why so many german tanks

[scottd1975]

Why are there so many german and russian tanks on the forum? Is there a draw back to the American Sherman or Pershings?

[jarndice]

It's called "MARKETING" the Chinese makers are primarily selling "TOY's" and they know that more kids and their dads are interested in the biggest and winningest and best known of tanks so it's Tigers first and we in the UK are still waiting for a Tank that is rated as one of the best in the post WW2 40s 50s and 60s The "Centurian"
So think yourself lucky, at least HENG LONG/TAIGEN and TAMIYA make Sherman's and Pershing's and Abram's and we have yet to see the aforementioned Centurian or a Cromwell or a Comet and we will never see a Matilda,
The only place we can buy the less popular Tanks are from primarily German sources,
Of course you could always scratchbuild your own Tank.
shaun.

[jarndice]

Scot I have reread your question and my answer did not come close to addressing it,
Sorry.
I think a lot of the reason is again Marketing, look at all the ads for 1/16 Tanks and the Tiger is always up front, and then there is price, compare the price of a HENG LONG Tiger 1 smoke and sound with the price of a Sherman, smoke and sound, you cannot help noticing that you get a heck of a lot of Tank when you buy a Tiger 1,
Then there are upgrades, every maker and dealer sells upgrades for the Tiger 1, try matching the availability of upgrades for a Tiger 1 and a Sherman and forget the Pershing, No contest,
Name a Tank Commander from any country in WW2?
I would be surprised if those people who could put a name to a Tank Commander did not say "Michael Wittman"
And what Tanks was he most famous for commanding?
The Tiger 1 and although it was not a Tank, he first gained fame commanding a "Stug"
Those are some of the reasons we buy Tigers , It was a very good example of a successful heavy Tank.
Probably most important of all "IT LOOKS RIGHT"
shaun.

[HERMAN BIX]

Could also be a bit of "everyone likes the bad guy"
These tanks models can be represented many ways, but if you think of the Tiger like Darth Vader and the Sherman like R2-D2 you can get the idea.
The Russian machines were in most ways better for what they were intended to do than the German foes, that is, keep coming regardless of losses.
The hobby market reflects what people will buy in order for the manufacturers to make money.
Simple numbers really, takes the same tooling to say make a Valentine kit as it does a Tiger, but what's going to sell more ?
I will be completely honest and admit out loud that the Bulldog & Pershing are the odd ones out in the HL range when a Hetzer or even a Comet or Firefly or S-tank Or JS series might sell more.

Whatever the build a person takes on, it becomes a bit of them put out for all to view and appreciate, that's what it's all about

[jarndice]

Paul I have offered my view on the "Chieftain",
My experience with it is coloured by being introduced to the early in service examples,
Primarily an upgunned Centurian, which was no bad thing, what was less pleasing was an uprated suspension which was most unhappy cross country and the Leyland Multi-Fuel engine which was a total disaster and took far to long to be sorted out,
Yes I agree it became a very useful MBT at a time when the British Army needed one, but given the lead in time it should have been ready for duty from day one and not have to have Leyland engineers in every Tank workshop overseeing the constant modifications .
The project reminds me of the interference the EU plays in domestic British politics in that the engine was developed only because NATO insisted that new design MBT's should be Multi-fuel.
Rolls Royce had an engine in development ready for the Chieftain, but politics took over, but don't worry the British taxpayer coughed up the difference.
shaun.

[scottd1975]

Scot I have reread your question and my answer did not come close to addressing it,
Sorry.
I think a lot of the reason is again Marketing, look at all the ads for 1/16 Tanks and the Tiger is always up front, and then there is price, compare the price of a HENG LONG Tiger 1 smoke and sound with the price of a Sherman, smoke and sound, you cannot help noticing that you get a heck of a lot of Tank when you buy a Tiger 1,
Then there are upgrades, every maker and dealer sells upgrades for the Tiger 1, try matching the availability of upgrades for a Tiger 1 and a Sherman and forget the Pershing, No contest,
Name a Tank Commander from any country in WW2?
I would be surprised if those people who could put a name to a Tank Commander did not say "Michael Wittman"
And what Tanks was he most famous for commanding?
The Tiger 1 and although it was not a Tank, he first gained fame commanding a "Stug"
Those are some of the reasons we buy Tigers , It was a very good example of a successful heavy Tank.
Probably most important of all "IT LOOKS RIGHT"
shaun.

Thank you for taking the time to write that.. It makes sense.

[Craigm1992]

I'd probably say its due to the image of the Tiger and other German tanks being incredibly powerful and deadly and the "people like the bad guys". Which is why from Star wars as an example the empire is so popular, The terminator from "Terminator" and Xenomorph from "Aliens" could also be good examples.

Although I am surprised there are not many Centurions considering how widespread a tank it was, the decades of service and how many countries purchased them.

Also German tanks are "cooler" as my younger self would say

[greengiant]

Tamiya Started the whole 1/16 tank thing with Tiger 1's and the Sherman howitzer. When inexpensive stuff came out From China they made a lot of money by following Tamiya's lead on the German tanks and added a few that no one else made and tons were sold. Now that they offer a Sherman cheap the gap is closing. I just don't understand why every manufacturer is ignoring British ww2 tanks. They used a lot of Sherman tanks but did have their own models in ww2.

[B_Man]

the Bulldog & Pershing are the odd ones out in the HL range

The Pershing has always made sense as it was produced when H.L were primarily making Tamiya knock-offs but the Bulldog has always puzzled me. It's not a Tamiya copy, it's not from WW2, and it's not really a very popular tank in terms of service history. I would love to know why it got the green light over something more obvious.

[jarndice]

The Bulldog might seem an unusual choice over more well known Tanks but to the Chinese the "Walker Bulldog" is very important, They fought and usually beat it in concert with their allies in Korea and Vietnam, and it can be seen in various museums in those three countries, and this same thinking may explain the reluctance of HENG LONG and other Chinese Makers to produce a Centurian Tank, which famously embarrassed the Chinese army with a much smaller but very effective available force.
The Chinese have a very long history and the memories that go with it.
shaun