New Paladin From Tamiya

Nothing new at all.  It is a rebox of the Italeri M109A6 with the addition of Tamiya's M2A2 ODS Bradley accessory sprue which contains two 3/4 crew figures, gear, spare road wheels, and a few other pieces.  The basic Paladin kit is so-so, but not great, and it has crappy tracks. It is missing anti-slip coating, the top and side turret hatches are molded closed, and the hull is out of date with the flotation system cover and other flotation system parts that have not been on M109s since the A1 version.

I'll wait for the Riich model M109A6 Paladin kit to come out, which look like it will be awesome.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ-sYdZfK7U/T7eeZ9O8oMI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/hEINwpOyO54/s1600/RV35006%2520M109A6%2520poster%5B1%5D.JPG

thanks Gino,I thought it might be new tool Tamiya stuff,disappointing

That Rich kit looks nice,it's plastic right,any price range yet ?

Yup, the Riich Model Paladin will be in plastic.  No idea on price yet, but I'm guessing in the $50- $60 range.  We'll see.  I can't wait for it.

They will still get a bunch of money; many modelers are the lazy type who will buy a Tamiya kit sight unseen over another brand they are not thoroughly familiar with, just because of the brand name on the box.

I agree, they will still sell a bunch of these.

The key to watch for in Tamiya's product offerings are the kit numbers. Stuff that's 100% Tamiya molds and parts gets a 35xxx number, if it doesn't have that but starts with 25, 37, or similar it's a hybrid or rebox of another manufacturer's item or a combo offer that includes stuff like figures sets or weathering sets, etc. When they do this and the item includes stuff from non-Tamiya makers, you will see the other maker's logo also on the box along with the Tamiya logo so it's not a case of them attempting to mislead directly...but you do have to be aware and look carefully.

Tamiya Hummer w/M242 Bushmaster #35143 is 100% an Italeri kit.

I remember seeing a "New Tamiya SdKfz 234/2 Puma" up on ebay a few years ago getting fantastic prices.  Numbskull bidders failed to see the Italeri logo right next to the Tamiya logo....

More recently, within the past several years, I saw someone recommend the Tamiya Staghound over the Italeri Staghound saying it was better quality, etc. Problem is, they are the same kit except Italeri's original gives you an aluminum gun tube and Tamiya adds a set of their own figures from their reissued Universal Carrier.

I'm looking at a Tamiya Greyhound kit right now and from the pollycap wheel set up, higher level of detail, different design philosophy and traditional Tamiya figure it isn't made with Italeri tooling.

I don't recall a aluminum gun tube, on the Italeri version but that may have been included in a more recent issue,  

The Tamiya Hummer Bushmaster was  an original kit first released in 1990. It was much more detailed then Italeri  and later Academy Hummers.  

The Italeri Paladin was considered to be soft on detail when it was released in mid eighties. Adding some new parts is not going to change that fact,

Greyhound=6-wheeled heavy armored car used by the US & allies. Both Italeri and Tamiya make the M8 and M20 versions. Both are original kits from Italeri and Tamiya. Don't know what my comment about Tamiya reboxing the Italeri Staghound has to do with the Tamiya Greyhound though.

Staghound=4-wheeled armored car, US produced, but UK/Allied used. Italeri makes it and Tamiya reboxes it. Read the first sentence of this review. It is for the kit I have. http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/tamiya/tam89770.html

Entirely different kits of entirely different vehicles.

The Tamiya Bushmaster Hummer is the Italeri kit inside the box. All 100% Italian made kit. Here is an article about the lineage of the Italeri HMMWV kits that include the reboxed Revell and Tamiya kits. The original Tamiya HMMWV is not more detailed than the Italeri kit, it is the Italeri kit. Now Tamiya's more recent hardtop HMMWVs are an entirely new breed of ki that are original.
http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=91

The Tamiya Hummer Bushmaster was  an original kit first released in 1990. It was much more detailed then Italeri  and later Academy Hummers.  

The Italeri Paladin was considered to be soft on detail when it was released in mid eighties. Adding some new parts is not going to change that fact,

The Bushmaster HMMWV is an Italeri chassis and Tamiya made the top and gun parts.  The rest is all Italeri.

The Italeri Paladin model didn't come out until the '99-2000 timeframe.  I was stationed in Korea when it came out.  I was bumbed when it did too.  Prior to it's release, I was working with Verlinden on a resin conversion set to convert the M109A2 kit into an M109A6 Paladin.  When the Paladin kit came out, the deal fell through.

No, Tamiya didn't make the hardtop and guns, Italeri did.

Rob Gronovius

No, Tamiya didn't make the hardtop and guns, Italeri did.

I believe you Rob, we just posted at the same time.  I wonder why Tamiya released it under their label and not Italeri?  The way companies are interwined is strange at times.

Probably down to licensing issues and who owned the molds. If Italeri retains the molds but licenses them to Tamiya, then the numbering system is different on the kits. If Tamiya owns the molds outright then they use the standard 35xxx numbering...at least that's my theory based on the info for the Bushmaster kit. Could be wrong though...companies change their kit numbering and series designations all the time as things suit them depending.