Ok, another AFV I thought I’d never see in injection molded kit form- a US M6A1 Heavy Tank!!!
Only 40 of these behemoths were constructed and none ever left US soil. All were used for testing and some were shipped over the states for war bonds drives and the like. I used to have the prototype- the T1 Heavy back when I played ‘World of Tanks’ and thought it was a pretty odd and interesting vehicle. I’m pleased and very stunned to see a major injection molded release of such an off the wall subject!
The later T6E1 mounted a 90mm gun, wonder if it will follow!?!
Their other two black label kits are the M103A1 Heavy Tank and the German version of the MBT70 called the Kpz.70. Both kits are getting ripped by critics. I’ll buy them after the “have to have it now at full retail” crowd decide they don’t have enough time to build them and sell them at a steep discount.
It would appear like the M103 is being ripped with good reason. If you haven’t heard yet, from Pawel Krupowicz, the M103 dimensionally and overall has so many horrible things wrong with it. I just hope the M6 turns out much better than the M103 and that Dragon actually put effort into getting this tank right…
Honestly, I’ve seen that review—right before I ordered one for full price online. To be fair, while Pawel Krupowicz is certainly to be thanked and commended for the effort and thoroughness of his observations, he brings up a plethora of mostly minor dimensional issues that would NOT, in ANY WAY discourage your average modeler from building up an impressive model of a long-neglected kit. I would put the review firmly in the “rivet counter” category, without malice or ridicule. It just simply IS of that nature–calling out perceived or real errors that would only matter to someone who is of a perfectionist bent. Certainly nothing wrong with that–but you have to take the perspective of the reviewer into account. While I, personally, was THRILLED to see this kit finally molded, and will eagerly rip that plastic off and put it in the “next build” category in my stash, Pawel’s statement was (as stated in his review) was “…all the joy of building this kit in lost now”. Well, ok…sorry to hear that, Pawel, honestly.
I know guys too who look at a near-perfect, 5’10" blond with legs up to her neck and a tiny waist and say “Oh, her hands are too big”…perspective, guys, it’s all about perspective…[:)]
Cookie Sewel pointed out the most serious omission–the lack of a heat-shield below the turret. Easily corrected and built from lead foil and a little putty., In fact, I say, “GREAT!”–an easy mod that will show a little bit of attention to the omission, and make you feel like you’ve “improved” your kit.
Interesting guys, I will admit I picked up my M103 at a pretty good discount- I used the ‘wait to the last hour of the IPMS show and tell the vendor ‘what do you want for this so you don’t have to load this back on your truck and drive it all the way back to New York and unload it again’’ tactic. My only real experience with the real thing is staring at the one in the Danville tank museum and at least it captures the ‘feel’ to me of the real tank even if the details might be a iffy.
I didn’t pre-order the M6 and don’t intend to. I’ll buy one unless the reviews are absolutely awful but I’ll wait a year or two as Rob commented so I can get a better deal. Guess I’m just flabbergasted that anyone would come out with an injection molded kit of something this esoteric. I like Commander Series models but I’m not a big enough fan of the M6 to cough up a hundred or more for a resin version.
And my apologies, guess this is old news to some of you, I noticed Armorama and a few other sites announced this over six months ago- but I didn’t see it until DragonUSA sent me an email this weekend.
I am in agreement with many of the posts here, Karl’s in particular. Little things like those gigs discovered and mentioned do not take the joy out of a build for me. I am in the camp of “Wow, they are actually making an injection plastic kit of this? Who would have thought that?” Just like the recent Dragon T28 Superheavy, Bronco M22 Locust, Hobbyboss T26E4, or Meng Tortise tanks, these are subjects so little known and off the beaten path, I would never have expected them to be released as such. Great times indeed to be an armor modeler. Now to adopt Rob’s approach and strike when the prices have come down like a savvy stock broker…
