Breaking into 1/6th scale anyone?

[jdflute]

There has been a discussion running on the UK Tank Club site for the last couple of days concerning an announcement of a 1/6th scale tiger coming out of China
http://www.uktank.org/phpbb3/viewtopic. ... 015#p48015
for those of you that don't mind heavy modding it could be a way of upping your scale at a cut down rate.

Jd

[Dietrich]

Hi,
If I can just refer you to THIS post of the 'Quality' of their Sherman product.....Then until we see a review of a Tiger that someone has been, shall we say... 'Brave' enough to buy ?....
....... I will stick my 'Neck Out' and suggest that you don't waste your money.....!!
Alb.
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viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9287

[jdflute]

Granted that the quality is not there, but I could say that of a Heng Long tank as well ( I have two, so speak from experience).
What I was suggesting, is that the basics could be a good foundation on which to build, ie. lower and upper hull, turret and tracks, but not the electronics. Some of this basic stuff is daunting for many would be modellers and most scratch built projects fail specifically on the tracks and sprockets. These parts alone would give someone an enormous head start.

1/6th scale is a notoriously expensive scale to break into and therefore anyone with some basic modelling skills could start with this and end up with a tank they could be proud of, as well as learn an awful lot along the way and live in the knowledge that they built it, and not just bought it.

I started this way with my 1/12th Abrams http://www.uktank.org/members_models/ja ... ersion.htm which I can assure you was a bigger piece of cr@p than anything else on the market.

Unless you are willing to invest in the sort of money that Armourtek charge there is always going to be modifications to make, errors to fix; I have seen that with the Mark 1 tanks from Russia amongst others.

If I was starting fresh from this moment, I would consider it, however I am fixed on 1/8th scale modern armour which this certainly isn't.
Horses for courses and one man's trash is another man's treasure as they say

Jd

[jdflute]

There is nothing 'brave' about making an informed decision, or stupid for that matter which you seem to be alluding to. The guy on the one sixth warriors forum, is an experienced modeller and went into the project with his eyes wide open. He did exactly what I am suggesting above and ended up with a spectacular sherman that was his creation and his alone. 99% of the people on this forum are capable of this, but most will convince themselves that they are not.
For those that think they are brave enough to have a go, I say GO FOR IT.

Take a look at the finished sherman here http://www.eastcoastarmory.com/vantexsh ... gieman.htm

Jd

[Johnf]

Just to mention, it is possible to pick up armortek bargains. I recently picked up an armortek tiger 1 kit for about £2000 . Still in kit form with up to date motion, sound, smoker, batteries,rc gear and blank firer. Re sold the blank firer for £400, basically an armortek Late tiger 1 for £1600. Also got a bargain sdkfz 222 and 88mm flak.

Watch the armortek forum and ebay.

John

[Dietrich]

hi jdflute,
I did not mean to upset you here ,and I clearly have. quote....'There is nothing 'brave' about making an informed decision, or stupid for that matter which you seem to be alluding to.''
I was not suggesting that people are 'Stupid' at all ....simply saying what the experts on the 1/6th warrior have said about the Sherman.......AND this quote from 'Big Tanks of America'.."We will stop offering them due to the sub-standard quality. The German re-seller is very familiar with sub-standard quality "....that will give you all the information for an 'informed decision'

If you like the Sherman, then go ahead and get it. The basic kit from Germany of the Sherman WAS 1550.00 Euros, in April.......The Absolute main points for me are the missing 'sponsen' covers, and the 'missing side panels' by the drive sprockets...Humpy on the 1 6th forum says....'It was dam loud with that gear box ! need ripping out! '.... One drive motor and a complicated looking gearbox arrangement !!........ based on all this, In my opinion his kit makes the basic Heng Long look outstandingly good.
If you run without the covers your tank will be full of 'Stuff' within minutes. ........... THEN there is the Spare Parts issue, how long will this company support a product line that does Not appear to be selling ??......
The Sherman has been around for probably a year.....how many have you actually seen


Yes buy one if you like, read the reviews and make a choice.....BUT ...I still think that you would be Very Brave and have to be prepared for a lot of Remedial work and not simply modifications. Look at the facts especially on the 1/6th scale build and also at the sales figures, the spare parts issue and at the companies that have STOPPED stocking them., then Make an 'Informed decision' by all means !
Please WAIT on the Tiger 1, until the reviews are out there if the Tiger ever becomes available to buy......Then make an 'informed Decision' based on the reviews BUT go in with both eyes WIDE open and be prepared, for a lot of work and potential frustrations.
Alb.

[jdflute]

Dietrich, you haven't upset me, no worries there mate.
I guess we are coming at this from opposite poles, I look at it as a box of bits that I could make into a pretty special tank, while I think you see it as a poor tank that will rapidly disintegrate into a box of bits
I just think that if you treat it as a time saving exercise on scratch building, it has a certain attraction.

Jd