Advice for an aircarft builder!

echolmberg

Member since
February 2003
From: Green Bay, WI USA

Advice for an aircarft builder!

Posted by echolmberg on Monday, November 22, 2004 12:22 PM

Hello everyone! I don't know if I'm doing that for the right reason or not but watching the highlights on the news and seeing all the U.S. combat vehicles has given me, a diehard aircraft builder, the itch to take my first step into armor. I know that some kits come with vinyl tracks and some come with dozens (if not hundreds!) of individual link tracks. That part intimidates me since I am not blessed with much free time. My duties around the house and to my wife and new little baby girl preclude me from going to my workshop whenever I want. It's a happy sacrifice but I also mis my hobby.

Anywho, getting back to the topic at hand and bearing all that in hand, what kits would be "first time armor builder" friendly. I'd like it to be a U.S. vehicle: either an Abrams or a Bradley. I saw the latest article in FSM about the Dragon 1/72 scale Bradley but I wasn't sure if this would be a good intro to armor kit. I even think the British Challenger tank looks pretty sweet.

Any suggestions for either a 1/72 or a 1/35 scale kit?

Thanks to all! Go easy on me. Ha-ha-ha! Smile [:)]

Eric

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armydogdoc

Member since
March 2004
From: Camp Couch Colorado

Posted by armydogdoc on Monday, November 22, 2004 1:13 PM

I too was exclusively an aircraft builder till I ventured into the dark side. Being surrounded by the stuff here has captured my imagination. I like 1/35 scale, 1/72 is just too small for me. So far I have built mostly Tamiya and am happy with their offerings. However I will be trying some of the Dragon stuff on my next builds. Anywho, the Tamiya M1, the 113, and the bradley build up into respectable kits. The vinyl tracks also look pretty good when dry brushed and pastelled. Here are a couple of pics of some Tamiya kits that I built a few months ago. Good luck and have a great time!

Ron "One weekend a month my$1***$2quot;

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Awood23

Member since
May 2003
From: Belgium

Posted by Awood23 on Monday, November 22, 2004 1:38 PM

I just want to echo what dogdoc said, I myself am primarily a wingy thingy builder nad have the same obligations you do keeping from slinging too much glue and paint around. If you want to break into Armor Id suggest starting out w/ 1/35 scale stuff. The kits are plentiful and the details not so small that you go blind trying to add bits and peices.
This was my first vernture in to things that creep through the mud

I deliberatly stayed away from Gulf war schemes as right now Im seeing too much of it modeled and wanted something different. You'd think that being in the Army I'd more of these things but my dreams will always be with things that zoom through the sky. Though theres alot to be said things that make loud and thunderous KABOOMs Big Smile [:D]

Good luck with what ever you decide to build. This is a great place to find guidance in reference. HeavyArty , Jwest, and a few others were invaluable during my build even pointing out some glaring errors I had made on my bradley in time to fix em.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/Awood23/DarkSideBadge.jpg

"your' not trying if your not cheating" "no one ever won a war by dying for his country, he won it by making the other poor bugger die for his" 'never before have so many owed so much to so few" 1/48 Spitfire %80

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JWest21

Member since
December 2002
From: PA

Posted by JWest21 on Monday, November 22, 2004 1:50 PM

I agree- 1/35th is easier to work with. Tamiya has a nice Abrams OIF and a Bradley OIF kits. They are reboxings of their original kits with added stowage and other goodies like the CIP panels and newer figures. They have the rubber band (1 piece) tracks and are very straight-forward. Dragon makes a lot of very nice 1/35th kits (but I hear their Abrams isn't great). They are generally less expensive than Tamiya, but have the individual links for the tracks and usually have a lot of small pieces.

Jason "There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." -D. Barry

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echolmberg

Member since
February 2003
From: Green Bay, WI USA

Posted by echolmberg on Monday, November 22, 2004 2:50 PM

Thank you all for the great input! Awood and Armydog, WOW!!!! Your kits look absolutely amazing! I only hope my armor build turns out to be 1/10th as good looking as yours. JWest, thank you very much especially for the info on the price. My wife and I are toying with the idea of her being a stay-at-home mommy. As a result we've got to watch our pennies. It's nice to know that Dragon might be a wee bit cheaper than Tamiya but I now know that I'll have to watch out for the tracks and all the other small pieces. What a toss-up! Go with the less expensive kit or pay a little more and avoid the little fiddly pieces.

You guys are great no matter what they say about you in the airplane forum. LOL! Just kidding!

Take care and best wishes to all,

Eric

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JWest21

Member since
December 2002
From: PA

Posted by JWest21 on Monday, November 22, 2004 2:53 PM

Keep an eye out for sales. Occasionally greatmodels or internethobbies.com will have the Tamiya tanks on sale. I really enjoy their newer stuff because they are really fun to build. Occasionally Dragon makes me swear

Jason "There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." -D. Barry

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echolmberg

Member since
February 2003
From: Green Bay, WI USA

Posted by echolmberg on Monday, November 22, 2004 3:32 PM

Will do, JWest21. Can I assume that Tamiya tanks go together as beautifully as their aircraft kits?

Eric

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JWest21

Member since
December 2002
From: PA

Posted by JWest21 on Monday, November 22, 2004 3:34 PM

Yes, they do (except for some of their really old ones- the Panther A comes to mind). I am a big fan of their aircraft and tank kits.

Jason "There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." -D. Barry

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 22, 2004 6:49 PM

I suggest 1/35th Tamiya M113A2 Desert Version , rather easy kit and beautiful rep, of and 113 in Iraq. The Abrams Is a fairly easy kit to here is a couple I recently finished.

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tigerman

Member since
March 2003
From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA

Posted by tigerman on Monday, November 22, 2004 7:17 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by JWest21

Keep an eye out for sales. Occasionally greatmodels or internethobbies.com will have the Tamiya tanks on sale. I really enjoy their newer stuff because they are really fun to build. Occasionally Dragon makes me swear

Just missed the Greatmodels 40% off sale. Sorry to hit you with that. I have yet to find a truely accurate buildup of the Abrams. I was disappointed in the Italeri and Dragon offerings and the Tamiya kit is the most expensive and doesn't have the anti-skid surface. Trumpeter?........don't even go there.

I did buy the Tamiya Bradley, but haven't opened the box yet. I hear the Humvee is a sweet kit, but pricey. Check for sales.

Eric

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ABARNE

Member since
February 2003
From: Southern California, USA

Posted by ABARNE on Monday, November 22, 2004 7:20 PM

I built the 1/72 Bradley that was reviewed and found it to be a fairly decent kit. The FSM review mirrored my own building experiences with it. There was some futzing around needed with a lot of the little pieces that comprised the turret, but all in all, it fit together well and was not especially difficult o build. Overall, it makes for a pretty good little Bradley. I an't speak about Dragon's 1/72 Challenger, but because the Bradley was a fun little diversion, I decided to pick up an Abrams to keep it company. I haven't built it yet, but out of the box, it looks to be a decent kit s well.

As far as the scale, take your pick. If you prefer 1/72 aircraft to 1/48, you might well enjoy doing 1/72 armor. Dragon's stuff in this scale is inexpensive, and fairly well detailed. On the other hand, if your preference for aircraft is 1/48, then 1/35 might be a better choice.

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armydogdoc

Member since
March 2004
From: Camp Couch Colorado

Posted by armydogdoc on Monday, November 22, 2004 7:32 PM

I can vouch for the humvee kit, it is a beauty! This figures even have the I vest, so its pretty much up to date. Another possible source for sales is Hobby Lobby, I've gotten some good deals in that store.

Ron "One weekend a month my$1***$2quot;

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echolmberg

Member since
February 2003
From: Green Bay, WI USA

Posted by echolmberg on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 1:13 PM

Another question guys. Ih ope you don't mind. If a kit comes with vinyl tracks is there anything of which I need to be aware? I figured I would not be able to use enamels. Am I figuring correctly? Would watercolors be in order for the tracks in that case?

Thank you so much for all the help!

Eric