Best Model Kits in 1/35th Scale?

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:48 pm

My hat is off to you hard working gentlemen. I personally detest building models (although I do it in desperation). I always end up with leftover parts - many left over parts!

Since the advent of 21st Century and Forces of Valor my armies are rapidly filling up with lovely equipement, prepainted and robust. They are kind of expensive but my time is worth something too! And my sanity!

I use Conte and various other types of figures (TSSD has released some excellent Russian and German longcoat figures not to mention some first rate US infantry and marines) and model men, usually Tamiya for gunners.

But sadly it looks like I'm going to have to build a Puma or two for my Recce Abt and I'm getting desparate for Heavy Infantry guns for my pz grenadiers. I also need a couple SPW 250s.

How I hate seeing the beautiful, carefully weathered models some of you rascals crank out. I'm without talent - although I do have gusto!

I maintain two pz groups - one based on 12 SS and one based on a 21 Pz setup with Pz Lehr Recce. Figure 12 - 16 vehicles per bn. Allied stuff similar. My SPW Bn is probably my favorite. (probably because I did my own armoured infantry training in vehicles called Crocodile that where sort of a wheeled version of SPW)

My greatest complaint - painting bloody miserable eye strain causing cuss word inducing SS camo jackets!

Another complaint is that much as I like Tamiya they are 1/35 scale and my other stuff is 1/32. Annoying when you have an orderly mind - with the figures I can handle it - some guys really are taller than others - but tanks? Please...

That and my lack of SP artillery for my Germans. (The US troops have M7 Priest). I'd swap two of my grandchildren for about 4 Wespe! (just kidding - disclaimer in case wife should come upon this post

)

Obviously - war game sort of battle setups is my hobby rather than display and pride of workmanship - but a 1/32 second scale setup that covers the whole basement floor can be quite visually compelling. I occassionally have kids from church or schools over for history tours. Wish I had a good camera!

So now you know. What's that knock on the door? Is that the men in the white coats?

cheers
Reb

Lustmolch · Post by **Lustmolch** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:48 am

If 1/72 is your preferred scale, then you can also get a lot of Dragon's AFVs ready bult, painted and weathered, in a display box, for not much more than the price of the kit it was made from!

Lustmolch · Post by **Lustmolch** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:51 am

Tom Houlihan wrote:
Dragunov wrote:on a similar note (sorry to steal the spotlight, David) which company makes the best models?
For my money, it's a toss-up between Tamiya and Dragon. Some of the older Tamiya kits don't have fantastic detail (their 4-figure German infantry kit comes to mind), but for the most part they're pretty damned good!

I never did like Italeri figures. All their guys look like "Mungo!" Italeri's best kit, IMHO, is their Blitz. I like building that one. Their Puma is okay. One of these months when I finish mine, I'm gonna post it.

I bought myself a Blitz yesterday; plenty of diorama potential to be sure.

Figures - I do pick up the older kits even though there are better ones to be had these days, mainly because i like to re animate them and not a great deal is lost if the conversion doesn't go the way I wanted it to...

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:12 am

Lustmolch

Opel Blitz? Ha Ha! The lazy men triumph again.

behold: http://www.sdsoldiers.com/DSC0229.JPG

I picked up two of them this morning and all I have to do is take them out of the box! My war game armies are getting so cool I can't stand it!

cheers
Reb

pzrmeyer2 · Post by **pzrmeyer2** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:59 pm

I just finished a dio (my first!) featuring 2 Stug IIIs in the winter. I used Tamiya's Stug IIIG early version kits, a very easy kit to assemble. The figures were Warriors StuG crew and the 44-45 Stug crew from Tank Models, a Russian outfit. I'll post some pics when I'm 100% done....

Dragunov · Post by **Dragunov** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:24 pm

anyone want to show off their brain-blowing work here? i'd like to see some goodness.

Dirlewanger · Post by **Dirlewanger** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:27 pm

Dragunov wrote:anyone want to show off their brain-blowing work here? i'd like to see some goodness.

Here's a link for some of my efforts, if you want to see a few more, click on "1/35 German Tanks ww2" on top left of page and click on anything with "Erin" in the Author column.

http://armor.se/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1222

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:58 pm

You didn't build that! You Photoshopped a figure onto a photo of a real one!

Outstanding painting and weathering. That looks extremely realistic!

Waleed Y. Majeed · Post by **Waleed Y. Majeed** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:37 am

Wow, again a load of HEAVY ARMOR guys...

Never really done any decent armor, usually end up as Roddoss72's
semi-constructed, half-finished models stashed away in boxes.
I therefor stuck to figures

Dragon I like, when I can get my hands on them (being a "non-net-buyer"

)
Tamiya is what I usually build, when I build. Have not done so for more than a year or so...
Used to have most of the Airfix 1:32 series of figures (some 10-12 pieces).
Still have somewhere! Found one last year and refreshed him, here he is - and as challenging as any AFV

waleed

ps. Hello Erin/Dirlewanger - Long time no see over there at Nordlands...

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:32 am

Waleed, in all honesty, I think Napoleonic figures are more difficult than painting AFVs and their crews. Just my opinion, but lots more colors, and they have to be right!

Now, if you really want to impress me, find that painting of the charge of the Royal Scots Greys at Waterloo, and model that, in 1/32!

Waleed Y. Majeed · Post by **Waleed Y. Majeed** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:29 am

Colours should be right for the 7th. regiment.
for the horse, well some might argue. Didn't do much research into that.

Tom about the diorama request... your not asking for much are you?

what about 1:72...

waleed

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:51 am

Waleed Y. Majeed wrote:Tom about the diorama request... your not asking for much are you?
what about 1:72...

Well, I was kidding.... Sort of! 1/72 would be a lot easier, but 1/35 would be just so much more impressive!!!

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:18 am

Years ago in the'70s the BBC did a production called "Model World" , six half-hour programmes. Was repeated for many years until just plain got dated. This was the real low point for kits and figures other than WWII and 1/72....but ONE modellmaker was featured on one of the programmes, he had JUST done exactly that diorama for a museum in London, COULD have been the National Army Museum in Chelsea, and used only the old Airfix 1/32nd Scots Grey...times about THIRTY!

Waleed Y. Majeed · Post by **Waleed Y. Majeed** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:25 am

Would love to have seen that. Might redo some of my old stuff,
winter here is looooong, cold and dark dark dark.

waleed

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:02 am

Okay, Phylo! How do I go about trying to find an image of that diorama?