Quote from: Rick Lowe on September 17, 2024, 10:34:09 PM

Quote from: Wardukw on September 17, 2024, 02:58:19 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on September 17, 2024, 12:46:19 AMRui, I'd still run with the 1/35 M706, the way they're broken down into their parts would make the mod's not exactly easy, but still not overly difficult.

Guy your right and so am I 😆
Both vehicles share the same chassis and hull ..the wheels and rims are different tho between the models but  that's just age difference between the 706 and the 150 lav .
Hell the only reason to got the M150 cause was cheap and I had an idea for the turret ..that changed by the way   

The Vietnam version has 2 sets of outer rims, IIRC the difference is the number of wheel studs.
I would also start with a kit; as has been said, it'll be easier in the long run than starting with a flat sheet of card.
Cladding over the existing upper hull (with or without cutting the existing away), using 20 thou or so would do the job.
There are 2 sets of Driver's hatches, as well; bulged and flat, and other parts should be useable. The firing port covers are separate parts.
The turret is also not a million miles away from the Commando kit, so should be useable too.

 
That's what i'll probably do cause today i received a notification mail from google saying the mail i sent to the Portuguese company that used to make the resin kit was not delivered as it seems their inbox is over it's capacity. They probably ended the company cause i'd never heard of them and i believe it was only a short-term project to allow a few more interested modellers to be able to get one instead of making the kits widely available. I'll be looking for good references on the Chaimite but i'm not holding my hopes up too high as it's normally hard to find good stuff about Portuguese military equipment.

I don't know if you've seen this blog,
but it has a lot of Chaimite info, as
well as all kinds of other stuff:

http://rodasdeviriato.blogspot.pt/search?q=Chaimite

Drawing found on web:
You cannot view this attachment.

'Google, and ye shall find!' 
You really never know what's out there.

Quote from: Weaver on September 18, 2024, 11:33:34 AMThey put a tweet up not long ago asking people what it would take to get them to switch to larger scales, 1/48th or 1/32nd. I wasn't the only one whose reply amounted to "wild horses..."

I'd echo that sentiment.

Like almost all of the current 'Hornby Group', they've lost sight of their heritage, or at least they only remember it when it suits them anyway.

Sorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business. 
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing. 

Quote from: jcf on September 19, 2024, 07:19:13 AMSorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business.
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing.

What I was thinking.  Airfix was relatively late entering the 1/48 market, IIRC their first aircraft offerings in that scale were repops of ARII kits.
They've certainly caught up since.

I think you're both right. The money today is in the bigger scales and I believe many newcomers go for a bigger scale mainly because it's "cooler" with a bigger model once it's done. There's also more money available for toy purchase today than fifty years ago, making a more expensive entry less onerous to the seller.

That said, many if us already in the hobby was brought in on cheap small kits, such as the venerable JE-J mk IX spit etc. We're now staying in 1/72 because that's where our collections are.

I think 1/72 will live on, even if Airfix goes elsewhere. Eastern Europe can't really afford those big honking startup kits, and that market will likely cater for the rest of us for a while longer. But where Airfix goes is a different story.

Quote from: jcf on September 19, 2024, 07:19:13 AMSorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business.
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing.

I've never suggested that they're abandoning 1/72, they're just not doing anything about doing new 1/72 stuff and concentrating on 1/48. where they see that the money is.

And as of 'railing' on about it, I'll 'rail' as much as I feel like! I was building those original 1/72 kits before many others here were even figments of their parent's imagination!

Airfix were  releasing 48th in the late 70s - Hurricane, Spitfire Vb, Mosquito and a few others.

Since 2020 through now Airfix has released 16 new tools in 1/72nd vs. 8 in 1/48th.
Total across all subjects, excluding Quick Builds, is 38 new tools, which means that
1/72nd scale kits are 84% of the new standard kit tools.

Factoring in the 13 quickbuild kits gives a total of 51, which still puts 1/72nd in the lead
with over 31% of the total output.

Subjective perception and objective reality are very often not the same thing.

p.s. according to Scalemates from 2020 until now 473 1/72nd scale new tool kits have been
released.

You're all correct about the numbers and the business case, but it still doesn't hurt to remind them that there's a section of their market that simply will not go bigger than 1/72nd, for perfectly good reasons. I critque Airfix and give them lots of feedback precisely because I care about them and I'm more invested in their success than any other manufacturer.

Quote from: The Wooksta! on September 19, 2024, 09:18:59 AMAirfix were  releasing 48th in the late 70s - Hurricane, Spitfire Vb, Mosquito and a few others.

I thought they were 1980s kits?  And thanks for reminding me about the Spit Vb, I recall building one in the late 80s.

except that they've dropped the non air 1:48 kits, and didn't continue with them. 
ive a stack of the Warriors, and several of the patrol groups,  patrol vehicles, bikes and ( i think)  2 Merlins.

I wanted the CVRT family in 1:48, as that would cover from the 50s up, and would have happily got Centurions, and Chieftains, ( tamiya have beaten them with the Chally 2) considering how many users of the Cent they could have had a field day 
yes it would have been for wargaming with, but that means they will sell multiples of multiples, as i need a troop of Cents for ANZACs in Vietnam, at least a troop for anti monster roles, multiple AVRE versions for both green and Berlin Bloc , and possibly a couple of 105mm gun tanks for RA obs, and RE use. and as all of the above would have been different marks... sales

but meh

Quote from: Steel Penguin on September 19, 2024, 10:48:20 AMexcept that they've dropped the non air 1:48 kits, and didn't continue with them. 
ive a stack of the Warriors, and several of the patrol groups,  patrol vehicles, bikes and ( i think)  2 Merlins.

I wanted the CVRT family in 1:48, as that would cover from the 50s up, and would have happily got Centurions, and Chieftains, ( tamiya have beaten them with the Chally 2) considering how many users of the Cent they could have had a field day 
yes it would have been for wargaming with, but that means they will sell multiples of multiples, as i need a troop of Cents for ANZACs in Vietnam, at least a troop for anti monster roles, multiple AVRE versions for both green and Berlin Bloc , and possibly a couple of 105mm gun tanks for RA obs, and RE use. and as all of the above would have been different marks... sales

but meh

Local toy shop still has a Warrior in. £36-odd if I recall correctly.

They haven't dropped the 1/48th Lynx.

What they have done is put out a gaggle of 1/35th armour and military, some re-popped Academy and some original. Like it or not, 1/35th is squarely where the money is in big-scale armour.