It’s interesting that DML and Trumpeter are releasing the same series of gigunda German artillery pieces – first the Karl Morser, now the K5E. What gives with that?
I’ve heard that the DML is a nice kit but leaves some details off. Is the Trumpeter a better respresentation of the big SPG?
Any word on the comparative virtues of the DML and the Trumpeter K5 rail guns? Now that must be an impressive kit!
Larry, I wasn’t aware that Trumpeter was doing the Karl’s so that’s news to me!
However, on the Leopolds…[:D]…I do have both of them now [:I] and the Dragon is done very well, however, the difference from looking in the box is that Dragon has more detail molded in and Trumpeter has it as seperate pieces. I think the parts count is around 800 for the Dragon and 1200 for the Trumpeter [:p] The Trumpeter gives you extra’s for a x rail layout and a straight one, the rail car portion is a majority of the extra parts etc.
If you’re only going to get one and really want the detail, go with Trumpeter. If you just want it to “look” good and show the detail with weathering the Dragon is up to the task! They are both excellent kits, just depends on what you want.
Eric
I think there’s a reveiw coming up in FSM by someone who made both K5’s… Can you imagine doing that?[:0]
I have the DML kit, didn’t even know Trumpeter was coming out with one and not being able to compare, I’m having fun with it. I don’t like the skimpy decal sheet (no railway data, etc) nor the lack of commentary about the gun’s history and such. I did have good luck finding articles in publications, but nothing about ‘Leopold’s’ actual color scheme when captured… so I don’t know what’s right for that one.
I also have the DML ‘Loki’ mortar, don’t like the way the suspension isn’t positionable… on Loki it’s always in travel position. Opposite for Karl I think.
Ron
If you look on the Perth military modellers website there is a side by side review of both kits.I have the trumpeter kit here and it’s huge !I didn’t know when i got mine that Dragon did the same kit.
happy modelling
Pete
I could have sworn reading a review of the DML kit, which said that there was some detail missing and that the Trumpeter kit might provide the detail. Maybe I am mixing up my huge guns? [:p]
Here’s what I find:
I found a listing for a Trumpter Karl-Geraet as a future kit. No price listed
Hasegawa has a 1/72 Leopold out. Retail is #38.50. Detail is very low compared to the others, I’m sure.
For we detail freaks, ADV/Azimut has already come out with some kits for both the Trumpter and the Dragon kits. Their Trumpter kit is $22.oo retail, and the one for the Dragon is #31.80 (that says something about the detail level on the two original kits). They have another kit just for the Railway Trucks that’s another $50.00, and they have a resin barrel for either kit for $22.00. (Internet prices are lower, of course.)
Last but not least, they have a CD Rom out for the Leopold for $20.00. I don’t know how good it is, but the picture of it on the greatmodels web site is really cool. The photographer took it from behind the gun as it was fired and caught an amazing shot of the smoke/exhust gas plume at the end of the barrel. It’s amazing that something so ugly in intended usage can be so beautiful in action. I’m certainly glad I wasn’t at the other end of that firing, though. My heart goes to those who were.
And by the way, for those of us grousing about the cost of these beasties, there is another choice of 1/35 kits, Ironside has a resin and brass kit for $600.00!!! WOW! (Supposedly, both the Dragon and Trumpter kits are supposed to be based on the Ironside kit.
Eric, where are you going to put two of these guys?? You got a big garage or something?? lol
See ya;
Bill
Yes, I just did some research too – here’s the mock-up for it:
http://www.interallied.co.jp/karl.htm
Just look at alla the stuff that’s going to come with it. Oooh ahhh.
Considering how mixed the reviews were for the DML, I might just wait for the Trumpeter. These guys are really on the ball nowadays.
Man, that is one honk’in, cool look’in unit!! Hey Brian, how about a translation of the important stuff on that site??
Thanks, Larry
Bill
You swore right Larry!! [:D] I did say that I hadn’t heard about it, and I hadn’t!! Looks cool too! I guess they transported them by rail on those cars until they were close to the objective???
Thanks for the info!
Eric
Eric;
What makes you think they had to be close??
The Germans had a nasty habbit of putting them in a railroad tunnel, then wheeling them out long enough to fire, then hurring them back into the tunnel. Made them very hard to find and harder to bomb when they did.
Bill
theres a reveiw of the Railguns here for dragon http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/dragon/dr6200.htm
and here for trumpeter http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/trumpeter/tr00207.htm
and a comparison of the two kits here http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/misc/k5.htm
Hi, folks!
The headline of that ad says “Trumpeter’s Strongest New Item!”
The kit comes with 2 railcar transports and railroad base, and is 80 cm long. It went on sale here in Japan this past summer, as did the Dragon kit. Tri-Star also announced the release of a Karl (just what we need: three Karls!), but I’ve never seen it on shelves yet.
The Dragon and Trumpeter Leopolds are everywhere here, too.
Bill, “close” was a relative term. I didn’t think they drove the Morsers from Germany to Russia or where ever, I guess I just assumed they used some kind of flat car to transport them as I’d never seen the arrangement before I saw Trumeters pictures of the kit. [:p]
Eric
The Trumpeter Karl did? Really? I haven’t seen any reviews of it. Last I heard, it was under consideration for release.
Are there any reviews of the Trumpeter Karl? Comparisons to the DML?
Eric, I knew you were being relative with “close”, I was just pulling your chain.
These super big kits are sure becomming the rage. Guess they’d better with two or three of each out there.
Bill
Hi, Larry.
I could have sworn the Trumpeter Karl was released here this past summer, along with the Dragon kit, but I just did some investigating and found it is slated for release here in Japan in the Autumn. Maybe I confused Dragon’s Loki (54cm SP mortar) for Trumpeter’s Karl.
I’m not interested in these vehicles, so I only took a passing notice.
These wacko guns are easy to confuse, aren’t they?
I wonder how many Matterhorns they could have manufactured for the steel and man-hours (slave-hours, I guess) that went into one single K5E?
Ya gotta wonder, eh? All that terribly misguided genius…building all that “cool” stuff for evil! Luckily we had more stuff that worked than they had cool stuff that oftentimes didn’t.
I’ll keep ya posted if I see any new info on the Trumpeter Karl here.
I have the Trumpeter Leopold kit and so far, I’m only disappointed by one small thing. The gun’s powerplant, which the instructions
call the “ammo carrier” is a little short on the detail when you compare it to the rest of the kit. All the doors and access panels are
molded shut. There is also nothing to represent the electrical and hydraulic connections between the gun and powerplant. While
there are plenty of photos of the real thing out there, all I’ve managed to find is one photo showing an electrical plug. It looks similar
to the type of recepticle used on modern aircraft for the 115 volt, 400 cycle ground power unit. Any ideas?
Ray
Do that Brian!! Knowing my addiction I’ll end up getting that one too!! (I have no earthly idea what I’ll do with 2 Leopolds and 2 Karls, I just can’t help myself [:D] ) Actually I’ll build the better of the 2 and may save the other for my kids if I ever have any [:D]
And since DML and Trumpeter are doing these I guess that means Tamiya needs to do the Dora in 1/35 [:p] [:D]
Eric