I have, I would guess, one hundred or more 1/35 scale armor kits both finished and still in boxes, but I sometimes find myself wishing for something a bit more substantial. I have always hoped that some manufacturer would come out with a good, accurate kit of either the Stuart (M3 series or M5 doesn’t matter) or a nice early Sherman (75mm, dry stowed, M4 or 'A3) in 1/25 scale.
I have the Panthers, Tigers (I and II) T-34 / 85 – SU 100’s in that scale, but there was never anything US.
How do y’all feel about 1/25 scale?[:D]
I like the 1/25 scale stuff. Jim Shirley Productions made a 1/25 scale M1A1 back in the mid 90s. It was a 3 figure kit though, mighty pricey.
I’ve got a 1/25 (or 1/24?) T-92 Airborne Tank. It is a US tank.
I like 1/25 scale…But what I’d REALLY like to see a conversion over to a more standard 1/32 scale instead of 1/35.
My next “big” buy will be the academy 1/25 scale Jagdpanther…[:D]
I’ve got that Jagdpanther and the Tamiya 1/25 Tiger as well. Someone once told me about some inacurracies about the Jagdpanther, but not being an expert, I never bothered to correct them. I built mine in the motorized mode about 15 years ago and recently someone sent me the guts to convert it to the wired remote control. I plan on rebuilding that kit for my son to play with.
1/32 scale kits were the standard about 30 years ago. Companies like Airfix, Renwal and Monogram made many 1/32 scale tanks mainly WW2 kits and some “modern” (for the time) tanks. All three companies reissued many of these kits in recent years.
Some Airfix 1/32 kits: Rommel’s Grief, Monty’s Humber, M3 Lee and M3 Grant
Monogram: M4 Hedgehog, M4A1 Calliope, M3 Lee, M3 Grant, StuG IV, Pz IV, Brummbar, some German 8-wheeled armored car, Mobelwagon
Renwal: M41, M42, M47, M50, M51, Hawk Missile, bunch more “Atomic Age” US vehicles.
Airfix’s Grant and Lee are still the best renditions of the M3 that were made.
I remember when (dating myself here) Tamiya came to the US market with 1/35 scale tanks. I didn’t understand where the scale came from then and still don’t. I knew 1/32 scale was equal to 3/8 inch scale. I do enjoy the extra size of 1/32 scale and have made the Airfix M3 Lee, detailing the interior etc, (which was a piece of work considering the unconventional construction of the kit) and found it to be my favorite M3 medium kit. However, I doubt the scale will return any time soon other than re-issues. Too bad.
Oh yes! The Renwal kits were great fun too! All those working parts. I did many fire missions with my “8 inch Big Shot” howitzer! Remember the Sky Sweeper and Nike Missile? The Nike’s deployment tracks could be linked and you could have an entire battery of those dudes. I say Bring Those Kits Back!!!
Ron.