Ive been modeling for two years, only a bunch of planes and a battleship. Im interested in starting to build a few tanks. I know Tamiya has many good looking tanks, and Id like someone to recommend a simple, easy-to-build, good-fit kit. Any recommendations[?]
Well, brother, just about any Tamiya kit would be a very good place to start. They’re not the MOST detailed kits on the market, but are far, far better than most, have the cleanest and sharpest detail, and you’ll need to spend probably no extra time at all in “making the parts fit”, because Tamiya spends an enormous amount of money on cutting the molds. They make kits that modelers say you can “shake the box” and the model falls out assembled.
Try to get your first kit with the vinyl tracks, cuz I think that for a first kit, a model with separate track links would drive you crazy and you might either put it away and never finish it or throw it against a wall in frustration.
Once you’ve built a few Tamiya armor models, try Dragon or DML - there’s actually a lot of manufacturers out there - but Tamiya is a good place to start.
Good Luck
Lee Tree
Try any of the new Shermans by Tamiya, they’ve got simple suspensions, (the most complicated part of a tank model) and the paint scheme is easy, OD green. Lee is right though, stay away from individual track links for now, they can be very frustrating. Most any new Tamiya kit will build up very nicely without any add on stuff, they’re a little pricey, but they’re first rate.
Thanks[:)]
The new Tamiya kits are great for fit and accuracy, but if you are just starting out, I personally would buy some of the “older” cheaper kits and use them for practice… The fit is still great but the accuracy is “so-so”… But they are great starter kits…[;)]
Tamiya is the best, although some of the more recent Dragon kits are looking good too.
If I might ask you a question to ask youself, What time frame do you want look into, WW II, cold war, ect. Then look at some places thatsell kits. Of makers it is a good bet that AFV, Academy , and Tamiya are in the top spots.
good choice coming to armor[;)], i would reccomend some DML kits, there the best quality along with the newer Tamiya. i would stay awy from the older kits.(they were ment to be motorized, the detail sucks, and the kit sucks, as well.) only get one if you will be using a brass update set. try tamiya new t-55, its a great kit!
My personal prefference is Tamita, hands down. They have an outstanding selection and I have never been disappointed with one of their kits. They are more expensive than the others but do some shopping around to find the best price.
Side Note: Panther18, awesome job on the Tigers!
I would recommend it greatly, their models are easy to build, and the instructions are very straight forward, try the M1, M113, or the M41, they look really nice and won’t give you a headache
WW2 is my biggest preference, in terms of planes,armor, EVERYTHING!!! So Ill start there.[8D]
ok, im building a tank from scratch. it is based on the Abram tank…from front to back its about 110 cm, and its around 70-75 cm tall. i have the track assembly built already and am working on the bottom portion. it had full suspension and 7 of the 9 wheels. if anyone has any tips for me that would be great.
email me : bigtubba316@hotmail.com
My personal favorite tamiya kit is the WW-2 Russian T-34 / 85.
It is not as accurate as other T-34’s but its lots of fun to build for those new to armor building.
I supose if you wanted to update the kit you could get p.e. set ,individual link tracks,resin turret and detail parts.
I have even seen white metal wheels for the tamiya kit.
If your new to armor then you will not want to take that plundge just yet.
armor is much more forgiving than aircaft.
so keep that in mind when building.
have fun and good luck…
i like the gunze sangyo armour kit’s if you can find them.ebay is a great place to look for kit’s.
I’d be wary of a DML kit for your first foray into armor. You could lose your mind on the track assembly. Although the detail is really nice. They even come with a PE set enclosed in the kit. Tamiya is a good bet. Clean molds (most of the time) and relatively nice vinyl tracks. Paint em up right and they look pretty sharp.
Mike
…fireinsignia
I don’t think you could possibly go wrong with a recent Tamiya tank kit … like they have said above … a little pricey … but worth the $$.
Good luck and keep the forum posted … pictures are nice … if you can swing it.