ... and these kits were double bubble wrapped ... it seems they actually care about the condition that the items arrive at their destination ... All prices were paid in my local currency (AUD) so no conversion fees ... Some prices were slightly higher than what I paid the last time ... The Tamiya Mosquito was $203 AUD instead of $187 (and I think that is a reflection of currency rates - specifically USD / JPY rates)... but that's still better than the $340-$360 you'd pay retail for it here ... Try finding a brand new Hase' Bf.109F-4 for $45 AUD or equivalent ... or a Hase' Stuka for $71!! ... How about Tamiya Corsairs? - $127 AUD for the -1a and $138 for the -1d ... Shipping? ... add an extra 18+ % and you're still lower than any Australian outlet - even with discounted items!! Rog

Since Infinity are now done … (with the Kate 50% complete apparently!) … I hope some enterprising mob take up the slack and produce one!! Rog

It is … first 2 scheduled releases are the A-4 and A-3 … First release (2nd half of year) is a special edition of the A-4 … I have 2 on preorder 😍 Rog

A quick durry before the action starts 😆 ... he's on smoko! Cheeky Nav photobombing the shot. Rog

With the -1C, I think its more about the wing panels (top and bottom) and the gun shrouds, than the barrels. I think 20mm Hispano barrels in 1/32 should be readily available from somewhere! Rog

I too am chasing a conversion! ... to create a -1C Rog

Dunno about refs Gaz ... but this might help? https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/home/modellers-guide-to-focke-wulf-fw-190-variants-part-i/ Rog

Heya Ron ... Do you have the book reference handy? - (book, author, publisher & page number)... None of mine refer to 'remaining hulls' being used ... Mind you - they don't elaborate very much on the N, save for what I've mentioned above. This book of yours looks like a reference with a bit more history on the type ... I'd be interested to look at the werk numbers for the designated units! TIA Rog

@Clunkmeister & @Martinnfb ... VERY good idea guys!! ... Becomes the first port of call for any questions ... IF what you're looking for doesn't appear there ... do your own research and then share your findings so it doesn't have to be done again!! Rog

The Panzer III Chassis was in constant development and revision from 1936 onward ... The earliest variants (Ausf.A-D) had completely redesigned suspension set ups at each change as they worked at figuring which was the best all round performer ... The Ausf.E (the first 'mass' produced model for combat) had the 6 road wheel torsion bar set up that remained for the rest of the war (subject to a few tweaks here and there) ... From this point onward most external variations in design occurred above the chassis - but the chassis itself received a few subtle modifications over time, largely to do with armour upgrades, track upgrades and strengthened suspension (as opposed to reconfiguring it). The Ausf.J chassis was lengthened slightly to accomodate a new engine. Examples for modifications to the superstructure above the chassis include, but are not limited to: commanders cupola, turret stowage baskets, spaced armour (or vorpanzer), bolted on armour, smoke launchers, exhaust positioning and size, hatch styles etc. The only notable retrofitted panzer III armament (as opposed to additional armour) was the 50mm KwK 38 L/42 to some of the later built Ausf.F vehicles and the Ausf.G ... The Ausf.H being the first variant where the shorter barrelled 50mm was standard fitment from entry into the production line. The Ausf.J also had the longer L/60 retrofitted to replace the L/42 once in came online - this had already been planned, it was just a case of the L/60 being a late arrival when the first Ausf.J's were ready to roll off the production line and deployed. From all accounts I've read, The Ausf.N was developed in conjunction with the Ausf.M ... and was actually more of an afterthought that occurred when some new ordinance came online that made the short barrelled 75mm L/24 a relevant, versatile weapon again ... by this stage nearly all Panzer IV's still in operation had been fitted with the 75mm KwK 40 L/48 (although a few stragglers still mounted the original L/43 upgrade) and the StuG.III's popularity as a cheaper and more effective combat vehicle using the same main weapon, meant that some damaged-but-salvageable Panzer III chassis' were actually converted to those instead. This left the Panzer III's still scheduled for production as being the only viable option for reinstallation of the 75mm L/24 and were given a new designation - the Ausf.N. I haven't read anywhere that Ausf.J's or L's were retrofitted with the weapon and re-designated. All Ausf.N's appear to carry the same upper structure modifications as the Ausf.M (The wading exhaust muffler at the rear being the most prominent along with the additional armour and commanders cupola). Rog

Ron ... For the gun adaption - not bad at all!! ... I noticed a while back that the KwK 37 L/24 on the Panzer IV had the rounded mantlet cover while the Panzer III Ausf.N, equiped with the same gun, used a squared off mantlet! ... I've ordered a Panzer IV Ausf.F gun and mantlet set (designed for a Heng Long kit) to adapt my Trumpeter Panzer IV Ausf.F2 ... and I'll use the leftover Mantlet in the Trumpeter kit to convert a Panzer III Ausf.N ... Just be advised that you'll need to utilise the Trumpeter / Monochrome / Gallery Models / Heller kit to create a true 'N' ... (or a lot of scratch building!!) as it was developed alongside the Ausf.M which had a number of readily seen modifications over the 'J's and 'L's before it. Nice lateral thinking on the gun adaption though! ... I'm looking to try to backdate a Das Werk kit to an Ausf.E at some point ... I'll have to scratch the mantlet to mount the twin MG's and also scratch the 37mm though!! Rog

Another couple of packages at the Post Office today ... Both were expected, yet I was expecting the larger one to be ... well ... larger! It was pretty frustrating for me when I went to order the 'Tiger' book in hardcover ... the newer edition exists only in paperback - so it was off to eBay to try to find the older edition in hardback. It's well presented, new with a fitted plastic sleeve over the dust jacket! The bigger box holds the HKM A-20G Havoc although I was suprised at how small the kit box is compared to the B.25 ... and it's the same with the Airfix Spitfire! There's no comparison to the Hawker Typhoon box ... It's closer to the Tamiya 1/32 size, just thicker Still waiting on the Val and others ... Rog

BUT Carl ... That's the point! I was charged $105 AUD for shipping to AUS via Japan Post w/tracking ... It arrived via Fedex 🤷‍♂️ (If I was charged the Fedex quote originally on the shipping options page, it would have come to $4-600 ... Again ... total INCLUDING shipping came to 2/3 what I would have paid here with FREE shipping included ... Any way you read it - it's a win! Regards Rog

So here's a little member participation story for you ... Humour me! Find brand new (or as near to brand new condition as possible) 1/32 kits of the following: Hasegawa ST-28 (Ki.61) & ST-34 (A6M5c - new tool), Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IXc, DeHavilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI. Note their prices and any cost of shipping them to you. Add up the total and compare with my total at the end of this post. ...... ..... Done?! ... Ok, on we go! If you're a regular viewer of this particular thread you might remember that I was chasing up a 1/32 Tamiya Phantom.II E or EJ a while back so I could slap some RAAF roundels onto it. I had a few back channel offers for second hand kits and while I ended up scoring the E that way, at the same time I found a brand new EJ (the only retail one I could find!) at a decent price. I decided to be nosey and went exploring their website looking especially for kits that have sold out elsewhere and was amazed - not only at what was available, brand new, to purchase ... but some of the ridiculously low prices they were going for. I book marked the page and went back there recently. When the Phantom E/J arrived I was impressed with the condition it arrived in - the kit box still wrapped in shrink plastic and not a dent or blemish. It was the middle of the COVID fiasco, so shipping of any kind was brutal if at all permissible, but these guys had a deal with DHL and I thought the cost of the shipping was quite reasonable considering the size of the package and the destination (Japan - Australia). Anyway I was trying to find a Tony somewhere (near on impossible now unless its second hand) and I thought to revisit this store to see what was what. 4 kits later ... but not at 4 kit prices!! This rather large box was couriered by Fedex ... who refused to deliver to my post office - even with a signature supplied by the post master (who is a JP) ... so I had the inconvenience of picking the parcel up from their depot, about 30 mins away ... And that's about where all the negatives in this story end because the box was well handled, well packed and the kits arrived in pristine condition - so very hard to get these days!! With bubble wrap galore! I found my Tony! ... and picked up the new tool (2015) A6M5c Zero and because they were so cheap to get ... A Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IXc and DeHavillind Mosquito FB Mk.VI Now ... before I bring up my invoice total in AUD (which includes the shipping) and break down individual costs ... I'll provide some standard Australian retail pricing numbers for context. IF (and it's becoming more of a big 'IF' all the time!) you can still find a new 1/32Hasegawa kit here in Aus, you're probably paying $100 AUD give or take a few, depending on the kit. Tamiya kits are NOT cheap here ... $185-$210 for the Spitfire and $330 for the Mosquito ... free shipping for large orders ... on average that is $730 AUD. My total out of Japan including shipping? - $490.36 ... yep, that's just over 2/3 of the normal pricing - less if you take off the shipping cost, but my comparisons are always based on 'delivered' values ... Hasegawa Ki.61 $65 AUD Hasegawa A6M5c $46 AUD Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IXc $95 AUD Tamiya Mosquito FB Mk.VI $187 AUD Shipping $105 Rog

Hi all … Im not actually flogging anything here - hence the post in ‘modelling discussion’ … BUT … I hit a rich vein of Japanese kits out of Japan … Hasegawa, Tamiya etc … Got any kit you’re chasing that’s a ‘tad’ too expensive where you are? … Send me a PM with the kit you’re after - (number if a specific boxing) and your whereabouts in the world and I’ll get you a price including trackable shipping! Rog

Noice!!!! … We could do with a whole lot more panzer crew members in various poses!! Rog

I thought the Mojave is a Desert?!? Rog

Some gear arrived during the last week here at the post office ... and more will be arriving during the two weeks I'm at work ... The wrapped and strapped packages are 2 LED work lamps ... I put one together ... it has balancing issues so I might have to find more weight for it. Next box was the latest arrival from Metro Hobbies who had just received a hearty batch of ZM gear ... My collection of SWS kits is now up to date, with no 1/32 or 1/48 kits outstanding. ... As expensive as they are, I decided to get 2x Kotare 1st edition kits ... I'll definitely build one ... and either build the second one or auction it on eBay later when the prices do that thing they do for difficult to find stuff. I took this time out to locate the last of the BIG tanks in my line up ... and a BIG box arrived (with a handle!) with the King Tiger! As tends to be the case with the 1/16 Trumpeter stuff ... several boxes are inside the main one ... and as is customary at this point - a turret shot for the record! ... Both turret types are included in the kit. Rog

Most other German vehicles follow a typical Teutonic efficiency when it comes to vehicle designations ... Except the Panther ... Normally starting with Ausf.A (Version or variant 'A') and then progressing B, C, D and so on ... The Panther was an oddity because of its release timeline. While the Ausf.A was supposed to be the first production version ... development was a little slow for Hitler and Co who desperately wanted Citadel to be a thing - before it couldn't be. Thus the Ausf.A was put on hold and a process of production worked out that resulted in the Ausf.D being whipped through the design and production phases in order to have some physical units ready for Citadel. I say physically ready and not 'ready', ready - because they were far from it ... having not been given any real trial time to iron out the 'kinks' ... and kinks there were - plenty of them! To be sure, it wasn't a complete disaster ... of those that actually got to perform beyond the opening days chaos, a few acquitted themselves well ... The high velocity 75mm was more accurate and hit harder at a longer distance than it's big brother, the 88mm equipping the Tiger ... or any comparative Soviet piece ... and in that respect contained much better optics also (not a high bar by any stretch given that the Soviets struggled to hit the side of a barn door because their optics, by comparison, were complete garbage). The Ausf.D was however, plagued with varying troubles. The main recorded complaint was gearbox failure ... although there were fuel leaks, hydraulic leaks, electrical failures, engine seizures, engine fires, weapons jamming - the list goes on ... in essence, all of the sorts of random issues usually ironed out in pre deployment testing. Two rather alarming issues raised by crews during Kursk and shortly afterward were: the lack of the bow ball-mounted MG.34 close defence weapon (apparently it was easier to manufacture a 'slit' with a covering armoured door) ... and also the shot trap created by the rounded main gun mantlet. Not all issues were rectified by the time the Ausf.A entered service and the tank became a continual work in progress until the next consolidated production run, the Ausf.G Rog

Yeah ... so it's the newer tooled kit! I bought the old tool kit about 10-15 years ago - not good! The Dragon kit was far superior even though they got the Magic Track wrong for one side initially. I saw all the 'accessories' kits advertised at the time I went looking - with the indi-tracks it will turn out awesome! Rog

If this is the newer tooled one (It looks to be), it's a great kit of a Kursk Panther ... none of the fit issues of some of the older tooled kits and plenty of accurate detail. I almost pulled the trigger on this one when gathering Kursk vehicles, but went with the Takom one, mainly because of the link and length tracks on sprue (I've never liked the Tamiya rubber band style ones) ... having said that I've seen some great builds of this OOB and they manage to get the tracks to look not half bad! ... Enjoy! Rog

I find it rather annoying that some local suppliers refuse to import certain kits ... but at least I know where I'm at right from the start!! ... After months of mucking around with my usual supplier here (Will they? Won't they?), I decided to go international for these kits - Germany to be precise - which arrived at the local post office few days ago.... ... and even with shipping charges they were more than reasonable ... 1/16 scale of my favourite chassis and variant The Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M. ... I might do a comparison with the Das Werk kit while I'm on my week off. I'll probably score another Das Werk kit or two later on ... but these two provide me with the the capacity to build an Ausf.L and M. I want to work out what I'll need to backdate on a J to create an Ausf.E or F early war Panzer.III also. Rog

Hi all ... For those that are Corsair experts here (John I'm eyeballing you!!) ... I'm wanting to convert a Tamiya Corsair into an F4U-1C (4x 20mm cannon) ... apparently the aircraft was developed in tandem with the F4U-1D - but that doesn't necessarily mean that the 2 aircraft share the same design throughout. 1. Is the 1D a better starting point than a 1A ?? and 2. Is there an available conversion for the 1C anywhere?? ... and, if not ... 3. Are there any drawings or references for any differences to the version I'm converting (including wing/cannon etc) Rog

Thanks Ern … It looks like your typical limited run kit - but with lots of extra detail … the price is about right I’d say, on par with current price increases across the board and given that it’s a limited run kit so bound to be more expensive also. Had this one on reserve with the local hobby store for the last year and it should be arriving in the next month … If I can get away with my usual brass barrels upgrades, I’ll be happy … tho I may shell out for some hollow exhaust tips. Rog