Hobby Craft M2A2 Bradley Review

Thanks for the review, MGM!
I haven't built that Hobby Craft kit, but I have built other kits from Korean manufacturer Academy that are straight up copies of Tamiya kits.
Funny how they can get away with that, eh?

thanks for the review! I was wondering how the kit rated myself and if it would be worth the money.

Maybe I could use it to make a M6 Bradley Linebacker (Air Defense version - replaces the TOW launcher with 4 Stinger Missiles).

J-Hulk

Congrats on 3000 posts!

Where do you find the time?

Thanks all. Congrats on the posts J-Hulk!
How do you plan on making the missle pods Targetdriver? I gues you could mount the launchers from a Hummer avenger [cheapest route] or will you scratch build?

J-Hulk congrats on reaching 3000.

Have to agree wonder how some of the asians can get away with the straight copies of other companies.

Build the Academy M2A2 about 15yrs ago and like J-Hulk said it was a straight copy, for which I was glad since it didn't have any instructions.

After building a few olf the old Hobby Craft and Academy Kits I have become a bit leary of theirs and usually avoid them.

This will be my first HC kit aside from the couple of hummers. I also picked up the M1 Abrams with the mine rakes. What have you guys heard about it? Only seen one comment on it on this forum and it was a good one aside from the figs being lacking in detail.

Thanks for the congrats, folks!

QUOTE: Originally posted by MadModelFactory J-Hulk congrats on reaching 3000. Have to agree wonder how some of the asians can get away with the straight copies of other companies. Build the Academy M2A2 about 15yrs ago and like J-Hulk said it was a straight copy, for which I was glad since it didn't have any instructions. After building a few olf the old Hobby Craft and Academy Kits I have become a bit leary of theirs and usually avoid them.

From what I've heard, Japan doesn't have any copyright laws as we know them in the states. But this was in reference to printed and recorded materials. i'm not sure how true this is but I attend a japanese animation convention every year and I have heard this several times. This does help to eplain all of the boot leg toys based on Transformers and the like.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MartianGundamModeler [From what I've heard, Japan doesn't have any copyright laws as we know them in the states. But this was in reference to printed and recorded materials. i'm not sure how true this is but I attend a japanese animation convention every year and I have heard this several times. This does help to eplain all of the boot leg toys based on Transformers and the like.

Come again.

Japan has some of the toughest copyright laws I have seen, but it is hard for most small companies to enforce their copyrights internationally. Try selling a bootleg copy of ANYTHING in Japan and EVERYBODY associated with it gets to go to Jail.

Granted there are some holes in japanese copyright laws, BIG problem is that until recently there were no copyright laws in places like Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Taiwan and that is why MANY pirated goods come from there.

Most Japanese copyrights are automatically for LIFE, which makes a difference to the laws overseas which are often limited to xx years, etc.
Also most overseas people don't understand the Japanese copyright laws and thus assume they don't exist

FYI, each country has their own copyright laws and I reckon that the majority will differ from the ones in the USA.

Many people also don't understand things like !-day licecne exceptions adn why Doujinshi are excempted from copyright laws.

Doujinshi is easy, because they are NOT allowed to make any profits from the sale of them. They are solely fan created and thus NOT official publications, granted laws only apply if you get caught doing something illegal.

Example:
Until recently sale of Silicon and Resin was forbidden at Anime Garage Kit shows, why because some people started to recast kits at the show within minutes after the bought the Kits.

If you could read Replicant you would read interviews with sculptors and similar people talking about the good and bad points of Japanese copyright laws.
Because the laws are so strict EVERY Item has to carry a holographiclicence sticker, you can read more about pirate goods here:

http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html

I don't know anything about Japanese copyright laws, but I can certainly attest to the fact that every single Godzilla or other Toho monster item I've ever purchased does indeed have Toho's holographic stamp of approval on it, as Daiei's and Toiei's products also have.

Istand corrected. Like I said it was second hand info from other Americans what can I say? So it's the other Asian countries who lack the copyrights. Yes that does explain the origins of the bootlegs from countries such as China and Korea. I collect the occasional bootleg when I run across them at the swap meets and such. The Transformer ones primarily.