Monogram's "Tank Hunter" diorama kit??

J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Monogram's "Tank Hunter" diorama kit??

Posted by J-Hulk on Saturday, December 20, 2003 10:36 AM

I popped into an LHS that specializes in old kits, and amongst many funky things there that I never knew existed, I ran across a Monogram kit released in 1984 titled Tank Hunter, Combat Diorama, which featured a 1/48 P-51B Mustang and a 1/48 Panther on a terrain base (Mustang on a stick!). From the box photos, both models looked pretty good.

I imagine the Mustang was Monogram's standard release, but what was that Panther? From the Aurora mold, perhaps? It had a Panther A hull, but a "chinned" mantlet from a late G. Also, in the pix on the box, it was very nicely zimmed. Cheap, too: only 4,000 yen ($36 USD).

Anybody know anything about this funky dio kit?

Also, they had Monogram's 1/32 Screamin' Mimi...I might just go back and pick up that tour down memory lane!

~Brian

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 20, 2003 11:31 AM

As I recall, the Panther redefines the term; Rubber Band Tracks. I believe it is the old Aurora kit. I don't remember much about the Mustang, other than the fact that long ago, it and the Panther meet their demise in the time-tested manner of being blown to bits with firecrackers. Evil [}:)]

This may be more regretable than it first appears. Many of these long forgotten kits have a way of fetching high prices on e-bay. Dunce [D)]

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 20, 2003 12:56 PM

OK, here goes my memory.

The Monogram 1/48 Mustang P51B kit use to be the kit which all other airplane kits were measured against as far as outline goes. The detail is raised, but the outline is top-notch.

There are several possibilities for the Panther. There is the old Aurora kit (this is the most likely suspect as I think Monogram bought the old Aurora molds). The other possibility (and it is an extreme long shot) is one of the old snap-tite armor kits that Monogram had. I don't remember if they had a Panther, but they did have a Pz IV. They didn't have a "scale", but it was about 1/48.

That's my stab in the dark. If the "models" are on the box art, if you post a picture maybe we can recognize the Panther. I built the Aurora Panther as a kid.

Reply
Edit

Rob Gronovius

Member since
December 2002
From: Fort Knox

Posted by Rob Gronovius on Saturday, December 20, 2003 5:28 PM

When Aurora went out of business, Monogram bought their molds. A lot were lost in the great train wreck somewhere between Long Island and Illinois.

Monogram only reissued two of the Aurora armor kits, the Panther and the M4A3E8 Sherman. The Panther, as you know, was issued with the P-51B in a diorama called "Tank Hunter".

The other kit in this series was called "Ground Attack" and included the Aurora Sherman with the Monogram Fw-190. I've got this kit from long ago.

Vinyl tracks on Aurora kits were done rather well for the time and are superior to current 1/48 scale armor kits made by Zhengdefu and repackaged by Academy.

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 20, 2003 5:37 PM

Thanks for the info. Rob!

Reply
Edit

J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Posted by J-Hulk on Sunday, December 21, 2003 9:38 AM

Yes, thanks, Rob!
I too thought the Aurora Panther tracks shown on the box photos were rather nice, aside from the lack of detail on the inner surface.

~Brian